One of the most brilliant books ever written. I've read it three times, and each time glean new information. It is the kind of book that grips you from start to finish. Part murder mystery, part philosophy text, there is so much to gain from each reading. Father Zossima is one of my favorite characters of all time. My most frequently used quote comes from his words:
"Hell is not being able to love."
Notice he didn't say "Hell is not BEING loved." "Hell is not being ABLE to love." Think about everybody that has ever hurt you or driven you crazy with frustration. Isn't it always about how you have withdrawn your love from them, and you are waiting for something from them before you will reinstate them in your regard? That is why forgiveness is so powerful. It redeems you from hell. It doesn't matter if the other person accepts, or even knows about your forgiveness. It frees your heart to love again, so that you can leave off torturing your own soul. Such wisdom. Such a book.
Hi April,
ReplyDeleteI did read some stuff by Dostoevsky when I was studying philosophy, but, from memory, we only got an extract from The Brothers Karamozov.
It's what you say about forgiveness and redemption that leads me to comment. Looking at this from another side: hate, the opposite of love, can corrode the soul. It does as much harm to the subject as the object. I thought this was most tellingly revealed in the movie, Dead Man Walking. I mentioned this in one of my own posts a couple of years ago.
Forgiveness requires that you let go of something inside yourself as well as letting go of the 'other', but it's the internal letting go that does the healing.
I can be very critical of the Christian religion, if you read my blog, but forgiveness is one of its fundamental pillars, even evoking it on a mythic level with Jesus' death.
However, it's the psychological effect of forgiveness on the forgiver, even more than the forgiven, that is really important.
Regards, Paul.
Thanks for your comments. I totally agree about the internal, psychological effects of forgiveness. A cursory comment, "I forgive you," can as often be an insult as an apology. Whereas, what happens inside of a person who is letting go of their resentment is a truly healing thing.
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