Friday, December 10, 2010

teaching forgiveness

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In a world of elegant, but insignificant, distinctions, which would you rather have -- someone to forgive you or someone to teach you?
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7 comments:

  1. Sir,

    I could very well be wrong, in fact i think i am, pls forgive. But as i contemplate the koan, what comes across to me is that my dad, or most dads, are forgiving persons like you too; while most mothers spend their lives teaching me. i don't recall being forgiven for not getting full marks in my elementary school math paper, when i got 99, and all i gotten was a warning from mom that I hope this taught you a lesson for not being hardworking when u could have gotten 100.

    it's so trivial, such a small distinction, i seem to have learnt my lesson, but i don't recall having forgiven.

    why? why? i ask myself.

    sorries,
    _/|\_

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  2. Would rather teach than forgive and be forgiven than be taught.

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  3. I'll let you know when I can forgive and start teaching MYSELF!!!

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  4. Life is the best teacher , having someone to forgive you when you don't get it right is waaaay better . Its a question of ...do you want someone above you or next to you . Better next to you above you or in front only blocks the view and fills your eyes with dust . Anita

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  5. It's a bit of an odd question.

    Since “forgive” means “to give up resentment towards”, it's actually the other person's problem. But since resentment is painful, usually a response from me of humility or apology is effective. That way, even if they still think I'm a jackass, at least they're not in pain.

    I think that forgiving but not forgetting is a foundation of wisdom.

    But to return to the question of the day, I guess that I would have to say that I would prefer to have someone to teach me, a person who is absent resentment and the need to punish. Then we can just make our mistakes and get on with the show.

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  6. If the choice is between two hypothetical ones, then, of course, I'll choose someone to teach me, hopefully so that I won't create anyone who I might need to forgive me. If there is only one, who has something to forgive, he would take precedence.

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