By Jaspal Singh for TwoCircles.net
Every society has developed a notion of forgiveness. Every major religion also has a concept of forgiveness. It implies that there is an understanding that in the complex web of relations that humans are entangled in with each other, humans are bound to make mistakes, hurt each other by their actions, words and glances. Yet they must carry on living with each other, accepting each other and moving on with their lives.
There is a Punjabi saying that humans are bundles of mistakes and errors and the divine is infinitely forgiving. Therefore the wise are also forgiving and learn lessons from their errors and mistakes. In this way forgiving others is actually asking forgiveness for one self. It is very well articulated in the Christian faith in the Lord’s Prayer,” forgive our transgression, as we forgive those who transgress against us”. Humanity developed this instinct for forgiveness for survival. As trial and error is part of the overall nature, so forgiveness must have emerged amongst humans as an important condition and conception to live with each other.
Each society has a protocol of forgiveness. Certain things are forgiven without any penance or punishment. Other things require penance and punishment. Children learn this from the very beginning, how far they can go before they will be punished or asked to do penance. I remember a friend of mine’s younger brother called me one day after a long time. I told him that I had left many messages for him but he never called. He completely disarmed me by saying that “I am your younger brother and the younger ones make mistakes all the time, elder brothers have to forgive such transgressions.” I was speechless. All my anger and indignation disappeared. Such is the force of forgiveness.
Naturally, talking about forgiveness, limits of forgiveness also come to mind. What limits there are if any? Each society has also developed ideas about what actions cannot be forgiven. For example there is a general understanding that crimes against humanity, crimes against people and crimes against peace should not be forgiven and those who engage in such actions directly or indirectly must be punished. Nuremberg trials after the Second World War, actually codified it.
Forgiveness has emerged as a building block of human society. It is the miracle of forgiveness that keeps humans loving and living together, in spite of their frailties, errors and hurt. Humans do end up hurting each other consciously or unconsciously, but forgiveness is the balm that brings them out of the abyss and quagmire of hurt, wounds and pain and gives them the strength and wisdom to live another day, year or life. Contemporary literature does not talk much about it, but ancients thought it very important and deliberated a lot about it.
Reparations for slavery and colonial plunder is one form of forgiveness, where the oppressors and victims of oppression and their children can reconcile and move on, by coming to terms with their history, which dehumanized a large part of humanity for the greed of a few. Experience of truth and reconciliation commissions in many countries has had positive results. Some Dalit scholars in India have been talking about upper castes to seek forgiveness from Dalits for centuries of their oppression as part of the renovation and renewal of society and coming to terms with history.
As I write these lines, I am listening to Heer Waris Shah, sung by Iqbal Bano and Waris Shah is saying that the prophet became the interceder on behalf of humanity for forgiveness from the maker for all our transgressions by showing us the path.
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Japal Singh is a philosopher based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.