$JES 103 Jain Alphabet Book Level 1 Book

Author(s): JAINA Education Committee
Publisher: JAINA Education Committee

Page 27

F is for Forgiveness
Forgiveness means Pardoning Someone Who May Have Caused Us Some Harm
Forgiveness helps us remove our anger, hostility and resentment towards others. It energizes us and makes our world more beautiful than ever. Jainism teaches us that Ahimsä* (non-violence to other living beings) and forgiveness should be the main actions of our daily life.
In life we always come across people who have hurt us, intentionally or unintentionally. But no matter how badly they hurt us, we should always forgive them unconditionally. We should always think that our present suffering is due to our past karma. Hence we should stay calm, not get angry, and should not try to get even.
In the picture, Lord Mahävir** is forgiving Chandkaushik, the snake, even though he bit Mahävir. Bhagawän Mahävir showed the way of forgiveness. We, as his followers, should also forgive those who hurt us. Forgiving helps our soul while anger hurts our soul. We first forgive others and then seek their forgiveness for our faults. Just as Ahimsä is a part of our daily life, forgiveness should also be a part of our daily action.
Note: F is also for Faith
Look for
*Ahimsä under A, **Mahävir under M
F IS FOR FORGIVENESS
JAIN ALPHABET BOOK
27