Guilt is not a pleasant feeling to go through but it has a purpose. It stops you from getting into a cycle of actions that are not good for you and for others. When such action happens, the guilt in you acts like a brake for you not to continue the same act. Guilt is good in the right amount and only for that period of time. If it goes beyond a limit, it eats you up like termites eat up a cupboard.
So, you need skill to get out of guilt, but, at the same time, not totally remove it. It is only when you truly realise that you are not the doer of any action that there is no purpose left for guilt. Until that blossoming, a little bit of guilt serves you. It protects you from any wrongdoing that you might engage in.
A mistake is something that pinches you. It is the pinch that irks the consciousness and that pinch disallows the mistake to be repeated. Be with the pinch and not the guilt. It will also stop you from repeating it. Your very wish to repent has solved the purpose. This wish is an indication that your intellect is maturing. Otherwise, you would not have been aware of your actions.
That person who did a mistake has packed his suitcase and gone. Now, inside you is a new person. Start believing in the innocence of the present moment. Krishna tells Arjuna, “I will relieve you from your sins. You just surrender. Then it’s my responsibility to take care of your sins. Don’t worry. Drop all that you are holding on to — even your dharma.” All that you need to do is to let go of everything you are holding on to.
