"That which I do not forgive in you lies unforgiven within myself."

August 5, 2013 9:40 AM

I love this quote. It carried me through (and continues to carry me through) a very tough time in my life. I'm considering getting it tattooed on myself. Problem: I can't find its primary source.

Does anyone know where this quote actually comes from? Googling turns up "Buddhist proverb," and I'd like something more specific/reliable.

posted by sevensnowflakes to Religion & Philosophy (3 answers total)

Best answer: I suspect you found it here, which is what Google comes up with; you might write to Karen Lang and ask where she got it. Be prepared to discover that, like many similar inspirational quotes, it doesn't have an ancient/literary/"authentic" source but is in fact invented by a modern inspirational writer (which doesn't make it worth less as inspiration, of course).
posted by languagehat at 11:01 AM on August 5, 2013

Best answer: It looks like there are several canonical Buddhist texts in the different Buddhist traditions. I'm not sure how many have English translations or are available online, but it's possible the proverb came from one of these.

It also looks like this blogger might be willing to check whether a Buddha quote is legitmate or not.
posted by megancita at 12:57 PM on August 5, 2013

Google Books shows no citations for this, or anything similar, which means it fails the smell test.

It really feels to me like it's a fudge between the forgiveness prayer and Matthew 6:14-15. I do feel the sentiment reads more as a Christian one than a Buddhist one, but I'm only well-read, not especially spiritual.
posted by dhartung at 7:12 PM on August 5, 2013