Adyashanti on Healing, Identity, and Forgiveness
I'm reading a wonderful book right now by Adyashanti called Resurrecting Jesus, Embodying the spirit of a Revolutionary Mystic. Adyashanti is himself a modern day mystic and his take on Jesus's life and teachings is fresh and beautiful.
This morning I was reading in Resurrecting Jesus about a healing Jesus performed in Mark 2:5. In it, a paralyzed man was brought to Jesus for healing. Jesus simply said to him, "Son, your sins are forgiven." and the man was healed.
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This morning I was reading in Resurrecting Jesus about a healing Jesus performed in Mark 2:5. In it, a paralyzed man was brought to Jesus for healing. Jesus simply said to him, "Son, your sins are forgiven." and the man was healed.
What Did “Sin” Originally Mean?
Adyashanti points out that the word sins, at that time, had simpler connotations than they have been given in the following 2,000 years. The original Greek meaning for the word hamartia or sin, was to miss the mark. Another meaning is simply the word flaw. Our current meaning of sin is so much darker and deeper. We think of our sins as being evil and they are strongly attached to feelings of shame and guilt.
What if, instead of thinking of sin as the source of guilt and upset in our lives, we merely choose to see the ways we have missed the mark? After all, we are simply trying to do what it takes to survive and find a few comforts here in our earthly reality, our space and time reality. We all make mistakes here, we misjudge, we miss the mark. We all have flaws. Having a flaw is not inherently evil.
What if, instead of thinking of sin as the source of guilt and upset in our lives, we merely choose to see the ways we have missed the mark? After all, we are simply trying to do what it takes to survive and find a few comforts here in our earthly reality, our space and time reality. We all make mistakes here, we misjudge, we miss the mark. We all have flaws. Having a flaw is not inherently evil.
How Divine Presence Heals and Forgives
Adyashanti makes a second point; that the paralytic had to do nothing to be healed by Jesus. He was merely brought into Jesus' presence. "And this is really Jesus's greatest healing power, the power of his presence."
Jesus bestows his forgiveness on people as a kind of healing balm. For a human being to receive true forgiveness is a potent thing. When the forgiveness is authentic, it has a very deep and powerful effect. Sometimes another forgives us, and sometimes we are called to forgive ourselves so that we can move on in a really heartful way. When we repent (repent means to have a change of heart), our sin (missing the mark) is forgiven. Then we are realigned with the wisdom of the unified heart. --Adyashanti
Adyashanti goes on to say:
The healing balm is forgiveness; that's what heals the flaw. That's what allows us to rebalance ourselves, to find our equilibrium-- psychic, emotional and spiritual. That is really what Jesus does: he is righting the person, helping them to quickly find internal balance. When they find balance, when their inner state is unified, the healing takes place.
Jesus Saw the Son, Not the Sin
I really enjoy Adyashanti and I admire what he has to say here, but I think he misses one important point in what Jesus has to say. The first word that Jesus says to this man is Son. Jesus addresses him as Son — not in the sense of ‘young man,’ after all, Jesus himself was only 30 at the time. But rather as Son, Son of God, the Son of God, an essential member and vibrant part of the Sonship.
When Jesus uses the word Son, he is reminding the paralytic of his true identity, and Jesus is raising his own thinking. He doesn't see a poor broken sinner in front of him. Rather, he sees a true Son of God, one whom God created in his own image and whom is loved by God infinitely. This man is just as God created him to be. He is perfect, whole and complete. He is eternal, everywhere and always, unchanging in his true state.
When Jesus uses the word Son, he is reminding the paralytic of his true identity, and Jesus is raising his own thinking. He doesn't see a poor broken sinner in front of him. Rather, he sees a true Son of God, one whom God created in his own image and whom is loved by God infinitely. This man is just as God created him to be. He is perfect, whole and complete. He is eternal, everywhere and always, unchanging in his true state.
Let Your Forgiveness Mirror the Divine
Let our own forgiveness be as Jesus's. Let us know that everyone misses the mark sometimes. We all have flaws. Let us always be firmly anchored in the presence of the divine which resides in each of us. And finally, let us look deep into the mind of our trespassers and know their deepest truth. They are Sons of God.
Want to go deeper into forgiveness?
Read this posting that explains more on why forgiveness is our best pathway to peace and happiness: Unblocking our Connection to LoveMy book, Forgiveness is the Key to Happiness, offers gentle guidance, spiritual reflections, and real-world practices to help you heal, release, and return to peace.
Explore the book on Amazon →
Make forgiveness a daily practice. Let the Forgiveness Metta Cards guide you each morning with affirmations and soul-soothing reminders to help you release and bless. A beautiful companion to your journal or meditation time. Read The Metta Deck Story.
Take a look on Etsy →
Let these tools support your journey — because forgiveness sets you free.
—Sue Pipal
