Forgiveness...

The first step towards forgiveness is to forget.

Bowl of Saki, by Hazrat Inayat Khan

Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan:

In order to learn forgiveness man must learn tolerance first. And
there are people whom man cannot forgive. It is not that he must not
forgive, but it is difficult, beyond his power to forgive, and in
that case the first thing he can do is to forget. The first step
towards forgiveness is to forget.

They say, 'Forgive and forget', which is very expressive of the
process of forgiveness. It is impossible to forgive unless you can
forget. What keeps man from forgiving his fellow man is that he holds
the fault of another constantly before his view. It is just like
sticking a little thorn in one's own heart and keeping it there and
suffering the pain. It may also be pictured as putting a drop of
poison in one's own heart and retaining it until the whole heart
becomes poisoned. Verily, blessed are the innocent, who do not notice
anybody's fault, and the greater credit is to the mature souls, who,
recognizing a fault, forget it and so forgive. How true are the words
of Christ, 'Let those throw a stone who have not sinned.' The
limitations of human life make man subject to faults. Some have more
faults, some have less, but there is no soul without faults. As
Christ says, 'Call me not good.'

Forgiveness is a stream of love, which washes away all impurities
wherever it flows. By keeping this spring of love, which is in the
heart of man, running, man is able to forgive, however great the
fault of his fellow man may seem. One who cannot forgive closes his
heart. The sign of spirituality is that there is nothing you cannot
forgive, there is no fault you cannot forget. Do not think that he
who has committed a fault yesterday must do the same today, for life
is constantly teaching and it is possible in one moment a sinner may
turn into a saint.