The recently posted text of Hazrat Inayat Khan on forgiving the ‘trespasses’ of others provoked an interesting question about forgiveness and forgetting, and therefore we offer the following text, from Gathas II, to develop the theme further.

The training of the ego : forgiveness

In order to learn forgiveness man must learn tolerance first, and there are people whom man cannot forgive. It is not that he must not forgive, but it is difficult, beyond his power to forgive, and in that case the first thing he can do is to forget. The first step towards forgiveness is to forget.

It is true that the finer the man is, the more he is subject to being hurt by the smallest disturbance that can produce irritation and inharmony in the atmosphere. A person who gives and takes hurts is capable of living an easy and comfortable life in the world. Life is difficult for the fine person, for he cannot give back what he receives in the way of hurt, and he can feel it more than an average person.

Many seek protection from all hurting influences by building some wall around themselves, but the canopy over the earth is so high that a wall cannot be built high enough, and the only thing one can do is to live in the midst of all inharmonious influences, to strengthen one’s will-power and to bear all things, and yet keeping the fineness of character and a nobleness of manner together with an ever living heart. To become cold with the coldness of the world is weakness, and to become broken by the hardness of the world is feebleness, but to live in the world and yet to keep above the world is like walking on the water.

There are two essential duties for the man of wisdom and love: that is to keep the love in our nature ever increasing and expanding, and to strengthen the will so that the heart may not be easily broken. Balance is ideal in life. Man must be fine and yet strong, man must be loving and yet powerful.