Guilt
"Refusing to forgive oneself."
Introduction
Defining Guilt
When we believe that we've done something wrong to others, we can feel a suffering state of mind called guilt. In this state of mind, we are in the state of judging ourselves, and much like the state of blaming someone, guilt is when we direct that blame towards ourselves instead.
There are various situations where one can experience guilt: when one breaks the computer by accident at work; when one has said something that hurt someone's feeling; when one has given bad advice that brought misfortune onto others, or even when one sees themselves as having a better life than the people around them.
Guilt is a suffering state to dwelling in, and when it's intense, it can feel like the heart is being stabbed.
In this article, we will explore the ways to transform this state of mind so that one can learn to stop stabbing themselves!
Guilt In Depth
Guilt is one of those negative states of mind that can be easily overlooked because on the surface it can seem like a reasonable state of mind to dwell in, after all, if one has done something wrong, one should punish themselves by dwelling in misery right?
But realize that learning from one's mistake can be done without punishment. In this world where we cannot predict the future, mistakes are bound to happen. So, if one were to lead a life where mistakes must be punished, then one would live a suffering life.
Realize that punishing oneself can chang the past. What is done is done, so the only practical way to live is to move forward to see what can be done in the Present Moment than stick one's mind in the Past where nothing can be changed.
However, the mind that is used to dwelling in guilt can find it difficult to simply forgive oneself. This is because the mind will always find ways to come up with reasons to justify one's habit patterns; whether it is beneficial or destructive, it doesn't care.
Thus, without the ability to step back away from one's mind, one can continue to be persuaded by the mind to live in the same way as before. This is where the practice of meditation can come in because through the practice, one will be able to put the thinking mind aside and focus on what the heart truly needs—Self-Forgiveness.
Is there really a need for a reason to forgive someone?
The mind will think so; but the heart, never. That is why any practice that can quell a thinking mind will help bring one closer to hearing the heart's desire for self-forgiveness.
All the heart wants is Happiness, not Suffering!
Let us now look at some reasons for one to let go of guilt so that the mind can be inspired to follow the heart's desire for unconditional love.
Importance
Importance Of Addressing Guilt
Let us talk a little about how the state of guilt and how it's unnecessary so that one can develop the motivation to address it.
In a society where punishment and reward is the basis for the education of right and wrong, it can be easy for one to be stuck in the belief that self-punishment is necessary whenever one does something wrong. That is why it can be helpful for one to become aware of how meaningless dwelling in the states of guilt can be, that in doing so, the only thing one is effecting is suffering. The practice of meditation—of learning to observe inwards—will help one to develop this awareness much quicker.
When one is in a state of guilt, one is not happy with oneself and with the Present Moment.
The state of guilt can chew away our happiness and physical health. As the body and mind are interconnected, prolonging in the states of guilt can place great stresses on one's heart.
Guilt can also be misconceived by oneself as an act of loving others thus giving the illusion that there is only love and no harm in dwelling in the state of guilt. That is why it's important to practice meditation so the intellectual mind can be put aside for one to simply understand what guilt really is from the heart: Self-Torture.
Do you always feel like you're doing something wrong?
When one is constantly experiencing states of guilt, it means that there are issues of self-criticism that needs to be addressed. Realize that one would only punish oneself if one sees oneself as worthy of being punished rather than to be loved.
As guilt can bring about great pains of the heart, one can develop a fear towards experiencing the state of guilt by trying to be a Perfect Self all the time, i.e. trying one's best to avoid committing any mistakes in life, trying to live up to people's expectations, trying not to hurt other people's feelings, always saying yes to people, etc. In doing so, this can impede one from making progress on their journey of developing Self-Knowing and Self-Transformation because the experiences of making mistakes can often be quite enlightening, transformative, and full of learning.
Do you fear making mistakes in life?
Path Of Creator
Guilt In Relation To The Path Of Creator
The journey of transforming guilt at the deepest level of the mind is a journey of learning to love ourselves unconditionally.
So the question that one will have to explore on the journey is,
"Why can I not love myself unconditionally?"
And the cause will always point one to the beliefs they have about themselves and the world.
So, as one looks inwards to discover the deeper Causes of Guilt, one will discover the attachments they have to the ideas of rights and wrong.
And one can explore one's ideas of right and wrong in many ways.
For instance, one can explore the ideas of right and wrong to do with their ideas of responsibility. Taking this journey can lead one to see that the deeper cause of guilt may be there because one deeply believes that one is responsible for other people's happiness.
If this is the case, then one can go on a journey of learning how to balance the direction of love. Realize that when love is directed in one direction excessively, it will always cause imbalance, confusion, and suffering states of the mind.
See Catalyst - Love Direction in detail.
Generally speaking, the more one can release their attachment to the ideas of what is wrong, the more one will be able to transform the states of guilt into greater love.
The journey can be accelerated by learning to unconditionally love others who are always committing wrong things because in doing so, it will inspire one to love oneself in the same way.
But again, the mind can come up with reasons to resist the idea, so the practice of meditation is strongly advised when one is trying to transform their mind at the deepest level.
The key to Self-Transformation will be about developing Self-Acceptance. In terms of Guilt, it will involve a lot of Self-Forgiveness.
Realize that everyone's life journey will always be built upon many wrong and imperfect turns. To the mind, this can seem like a journey of failure, but to the heart, it is a journey of growth and learning because without failures, how can one ever grow and be inspired to do something different?
The destination is towards the state of unconditional Self-Acceptance, of learning to forgive oneself so that one can learn to grow through love rather than choosing punitive measures.
Know and Transform The Self!
Reading articles helps with understanding, but to transform the mind, one realizes the truth from experience.
For such an enlightening journey, the Self-Transformation Course has everything you will ever need!
