_Question:_ Many times you say that if we do something bad, God will forgive us and the world will forgive us, but our souls will never forgive us. Is there any way that our souls will forgive us?

Sri Chinmoy: If you have totally given up doing the wrong thing, and if you have done something very good to please the Supreme, then your soul can forgive you. You have been walking toward the south in spite of knowing that your goal is toward the north, so your soul is very displeased with you because you are creating serious problems for yourself and for others by walking in that direction. Your soul has repeatedly asked you not to do this, but you are not listening. You are going on consciously and deliberately with your wrong action. Then all of a sudden you change your direction and begin running toward the north. The moment you change your direction, and prove your sincerity by running very fast, all the bad movements that you embodied while you were walking toward the south will leave you.

Now you are running toward the north. In that direction, fortunately, are all good forces and right actions. You are once more walking toward truth, obedience and perfection. The bad qualities that you embraced and cherished when you were not going in your soul's direction were like a filthy t-shirt. You just threw it away when you turned in the other direction, and now you have put on a fresh, absolutely new shirt. Now will you think of the dirty t-shirt that you discarded yesterday? No, you will only be appreciative of the new shirt that you are now wearing. You will not even think, "Yesterday I was wearing a very dirty, filthy shirt." No, the past is dust, and today you have a shirt which you and everybody can appreciate."

Your soul will forgive you when you once again accept the soul's advice, and sincerely turn toward your goal. Once you change your undivine lifestyle and wholeheartedly accept the new, divine lifestyle, your soul will definitely be pleased, and it will forgive you.

From:Sri Chinmoy,AUM — Vol.VII-7, No.1, January 1981, Agni Press, 1981
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