Set yourself free by Dada J P Vaswani
Summary
TLDRThe video script delves into the profound human struggle between love and hate, emphasizing the divine act of forgiveness. It recounts powerful stories of Mahatma Gandhi and Pope John Paul I, illustrating forgiveness's transformative power. The speaker offers ten practical suggestions for cultivating forgiveness, urging viewers to let go of grudges for inner peace and global harmony, and to embrace love as a healing force.
Takeaways
- 😇 Forgiveness is a divine quality, setting it apart from merely human tendencies to retaliate or hold grudges.
- ❤️ The internal conflict between love, which seeks to forgive, and hate, which seeks revenge, is a fundamental human struggle.
- 🔥 Hatred is likened to a fire that burns within, consuming peace and happiness, and must be extinguished for inner tranquility.
- 🌟 Notable figures like Mahatma Gandhi and Pope John Paul II exemplify the power of forgiveness, even towards those who intended them harm.
- 🙏 Prayer is suggested as a first response to hurt, to prevent it from festering into a deeper wound in the heart.
- 📝 Writing a letter to the person who caused hurt, expressing all negative feelings, can be a cathartic exercise that aids in forgiveness, even if the letter is never sent.
- 🌱 Self-forgiveness is as important as forgiving others, acknowledging past mistakes, making amends, and moving forward without guilt.
- ⚠️ Holding onto resentment and guilt can be harmful to one's health and well-being, causing physical ailments and emotional distress.
- 🌙 Nightly reflection and verbal forgiveness of those who have wronged you can lead to a clearer mind and peaceful sleep.
- 🤝 Forgiveness should be offered proactively, without waiting for an apology, to achieve peace within oneself.
- 🔄 The act of forgiving and forgetting is compared to a cancelled note burnt in the fire, signifying a complete release of the past.
- 🛡️ Treating those who have wronged you with kindness and offering help can be a transformative act of divine forgiveness.
Q & A
What is the central theme of the transcript?
-The central theme of the transcript is the power and importance of forgiveness in human life, contrasting it with the destructive nature of holding onto hatred and resentment.
What conflict is mentioned within us according to the transcript?
-The conflict mentioned within us is between love, which seeks to forgive, and hate, which seeks to retaliate and make even.
What does the speaker suggest is the outcome when love triumphs over hatred?
-When love triumphs over hatred, the speaker suggests that we are able to easily forgive, preventing the hurt from entering our hearts and causing ongoing suffering.
Can you provide an example from the transcript where forgiveness transformed a negative situation?
-An example is when Mahatma Gandhi forgave the man who tried to kill him, leading to the man later offering his apologies and admiration.
What did Pope John Paul II do after a man attempted to assassinate him?
-Pope John Paul II visited the man in prison, held his hand, and forgave him.
What is the significance of the '10 fingers of the hands that forgive' mentioned in the transcript?
-The '10 fingers of the hands that forgive' are practical suggestions provided by the speaker on how to cultivate a spirit of forgiveness in one's life.
What is the first practical suggestion for dealing with hurt as mentioned in the transcript?
-The first practical suggestion is to immediately offer a prayer to God for help in preventing the hurt from entering and festering in the heart.
What should one do if they find it difficult to forget a hurt according to the transcript?
-If one finds it difficult to forget a hurt, they should either unburden themselves to a spiritual elder or write a letter expressing all their feelings to the person who caused the hurt, and then tear it up while praying for them.
Why is it important to forgive oneself according to the transcript?
-Forgiving oneself is important because carrying guilt can harm us mentally and emotionally, and it prevents us from moving forward with a clear conscience.
What is the practical suggestion for dealing with grudges or resentment?
-The practical suggestion is to realize that holding grudges or resentment harms us more than the person we are resentful towards, and to actively work on letting go of these feelings.
What is the therapeutic value of the advice given in the transcript?
-The therapeutic value of the advice is that it promotes mental and emotional well-being by encouraging the release of negative emotions through forgiveness, which can contribute to better health.
How does the transcript suggest we should act towards those who have wronged us?
-The transcript suggests that we should act kindly towards those who have wronged us, even going out of our way to help and serve them, as a way of practicing forgiveness.
What is the final practical suggestion mentioned in the transcript for embracing forgiveness?
-The final practical suggestion is to love the wrongdoer, to bring them back into your life, and to actively practice loving them despite their past actions.
What does the speaker emphasize as the key to achieving forgiveness?
-The speaker emphasizes that it is God's grace that will lead us to forgiveness, suggesting that it is beyond our own power and requires divine assistance.
Outlines
🧡 The Conflict Between Love and Hatred
This paragraph discusses the internal struggle between love and hate, and the power of forgiveness. It emphasizes the human tendency to retaliate when wronged but highlights the divine act of forgiving. The speaker uses personal anecdotes and examples of Mahatma Gandhi and Pope John Paul I to illustrate the transformative power of forgiveness, even in the face of great wrongs. The narrative suggests that hatred can consume one's peace and happiness, while forgiveness can lead to personal liberation and even change the heart of the wrongdoer.
🙏 The Path to Forgiveness
The speaker provides practical advice on how to cultivate a forgiving spirit. The first suggestion is to pray immediately when hurt to prevent it from festering in the heart. The paragraph also recounts the story of Jesus, who despite being crucified, prayed for his tormentors' forgiveness, setting an example of unconditional forgiveness. The narrative includes the story of Sadu Wasani, who despite being wronged by an editor, offered financial help when the editor's wife fell ill, demonstrating the healing power of forgiveness.
🌱 Forgiveness as a Healing Process
This paragraph continues the theme of forgiveness, offering additional practical suggestions for dealing with hurt and resentment. The speaker advises seeking counsel from a spiritual elder or writing a letter to the person who caused the hurt as a form of catharsis. The importance of self-forgiveness is also highlighted, urging individuals to let go of guilt and past mistakes. The paragraph emphasizes the negative impact of holding onto grudges on one's health and well-being.
🌙 Nightly Rituals of Forgiveness
The speaker introduces the practice of nightly forgiveness, suggesting that one should consciously forgive those who have wronged them before going to sleep. This act is posited as a means to achieve a clear mind and peaceful sleep. The paragraph also touches on the idea of forgiving without being asked, as taught by Jesus, and the therapeutic value of such an approach. The narrative includes a story about a woman with rheumatic pain who was advised to forgive her sister to alleviate her physical suffering.
🕊 The Art of Forgetting After Forgiving
The final paragraph focuses on the importance of not only forgiving but also forgetting. The speaker provides a series of practical suggestions, such as speaking kindly about those who have wronged you and going out of your way to help them. The power of divine forgiveness is exemplified through the story of George Washington and Peter Miller, where Miller's plea for his enemy's life was granted due to his act of superhuman forgiveness. The paragraph concludes with the ultimate suggestion to love the wrongdoer and reintegrate them into one's life.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Forgiveness
💡Hatred
💡Ego
💡Prayer
💡Self-Forgiveness
💡Conflict Between Love and Hate
💡Healing
💡Practical Suggestions for Forgiveness
💡Historical Examples of Forgiveness
💡Love for the Wrongdoer
Highlights
The conflict within us between love and hate, and the struggle to forgive.
Love seeks to forgive, while hate seeks retribution and an eye for an eye.
The story of a man with a burning desire for revenge for the death of his father.
Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy of forgiveness and its transformative power.
Pope John Paul I's act of forgiveness towards his would-be assassin.
The importance of growing in the spirit of forgiveness to overcome ego.
Jesus' teachings on forgiveness and his crucifixion prayer for his tormentors.
Sadhu Vaswani's example of unconditional forgiveness and generosity.
The healing power of forgiveness for both the forgiver and the forgiven.
Practical suggestions on how to cultivate forgiveness as the '10 fingers of forgiveness'.
The first practical suggestion: Offering a prayer to prevent hurt from festering in the heart.
The second suggestion: Unburdening oneself by speaking to a spiritual elder or writing a letter.
Forgiving oneself as well as others to alleviate guilt and self-blame.
Understanding the harm of holding grudges and resentment within.
The nightly practice of uttering forgiveness for those who have wronged you.
The importance of forgiving daily and consistently for ongoing peace of mind.
Forgiving even before it is asked, as taught by Jesus, for personal peace.
The concept of forgiving and forgetting as a complete release of past hurts.
The story illustrating the difference between forgiving and being historic about past grievances.
Practical advice on speaking kindly and helping those you hold grudges against.
The final suggestion: Loving the wrongdoer and bringing them back into your life.
The necessity of divine grace in achieving true forgiveness.
Transcripts
my
friends to give is
human but to forgive is
divine to give is human but to forgive
is
divine there is this
conflict within us the conflict between
love and
hate love seeks to
forgive hate seeks
seeks to make even to return evil for
evil there is this conflict within us
has someone wronged
you has someone offended
you has someone spoken ill of you has
someone cheated you has someone
exploited you has someone spread
scandals against you has someone wronged
you has someone betrayed your trust
there is the
struggle love on the one
hand hatred on the other love seeks to
forgive but hatred says
no I shall see this man love hatred
believes in taking an eye for an eye in
giving a blow for a blow
and if in the
struggle love wins love triumphs love
has the upper hand then we easily
forgive but if hatred
triumphs then that
hurt enters into the heart within and
keeps on burning there like a
fire I remember how several years ago a
man met
me his face was dark as charcoal as he
said those words he said to me there is
a fire burning within me and the Flames
of that fire will not be
quenched until I have shot the
man who is indirectly responsible for
the death of my father there you have it
hatred is a fire it keeps on burning
within you it burns away all your peace
and happiness
on the other hand I think of Mahatma
Gandhi a man tried to kill
him in
198 when Mahatma Gandhi was in South
Africa Mahatma Gandhi said to his
friends this man did not know what he
was
doing I will love him and win his love a
year
later this very man who had to kill
Mahatma Gandhi wrote a letter offering
his apologies and
admiration this is the magic of
forgiveness there is a similar incident
told
us in the life of Pope John
Paul I believe it was in the year
1984 that a man named Muhammad
Ali five fired a shot at his heart a
bullet at the heart of Pope John
Paul the man was
caught he was
sent to the Rabia prison in Rome and do
you know what the pope did the Pope and
went and visited this man in
prison the pope held his hand in his and
forgave
him my
friends we have not tried for
forgiveness because we are under the
influence of the ego we are dominated by
the ego and the ego wants an eye for an
eye a truth for a
tooth we must all grow in the spirit of
forgiveness I know it is something very
difficult to
do
because again and again we are tempted
to strike back again and again we are
tempted to return evil for
evil but all the great ones of
humanity all the great ones without
exception all the great ones who have
blessed Humanity age after
age have been men and women of
forgiveness I think of Jesus
he harmed no one he hurt no one he
became a fak for the sake of the
people he became a
heed according to a saying which is not
given in the gospels which is not given
in the
Bible he said nothing in the morning
have I and nothing do I have at night
yet there is none on Earth richer than I
he became a fak a man of no
possessions then you
know how they capture him they conspire
to capture him at night and at dead of
night they hold a mock
trial they sentence him to be
crucified they hang him on the cross
nails are struck into his hands into his
throat into his
feet blood oozes out of the wounds
but what does Jesus do Jesus looks at
his
capitals looks at all the people who
have crucified him and he offers a
prayer which today has become immortal
father forgive them for they know not
what they
do my friends there was an editor of a
paper who had been
bribed to write untrue things concerning
sadu wasani and the noble work that he
had
started they took this newspaper and
distributed it free among the
people they dropped copies of this
newspaper in every
house in certain areas of the
Town sadu wasani was
unperturbed sometime
later the wife of this editor contracted
TB tuberculosis
and he had no money for the treatment of
his wife when sadu Swani learned of
it he handed to him a bundle of notes
and said
brother here is money for the treatment
of your wife if you need more do let me
know such a man was sadu aswani he held
no grudge in his heart against anyone
his heart was a fountain of forgiveness
the
editor his eyes were touched with
tears he fell at the feet of sadu Swani
and said forgive me forgive me forgive
me oh man of
God and sadu Swani said to him forgive
you for
what you are
rtings have drawn the attention of the
people to the humble little work that is
being done here I feel grateful to you
the
editor became an ENT
devote and continued to come to the
satsung till the end of his life this is
the magic of
forgiveness my
friends my time has traveled
fast in the time that is yet left to
us let me tell you some practical
suggestions
on how to walk the way of forgiveness on
how to grow in the spirit of
forgiveness if I have the time I would
wish to pass on to you 10 practical
suggestions I love to call them the 10
fingers of the hands that forgive the 10
fingers of the hands that
forgive the very first practical
suggestion the very first finger of
forgiveness what is
it as soon as you find someone has hurt
you immediately offer a
prayer God help me so that this hurt
does not enter into my heart and there
becomes a festering wound that's what
happens to H it comes as a feeling a
feeling of hurt but if you let it remain
with you it enters your heart
and there it becomes a festering wound
it becomes like a wound which it becomes
very difficult to
heal therefore immediately offer a
prayer God help me so that this hurt
does not enter into my heart and become
a festering
wound this is the very first practical
suggestion you can push out
hatred you can push out the hurt when it
comes to you as a
feeling once you let it in the hurt
becomes the master and it will keep on
pricking you it will keep on pricking
you you every one of you must have had
that experience it's nothing new that
I'm telling you it keeps on pricking
pricking all the time as long as memory
lasts then practical suggestion number
two if the hurt has entered the heart
and has started pricking you again and
again you are unable to forget that hurt
it keeps on coming to you again and
again then what should you
do then either unburden
yourself go to a spiritual Elder and
open out your heart to him tell him
everything that is in the heart of he
will understand because he has passed
through this stage himself he will
understand he will never misunderstand
you go to a
spiritual Elder and unburden yourself
completely or if you cannot do it
spiritual Elders today are very
difficult to obtain it's not
easy if you cannot do it then write a
letter to the person and as you write
the letter open out your heart
completely pour all the Venom into that
letter let the letter be full of as many
harsh words as possible let the letter
be very very hard write a letter to that
man and after you have written the
letter tear it into
pieces and as long as you hold the
pieces in your hands keep on praying to
the Lord so that God's benedictions May
flow into the life of the wrong
wrongdoer the idea is to unburden
yourself when you write when you written
it has come out of the heart that which
went into the heart comes out of the
heart and it becomes easy to
forgive practical suggestion number
three forgive
others but also forgive
yourself we find it easy to forgive
others so many of us but we cannot
forgive
ourselves each one of us carries a load
of guilt on our minds on our
hearts guilt feelings there is not a man
present here there is not a man in the
whole world who has not done some wrong
or the other in the past near or remote
I often tell my friends that if ever
there is a man who has never done a
wrong you will find that as he walks the
Earth his feet will be 6 in above the
ground have you ever seen a man walking
six in above the ground
no every man has done some wrong or the
other what should we
do we should try to make amends if we
can we should repent before the Lord and
ask for wisdom and strength never to
repeat that action in the future and
then forget about
it we must learn to forgive our
eles this is practical suggestion number
three forgive others but also forgive
yourself then practical suggestion
number
four realize once and for
all that guilt feelings or
resentment if we carry them in the heart
within they do harm to us they do harm
to
us I may hold resentment against some of
you in the heart within I may not harm
you at all but I'm harming
myself there
are people who suffer from diseases just
because they hold grudges in their heart
against
people there was a
woman she had Rheumatic pain in the knee
joints she consulted a number of doctors
they would give her PES but they would
work only for
a the pains would return and the pains
went on increasing until one day she met
a holy man and described her condition
to him and the holy man asked her Point
Blank do you hold a grudge against
anyone in the heart
within she didn't want to answer at
first after hesitating she said
yes I hold a grudge against my own
sister who behaved very horribly towards
me and I'm unable to forgive her the
holy man said to her so long as you are
unable to forgive so long will these
pains be your constant
companions you must learn to forgive
practical suggestion number
five every night before you
retire think of all the persons who have
wronged you who have cheated you who
have exploited you who have taken
advantage of you think of
them and actually utter their
names Mr X Mrs y Miss Z I forgive you I
forgive you I forgive you so help me God
do
it do
it and you will find that you will have
sound sleep at night you will find that
your mind will be cleansed it will be
uncluttered we keep on cluttering our
minds and yet we want peace how can we
have
peace we do not merely want peace for
our ourselves we want peace for the
whole world how can there be peace for
the world when there is no peace in the
heart
within beloved sadani said how can there
be peace in the world when our when
men's hearts are a
volcano our hearts are sething with
selfishness with hatred with greed with
all sorts of negative thoughts how can
there be peace in the
world practical
suggestion number six this we must do
night after night we must not rest
content with forgiving once or twice
orri we must do it every day every night
as we retire if there are any people who
have wronged us we should forgive
them practical suggestion
practical suggestion number
seven forgive even before forgiveness is
asked forgive before forgiveness is
asked don't wait for a person to ask for
forgiveness you forgive him your mind
will be at peace you will be doing good
to yourself otherwise your mind will
keep on seething with all those things
with all those memories memories of
hurts it was Jesus who
said to his disciples if a man strike
you on the right cheek right cheek offer
to him the left
also if a man compels you to walk with
him for a m go with him the second M
also this teaching this advice this
Council has great therapeutic
value people who follow this advice will
remain
healthy otherwise we are likely to fall
sick it has a great therapeutic
value practical
suggestion practical suggestion number
eight forgive and
forget number eight forgive and forget
it'll be easy for you to remember number
eight forget
forgive and
forget somebody said that if a person
says that he can forgive but he cannot
forget it is like saying that he will
not forgive at
all when you forgive you
forgotten forgiveness is like a
cancelled note Tor into two burnt in the
fire so that it never comes up again
completely finished
there were two friends very old friends
they met together after several
years they met one evening they said
we'll have dinner together so at dinner
they kept on speaking of their early
days student days and after that when
they were together they did not know
time passed one of them suddenly found
that it was 3:00 in the
morning he said we must hurry
home both of them hurried home they met
the next day and one asked the
other did your wife understand you when
you returned after 3:00 in the
morning he said of course yes I
explained to the wife and she
understood and everything is all right
how did your wife react and this man
said my
wife she became
historic the man said historic or
hysteric he said no she became historic
when I returned after 3:00 in the
morning she brought up all the things
that had been done during the 30 years
of our marri life you don't have to be
historic you don't have to be hyic you
have to
understand there was a man he was on his
death bed and he
remembered that he held a grudge in his
heart against someone who had not played
fair with him so he said before before I
die let me make up with the man it's not
right to carry a grudge to the heaven
world so he sent for that man and told
him come I will give you a hug let us
forget whatever has happened the other
man felt very happy because in the
bargain he had robbed him of some um
million dollars or something so he felt
very happy but as this man was about to
leave the man who was on his death bed
called him and told him
that this will apply only if I die if I
live I do not want to see your face
again you must forgive and
forget practical suggestion number
number nine if you hold a grudge against
anyone you should be careful to see that
you speak very kindly concerning him and
as often as
possible go out of your way to help him
go out of your way to serve
him George Washington and Peter
Miller they were schoolmates they
studied together in the school and were
great friends George Washington became
the president of the United States Peter
Miller became a
preacher in his Parish there was one
man Michael Witman
he
persecuted Peter Miller every day he
troubled
him he did all sorts of things to bring
him
down Peter
Miller was
told that Michael
Witman had been involved in a treason
charge and had been sentenced to
death and this
preacher of the word of God he walks 70
miles all the way from his Parish to
Philadelphia where Washington
stayed he walked all those 70 miles and
came and pleaded for Michael
Witman but Washington said to him this
cannot be
done this man has a very black
case I cannot give you the life of your
friend forgive
me and Peter Miller exclaimed
friend he is not my friend he's the
bitterest enemy that anyone ever had and
he described to him all the persecutions
that he had suffered at his hands during
the last 20 years then George Washington
said he's your enemy that puts a new
aspect on the matter because when you
plead for your friend that is human when
you plead for an enemy that is super
human that is divine there must be the
hand of God in it how can I say no to
God I freely pardon
this you must go out of your way to help
to
serve and practical suggestion number 10
the last practical
suggestion you must go a step
further you must love the
wrongdoer you must bring him back into
your life you must love
him I will not keep you longer my
friends these 10 practical suggestions
Let Us carry them in the heart within
and may the Lord bless us we must beg
his it is his grace that will take us to
forgiveness nothing else Om Shanti
Shanti shant
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