This is the 3rd in a three-part series on anger and forgiveness. The great mystic, yogi, and warrior general, Bhisma, 5,000yrs ago declared that the first amongst 9 preliminary qualities that qualified one as a civilized person, was to not become angry. His prescription for becoming free from anger, is that one should learn how to forgive. This is an ancient spiritual truth discussed in this talk.

As part of the talk I again read parts from a letter of a wonderful young woman, Stephanie Crean, addressed to the 4 men who had killed her father (Chris Crean) and who were prepared to kill her also, when she was just 2 years old. In that letter Stephanie expresses complete and compassionate forgiveness for these men – “so that you may have peace and I too. So that our families may have peace, and so that the community may have peace also. So that the nation may have peace, because that is what is right.”

There was a recent movie made about the killing of her dad titled “Resolve”. Her letter is very inspiring and based on eternal spiritual truth. As promised I am sharing it here:
To all four men and the black power gang that were invovled in the murder of my father Christopher Crean, my name is Stephanie Crean and I forgive you for murdering my father.

For many years I have not spoken to the media about how I feel about this heart breaking tragedy .

I forgive you, not because what you did in murdering my father was right,

Because that was not right.

I forgive you even though there was mention of shooting me only at the age of two.

I forgive you so that you may have peace and I too.

So that our families may have peace, and so that the community may have peace also. So that the nation may have peace, because that is what is right .

I believe that with justice comes peace.

Whether or not you are changed men,

I forgive you.

For many years the title above your heads has been of convicted murderers on the tv, in magazines, in newspapers, and even on the internet.

But today I write to you as sons of your fathers and mothers, as brothers to your brothers and sisters, as uncles to your nieces and nephews, and fathers to your sons and daughters.

My dad was not a perfect man, but he was a good man.

You too are not perfect men, but you can be good men. You may not be able to start a new beginning, but you can start a new ending. A good ending.

I also am not a perfect person and I also have done things in my life I am not proud of. I also cannot change my beginning, but I can choose to have a better ending. I also, can choose to be a good person.

I’m 22 this year, and what life has taught me the most is to love your enemies. I have my own blog that I write stories for people to read and I focus a lot of my stories on forgiveness and love, to love your enemies.

I know this to be true. No one is perfect, but we are all blood and flesh, skin and bones. We are all human.

I also know this, that unforgiveness and hate will not change any circumstance or person. Until people understand that we were put on this earth to love, until then, there will be crime, there will be hurt, there will be war.

I forgive you all because I want you to start forgiving yourselves, and once again I’m not saying this because what you did was right, but because whatever love you have left I hope you use that love to change yourselves. Change the ending to your story and use that to help change others, because if you don’t, who will stand up in your shoes and tell your story? I hope you use it for good and I hope you use that love to give to your families, because I hope that one day we all understand that love is the only thing that will give us all peace. Because forgiveness is the only thing that is going to set us free and change everything about our life journeys’.

However, whether or not you are changed men, I still forgive you. If you do not seek out the hopes I have for you, I still forgive you.

I am proud of my dad for standing up for what was right. One day I hope your families will feel the same way I do when they see you change the ending of your life journey to a ending of men that are not perfect men, but were good men.

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