Forgiveness is a powerful tool that is not only capable of healing the heart, but also liberating us from the internal shackles of resentment.

Forgiveness: A Dual Path to Liberation and Responsibility

Forgiveness is a powerful tool that is not only capable of healing the heart, but also liberating us from the internal shackles of resentment. One of the texts emphasizes that the refusal to forgive another person leads to a loss of one’s own life energy, whereas a genuine act of forgiveness grants freedom both to the forgiver and the recipient of this great generosity. However, the authors also argue that certain actions representing a gross violation of commonly accepted norms deserve accountability and cannot be justified by simply forgetting an offense. Violations of moral foundations, whether it be theft or debauchery, are seen not as a one-time misdemeanor but as a deliberate departure from the principles of mutual respect and justice, which inevitably incurs punishment.

This duality in the teaching invites us to realize that forgiveness should be applied wisely: when it serves as a path to inner healing, it opens up new horizons for us, whereas unyielding acceptance of accountability for serious transgressions highlights the importance of maintaining moral equilibrium. The message is clear – to forgive is to give life, and the refusal to forgive harms not only those around us but also oneself, depriving one of the chance to experience true liberation and harmony.

Which actions or personality traits, in your view, should be deemed unforgivable?

The texts place central emphasis on the idea that forgiveness carries liberation for the forgiver, whereas the refusal to forgive harms oneself. At the same time, one source’s author emphasizes that certain actions linked to gross violations of behavioral norms cannot remain without consequences. For instance, in one text it is stated:

"Both the thief and the profligate—even if they have sinned only once—are not exempt from punishment, not because they committed the sin infrequently, but because they dared to commit it at all. And what follows (in the Gospel) is that even a non-believer will not consider it a mere fable, seeing how persistently we violate this commandment?" (source: 634.txt, page: 634)

This quote indicates that a deliberate violation of moral norms—whether it be theft or debauchery—is regarded as behavior that cannot be granted conditional forgiveness, since it is precisely the audacious decision to commit such acts that leads to inevitable punishment. Thus, in the author's view, there are specific actions that fundamentally contradict the principles of mutual respect and justice, and they cannot be considered as something that is forgiven without consequences.

Furthermore, later in the texts it is emphasized that refusing to forgive another person deprives them of life, and that very same internal holding onto resentment only wounds ourselves:

"To forgive is to give life. Not forgiving you means I do not give you life. To forgive is to grant freedom. I free you." (source: 5389.txt, page: 5389)

By combining these thoughts, one can conclude that the authors insist forgiveness should be a tool for liberating the heart and establishing inner harmony. However, in cases where an act in its nature constitutes a gross violation of universal human norms (for example, theft or debauchery, as mentioned in the earlier example), such an act cannot be justified with forgiveness without the acknowledgment and acceptance of responsibility for what has been done. In other words, it is important to distinguish situations where forgiveness serves as a path to healing from those where unconditional reconciliation turns into impunity for actions that radically deny moral principles.

Supporting citation(s):
"Both the thief and the profligate—even if they have sinned only once—are not exempt from punishment, not because they committed the sin infrequently, but because they dared to commit it at all. And what follows (in the Gospel) is that even a non-believer will not consider it a mere fable, seeing how persistently we violate this commandment?" (source: 634.txt, page: 634)
"To forgive is to give life. Not forgiving you means I do not give you life. To forgive is to grant freedom. I free you." (source: 5389.txt, page: 5389)