MICCHAMI DUKKADAM
Forgiving
others is one of the most self-empowering, liberating and spiritual exercises
available for all of us, here on this planet. Mercifully, the act of forgiving
someone is totally in our hands… It doesn’t call for anyone else’s permission…
It doesn’t call for even the reciprocation from the one who we wish to forgive –
the one who has hurt, abused or harmed us…
Yes,
forgiveness is totally a private call we take to cleanse and heal our own
hearts… It paves the way for peace.
In every
religion, forgiveness and peace assume significant importance… For us,
Christians, Christ Himself demonstrated it as he battled there in pain on the
cross… Just before He breathed last, Jesus looked up and prayed: “My Father,
please forgive them as they do not know what they are doing.”
Jesus’ words
have so much meaning: Our tormentor is not aware of what he is doing… He does
it in his ignorance… So, he deserves not punishment but forgiveness… mercy…
A tough call
for mortals like you and me… To accept the notion that the one who torments us
and hangs us is ‘innocent and ignorant’ and deserves forgiveness and mercy…
Yes, it is a tough idea to accept.
But, then,
there we are… standing right under Jesus’ cross… Probably, that’s why, the Mass
in a church is incomplete without that powerful gesture wherein all bow to each
other and say, “Peace be with you”… Even the Priest sends us home with such a
reassuring words, “The Mass is ended… Go in peace!”
Two statements
of Jesus have always humbled me. When asked by his disciples if forgiving our
enemies seven times was enough… Christ famously declared: ‘Sevetnytimes seven
times”… Infinite! Then, there is this advice. “When you go to God’s altar with
an offering, and there if you remember your brother against whom you hold a
grudge, I say to you this… Go back to your brother, make peace with him and
then come back and do your offering to God.”
Yes, these
things have been infused into my blood right since I was a baby… and, yet, I
confess, like most around me do: Forgiving my tormentor is not easy.
Last night, I
was with a group of men and women chalking out a certain peace process. One of
the gentlemen, a Sikh who is married to a Jain, said this: “Have you not heard
of ‘Micchāmi
Dukkaḍaṃ’, the spiritual practice in Jainism? It means: If I have offended you in any way,
knowingly or unknowingly, in thought, word or deed, then I seek your
forgiveness.”
The gentleman had
pointed out this amazing Jain principle of forgiveness because, during our
discussion on peace process, he had sensed the roadblock… that, most of us had
our old baggage of past hurts and misgivings… that, unless we came to terms
with all the blockages that held us captive, it was not possible for us to make
a real progress towards peace… “Let the bygones be bygones,” the gentleman told
us.
And, the
gentleman was right!
Peace is the
most precious state of grace… It comes only when we go down on our knees and
pray, “Lord has mercy on me”… and, when we say with our folded hands, “Micchāmi Dukkaḍaṃ.”
Peace be with all…
GERALD D’CUNHA
Pic.:Azriel D'Souza
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