Cattāri Brahmavihārā

How many times a day so I suffer from being slighted? From being wronged? If I live my life heedlessly it’s pretty easy to go through the day collecting resentment and rancor without doing anything to rid my heart of what becomes a stinking, fetid pile of spiritual garbage. It seems that it’s only when I clearly acknowledge the hurt and the anger and then forgive the real or imagined perpetrator that I can disclose of the poison.

It it’s almost exactly the same when I’m at fault. Rather than carrying around burning guilt I can acknowledge the wrong, resolve to do better and ask forgiveness. Kamma is the great equalizer so it’s not as if I can escape the results of my deeds but I need not compound the suffering.

If I have harmed you by body, speech or mind I ask your forgiveness.