Forgiveness: A Bold Choice for a Peaceful Heart

By Robin Casarjian

Book Overview

Forgiveness holds a promise . . . of reconciliation and serenity, of empowerment and love. The world's great spiritual traditions all teach forgiveness as the key to inner peace. But many people find this an impossible ideal--perhaps even a way of flossing over pain, anger, and wrongdoing. Now, in this wise and heartfelt book, psychotherapist Robin Casarjian confronts the dilemmas of forgiveness and offers a new approach to healing our old wounds and self-judgements. Drawing on the philosophy of A Course in Miracles, plus years of experience with her own clients, she shows us why letting go of the past is not only possible but necessary, if we are to achieve lasting health and harmony. Within these pages are simple but powerful exercises, meditations, and visualizations that acknowledge our hurt even as they lead us beyond it. Here, too, are moving true accounts of forgiveness in action, showing how parents and children, spouses and lovers, workers and bosses--even victims of crime and historic injustice--can all find peace. "For those of us who have been troubled by fear, doubt, anger, self-hatred, and guilt--in other words, almost everyone who is human--this book is a real and rare treasure."--Joan Borysenko, Ph.D., author of Minding the Body, Mending the Mind.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B00A2NR0HQ
• ISBN13: 9780553352368
• Release Date: August 1992
• Publisher: Bantam
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.72 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.3" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

My first book on forgiveness

This small book is full of wisdom. After reading the book I feel indebted to Robin Casarjian. Based on the teachings of "A course in miracles", Ms Casarjian's book guides the reader into all aspects of forgiveness. This book stresses the importance of forgiving in order to liberate ourselves from fear, which is the underlying feeling behind resentment. According to the author, even our physical health may improve after practicing forgiveness. We all can profit by reading this enlightened book.

Very Useful and Kindhearted

I saw a short TV program about this author and wrote down her name because I was so impressed with the work she was doing in prisons, helping inmates see a better way to live their lives. Do I know if it really helped the inmates? No, but I do believe that the information in this book can help many people get over the hurts they have suffered in the past and move on with their lives. Anger keeps us tied to the past and impossible wishes. Forgiveness allows us to look at the past, learn from it, and then make changes in our OWN lives so that we can be happy. I've just reread the chapter on 'forgiving your parents'. One of the best exercises in the whole book is to imagine all the wrongs your parents did you, to list off all the times they embarrassed you or let you down, and to tell them what you truely needed from them....and then to realize that they did their best. That neither you nor they can change the past, and to forgive them for not giving you what you needed and then MOVE ON! I think this is a great book and this is the second copy I've bought because somebody stole the first one....but I forgive them. :-)

Almost Instant Relief

I read this book about three years ago. I was desperate for some help after my divorce. I found the book by browsing through the U of Chicago book store. As soon as I had read the book, even as I was reading, I felt better. The book gave me permission to stop hating. I had expected or at least hoped that it would help me get over the anger and hatred I felt towards my exhusband, but it went beyond that. It led me to what now seems like an obvious solution, to forgive myself. I gave this book to my brother after his divorce, and now my new love needs it to help him forgive his ex-wife. The premise may seem implausible and simplistic, but it works and I really can't think of anything else that can. Possibly years of therapy. It is well worth the price. Good Luck!

Almost instant relief

It has been about 3 years since I read this book. I was desperate for some help after my divorce. I found the book by browsing through the U of Chicago book store. After I read the book, I felt as though a weight had been lifted off my shoulders, as though I had been given permission to not hate anymore. I expected or hoped that the book would help me get over my anger and hatred towards my ex-husband, but it went much further. I was led to what now seems like the most obvious solution, to forgive myself for all the mistakes I had made. I gave the book to my brother when he was divorced and now I am buying it for my new love, who desperately needs to forgive his ex-wife. It seems like a simplistic premise, but that is the beauty, it is simple and it does work. Nothing else will.

Forgive to be never attached to pain

I think that this book makes us see the real pain produced by unforgiveness, unknownness of other people and hels us to be even more free.