Forgiveness: A Quality of Those Who are Advancing in Spiritual Knowledge

In this purport to Srimad Bhagavatam 4.20.3 Srila Prabhupada is explaining a point which can easily be applied to problems we are facing today.

In daily life we find that when a madman commits murder, he is excused even by High-court judge. The idea is that a living entity is always pure because he is part and parcel od The Supreme Personality of Godhead. When he falls into the clutches of material energy, he becomes a victim of three modes of material nature.

As stated in Bhagavad Gita 5.14:

na kartrtvam na karmani

lokasya srjati prabhuh

na karma-phala-samyogam

svabhavas tu pravartate

"The embodied spirit, master of the city of his body, does not create activities, nor does he induce people to act, nor does he create the fruits of action. All this is enacted by the modes of material nature."

Actually the living entity, or soul, does not do anything; everything is done under the influence of the modes of material nature. When a man is diseased, the symptoms of the disease become a source of all kinds of pain. Those who are advanced in transcendental consciousness, or Krsna consciousness, are never envious, neither of the soul nor of the activities of the soul under the influence of material nature. Advanced transcendentalists are called sudhiyah. Sudhi means "intelligence," sudhi means "highly advanced," and sudhi means "devotee." One who is both devoted and highly advanced in intelligence does not take action against the soul or the body. If there is any discrepancy, he forgives. It is said that forgiveness is a quality of those who are advancing in spiritual knowledge.

SB 4.20.3 purport