To forgive is not to forget. The merit lies in loving in spite of the vivid knowledge that one that must be loved is not a friend. There is not merit in loving an enemy when you forget him for a friend.
Mahatma GandhiRead
I did once seriously think of embracing the Christian faith. The gentle figure of Christ, so full of forgiveness that he taught his followers not to retaliate when abused or struck, but to turn the other cheek - I thought it was a beautiful example of the perfect man.
Interpretation
Gandhi admires the teachings of Christ, particularly the message of forgiveness and non-retaliation.
In this quote, Gandhi reflects on the profound influence of Christ's teachings on forgiveness and compassion. He highlights the beauty of Christ as an ideal figure who exemplifies perfect humanity by urging his followers to respond to abuse with non-violence and understanding, encouraging a path of peace rather than retaliation.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech about the importance of compassion in resolving conflicts.
To forgive is not to forget. The merit lies in loving in spite of the vivid knowledge that one that must be loved is not a friend. There is not merit in loving an enemy when you forget him for a friend.
Love never claims, it ever gives. Love ever suffers, never resents never revenges itself.
Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.
The real test of nonviolence lies in its being brought in contact with those who have contempt for it.
Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.
The devotion of such titans of spirit as Lenin to an Ideal must bear fruit. The nobility of his selflessness will be an example through centuries to come, and his Ideal will reach perfection.
What we see as death, empty space, or nothingness is only the trough between the crests of this endlessly waving ocean. It is all part of the illusion that there should seem to be something to be gained in the future, and that there is an urgent necessity to go on and on until we get it. Yet just as there is no time but the present, and no one except the all-and-everything, there is never anything to be gained - though the zest of the game is to pretend that there is.
Perfectionism is a perpetual flight into an illusory future that cannot be attained.
You cannot really have the world and hold on to it. It is all too temporary and the more you try to hold on to it, the more it actually holds you. By contrast, the more you hold on to the true and the good, the more you are free to really live.
This dying forces you to look into yourself. And in this, compassion is the only way. Love is the only way.
If we wish our civilization to survive we must break with the habit of deference to great men.
The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.