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Meditations for Finishing Business
and Practising Forgiveness

--adapted by Catherine Jetsun Yeshe
from the works of Stephen Levine, Judith Lief and others.

Finishing Business

Imagine you are going to die soon.

• what is left undone - what have you been postponing
• what mess will you leave behind you

Now look at the people you love

• do they know of your love
• how could you begin to tell them of it
• think of their grief if you die without saying something
• imagine yourself as them, looking back at you

Now look at one of the problem people in your life

• can you see through their eyes
• imagine yourself as them, what is their life view
• what is their pain

What can you do? Can you do anything to alleviate this pain?

Forgiveness

Meditation

Can you let go of the walls of fear or anger or resentment that keeps someone out of your heart?

It is so painful to put someone out of your heart

It so painful to feel abandoned by someone else's hurt or confusion

Can you touch their mindset with tenderness? Sufficient to see they're suffering?

Can you feel mercy for the karma they have created for themselves?

Can you, for a moment, 'be them' -- see through their eyes, think with their thoughts and mental assumptions

Can you say, "I forgive you for all the harm that you have done to me and to others. May mercy attend your days and your nights." "I forgive you for your actions, your words, your thoughts, your effect."

Can you hold them in your heart again?

See how merciless the mind can be. How it can freeze or grip the heart.

Soften there. Breathe in and out their suffering. Breathe in and out their confusion, their anger, their holding.

Now can you let them go, freely dissolving their form into space.

Part B

Now, turn your attention to yourself. Can you feel a softness for yourself. For all your own mistakes

Can you say, "May I be forgiven for all my mis-steps, my blindnesses, my moments of thoughtlessness, harsh speech, careless actions."

See how harsh we are with ourselves - Try to soften towards yourself.

Say to yourself: "I forgive you... I will try not to overlook things again. I will try to always remain in a state of love towards all of creation. Not blind love, but all-inclusive love. Love for all including myself."

Feel softness, forgiveness and love coursing through your being.

Let the heart breath be soft, let the mind be inclusive

May all beings be at peace
May all beings have reasons to find peace
May all beings resonate in sympathy with each other.
May all treasure life
May all know that life goes on without ceasing.

Catherine Jetsun Yeshe
Toronto 2001

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