Real love & compassion

There is one thing that is extremely important for everyone, no matter whether his/her characteristics are human or animal like, satanic or divine, whether he is a child or a grandfather or whether or not his is a Yogi--everyone needs someone, in distress. We say, " I need a shoulder to lean on, a shoulder to cry on". Inner loneliness is very hard to bear, and humanity is suffering intensely from it in our times. We are disappointed so frequently, we need at least a hope. I have said more than once where there is hope and faith there is life and guidance. There must be someone to whom we can always turn, someone who will always accept us no matter what we have done. What should we do when someone who has made a mistake come crying to us? The highest wisdom is to say nothing. If we start scolding and reproaching we are commiting a worse mistake. True love and geniune compassion are shown by responding with: "That can happen to everyone. Don't worry: we will figure out something." Words like these give the person courage again, and the confidence to do it better next time. Reproaches and knowing better after the fact do not help at all. Real help means having patience and giving the kind of advice that points away out of the difficulty and salvages whatever there is to save from the situation.

The path of consciousness
by Sri Swami Maheshwarananda

Forgiveness

When various sorrows of mind and body or insults befall person, it is proper for him to think thus: "My previous Karma have come to bear fruit. These men or animals who inflict sorrows upon me are mere instruments. I must, therefore, keep up my forgiveness and must not get angry with anyone." Also, when somebody accuses a person as being below, ignorant or pretentious, the person does not become that. Generally, we become what we think and feel. After knowing this doctrine of truth, it is beneficial to all of us to keep up our nature of forgiveness, even if we have to make great efforts to do so.
Enlightened meditation is quickly attained, in our path to liberation of the soul by resorting to this virtue of forgiveness. Evidently we experience inner bliss. An all-round atmosphere of peace is created because internal mental sorrows as well as external conflicts, quarrels and abuse exist no longer. Thus, with the disappearance of anger and jealousy, atmosphere of friendship and unity is created everywhere in the society...May this religion of forgiveness that leads to the bliss of ourself and of others, reign ever victoriously in our life.

Virtues by Shri Atmananda