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Buddhists/Follow up to Forgiveness

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Expert: - 8/6/2008


Question
QUESTION: Do Buddhists believe in the same usage/meaning of the word "Forgive" as Christian religious groups do?  Is the word "Forgive"  in the Buddhist beliefs?

ANSWER: Hi Kay,
Interesting. Certainly Buddhists are taught to have love and compassion for those who have done them wrong, and to treat every sentient being with the same kindness, regardless of any history we might have.
But singling out "forgiveness" from this is not really part of the Buddhist tradition. My guess would be that forgiveness is important to Christianity because Christians want God to forgive them their sins, so it seems only fair to forgive other people ourselves. In Buddhism, however, there is no "god" to decide what is "sinful" or not and who might get upset and need to be made to forgive us. In Buddhism, it all depends on natural relationships - if we make others suffer, that's bad, if we make others happy, that's good. So although forgiveness between people is important, it's not perhaps quite as centrally important as it is to Christians, as we are not looking for God's forgiveness.
Does that help at all?

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: After re-reading your response, I am curious about your words "natural relationships".  I understand the part about what's good and what's bad. Is there more to the definition of "natural relationships?"

Answer
Hi Kay,
Perhaps I didn't express that well. What I was trying to do was distinguish natural from supernatural. (Not from "unnatural"!)
Things like Anne speaks harshly to Bob, Bob steals from Caroline, Caroline gives a meal to David... These things are naturally good or bad because of the effects they have, not because a supernatural being says so or sits in judgement on them.
Does that make sense?

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Alex Wilding

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I have practiced and studied Tibetan Buddhism in the Kagyu and Nyingma traditions since the early 1970s, and have a good knowledge of theory, history and of the struggles of trying to practice the teachings, including meditation, while leading a normal, modern life. I am also available to provide background information for journalists.

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I have been a practitioner since the early 1970s; have run a small Buddhist centre in the English Midlands and was vice-president of Kagyu Benchen Ling e.V. in Germany, for whom I managed three large Buddhist summer-camps. More importantly, I maintain a habit of personal practice. I am the "owner" of the Kagyu list at Yahoo.

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My first degree was an M.A. from Oxford. I later obtained a Master of Philosophy degree for a research thesis in "Initiation in Tibetan Buddhism" from Leicester University. I also have engineering and educational qualifications.

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