Every time I think that I've completely forgiven myself and everyone else, a new opportunity arises. It's very much like the bugs in our pool, there are always new ones committing suicide just after I get it all clean. There is a saying..."how do you know there is nothing left to forgive?.......you won't be here!" Well, I don't know for sure if that is true AND everyone I know seems to have ongoing chances to forgive. Like Shrek says, "it's like onions, they've got layers".
Anyway, the way I see it, there are 3 basic stages of forgiveness. The 1st is.....I forgive that jerk, for what they did to me. This is usually when forgiveness is in your head guiding you, and your emotions are still feeling very separate and judging. Raise your hand if you've done this before. I knew it! This is perfectly natural and often a healthy first step so I'm not criticizing this stage. The 2nd is....I realize that everyone is doing the best they can, as well as I, and I let them and myself off the hook for what went down. One important thing to do here is to be really conscious as to where this happens for you. It's super easy for this to happen in the head, and not so easy to really embrace this in the heart, especially if the hurt is really deep for you or another.
Imagine yourself spending some time around the person in question. That should give you a clue as to just where you are with the process. Time is your friend and allow yourself gentle awareness without giving "spiritual guilt" and saying you should be further in forgiveness than you are. People that use "spiritual guilt" are called "spiritual radicals" and don't deserve forgiveness. Just kidding...it's important to forgive them too. You will get there at the perfect time so give yourself a break and trust the perfection of timing. Until you can really feel it in your emotional body, you're not ready to even think about the next step.
This is a good time for some 88% Dark, Organic, Fair Trade Chocolate. OK, now that you've let yourself and everyone off the hook, you are ready to approach the next step. You reach this level when you can fully embrace..."I thank you and/or myself "For-Giving" me this experience." This again is much more easy to do in the head than to feel in the heart. The easiest time to feel this is when something amazing has happened as a result of the painful experience and you can easily see and feel how it would not have occurred without the situation in question and you are grateful. You can also experience this feeling after drinking large amount of Tequila or Kombucha. Unfortunately, it will wear off either the next morning or when you see a picture of the person in question, especially if they are smiling.
Angelina was most able to forgive her "wasband" when she became increasingly aware that had he or anything been different, we would not be exactly where we were/are and she and I both felt/feel that this is the most wonderful thing to have happened to either of us. Plus, we got the house! Still, even without the new bliss, one can surrender to God/Spirit fully in knowing that all is perfectly in Divine Order and the Universe is conspiring on our behalf.
This is often done by one of three states of consciousness. #1 Pure Acceptance of what is. #2 Making the Best of what is. And #3 Making what is, The Best!. Even the least joyous of these three, pure acceptance, still embraces that all is well and couldn't be any different. This is different from "pseudo acceptance" which is "the smug idea that all will come around to our way of thinking eventually when the other wakes up to the truth". Just remember, just because you are working on forgiveness and maybe even reached level 2 or 3, doesn't mean, as Marianne Williamson says, you want to do lunch.
OK, now I must share an even more powerful forgiveness of yourself, others and Life itself. Most will never choose this path so I'm only offering it for the small minority, 1 in every 10,000, (I made that statistic up) that can embrace this. BTW, did you know that 75% of all statistics are made up on the spot, 80% of the time? OK, this is extremely controversial, not based in fact and completely made up by Angelina and myself (along with The Course in Miracles and some sects of Hinduism). Stop reading now if you want control over your external world. Go no further please if you have any desire to judge others or yourself. Please turn off your computer now if you are attached to anything and want to keep it that way. Here it comes........wait for it.
You can completely surrender to The Script and embrace "complete predestination". This makes all the other levels completely moot other than a short exercise for the mind. The Script trumps all other thoughts because it not only says what you and others do is OK, it says it's the only way you and others could possibly have done it. Forgiveness helps us "bury the hatchet". The Script shows us there never was a hatchet at all. I told you this was going to be crazy. Well, we're just crazy enough to believe this 100%. Oops, Angelina just told me she is only buying into The Script 99%. She still gives herself and others 1% Free Will. If anyone argues with her about anything they think is Free Will, she'll say "that's part of the 1%." LOL
For more on The Script see earlier blogs. Unlike other spiritual teachings, the entire "Unholy Text" is only 2 pages long. Unlike other teachings it will not take hundreds of scholars and teachers to decipher it. It's very simple, clear and definitive. BTW, The Script requires all Scriptists to celebrate not be celibate. Have fun with all of this because if it's not fun, it's not worth doing...........Swami Armandananda, self appointed leader/authority and creator of The Script (under the lenient guidance of Angelina, the subtle sage)
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