The Power to Forgive Sin - Guidelines for the Heart by Ryuho Okawa, No. 161 -

For those who want to read the guidelines in the monthly magazine, please check the May issue of "Happy Science" ebook open_in_new.

The guidelines for the heart written by Ryuho Okawa are serialized in the official magazine of Happy Science, "Happy Science" monthly open_in_new. Posters are also displayed at branches nationwide open_in_new, and it is widely known as the face of Happy Science every month.

In this month's "Guidelines for the Heart", it was taught that in order to overcome life's suffering and the consciousness of sin, it is necessary to "forgive". I spoke with Mizue Miyakoshi, the deputy head of the Hokkaido headquarters of Happy Science, about the importance of the "power to forgive" that she grasped from her own experiences.

Struggling with my father

Reading this month's "Guidelines for the Heart" reminded me of an event from 25 years ago.

At that time, my father's company, which had been running for 40 years, was in decline due to certain circumstances, and as a guarantor, I lost everything important. The shock made my resentment towards my father grow.

"Why is this happening to me?" I was filled with suffering, and at that time, I found the answer in a book from Happy Science that I stumbled upon in a bookstore.

It stated, "Humans are born to polish their souls" and "The hardships and difficulties of life are the problem sets given to us."

I thought, "If this is the problem set given to me, then I shouldn't just blame my father." And I resolved in my heart, "I will stop resenting my father and forgive him."

When I changed my heart like that, I began to see my father, who was living earnestly in a difficult situation. At that moment, a warm feeling that I had never experienced before overflowed from the depths of my heart, and I was able to forgive not only my father but also myself for resenting him.

The love that becomes visible through forgiveness

When it is painful to not be able to forgive someone, I think we need "the courage to forgive."

I was once like that, but when I resent someone, my heart becomes filled with the thought of "I have been hurt," leading to a self-centered mindset. At such times, learning the teachings of Ryuho Okawa truly became my salvation.

When I accepted that both myself and others are imperfect and mustered the courage to forgive the other person, I was able to feel for the first time that the Buddha nature (the same nature as the Buddha) resides within me. I also realized that all people are showered with the Buddha's compassion.

From such experiences, I became able to genuinely love others and pray for their happiness. That was my discovery of "new love."

I will continue to convey this teaching so that as many people as possible can walk the path to happiness.

This content is a reprint from "Happy Science" Monthly, Issue 375 open_in_new, with edits made.
The very popular "Guidelines for the Heart" is published in the monthly "Happy Science", and subscriptions open_in_new are also available, so please take advantage of it!