Prayers
Prayers for Forgiveness
Simple Buddhist prayers for forgiveness — for releasing what we carry, and freeing ourselves to move forward.
Forgiveness is not saying what happened was acceptable. It is deciding you will no longer carry it as a wound.
In Buddhism, forgiveness is understood as an act of self-compassion first. When we hold onto resentment, we are the ones who suffer most. Letting go is not weakness — it is wisdom.
Here are three simple prayers for forgiveness.
For yourself:
May I release what I have been holding too long. May I forgive myself for what I did not know then. May I be free from the weight of the past.
For someone who has hurt you:
May I find the willingness to let this go. May I see your suffering without excusing your actions. May forgiveness come — in its own time, at its own pace.
For all beings:
May all beings find freedom from old pain. May all who have caused harm find their way to repair. May all beings be released from what they can no longer change.
You don’t have to forgive all at once. Begin with the smallest part of it.
That is where the opening starts.