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Namo Dharmaya

Hail to the Teachings

LOVE AND FORGIVENESS MEDITATIONS

CONTENTS:
Preliminaries and Dedication

Forgiveness in Steps
Forgiving Others
Accepting Forgiveness
Love and Forgiveness towards Oneself and Others


PRELIMINARIES AND DEDICATION

In order to make the most out of the following analytical meditations, it is important to realise that one should not only observe the analytical mind, but also the emotions and feelings that come up.
Iit is strongly advised to start with a good motivation beforehand, to take a few minutes to calm down (doing e.g. a brief breathing meditation is very good) and to dedicate the positive energy afterwards.
For this, the following traditional prayers can be used:

Taking Refuge

I go for refuge to the Buddha,
I go for refuge to the Dharma,
I go for refuge to the Sangha. (3x)

Setting the Mind to Enlightenment

By virtue of giving and so forth,
may I become a Buddha for the benefit of all sentient beings. (3x)

4 Immeasurables

May all sentient beings have equanimity, free from attachment, aggression and prejudice.
May they be happy, and have the causes for happiness.
May they be free from suffering and causes for suffering.
May they never be separated from the happiness that is free from suffering. (3x)

7-Limbed Prayer

Respectfully I prostrate with body, speech and mind;
I present clouds of every type of offerings, actual and imagined;
I declare all the negative actions I have done since beginningless time,
and rejoice in the merit of all Aryas and ordinary beings.
Please teacher, remain until cyclic existence ends
and turn the wheel of Dharma for all sentient beings.
I dedicate the virtues of myself and others to the great Enlightenment.

Dedication

By this virtue may I soon
reach a Guru-Buddha-state,
and lead each and every being
to that state of Buddhahood.

May the precious Bodhicitta
not yet born, arise and grow
may that born have no decline
but increase forever more.

FORGIVING IN STEPS

- Allow memories, images and emotions to come up in your mind, that you have never forgiven yourself for.
- Can I accept that I am just an ordinary human being with some bad and some good qualities?
- Did I not suffer enough from these actions?
- I have learned and grown, and I am ready to open my heart to myself.

"I forgive myself for whatever I did, intentional or unintentional.
May I be happy, free of confusion, understand myself and the world.
May I help others to be happy, free of confusion and understanding."

- Now imagine in front a person I love and want to forgive.
- Can I accept this person as a human being with bad and good qualities?
- When ready, say:

"From my heart, I forgive you for whatever you did, intentional or not.
May you be happy, free of confusion and understand yourself and the world.
Please forgive me for whatever I did to you, intentional or unintentional.
May we open our hearts and minds to meet in love and understanding."

- Try to feel the warmth of the healing between you.

- Now imagine in front someone I have hurt
- Can I accept the other as an ordinary human beings with bad and good qualities?
- When ready, say:

"Please forgive me for whatever I did to you, intentional or unintentional.
May you be happy, free of confusion and understand yourself and the world.
Please forgive me for whatever I did to you, intentional or unintentional.
May we open our hearts and minds to meet in love and understanding."

- Try to feel the warmth of the healing between you.

- Now imagine in front a person I feel very negative towards
- Can I accept this person as a human being with bad and good qualities?
- When ready, say:

"Please forgive me for whatever I did to you, intentional or unintentional.
May you be happy, free of confusion and understand yourself and the world.
Please forgive me for whatever I did to you, intentional or unintentional.
May we open our hearts and minds to meet in love and understanding."

- Try to feel the warmth of the healing between you.

FORGIVING OTHERS (From Sogyal Rinpoche)

- Visualize all Buddhas and enlightened beings above and around you
- They shine their compassionate, blessing upon you
- Imagine in front the person you want to forgive
- In the presence of the enlightened beings, say what you have to say
- Tell them what you really feel and why you want to forgive him/her
- Imagine this person looking at you with compassion and understanding
- While telling him/her about your anger and regret, radiate out all your love and compassion to this person
- Know the person understands you and answers with love shining from the heart
- Open your heart, accept their love

ACCEPTING FORGIVENESS (From Sogyal Rinpoche)

- Visualize all buddhas and enlightened beings above and around you
- They shine their compassionate, blessing upon you
- Imagine in front the person you need forgiveness from
- In the presence of the enlightened beings, say what you have to say
- Tell them what you really feel and why you want his/her forgiveness
- Imagine this person looking at you with compassion and understanding
- While telling him/her about your anger and regret, radiate out all your love and compassion to this person
- Know the person understands you and answers with love and compassion shining from the heart while forgiving you
- Open your heart, accept their love and forgiveness

LOVE AND FORGIVENESS TOWARDS ONESELF AND OTHERS

Note: This meditation can very good be combined with the next.

Before being able to really love others, we need at least to accept ourselves as we are.

- I have some bad habits and faults, but am I really all that bad?
- Many things I do don't lead to perfect results, but at least I try to do my best.
- Now simply put a smile on your face, a real smile, not just visualised!
- Next focus the attention to the heart, and sense how a warm, loving feeling develops.
- We are all worthy to receive love
- Let this warm, loving feeling gradually fill up the whole body, and enjoy it!
- When ready, say:

" May I be healed of problems, dissatisfaction and pain
May I be able to forgive myself and find peace
May I be able to live from my heart
May I be happy, with only good thoughts and experiences"

- Breathe in love and forgiveness with every breath, and feel the healing power of giving yourself the space for love.
- Keep this feeling and the smile on your face as long as possible

- Now let this love stream out to others, the people around, the family, friends, the street, town, country, the world.
- Rmember people you don't really like; they also just want to be happy.
- Are they only so bothersome because they need to feel loved, just like me?
- Try to have the courage of breaking through the standard habits by overloading them this time with love instead of hatred.
- When ready, offering the following thoughts to others:

May you all be healed of problems and pain
May you all forgive yourself and find peace
May you all be able to live from your heart
May you all be happy and give happiness to others

- Keep radiating warm loving-kindness to everyone
- Don't be afraid your love will run out; true love is a never ending source of energy!
- Only our own feelings of hatred, frustration, impatience and egoism limit the stream of love to others

 

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Last updated: April 11, 2001

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