A grudge continues because the mind keeps believing it will bring peace.
When hurt becomes very deep, it can feel like the only way to feel better is for the other person to suffer or for things to somehow be “made right.” That belief keeps the mind tied to the pain again and again.
But holding on does not actually bring freedom or fulfillment. It only keeps you emotionally bound to the same wound.
The shift begins when you stop believing vengeance or resentment will heal the heart. A hurt heart is not truly broken, because it can still love. That itself shows healing is possible.
From the Mahabharata
Amba dedicates two lifetimes to revenge because she believes her pain cannot be healed any other way. Her entire life becomes centered around that grudge, yet it never truly fulfills her. The story shows that what keeps a grudge alive is the belief that holding on to it will finally bring peace.
This reflection draws from Swamini Supriyananda’s Mahabharata teachings at Chinmaya Mission Hong Kong.
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