One reason why I wonder is the question I raised in the previous post: Why must forgiveness be the one and only virtue that causes no action to benefit others besides myself? Another reason why is this question I ask myself: Isn't a virtue something that is a selfless, rather than a selfish act?
These are very leading, if not loaded, inquiries.
To me, forgiveness is the one and only (sane) defense that is not a two-edged sword. It is not invoked during perception of errors/wrong doing to cut at a perceived other or at your own self. Anger is a defense mechanism. If invoked, it has full intention of lashing out at others and will cut at the user if not maintaining control. Most, if not all, other defenses are actually ignoring the actual error, and if anything compounding the error exponentially. Forgiveness does cut, in a very real way, at the actual error, but not outwardly. It is a bit like a shield, but a shield (even metaphorically) isn't addressing the actual problem, just seen as a type of protection. To me, forgiveness isn't about protection. I could entertain a discussion where forgiveness appears like ultimate protection, but in reality of Who We Are, protection is wholly unnecessary. It literally is.
From what I understand, theologically speaking, forgiveness leads to miracles. Consistently. Yet, attempting to consciously induce or control miracles is not plausible. Also, helps to understand that miracles are NOT spectacles in the physical world to induce belief (in supernatural). I fully realize that is the most popular understanding of what a miracle is, based on authors of a text who only slightly understood what forgiveness is, after it was repeatedly demonstrated, or conveyed, to them many times over. They instead chose to maintain a position of "I could never do that, but I will praise one who did and speak as if this other person is wondrous, and is deserving of praise, perhaps even idolatry." And yet, the person that is the target of this praise had clearly said, "these things, and more, shall you do."
"These things" that you do, are not the miracle, but because of the 'reality' of where we find ourselves (namely in a physical world), the doing aspect is in essence unavoidable. If only looking with the body's eyes and not at all exercising discernment, then the doing might appear like wondrous things are occurring from one who seemingly understands forgiveness very well. On the other hand, I find it more likely they are taken for granted, as forgiveness is happening a lot of the time. Arguably, it could be happening all the time by everyone else for all you currently know. Yet, when you see a situation where a person had 'every reason to lash out and be angry with another' and they instead are not, or are even appearing at peace with the situation, are you always in a state of wondrous devotion, or just taking it with a grain of salt and moving on with your affairs? If the latter is normative for you, then I would say that is a sign of how easy it is to take the abundance of miracles occurring all around, for granted.
When you, or anyone, speaks about selfless acts compared to selfish acts, I pay close attention to what is being conveyed. Frankly, I don't think those terms are well understood, but also realize they are about all we have to work with. Forgiveness is a realignment of Self value. Positioning Self that Love will be received/shared freely, and thereby strengthening Self. I capitalize Self, because in reality there is no others that are separated from Self. Therefore forgiveness leads to Self Centeredness. Which I realize reads a little like 'being selfish' or full of your self. And selfless prides itself on being concerned with others foremost, though technically not first.
To me, the notions around Self and miracles are why I feel understanding forgiveness, intellectually, is a lifelong process. As those two notions are really not all that well understood by most ancient doctrines and thus trickled down to current fundamentals as seemingly clueless on what they actually mean, it takes greater understanding and/or high level of discernment to reconcile what they mean, and how they possibly relate to forgiveness. IMHO, they are inseparable from what forgiveness is all about.
A third reason is this statement of Jesus:
Luke 6:27-31 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you."
I'm thinking that perhaps there can be actions that forgiving thoughts cause, which benefit more than merely the forgiver. Not striking the one who strikes you. Not resisting the one who tries to take something from you. Doing good to those who do evil to you. Isn't possible that these selfless acts might sometimes also be acts of forgiveness?
Yes. As I stated in I think my first post on this thread, it can help in understanding forgiveness to go through the motions as if it is about others (foremost). Thus acts. Or pretending. But if that is all forgiveness ever is for you (anyone), it could hinder the more profound aspect of what forgiveness actually is. In the Jesus quotation above, it really is all about "you" in the message being conveyed. This is observable in every single instance of what is being conveyed. Heck, after typing up that last sentence, I decided to go in and bold all instances of "you" and "your" to make it that much more clear.
It's not like once you start practicing forgiveness in a conscious, daily (or hourly) way that you'll go to some ivory tower and contemplate your navel for the rest of your life. You'll be in the world, and realize you are not of this world. You'll act in much the same way you did before with subtle changes. Perhaps it'll grow to enormous changes, but is really up to you, and can easily be seen as external changes are not really necessary. Plenty of work to do in your own neck of the woods, then thinking you have to lift your cross and go spread some noble message to all the people of the world, as if this is the first time they've ever considered such things. If anything, you might see that silence is golden, and the only one you are sure needs saving is You. I consider it intellectually stimulating and honest to consider the notion that everyone you meet today is already fully aware, fully forgiving, fully saved for all you know. Act like that. And deal with your own self as it relates to how you currently understand forgiveness. Knowing that G has sent you nothing but angels to help you on your path.
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