Podcast details
Revenge
Revenge is a consuming fire, but forgiveness is the path to freedom. The epic Mahābhārata illustrates this through complex tales like that of Bhīṣma. He inadvertently wronged a princess, Ambā, by abducting her for a marriage that was refused. She vowed revenge across lifetimes, ultimately causing his death. This shows how revenge, whether over personal slights, property, or nations, perpetuates endless cycles of suffering. Our instinct is to retaliate, to seek justice or punishment. Yet the core teaching across traditions, emphasized by Jesus, is forgiveness. Our problem is we often forgive but do not forget, waiting for a chance to react. This creates karmic complications. Every action generates a reaction; harsh words bring harshness, poison brings poison. If you cannot forgive and forget, you will suffer endlessly. Do not blame others solely, for causality is shared. Ultimately, your perception shapes your reality; if you are not here, nothing is here for you. God's protection lies in avoiding actions with heavy karmic reactions.
"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."
"If you cannot forgive and you cannot forget, then you will suffer ever and ever and ever."
Filming location: Vancouver, Canada
This text is transcribed and grammar corrected by AI. If in doubt what was actually said in the recording, use the transcript to double click the desired cue. This will position the recording in most cases just before the sentence is uttered.
The text contains hyperlinks in bold to three authoritative books on yoga, written by humans, to clarify the context of the lecture:
- Yoga in Daily Life - The System
Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda. Ibera Verlag, Vienna, 2000. ISBN 978-3-85052-000-3 - The Hidden Power in Humans - Chakras and Kundalini
Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda. Ibera Verlag, Vienna, 2004. ISBN 978-3-85052-197-0 - Lila Amrit - The Divine Life of Sri Mahaprabhuji
Paramhans Swami Madhavananda. Int. Sri Deep Madhavananda Ashram Fellowship, Vienna, 1998. ISBN 3-85052-104-4
