Slaying the Three Dragons of Forgiveness

I’d like to share a teaching from Deepak Chopra that was forwarded to me by Michael Gelbart. Chopra says forgiveness is often thought of as the domain of saints and religion, but needs to be brought down to earth for everyone:

To begin with, forgiveness comes at the end of a process, not at the beginning. In order to forgive yourself or another person, three obstacles must be overcome. Let’s call them the three dragons of judgment, anger, and blame. Each has had powerful effects in everyone’s life. Millions of people feel justified in clinging to their own dragons, and it takes conviction to realize that nothing about judgment, anger, and blame actually serves anyone’s self-interest.

Chopra encourages us to move beyond the three dragons and become “units of peace” by walking the path of forgiveness.  He offers these practical steps for doing so:

A Path to Forgiveness – 7 Key Steps

• Find your own peace through meditation, yoga, or other contemplative   practice.
• Renounce the illusion that you can change someone else’s morality or worldview.
• Know that you can do more to change the world by who you are than by anything you can say or teach.
• Take responsibility for nonviolence in your speech and actions.
• Address the issues of judgment, blame, and anger in yourself.
• Associate with like-minded people who are committed to peace and forgiveness.
• Adopt a vision of the highest possibilities for humankind.

For more elaboration, I encourage you to read Chopra’s article here.  He has more to say about the dragons and shares a video on self-forgiveness as well.

I hope this season brings warmth and cheer to your heart. Please be gentle and loving with yourself, especially if you are struggling in any way. May the New Year bring more light and more love into your life and those around you.