Self-Forgiveness is a Process

Taking forgiveness  as an essential topic also, Buddhist teacher, Pema Chodron writes in her book, Comfortable With Uncertainty, "there is a simple practice we can do to cultivate forgiveness... acknowledge our feelings of shame, revenge, embarrassment and remorse..." Then forgive yourself. You are simply human, not perfect, just human. You have limits and weaknesses in any given moment. There is no place in the world that expects or wants you to carry the burden, the load of past mistakes, failures or mistaken notions. You need not expect it of yourself either. By acknowledging your humanness and mistakes, you can let the load go. Give it up. It's too heavy to carry, so let it go and start again, this time better.

Chodron writes, "if we practice this way, little by little we'll learn to abide with the feeling of regret for having hurt ourselves and others. We'll also learn self-forgiveness....  forgiveness is a natural expression of an open heart, an expression of our natural goodness." She notes this potential to be more,  growth is available to us in any given moment. It's all in possibility.

About Simple Mind Zen

Diane Rizzetto is the Abbess and Guiding Teacher of the Bay Zen Center, Oakland California.
She is a dharma heir of Charlotte Joko Beck.

In her recent instructional book, Waking Up To What You Do, Diane wakes us up and inspires us with "a sink full of teaching."

Affirming the Practice Principles of the Ordinary Mind Zen School, Diane starts her talk with them:

Caught in a dream of self--only suffering.
Holding to self-centered thoughts--exactly the dream.
Each moment, life as it is--the only Teacher.
Being just this moment--compassion's way.