The hardest is the first step — forgiveness, writes Sant Rajinder Singh
Today, people are awakening to the higher, spiritual values of life. They are recognising that the survival of humanity depends upon recognising that we are all one family. The tragedies of the 20th century must not be repeated in the 21st century. We have made strides forward in realising that no one wins when there is war. No one wins when there is hatred. The legacy of our forefathers must not become the legacy of our children. What gift do we wish to give our children and grandchildrenIJ Do we wish to leave them a world of violence and warIJ Or do we wish for them a world of peace, love, and unityIJ The choice is ours to make.
If we wish their world to be better than what we have seen in the past, we must be willing to teach them love and peace. They will not learn it if we carry our past hatred and prejudices. They look at us as models. If we are filled with hatred, they will adopt that in their lives. But if we wish them to live in a peaceful world, we must put down our weapons that we carry in our minds and hearts.
Attaining peace is not easy. The hardest is the first step, and that is forgiveness. We must learn to forgive our enemies. We must develop compassion for those who have hurt us. What our enemies have done may not be their own doing, but of how they were trained by their parents and grandparents. We need to recognise that even our enemies have been victims. We have all been victims of the discord of our ancestors. It is time to put a stop to it. Revenge must be replaced by forgiveness.
The children of the world have seen enough violence. They have lost enough family members. It is time to take a hard look at ourselves. It is time for us to develop the maturity and wisdom to say, “Enough violence. let us use our energy to build a peaceful world.” How can we take those stepsIJ How can we cleanse ourselves of angerIJ A solution that has worked through the ages is compassion, forgiveness, and peace can be ours through spirituality and meditation.
What is spirituality, and what is meditationIJ How can we make them a part of our lives to build a peaceful futureIJ Spirituality is the recognition that our true self is our soul. It is recognising that our soul is one with God. It is realising that we are not merely our body and mind, but a soul that inhabits the body. We may think of ourselves as a body bearing a name such as Mary or John or Maria or Mario or that we are a citizen of Colombia, Mexico, France, or India, or that we are of one religion or another. Spirituality is the recognition that be- hind these outer names and labels we are souls, a part of one Creator. As such, we are members of one family. When we develop this vision, we no longer see through the eyes of prejudice and discrimination. We break down the barriers that separate one human being from another. We feel like we are connected at the level of soul. When we experience our unity and connectedness, we start caring about each other. We help and serve each other. The hungry cries of our neighbour’s children cause us as much pain as the cries of our own children. We see the homeless man on the street as our homeless grandfather, and we help him. Our vision broadens, and we have compassion for all human beings.
How can we develop this noble visionIJ We do so when we awaken spiritually. Meditation is a method that opens our spiritual sight to wash away hatred and replace it with peace. By sitting in stillness, we can get in touch with our soul. We find that we are more than this body. We discover that our spiritual essence is love, peace, and bliss. When we identify with our soul, we realise our oneness with God.
How many yearn for a divine vision of GodIJ For many, finding God is a dream that hardly seems possible, but people through the ages have seen God and have merged with God. How did they do itIJ They used one technique. We may call that technique inversion, concentration, or meditation. They sat in stillness and directed their attention within. Great saints and mystics came with the message of unity. They taught love for our fellow beings and love for God. look at the basic message of the founders of religions and we will find the message of love. They attained that realisation by developing themselves spiritually. We too can develop our spiritual side.
By learning meditation, we can contact God. As God bathes us in bliss, we are cleansed of the years of hatred and prejudices. God instils the qualities of forgiveness and compassion. The lord holds our hands as we take steps toward reconciliation. Meditation is taught as a science that we can practise no matter what our religion, belief, or culture. It is a process of closing our eyes, focusing our attention within, and coming in contact with the inner light of God. As we become absorbed in the inner light, our soul rises above body-consciousness. We find spiritual realms within. These inner realms are filled with light, beauty, and happiness.
In these troubled times, if we meditate and find a place of calm daily, we will be able to face the challenges of life. We will not only be peaceful, but we will radiate peace to all those with whom we come in contact. Peace begins with us. No one has ever been effective in trying to make others change and be peaceful. We can only change ourselves. By changing ourselves, we can become examples and have an effect on those who meet us. By seeing our example, others will be inspired to find out what has made our lives calm and peaceful. Then we can share with them that meditation has helped transform us. By transforming ourselves, we can transform others, including our family, community, society, and eventually the whole world.
In this state of love, we develop the qualities of forgiveness and compassion. Christ advised us that if an enemy slaps us on one cheek, to turn the other cheek. Buddha taught peacefulness. When an enemy approached him in anger, instead of fighting back, Buddha said, “This gift of anger you have brought, I do not accept.” Thus, Buddha put an end to what could have escalated into an argument. let us not accept and react to the anger of others. let us stay centred in a place of peace within.
The writer is a spiritual leader
