THE BUDDHA’S TEACHINGS ON ANIMOSITY & FORGIVENESS

THE BUDDHA’S TEACHINGS ON ANIMOSITY & FORGIVENESS

“When you forgive someone who’s wronged you, it doesn’t erase that person’s karma in having done wrong. This is why some people think that forgiveness has no place in the karmic universe of the Buddha’s teachings, and that it’s incompatible with the practice of what he taught. But that’s not so. Forgiveness may not be able to undo old bad kamma, but it can prevent new bad karma from being done. 

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This is especially true with the bad kamma that in Pāli is called vera. Vera is often translated as ‘hostility,’ ‘animosity,’ or ‘antagonism,’ but it’s a particular instance of these attitudes: the vengeful animosity that wants to get back at someone for perceived wrongs. This attitude is what has no place in Buddhist practice. Patience can weaken it, but forgiveness is what clears it out of the way.”

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Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Excerpt from “The Buddha’s Teachings on Animosity & Forgiveness”

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To learn more about the Buddha's teachings on how to deal with animosity and forgiveness, go here:

https://www.dhammatalks.org/books/FirstThingsFirst/Section0012.html

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