When we ask for forgiveness from someone, when we forgive someone, they're not being absolved from their karma. Karma will still have to be paid.

When we ask for forgiveness from someone, when we forgive someone, they're not being absolved from their karma. Karma will still have to be paid. A person guilty of their sin should feel guilt for the pain that was caused.

If a person is asking for forgiveness because they want to get their karmas absolved, they're not sincere nor do they feel the compassion to the person they have injured. Karmas should be wholeheartedly accepted for the pain caused. The person asking for forgiveness is doing this FOR the person the sin was caused to. We want the person to know that we're now aware of what pain our action has caused them, and are guilty of what we've done, and would like to let them know we're sorry for what has happened, and are fully responsible and are willing to completely accept whatever consequences our actions will bring upon to us. In so stating the above, we've given the injured party peace of mind, a very valuable reconciliation gift to whoever we have caused pain to.

We have to remember that we should treat everyone as we would treat someone dearest to us, someone closest to us. Even if they're not family, they're still part of our heart, and therefore, causing them pain would cause us pain.

That's what compassion is all about.

But does and should asking for forgiveness and admitting guilt relieve us of our sins? No. Let's take our punishment bravely. We'll go through our karmas with dignity and better understanding of how our actions affect others, and how it will affect us.

This is, after all, an essential part of being fully and completely responsible and accountable for our own actions.

Om Namah Shiva.