A new beginning means to start afresh, and to start afresh means having to leave the past behind, having to erase past impressions and creating new ones. Starting afresh means having to clean the slate and write a new story to burn away past karma and perform new, pious karma.
Every day is a new opportunity available to us to leave the past behind and move forward in life. Leaving the past behind is to leave hatred, enmity, jealousy, misery, painful memories, behind and make a new beginning in relationships with positivity, vigour, love and compassion.
It is important to note that forgiveness is the most effective tool to let go of the past, to erase past hatred, enmity and misery and to burn away past impressions. Forgiving makes new beginnings easy.
Forgiveness is the essence of all virtues and if we forgive and seek forgiveness through meditation on a daily basis we become free of all the negative vibrations others would have emanated against us as well as cleanse all the past impressions from our mind.
It is a process of cleansing one’s conscience by soliciting pardon from all living beings. This act of asking forgiveness is done during meditation every day. It serves as an internal mirror. In Jainism, it is called Pratikraman, which means reflection, introspection and repentance. The process involves looking at the events and actions of the past, seek forgiveness for the sins and wrongdoings with a vow not to harbour any ill-will towards anybody in future. It teaches us to forgive those who have wronged us and resolve to forget it all.
This entire process of forgiveness makes one’s mind, body and soul completely pure and humble. It helps improve relationships, create harmony in the family and society and helps in spiritual progress and salvation.
No one can go back in time and change a bad beginning, but one can start now and create a new beginning and end it successfully. There is no better time to make a new beginning than right now.
Sri Rameshji Jain is a modern age spiritual guru and founder of Poorna Ananda, a centre for spiritual evolution and joyful living. Visit www.poornaananda.org
