“Today, let’s reflect on the power of forgiveness—not just for others, but for ourselves. There’s a beautiful ancient Hawaiian practice called Ho’oponopono, which means ‘to make things right’ or ‘to bring balance back into life.’ When we forgive, we return to that state of balance, allowing ourselves to let go of guilt, shame, and negative emotions that keep us stuck in the past.

Ho’oponopono is built around four simple but powerful phrases: ‘I’m sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you.’ These words, when repeated with intention, have the power to cleanse your soul, releasing you from the burdens of the mind and heart. They invite us to reconnect with love, gratitude, and healing.

As Gandhi reminds us, ‘The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.’ In that strength, we find the courage to release what we cannot control. If you cannot control the world around you, stop trying to control it in your mind. By doing so, you free yourself from the constant struggle and open up space for peace and clarity.

So today, as we move through our practice, think of a moment or situation you’ve held onto, and mentally offer these four phrases: I’m sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you.

Let your heart find that balance, and know that in forgiving, you are not only healing others, but you are healing yourself.” – David Scott

“Forgiveness is like untangling a knot in your favorite necklace. At first, it feels frustrating, tight, and impossible to undo. But with patience and care, as you gently work on it, the knot loosens, and suddenly the chain is smooth again. Each time you forgive—whether it’s yourself or others—it’s like untangling another knot, freeing yourself from the tension and weight you’ve been carrying. And when the knots are gone, you’re left with something beautiful, restored, and ready to shine.” – David Scott

“To understand everything is to forgive everything.” – Buddha
In Buddhism, compassion and understanding lead to forgiveness. When we see the bigger picture, forgiveness becomes easier.

“Forgiveness does not overlook the deed. It rises above it.” – Pema Chödrön

“When you forgive, you don’t change the past, but you change your future.” – Jack Kornfield

“In the process of letting go, you will lose many things from the past, but you will find yourself.” – Deepak Chopra

“Anger will never disappear so long as thoughts of resentment are cherished in the mind. Anger will disappear as soon as thoughts of resentment are forgotten.” – Buddha

The Story of Lucas and the Heavy Stone

There was a boy named Lucas, who was raised by a father who treated him harshly. Every day, Lucas felt the weight of his father’s anger, carrying it with him like a heavy stone in his chest. As he grew older, Lucas left his father’s house, but the stone stayed with him, burdening his heart with anger and resentment.

One day, Lucas met a wise monk by the river. The monk saw the pain in Lucas’s eyes and asked, “Why do you carry such a heavy stone in your heart?”

Lucas explained, “My father hurt me. I cannot forget his cruelty.”

The monk smiled gently and picked up a small stone from the ground. He handed it to Lucas and said, “Hold this stone tightly and tell me how it feels.”

Lucas grasped the stone, and after a few moments, his hand began to ache. The monk then said, “Now, let it go.”

As Lucas opened his hand and dropped the stone into the river, he immediately felt the relief. The monk spoke softly, “You cannot change your father’s actions, but you can choose whether or not to keep carrying that stone in your heart. Forgiveness does not erase the past, but it frees you from carrying it with you.”

With this, Lucas realized that by holding onto his anger, he was the one who remained in pain. And so, he decided to forgive his father—not for his father’s sake, but for his own freedom. As Lucas forgave, the heavy stone in his chest disappeared, and for the first time, he felt light, free, and at peace.” – David Scott

“As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.” – Nelson Mandela

“Forgiveness is the final form of love.” – Reinhold Niebuhr

“Let go. Why do you cling to pain? There is nothing you can do about the wrongs of yesterday. It is not yours to judge. Why hold on to the very thing which keeps you from hope and love?” – Leo Buscaglia

“We think that forgiveness is weakness, but it’s absolutely not; it takes a very strong person to forgive.” – T. D. Jakes

“When the breath control is correct, mind control is possible.” – Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois

“You have the power to change everything. You don’t always get to choose your struggles, but you have the choice on how to overcome them.”

“Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking more than you need.” — Khalil Gibran

“Nothing glows brighter than the heart awakened to the light of love that lives within it.” – David Scott

“The opposite of love is not hate; it’s indifference.” — Elie Wiesel

“The greater the capacity to love, the greater your capacity to feel the pain.” – Jennifer Aniston

“It is through the alignment of the body that I discovered the alignment of my mind, self, and intelligence.” – B.K.S. Iyengar

There is only one reality, but there are many ways that reality can be interpreted.” – B.K.S. Iyengar

Topic 2 – Finding yourself, as you let go of anger

Eckhart Tolle teaches us to ‘be the silent watcher of your thoughts and behavior. You are beneath the thinker. You are the stillness beneath the mental noise. You are the love and joy beneath the pain.’ When we forgive, we go beyond the surface of our thoughts and emotions. We connect with that stillness beneath the noise, where our true self resides.

Ramana Maharshi says, ‘Happiness is your nature. It is not wrong to desire it. What is wrong is seeking it outside when it is inside.’ In forgiving others, we let go of the false belief that happiness depends on external circumstances. Instead, we uncover the happiness that has always been within us, just waiting to be revealed.

Pema Chödrön reminds us that ‘our true nature is like a precious jewel: although it may be temporarily buried in mud, it remains completely brilliant and unaffected. We simply have to uncover it.’ The mud of anger, resentment, and pain may cover our true nature, but through forgiveness, we wipe it away and rediscover the brilliance that has always been there.

Nhat Hanh teaches that ‘awareness is like the sun. When it shines on things, they are transformed.’ When we shine the light of awareness on our pain, we begin to transform it. We stop holding on, and in that process, we let go of so much—and in that letting go, we find ourselves.

So as we move through our practice today, I invite you to reflect on where you are holding onto anger or pain. Can you begin the process of letting it go, forgiving not just for others, but for yourself? In doing so, you’ll uncover the jewel of your true nature, brilliant and whole.”

“If I have harmed anyone in any way either knowingly or unknowingly through my own confusions, I ask their forgiveness. If anyone has harmed me in any way either knowingly or unknowingly through their own confusions, I forgive them. And if there is a situation I am not yet ready to forgive, I forgive myself for that. For all the ways that I harm myself, negate, doubt, belittle myself, judge or be unkind to myself through my own confusions, I forgive myself.”