"So to be able to forgive your enemies can make a difference to one's spiritual progress?" I asked the Dalai Lama.
"Yes, yes, there is no doubt, " he replied. "It's crucial. It's one of the most important things. It can change one's life. To reduce hatred and other destructive emotions, you must develop their opposites — compassion and kindness. If you have strong compassion, strong respect for others, then forgiveness much easier. Mainly for this reason; I do not want to harm another. Forgiveness allows you to be in touch with these positive emotions. This will help with spiritual development."
"Is there a special meditation technique that you use?" I asked.
"I use meditation technique called giving and taking," the Dalai Lama explained. "I make visualization: send my positive emotions like happiness, affection to others. Then another visualization. I visualize receiving their sufferings, their negative emotions. I do this every day. I pay special attention to the Chinese — especially those doing terrible things to the Tibetans. So, as I meditate, I breathe in all their poisons — hatred, fear, cruelty. Then I breathe out. And I let all the good things come out, things like compassion, forgiveness. I take inside my body all these bad things. Then I replace poisons with fresh air. Giving and taking. I take care not to blame — I don't blame the Chinese, and I don't blame myself. This meditation very effective, useful to reduced hatred, useful to cultivate forgiveness."
— Victor Chan in The Wisdom of Forgiveness by Victor Chan, His Holiness The Dalai Lama