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integral art
April 2007 
Guilt and Shame
Posted on Apr 4th, 2006
by 
sensei
sensei
When we meditate, things from the past come up, and we have to work with them. We may remember times when we treated others horribly--hurting their feelings, deceiving them, repaying their kindness with spite, manipulating them, cheating them. While regret for these actions is appropriate and necessary to purify these karmas, we often fall into guilt and shame instead. Guilt and shame are obstacles to overcome on the path, because they keep us trapped in our self-centered melodrama entitled "How Bad I Am." Regret, on the other hand, realizes that we erred, leads us to purify, and motivates us to refrain from acting like that in the future.
How do we counteract guilt and shame? One way is to recognize that the person who did that action no longer exists. You are different now. Is the person who did that action five years ago the same person you are now? If she were exactly the same person, you would still be doing the same action. The present "you" exists in a continuum from that person, but is not exactly the same as her. Look back at the person you were with compassion. You can understand the suffering and confusion she was experiencing that made her act in that way. -- from Cultivating a Compassionate Heart: The Yoga Method of Chenrezig by Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron
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This is a great insight and very helpful to me in my current state of meditation practice. Thank you!
Never thought to look at it that way, I have taught myself to never regret anything but to make up for it, because everything that I have done has lead me to the person I am now, and I am content with that.
Thank you for the gentle reminder. Sometimes, it can be difficult to let go of the past.
Yes, contrast, it makes life possible.
Ditto Ocean, thanks for the gentle reminder. :)