Asking for Forgiveness

People sometimes ask for forgiveness.  What is in their minds when they do so?

If they are thinking of being given the opportunity to run away from the consequences of their wrongdoing, they would be doing another wrong!

I hope when they ask for forgiveness, they are thinking, instead, about the well being of those to whom the wrong had been done.   Rather than asking to be given a reprieve from a punishment or from the unpleasant consequences, the wish is that the victim of the wrongdoing will not continue to be hurt by the thought of the wrongdoing having been done to them.

This is the noble way of asking for forgiveness.