Radical Forgiveness as Merit Practice

Rabia taught that since all existence flows from the Divine, all beings—including those who harm—are fundamentally innocent. This is not naive; it is radical metaphysics. If God is the ultimate source of all action, then humans are instruments. This doesn't erase responsibility, but it does dissolve the harshness of judgment. In Buddhist merit practice, resentment acts as spiritual friction: it reduces flow, calcifies the heart, and creates negative ripples. Rabia's teaching invites you to forgive not because the perpetrator deserves it, but because unforgiveness locks you into a smaller self. Radical forgiveness is a merit practice because it immediately liberates energy. When you stop rehearsing injury, stop feeding resentment with attention, that energy becomes available for compassion. This doesn't mean permitting harm; it means releasing your grip on the story of harm. Your ripple then flows uncontaminated by bitterness. Communities that practice radical forgiveness—like Rabia taught—experience healing impossible in shame-based cultures. The ripple of forgiveness spreads faster than any other virtue because it un-binds people from cycles of retaliation.