Isn't that enough knowing you did wrong... Forgive.

"I remember one boy in my school was accused of some wrong act. The teachers felt it was sufficiently serious that they wanted me to expel him. That would have meant that for four years he could not get into any other school.

I said, ”I won’t do that to him; I cannot sponsor such an idea. He may have done wrong, but I shall reason with him and forgive him, “There was a big commotion of disagreement. So I said to the teachers: “Remember all the things that you have done during and since your childhood. Can you tell me you have never done anything reprehensibly wrong?” They all hung their heads. “If that boy were your son, would you send him out?”

No one spoke. I said,” He is my son, and I will hear him.”

So I called this boy to me; he came in very defiant: "Go ahead, I know you are going to throw me out.”

“What makes you think so?” I replied. Again he challenged me rebelliously: “Go ahead.” I replied, “How Childish of you. You have done wrong, and you are proud of it. What is the matter with you? Suppose you did do wrong, that doesn’t mean you have to do wrong again.”

He hung his head. “Don’t do it again,” I said. He looked at me like the little child that he was. “You mean you won’t send me away?”

“You know that what you did was wrong, don’t you?”

He said, “Yes”

“Isn’t that enough?” I said.

“Don’t repeat it.”

Tears came in his eyes and he told me, “You know, I had made up my mind that if you sent me away, I would use my life to do all the evil things that I could.” Then he went on, “I am sorry for what I have done, and promise you that I will never do it again.”

Years later when I went to India, I learned that he had gone to England to further his education and opportunities. He now had a successful career, was very spiritual, and had a wonderful family. He came to me in tears and said, “Do you remember me?” I greeted him lovingly. He said, “That day that you forgave me made me what I am today. It is all due to your faith in me.” He embraced me and cried like a child.

If I had sent that young boy away from my school, he would not have become the remarkable man his is. He would have been nothing today. So remember, love changes people; their part is to repent of their wrongdoing and cultivate discrimination and won’t power to guide their future behavior.

-Inspiring excerpt from the fall 2008 Self Realization magazine, taken from a talk given by Paramahansa Yogananda in Encinitas. California.