Cherishing those who've harmed us

How can we cherish someone who has intentionally harmed us?

We often get angry, don't we? This is because we are just ordinary worldly beings. So, the first thing we have to do is to be honest, to be straightforward and try not to get angry. That's the initial step. We can awaken our awareness, our careful mindful awareness, to achieve this. The second step is to look at the shortcomings of anger. When we get angry it truly doesn't serve any purpose. It doesn't benefit others when we are angry nor does it benefit ourselves. So, when we encounter a challenging situation or condition, we need to strive for skillfulness and utilize skillful means. We require some level of understanding to apply this wisdom and insight. Therefore, first ask yourself, can the situation be changed? If I can change the situation, let's make an effort to do so. Let's try to apply that method. If there is no viable method and nothing can be done to alter the situation, then we should let it be. Leave it alone. Let it go. This is the first way we can apply wisdom and insight. More importantly, if we also understand with our wisdom that phenomena and situations are not truly real, they are not truly established, concrete, or substantial from their side, then we can comprehend that the root cause of suffering lies in grasping. Grasping is based on ma-rigpa (ignorance or misunderstanding). If we correctly recognize ma-rigpa, we can feel compassion towards that person. We will understand that they are subject to misunderstandings or ignorance, emotions or the possibility that we have contributed to this in the past and so on. If we fail to understand ma-rigpa, we will succumb to anger. So, the crucial point revolves around whether we recognize ignorance this or not.