Forgiveness - The ultimate virtue

Well I am afresh from a 3 day week end, yes the Labor Day week end here in the US of A. I planned todo a lot of hings during the week end, as my daughter was going to be home from College and this being one of last week ends of summer, so I thought of catching up with long pending work at home.

However my not following the virtue of Forgiveness caused some intense 'sulking' and that, I think, caused my body to go for a toss. My body just gave up on Saturday after noon, when ironically I had completed making calls to India for 'Kshamavani', a Jain tradition for forgiving all and asking for forgiveness from all. This happened because I was harboring Angst against my wife as she said some thing in anger due to my childish bahvior of eating Sweet water melon despite of being Diabetic. Since I have now taken a vow of not 'creating scenes' at home front, I just kept quiet, but did not forgive her not so kind words towards me (funnily this definition of 'not so kind' was/is also given by me).

Although by the late evening Saturday I was OK healthwise, but did not give my resentment of her words. Sunday went away in the excitement of teaching Religious and Hindi calsses at the temple after many weeks and then going for dinner with family and visiting family friends, but again Sunday by the evening whole body ache and fatigue showed up, as I raised the grudge intensity inflamed by certain other behavior, which I did not like. Finally this morning around 4 am when I got up again due to same issue, I realized the futility and irony of the whole thing and felt enormous feeling of FORGIVENESS and love. Once this feeling of forgiveness descended upon me, autiomatically the peace enveloped me and I slept off till 6:30 am. Later in the morning I apologized to my dear wife and then created a wonderful, enjoyable and achievement filled day at work and home.

So all in all forgetting the importance of Forgiveness caused me a whole week end of troubles and remembering it made peace reappear. I like this sweet little victory over my own vices and Thank GOD for this realization.

Last day of Paryushan Parv and Uttam Kshama

Today is the last day of Paryushan Parv as followed by Digambar tradition. It is the day of 'Brahmacharya', one of the ten virtues also known as 'Das Laxan Dharm'. Basically 'Brahmacharya' word consists of two words 'Brahma' means the Soul or Spirit and 'Charya' means to dwell in. Hence today is a day to dwell in one's own soul, in other words focu internally to soul and not be external i.e. tend to bodily (sensual) needs.

In Jain tradition this day is followed by a day of Forgiveness of Khshamavani Day; which means that we need to Forgive all beings and ask for their forgiveness for whatever hurt we may have caused them whether knowingly or unknowingly. And we need to begin afresh with a clean heart.