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FORGIVENESS (KSHAMA)
PART IV : 33
(5) Just as a lamp burns itself and shows the path to others
by light, similarly saintly souls do bear numerous calamities
and yield calmness to others. (6) Just as the earth tolerates digging, pressing and striking,
just as trees tolerate cutting, similarly only the enlightened souls can tolerate insults and bad words. How could others
have that capacity ? (7) The tree of Dharma that grow's through right conduct and
right knowledge and is watered by self-study, austerities and faith, will be consumed to ashes by the fire of anger. Let
us, therefore, keep anger away at a distance. (8) Compassion, peace, equanimity, forgiveness, truth, renunciation
and non-attachment are found in the personality of a man
aspiring after liberation. He is ever alert. (9) When causes leading to sorrow arise, great sadhakas again
and again resort to forgiveness, on the lines of thinking such as these-“This is the occasion of the test of my life-time sadhana; why should I not be on the alert ? “or” Despite being an aspirant for liberation, if I were to retort by harsh words etc., like the orcinary people in the world, I would be just one of them. What would be the peculiarity or significance of my claim of being one aspiring after
liberation ?” Pondering again and again this way, the tenacious “Sadhakas" revert and thereafter maintain “ Forgiveness".
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