BABA SAYS

(Ks'ama'), or forgiveness...

What is forgiveness?...

How should a virtuous person behave? If one is satisfied that the wrongdoer's habit has been rectified, one may pardon him. If someone is perpetrating atrocities on thousands of Ananda Margiis, however, one has no individual right to excuse the wrongdoer because that wrongdoer has harmed thousands of innocent people. But if a person commits atrocities on me alone, and if I am satisfied that his nature has been transformed, it would be proper for me as dharmika to show forgiveness. However, if his nature has not been rectified, my forgiveness may result in that person becoming even more of a reckless scoundrel and in such a case forgiveness would be considered as a sign of my weakness. This is the dharmik interpretation of ks'ama'."

 (Ananda Vacanamrtam - 4, The Ten Characteristics of a Dhármika)