Forgive, but don’t Forget!

We have come across the phrase, ‘Forgive and Forget’. We forgive, but if we mistakenly think that forgetting is a part of forgiving, then we’re in for a big surprise. To forget is to lose the memory of our past actions and experiences. If we lose that, we are bound to repeat them, again and again. Forgiving demands that we remember not only of what we have forgiven, but also of the past. Forgiving however demands that we do not chain ourselves to the past. To chain ourselves to the past is to be attached. Forgiving is to let go of attachment. Forgiving is detachment. Forgiving is to let go of the past without forgetting. By forgetting, we do not necessarily let go of the past. We just don’t remember. We become chained to it. And, if we don’t remember, then we are likely to be attached to it. We re-enter the loop of hate, jealousy, prejudices, unforgiveness, etc.

Perhaps, we thought that forgiving is also to forget because we mistakenly associate forgetting with the act of letting it go, letting it be. But, as said earlier, through forgetting, we do not remember of past attachments; and so we are most likely, in the future, to be attached to that which we have miserably forgotten.

What do you think?