Forgive and Forget

by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan

In order to learn forgiveness man must learn tolerance first.

And there are people whom man cannot forgive.

It is not that he must not forgive, but it is difficult, beyond his power to forgive, and in that case the first thing he can do is to forget.

The first step towards forgiveness is to forget.

They say, 'Forgive and forget', which is very expressive of the process of forgiveness.

It is impossible to forgive unless you can forget.

What keeps man from forgiving his fellow man is that he holds the fault of another constantly before his view.

It is just like sticking a little thorn in one's own heart and keeping it there and suffering the pain.

It may also be pictured as putting a drop of poison in one's own heart and retaining it until the whole heart becomes poisoned.

Verily, blessed are the innocent, who do not notice anybody's fault, and the greater credit is to the mature souls, who, recognizing a fault, forget it and so forgive.

How true are the words of Christ, 'Let those throw a stone who have not sinned.'

The limitations of human life make man subject to faults.

Some have more faults, some have less, but there is no soul without faults.

As Christ says, 'Call me not good.'

Forgiveness is a stream of love, which washes away all impurities wherever it flows.

By keeping this spring of love, which is in the heart of man, running, man is able to forgive, however great the fault of his fellow man may seem.

One who cannot forgive closes his heart.

The sign of spirituality is that there is nothing you cannot forgive, there is no fault you cannot forget.

Do not think that he who has committed a fault yesterday must do the same today, for life is constantly teaching and it is possible in one moment a sinner may turn into a saint.

The first step towards forgiveness is to forget.

Bowl of Saki, by Hazrat Inayat Khan