Here is the answer to your search for peace. Here is the key to meaning
in a world which seems to make no sense. Here is the way to safety in
apparent dangers which appear to threaten you at every turn, and bring
uncertainty to all your hopes of ever finding quietness and peace. Here
are all questions answered; here the end of all uncertainty ensured at
last.
The unforgiving mind is full of fear, and offers love no room to be
itself; no place where it can spread its wings in peace, and soar above
the turmoil of the world. The unforgiving mind is sad, without the hope
of respite and release from pain. It suffers and abides in misery,
peering about in darkness, seeing not, yet certain of the danger lurking
there.
The unforgiving mind is torn with doubt, confused about itself and all
it sees, afraid and angry, weak and blustering, afraid to go ahead,
afraid to stay, afraid to waken or to go to sleep, afraid of every
sound, yet more afraid of stillness; terrified of darkness, yet more
terrified at the approach of light.
What can the unforgiving mind perceive but its damnation? What can it
behold except the proof that all its sins are real? The unforgiving mind
sees no mistakes, but only sins. It looks upon the world with sightless
eyes, and shrieks as it beholds its own projections rising to attack its
miserable parody of life. It wants to live, yet wishes it were dead. It
wants forgiveness, yet it sees no hope. It wants escape, yet can
conceive of none because it sees the sinful everywhere.
The unforgiving mind is in despair, without the prospect of a future
which can offer anything but more despair. Yet it regards its judgement
of the world as irreversible, and does not see it has condemned itself
to this despair. It thinks it cannot change, for what it sees bears
witness that its judgement is correct. It does not ask, because it
thinks it knows. It does not question, certain it is right.
Forgiveness is acquired. It is not inherent in a mind, which cannot sin.
As sin was an idea you taught yourself, forgiveness must be learned by
you as well, but from a Teacher other than yourself,
who represents the other Self in you. Through Him you learn how to
forgive the self you think you made, and let it disappear. Thus you
return your mind as one to Him who is your Self, and who can never sin.
Each unforgiving mind presents you with an opportunity to teach your own
how to forgive itself. Each one awaits release from hell through you,
and turns to you imploringly for Heaven here and now. It has no hope,
but you become its hope. And as its hope, do you become your own. The
unforgiving mind must learn through your forgiveness that it has been
saved from hell. And as you teach salvation, you will learn.
Yet all your teaching and your learning will be not of you, but of the
Teacher Who was given you to show the way to you. Today we practice
learning to forgive. If you are willing, you can learn today to take the
key to happiness, and use it on your own behalf. We will devote ten
minutes in the morning, and at night another ten, to learning how to
give forgiveness and receive forgiveness too.
The unforgiving mind does not believe that giving and receiving are the
same. Yet we will try to learn today that they are one through
practicing forgiving toward one whom you think of as an enemy and one
whom you consider as a friend. And as you learn to see them both as one,
we will extend the lesson to ourselves, and see that their escape
included ours.
Begin the longer practice periods by thinking of someone you do not
like, who seems to irritate you, or to cause regret in you if you should
meet him; one you actively despise, or merely try to overlook. It does
not matter what the form your anger takes. You probably have chosen him
already. He will do.
Now close your eyes and see him in your mind, and look at him a while.
Try to perceive some light in him somewhere; a little gleam which you
had never noticed. Try to find some little spark of brightness shining
through the ugly picture which you hold of him. Look at this picture
until you see a light somewhere within it, and then try to let this
light extend until it covers him, and makes the picture beautiful and
good.
Look at this changed perception for a while, and turn your mind to one
you call a friend. Try to transfer the light you learned to
see around your former “enemy” to him. Perceive him now as more than
friend to you, for in that light his holiness shows you your savior,
saved and saving, healed and whole. Then let him offer you the light you
see in him, and let your “enemy” and Friend unite in blessing you with
what you gave. Now are you one with them, and they with you. Now have
you been forgiven by yourself.
Do not forget, throughout the day, the role forgiveness plays in
bringing happiness to every unforgiving mind, with yours among them.
Every hour tell yourself:
“Forgiveness is the key to happiness.
I will awaken from the dream that I
Am mortal, fallible, and full of sin,
And know I am the perfect Son of God.”