<p>I doubt it -- I expected it ought to be listed in <a href="https://fakebuddhaquotes.com/" rel="noreferrer">https://fakebuddhaquotes.com/</a> if I could say that without being harsh.</p>

<p>There is something pretty like it, IMO, though not as quotable, in the Dhammapada -- e.g. <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/dhp/dhp.01.budd.html" rel="noreferrer">this translation</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <ol>
  <li>Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought. If with an impure mind a person speaks or acts suffering follows him like the wheel that follows the foot of the ox.</li>
  <li>Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought. If with a pure mind a person speaks or acts happiness follows him like his never-departing shadow.</li>
  <li>"He abused me, he struck me, he overpowered me, he robbed me." <strong>Those who harbor such thoughts do not still their hatred</strong>.</li>
  <li>"He abused me, he struck me, he overpowered me, he robbed me." <strong>Those who do not harbor such thoughts still their hatred</strong>.</li>
  <li>Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. <strong>By non-hatred alone is hatred appeased. This is a law eternal</strong>.</li>
  <li>There are those who do not realize that one day we all must die. But those who do realize this <strong>settle their quarrels</strong>.</li>
  </ol>
</blockquote>

<p>After a while you begin to guess whether a quote is "fake" -- partly from knowing the prose style of the suttas a bit, and partly from knowing what themes the Buddha does and doesn't talk about.</p>

<p>The Buddha doesn't talk about "forgiveness" exactly -- more about other themes including:</p>

<ul>
<li>Don't take injury "personally"</li>
<li>Don't "accept" (e.g. participate in receiving or giving) insults</li>
<li>Don't get angry (nor hostile) in the first place</li>
<li>Feel kindness, be kind, towards other people -- kindness, but also equanimity, and seeing good in them, and not wanting to hurt them</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-12-08T10:59:39.677Z
2018-12-08T10:59:39.677Z
ChrisW
<p>" <strong><em>To Forgive is the only way to forget</em></strong> "</p>

<p>Is this one of the sayings of <em>Lord Buddha</em>. This quote is beautiful, but I couldn't find the source.</p>

<virtue>
Is "To Forgive is the only way to forget" an authentic quote of the Buddha?
# Is "To Forgive is the only way to forget" an authentic quote of the Buddha?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-12-08)

" ***To Forgive is the only way to forget*** "

Is this one of the sayings of *Lord Buddha*. This quote is beautiful, but I couldn't find the source.

**Tags:** virtue


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-12-08. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

I doubt it -- I expected it ought to be listed in <https://fakebuddhaquotes.com/> if I could say that without being harsh.

There is something pretty like it, IMO, though not as quotable, in the Dhammapada -- e.g. [this translation](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/dhp/dhp.01.budd.html):

> 1. Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought. If with an impure mind a person speaks or acts suffering follows him like the wheel that follows the foot of the ox.
> 2. Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought. If with a pure mind a person speaks or acts happiness follows him like his never-departing shadow.
> 3. "He abused me, he struck me, he overpowered me, he robbed me." **Those who harbor such thoughts do not still their hatred**.
> 4. "He abused me, he struck me, he overpowered me, he robbed me." **Those who do not harbor such thoughts still their hatred**.
> 5. Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. **By non-hatred alone is hatred appeased. This is a law eternal**.
> 6. There are those who do not realize that one day we all must die. But those who do realize this **settle their quarrels**.

After a while you begin to guess whether a quote is "fake" -- partly from knowing the prose style of the suttas a bit, and partly from knowing what themes the Buddha does and doesn't talk about.

The Buddha doesn't talk about "forgiveness" exactly -- more about other themes including:

* Don't take injury "personally"
* Don't "accept" (e.g. participate in receiving or giving) insults
* Don't get angry (nor hostile) in the first place
* Feel kindness, be kind, towards other people -- kindness, but also equanimity, and seeing good in them, and not wanting to hurt them


---

