 Edgar Cayce Society of New Zealand12 Ted William Street, New Windsor, Auckland, New Zealand Telephone: (09) 627 4077 E-Mail: edgarcaycenz@yahoo.co.nz |
||
| Home | Articles - Best of Rainbow Journal | Readers Forum
| Contact Us
|
||
|
Articles
- Best of Rainbow Journal |
||
1. Love Thine Enemies (December 2006) 2. Prophecy and Free Will (March 2007) 3. The Sin of Interest (March 2007) 4. Law and Justice (April 2007) 5. Cooperation and the Silent Wars (May 2007) 6. Forgiveness (June/July 2007) 6. Forgiveness (June/July 2007) The Polynesian Approach In a widely reported recent incident concerning a Polynesian family there was a remarkable display of forgiveness. The episode concerned a Samoan woman, Mrs Muliaga, who was dependent on an oxygen machine which stopped working when power to her house was cut due to an overdue electricity bill. The woman’s family reported that the contractor for the energy company stood in front of Mrs Muliaga after the power was cut and, over the shrill alarm of the oxygen machine, told her he was only doing his job. Less than three hours later she was dead. At the time of the funeral of Mrs Muliaga her husband made a statement that while he held the power company responsible for the death of his wife he and his family had forgiven the man who performed the act of cutting the power. This spirit of forgiveness was also displayed in a recent court sentencing of a man found guilty of murdering a Polynesian girl. The girls’ family declared to the court that they had forgiven the murderer. This ability to forgive is a familiar Polynesian trait where the victims and the victims’ families are quick to forgive the perpetrators of wrongdoings against them, no matter how severe. When I was living in Samoa in the 1960’s I observed the customary way of dealing with crimes and offences. An example is the case a boy from one village who was found to have raped a girl from a nearby village. Representatives from the boys village went to the girls’ village and, draping themselves in precious fine mats, sat in silence in front of the victim’s house. They sat with heads bowed, covered with the mats in the sun or rain and would do so for as long as it would take for the victims’ family to accept the fine mats as a token of remorse and repentance and forgive the culprit. The victim’s family invariably gave in to the silent petition of the representatives. By these acts the parties avoided the possibility of revenge or retaliation and ensured the maintenance of peace and harmony between the villages. This did not mean that the culprit got off scot free for his crime as the boy’s own village imposed heavy penalties on the boy and the boy’s family. There is considerable wisdom behind this custom that avoids ongoing conflict and hostility between villages. In giving the responsibility of dealing with the culprit to the chiefs of the culprit’s village the punishment meted out by the chiefs of the culprit’s village does not become an act of revenge but rather a penalty for bringing shame on the village and to make up for the compensation given to the victim. This is in marked contrast to the custom of ‘payback’ in the out backs of New Guinea where revenge was always sought for perceived hostile acts between members of different villages with ‘tit for tat’ acts, sometimes involving killings, which can go on for long periods of time, a killing for a killing, which could theoretically lead to the situation as Mahatma Ghandi described “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth until the whole world is blind and toothless.” The Western Approach We in much of the ‘civilised’ world seem to lean more to the New Guinea approach by seeking revenge for acts of wrongdoing rather that looking for reconciliation and forgiveness. Whenever things go wrong, when people suffer through crime, injustices or bureaucratic blunders we always seem to look for human sacrifices demanding that ‘heads shall roll.’ We only need to look what is going on in the world today with conflict and ‘revenge attacks’ in many countries. The most glaring example being in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict which has been going on for 30 years and with no end in sight as both parties continually seek revenge for each other’s violent acts. Take for an example individuals who have lost family members because of crime. The survivors’ anger and desire for revenge can poison their whole beings. Instead of even considering forgiveness they seem to believe that hatred, even to the point of wishing to impose torture and capital punishment on the offender, will satisfy their thirst for revenge and will somehow bring them healing. With hardened hearts and stiff lips they declare “I will never forget or forgive.” The sad thing is that in wishing to send someone to hell they end up sending themselves there as well! While it may be all very well to philosophise on this matter we must ask ourselves how we react when someone has offended us or caused us harm. Are we quick to forgive or do we harbour resentment and look to even the score? We may be able to forgive minor offences but what if someone caused us or one of our loved ones, grievous harm or killed someone we loved? Could we then forgive the offender? Furthermore we may ask; why should we forgive the offender? Why Forgive? Every one of us can be considered as victimised in one form or another at some time in our lives whether it be caused through crime, serious accidents, abuse, injustice, or even verbal insults. However it is up to us to decide whether or not to forgive the perpetrator. There is no middle ground in this decision for we either decide to forgive the person who hurt us or we hold on to the bitterness and anger and let it fester inside us. Perhaps we are afraid to forgive because we feel we must remember the awful wrong that has been done or we will not learn from it. Perhaps we consider that if we forgive the offender we are somehow letting the offender off lightly. Forgiveness can be a problem for many of us simply because we are not clear about what forgiveness really is. If we are serious about forgiving we must first of all realise that the harbouring resentment, hate, anger and the desire for revenge will only cause ourselves suffering – not the ones that caused the offences. We must realise that by continuing to harbour these negative emotions we will be literally destroying our own health and cause ourselves great mental suffering. Studies have clearly shown that anger and resentment double the risk of myocardial heart attacks in people with previous coronary problems. Furthermore other studies suggest stomach ulcers and certain blood disorders are also caused by resentment and anger. So for our own health’s sake we should begin the process of clearing out these deadly emotions as soon as possible. Forgiveness is like a gift we give to ourselves. It is a release from the burden of the anger and pain. When we choose to forgive we are choosing to live in the present rather than the past. In does not mean that we forget but it does mean a releasing of negative emotions and moving on. Forgiveness does not happen of its own so we must consciously choose to forgive. How do we Forgive? Forgiveness is not just deciding to forgive and then all is forgiven and forgotten. One must work on it. Here are some pointers on the path to forgiving: - A conscious decision to forgive must be made. - We are to realise we are responsible for our own feelings and for the heeling of the hurt going on inside us. - We are to understand that forgiveness does not condone or in any way approve of the harmful acts but we are willing to accept the mistake and the pain it has caused and move on. We forgive the doer of the action, not the doing of the action. - We are not to seek any form of revenge. Although we accept that the doer of the action may suffer the consequences of the action no act of revenge will be by our hands. - We are to realise that the act of forgiveness make take some time involving prayer and meditation. - We are to realise that in forgiving others we also forgive ourselves for our own shortcomings. Edgar Cayce on Forgiving Edgar Cayce’s approach to forgiveness and revenge was that these came under universal laws. We have all done things that require forgiveness and the measure of forgiveness we will receive will be the same measure in which we forgave others. He also gave clear warnings against seeking revenge maintaining that we should leave revenge to God: And he who swears vengeance pays even unto the last farthing. 3241-1 Then beware of setting self as a judge for others, for there has been given ’Vengeance is mine. I will repay, says the Lord.’ 1565-1 Is it the better matter to seek vengeance? What is the law respecting same? Be rather in peace with self and God will require life for life, purpose for purpose, in your relationship of mind and body to your fellow man. God be the avenger, rather than the individual, and you will find a different peace within yourself and not the turmoils of anxiety and worry. 3611-1 Have you not read, forgive as you would be forgiven, condemn not that you will not be condemned? This applies to all. 3246-1 If you do not forgive those who have in any manner caused you disturbance or distress, how can you expect your heavenly Father to forgive you of your trespasses, of your shortcomings? 1532-1 Be as forgiving to others as you want others to be forgiving to you. For unless you would forgive your brother, that you see and know in the flesh, how can you expect your heavenly Father to forgive – whom you have never seen, or may ever see – unless you prepare the way here and now. Then, do things not to be seen of men but to be seen and judged of God. For His judgement and His justice is right. 3409-1 1. Love Thine Enemies (December 2006) 2. Prophecy and Free Will (March 2007) 3. The Sin of Interest (March 2007) 4. Law and Justice (April 2007) 5. Cooperation and the Silent Wars (May 2007) 6. Forgiveness (June/July 2007) |
||
|
Book Titles available for Members to
Loan (over 150 Titles available): |
||
