Reducing guilt and practicing forgiveness

As we work at reducing guilt and practicing forgiveness, wisps of gratitude begin to circle around us. These gratitude wisps come closer and enter inside us. A newfound joy erupts deep in our cells, and in our heart. This joy permeates our whole being. We start to feel gratitude for being alive and taking the next breath. We start to feel gratitude for the sun, the rain, and the clouds. Everything seems magical and evokes gratitude. Even pain and suffering evoke gratitude by recognizing we are exhausting negative karma, our own and others through the practice of taking and giving, called ‘tonglen.’