Buddhist Prayer of Forgiveness

We keep talking about letting go but ‘letting go’ comes when we learn to forgive. We generally mistake forgiveness to be something we do for others, not recognizing that by not forgiving, we carry the burden of our emotions such as rage, hostility, and resentment and, in the process, punish ourselves.

Forgiveness does not come easy. Sometimes we are hurt so deeply that we can’t let go of the suffering. The closer the bond with the person who harmed us, the more difficult it is for us to let them off. When we are betrayed or deceived by someone we trust, it becomes difficult to forgive them. Sometimes the betrayal is so deep that it even shakes the core of our faith. And without faith, to forgive someone becomes unimaginable.