Undifferentiated Love as Antidote

Rabia al-Adawiyya taught love of God so complete it erased distinctions between self and other, rich and poor, friend and stranger. This radical equality of affection stands as direct opposition to favoritism's root: the preference born from ego-attachment. When we practice undifferentiated love, we recognize that every person deserves the same sacred attention. Favoritism costs us this clarity—it fragments our hearts into hierarchies of worth. By cultivating Rabia's approach, we see favoritism not as natural preference but as spiritual blindness. The practice requires examining each relationship: Am I loving this person for their utility to me, or for their intrinsic being? Undifferentiated love doesn't mean ignoring context; it means refusing to rank souls. This transforms how we distribute resources, attention, and opportunity, exposing favoritism as incompatible with genuine devotion.