FROM THE DARKNESS TO THE LIGHT

Accepting Ourselves

Since you have come to ask for forgiveness, I don’t want to speak about issues from

the past, as these are things that lie behind us. Actually there isn’t much to settle between

us in this ceremony of asking for forgiveness anyway. Still, a ceremony like this

is useful on the level of your personal practice. It affects the attitudes that you maintain

and carry along throughout the training of your mind as the years go by. A ritual like

this also generally helps to strengthen the saman. adhamma, the virtues of a saman. a (a

renunciant or contemplative). If you steadily cultivate respect for the saman. adhamma

as the basis of practicing the Buddha’s teachings, you will establish a conduct that is

not heedless or sloppy. Though the circumstances of practice may change, a feeling of

constant coolness and ease will build up in you. If you develop interest and sincere

willingness, then peacefulness will automatically arise. The putting forth of effort to

improve one’s conduct goes hand in hand with the maturing of a person. One of the

key teachings the Buddha used to encourage us when practicing Dhamma is: