by Jayashri (Rukmini) K. Baphna, Dayton OH
We Jains, night and day, have the aspiration:
I grant forgiveness to all living beings.
May all living beings grant me forgiveness.
My friendship is with all living beings.
My enmity is totally non-existent.
This Universal Forgiveness Prayer (KSHAMAAPANA SUTRA) appears in AAVASHYAK SUTRA. It motivates us to practice forgiveness in our daily lives. One of the most auspicious days in the Jain calendar is the Day of Forgiveness (KSHAMAAPANA DIVAS), which is celebrated at the end of the Festival of Spiritual Awareness (PARYUSHAN). On the Day of Forgiveness, we ask forgiveness with mind, speech and body from everybody - all living beings having one to five senses.
Forgiveness counters the passion of anger. Anger is an impure state of our being. It is utmost violence directed not only towards others but also towards self. An angry person is agitated. His/her heartbeat goes up. One who is angry starts to tremble. He/she cannot think rationally and discriminate between good and bad. Anger leads to considerable stress. Thus anger constitutes physical and mental violence of self. Anger, pride, intrigue and greed are the four passions described in Jain scriptures. They are responsible for the influx and bondage of karmas. Thus they perpetuate our worldly suffering. Therefore, one should avoid anger through forgiveness.
When things do not happen according to our wishes or when someone does or says something that is unpleasant to us, the deluding (MOHANIYA) karma associated with our soul may become operative. We forget the nature of our true self and become angry. To avoid anger, we have to reflect on the teachings of our religion. The nature of reality is that we cannot have complete control over the events around us. We should be rational and, in the spirit of multiplicity of viewpoints (ANEKAANTAVAAD), we should understand that different people have different viewpoints. Therefore, we should not get angry or upset when other's words and/or deeds go against our wishes. Even in cases where a person clearly violates the common rules of conduct, we should disregard his/her behavior thinking that the individual might be under some duress or may have some limitations. We should have feelings of equanimity and compassion in such cases. We should not lose our composure and we should stay calm, quiet and patient. This is the way to be free from anger and practice forgiveness. Thus we can attain peace of mind and genuine happiness in our lives through forgiveness.