It is said that the one who forgives is always on a higher plane than the one who does any mistake. In fact, the act of forgiving requires a lot of patience, understanding, insight and deep-rooted value system. Not everyone can have the guts to forgive or ask for forgiveness. In the words of Catherine Ponder, “When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free.”

The act of forgiving not only makes us emotionally strong but also clears the negative ripples of anger, resentment, hatred and anguish that torment us time and again. However, in the modern era, forgiving has become a rare phenomenon. The act of revenge is seen raising its ugly head everywhere. This culminates in the breach of peace, brotherhood, depression, violence, harming each other, crime, drudgery and death. Today we have time to earn materialistic pursuits, but rarely we have time to think and retrospect about the value and aim of life, positive qualities, the importance of relationships and societal well-being as a whole. In fact, the value of forgiving should be inculcated right from the formative years of learning. Gradually, with practice and understanding this value turns out to be a precious gem in the life of an individual. It makes him strong, understanding, patient, insightful, loving, caring, conscientious, responsible, moral, truthful and affectionate. In a nutshell, the act of forgiving leads to the all-round development of a individual, his fellow human beings and the entire creation in a toto.

Forgiving has a lot of psychophysical benefits like:

  • A sense of peace, tranquility and contentment
  • Free from negative emotions and thoughts towards self as well as others
  • Enhancement in the dimensions of value-system, moral and ethical outlook, level of insight, richness of heart and goodwill towards each other
  • Freedom from mental agonies, prejudice, discrimination and stereotypical attitude
  • Chemical balance in the body and brain
  • Refinement of the soul, and so on

Therefore, forgiving as well as asking for forgiveness has innumerable positive effects. Looking on to the spiritual realm of the body, psyche and soul the law of forgiving has even more significance and involves a wide array of psychophysical mechanisms. The human body has an electromagnetic field in and around it, usually known as the “Aura System”. Apart from the biological composition, our bodies are divided into three levels, they are:

  • The physical body
  • The gross body
  • The subtle body

These levels comprise of the dimensions of body, mind and spirit. Moreover, there are seven energy systems too. These energy systems are known as “Chakras”. The chakras play a vital role in creation, maintaining and nurturing the three elements i.e. the body, mind and soul. On a physical level, if the brain and spinal cord are the centers of pivotal activities, similarly on the spiritual level the chakras are the centers of power, emotions, energy, knowledge, wisdom and overall well-being.

Following is a representation of the seven chakras and their functions:

Chakra Physical Manifestation No. of petals Elements Controls Qualities Place on hand
Mooladhar Pelvic plexus 4 Earth Excretion and reproductive organs Innocence,Wisdom,Fearlessness Heel of palm
Swadishthan Aortic plexus 6 Fire Kidneys, liver, spleen, pancreas, intestines, uterus Creativity, pure attention, pure desire , pure knowledge Thumb
Nabhi Navel 10 Water Stomach, intestines, liver, spleen Seeking, peace, generosity, satisfaction, attention and caring nature Middle finger
Heart Cardiac plexus 12 Air Heart, lungs, sternum bone Joy, compassion, love, responsibility, security Little finger
Vishuddhi Cervical plexus 16 Sky/ether or space Neck, arms, face, tongue, mouth, nose, teeth, thyroid Sweetness of communication, detachment, diplomacy, collectivity, respect and brotherhood First finger
Agnya Optic chiasma 2 light Pineal body / pituitary gland, eyesight, memory, mind Forgiveness Ring finger
Sahasrar Limbic area of the brain 1000 Overall Joy, union with the Divine, collective consciousness Center of palm

When a person bows down and asks for forgiveness and when a person accepts his apology humbly and imparts forgiveness their energy systems get connected to each other through their aura systems and this starts the working mechanism of the chakras. According to the emotions, words spoken, and stimulus the chakras start evolving energies with respect to their qualities, gradually they start acting over the various body controls and transform the thought and behavior duo from a negative plane to a positive side. Eventually, with a coordinated work of the energy/chakra systems bodies, minds, and spirits of the forgiver and the person who asks for forgiveness get energized and show their positive as well as tranquilizing impact on the body and brain.

Thus, forgiveness whether it is given or asked for never leads to degeneration of man. In fact, it has a healing effect on each and every entity of a person resulting in health, happiness, peace and wisdom. Even if forgiving someone or asking for forgiveness may seem to be a Herculean task depending on the personality, thought processes and situations, but sometimes this small single step can make a big difference in our lives, It can make the heart lighter and illumine a bright spark of smile in and around us.

So folks happy forgiving!

Best Wishes,

Sareeta