Floating towards Forgiveness

Hello dear Friend….

We all have, at times in our lives, felt hurt, wounded or victimized by others we are close to. At other times, we have been the one that has done the hurting, either with our words or our actions. Usually when we are hurt by others, it is a time for great growth and spiritual expansion, although it may not feel like that as we go through the wounds and experience ourselves as victims. Likewise when we are the perpetrator of the hurt to another…….we are also asked by our higher selves, to grow beyond and above our actions, so we can make amends and clear the karma.

Many times however we are not graced with an apology from the one who has hurt us……and this leaves us feeling lacking in closure for the experience that has caused us so much pain. The spiritual teachings of our faiths and the popular idea that forgiveness is something we must strive for……..can send us down a path that we feel is endless…..When will we ever get to feel that feeling of forgiveness?…how do I get it?, what meditations do I need to do to access it ? what rituals and practices do I need to dedicate myself to, in order for me to find this elusive forgiveness ? In this striving and struggling to get to this distant place of peace, we find ourselves swimming upstream, further and further away from our desired destination.

Guan Yin, Mother of Mercy and Compassion © Jo Jayson 2014
(click here to learn more about this painting)

Recently I finished my new painting of Guan Yin- a chinese yet universal Mother Goddess archetype of mercy and compassion. As with all my paintings, as each of these energies comes to and through me to be expressed….I am blessed to experience an initiation of sorts….a healing, a lesson, a moment in time to witness the essence of their message and wisdom. Whilst painting this beautiful being, and working with and through her energy – a beautiful unexpected gift was given to me. As I felt her compassion and unconditional love….I began to feel it for myself. A blanket of comfort felt like it had been wrapped around me…..and all the hurts and pains of the past melted into the fibers of this blanket…..without any effort whatsoever. Hurts and wounds from long ago and recent ones that had, till now seemed so raw and inflamed, all were soothed and bathed in this beautiful blanket of compassion.

What she told me, and subsequently taught me, was that forgiveness for others and to be forgiven by others, can not be rushed. It cannot be something that we must struggle to experience….or beat ourselves up about because we haven’t achieved or received it yet. Instead, forgiveness for others starts with a place of compassion in our hearts……an understanding that as humans we ebb and flow in “doing the right thing”. – sometimes we do, sometimes we don’t. As humans we are constantly in this spiraling dance of experiences, mistakes,then lessons, some growth, and moments of enlightenment. Once that is understood….there is a natural letting go of needing to feel justified or validated for the hurt we received. We surrender our story of victimhood…..and somehow, without even trying, we find ourselves floating towards a place of quiet forgiveness. In understanding that in all the lifetimes that our souls have had the human experience…..we have hurt and damaged others as much as we have received that hurt and damage back. We needed these lessons, to grow and expand our understanding of the human experience. The need to forgive….and the need to receive forgiveness is as important as the need to forgive ourselves, for without compassion for our own behavior, how can we find it for another?

Many of you know this well known mantra :
I forgive you for any wrongs you have caused me, please forgive me for any wrongs I have caused you, and may we be thankful for the lessons learned.

I welcome you to read this beautiful prayer of wisdom below that can be found on the back of Guan Yin’s candle

Guan Yin’s Prayer

Breathing slowly in and out, imagine your breath to be like the ebb & flow of the tide on the shore.
Life experiences will flow to you, as if they are washed up on the shore of your day,
some creating positive emotions and others provoking negative emotions like sadness, anger and resentment.
Like the tide of experiences, our emotions also ebb and flow.
It is important to not hold on to the ones that do not make us feel our natural state of joy and harmony.
Your life is filled with a spectrum of experiences and emotions.
As one experience washes in and out of your life like the tide, allow your heart to gently let go of it and thank it for visiting you.
Do not hold on to resentments, pain, hurt or fear.
Allow them to come as welcome visitors in this party of life and then allow them to leave gently,
looking for their gift ,the blessing that they have to teach you.
Forgiveness is a surrendering of holding on to that difficult experience which has passed ,
that which has flowed back into the ocean of experience.
Do not try to keep hold of it, for its time with you has passed. Forgiving yourself and forgiving others
is vital for you to create stillness and peace in your heart.
Be grateful for this experience, for it has bequeathed you a moment of growth.
Release with forgiveness, so that you may be free to experience the blessings and joy and other experiences wishing to flow to you.

click on each image for more info

Guan Yin Prayer Candle $26 violet palm wax infused with amethyst, pearl, mother of pearl & glitter, 100 + hours of burning. Guan Yin Prayer on back of candle. Blessed and made with love.

Guan Yin Cameo Pendant $11 to hang on a chain of your choice and wear as a necklace.

Guan Yin Anointing Oil is in a violet 10ml bottle, $23.50 Pink Lotus, May Chang, Buddhawood, lemon and rosewood blended in fractionated coconut oil, to encourage healing, compassion, enlightenment and forgiveness. Blessed and made with love

Guan Yin pendant and greeting card – special offer for only $15

As a special gift to you, every purchase of Guan Yin candle PLUS oil, you will receive a FREE Guan Yin Digital print 6.5” x 12.5”. (offer expires 6/30/14)

Until next time…..
wishing you a gentle float towards your own personal forgiveness
xxx