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52 EASTERN HORIZON | TEACHINGS
Forgiveness as a
Spiritual Practice
The Buddha gave specific abuse etc.). Interestingly, it is an and mental transgressions of the
teachings and practices on how offence for a monastic teacher not three treasures. It especially refers
to develop forgiveness. Like the to forgive the errant pupil whom to the regular confessional service
practice of love and compassion, he had banished but who later for monks and for nuns, to ask
forgiveness does not ignore repented and asked for forgiveness. for pardon or to seek forgiveness.
the truth of our suffering. In Whether in the context of patience, On the other hand, the Mūla-
fact, forgiveness requires both endurance or forgiveness; all of sarvastivāda-vinaya-vibhaṅga,
courage and strength for it them bear the underlying quality explains that kṣama should be
is only when we forgive both of acceptance of an unpleasant or understood as begging someoneʼs
ourselves and others that we can undesirable situation. Even Right pardon. However, Huiyuan in his
experience the peace we long Thought as the second factor of Huiyuan Yinyi equates the term
for. We ask our three teachers the Noble Eightfold Path bears with ‘repentance’, which is to
what is meant by forgiveness this same underlying quality in ‘ask for someoneʼs pardon.’ He
in the Buddha’s teachings, its its 3 aspects of renunciation of interprets this as asking someone
misconceptions and how we can sensual pleasures (acceptance to accept oneʼs confession of a
practice forgiveness as a spiritual of sensual deprivation), non-ill transgression.
will (acceptance of an unpleasant
quality in our everyday lives.
experience) and harmlessness Geshe Dadul: Approaching an
(acceptance of aggression). understanding of forgiveness based
The word Khamā (Pali) or Kṣamā
Similarly, for the practice of on the results—the releasing of
(Sanskrit) is usually translated
the 4 Four Sublime States grudge or resentment or anger in
as forgiveness. But it is not a
(brahmavihāras) where, for the face of others’ mistreatment or
common term found in the core
instance, one needs to accept the misdeeds - I believe the practice
Buddhist teachings of the Eight-
faults of others and put them aside of forgiveness can be seen as
fold Path, Four Sublime States, or
to be able to unconditionally wish included within the practice
7 Factors of Awakening. How and
for their happiness and well-being. of patience or fortitude. In the
where is forgiveness defined in
scriptures, we come across three
the Scriptures?
Min Wei: The term kṣamā is types of fortitude, viz. the fortitude
basically translated as enduring, that is undisturbed by harm from
Aggacitta: The Pāli words khamā
tolerating, patience or endurance others, the fortitude of voluntarily
and khanti (patience) actually
in Mahayana Buddhism. Perhaps, accepting suffering and the
share the same root kham(u) which
it is quite equivalent to the third fortitude of certitude about the
has the meaning of acceptance. In
of the six perfections, forbearance. dharma. Of these, forgiveness falls
the suttas, khamā is more often
The term is also translated as within the first two, particularly
used in the context of endurance
repentance, regret or to repent of the former. This is because in the
(in relation to the inclemency
error; and also as confession - the scriptures, such as Tsongkhapa’s
of weather, physical pain and
confession of oneʼs bodily, verbal, Lamrim Chenmo and Shatideva’s
discomfort, verbal and physical
