Hare Krishna,
My respectful obeisances to all Vaishnavas and devotees.
At a lunch meeting with a government minister and his wife in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1971, Srila Prabhupada praised the wife for her knowledge and understanding of Sanskrit verses. Upon hearing this, she humbly answered, "With your mercy, Swamiji."
"Mercy is already there. You simply have to take it ... and become freed from all illusion and lamentation," replied Prabhupada.
This statement of Prabhupada's comes from his divine wisdom, as are all his quotes and preaching. Only, I wonder how we can "simply have to take it."
Dear devotees, can anyone help to expand and explain the statement further?
Hare Krishna!
Source: Prabhupada in Malaysia by Janananda das Adhikary
Replies
Hare Krsna Prabhuji,
PAMHO.
Mercy is always there can be explained by this example - rain falls equally on concrete, in jungles, on fertile land, on sea, on barren land. But only the fertile land takes maximum advantage of the rainfall and produces grains for everyone's benefit.
Similarly, mercy is always there. When we make our hearts soft and accepting, humble and pure through chanting and following the 4 regulative principles, then we can get the full extent of mercy - of the holy name, of tdevotees by taking their association, of prasadam, of devotional service, of knowledge in the form of books and lectures and classes and seminars.
This is how I understand mercy.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Rashmi
Dear Mataji,
I've noticed you've been kind in shedding light to those with doubts. May you be blessed, always.
Your views here support that of Bhaktin Maral mataji, especially on how devotees can take (or seek and accept) mercy. Hare Krishna!
HARE KRISHNA,
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta - The Desire Tree of Devotional Service
CC Ādi 9.6 — I take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who Himself is the tree of transcendental love of Kṛṣṇa, its gardener and also the bestower and enjoyer of its fruits.
CC Ādi 9.7 — Lord Caitanya thought, “My name is Viśvambhara, ‘one who maintains the entire universe.’ Its meaning will be actualized if I can fill the whole universe with love of Godhead.”
CC Ādi 9.8 — Thinking in this way, He accepted the duty of a planter and began to grow a garden in Navadvīpa.
CC Ādi 9.9 — Thus the Lord brought the desire tree of devotional service to this earth and became its gardener. He sowed the seed and sprinkled upon it the water of His will.
CC Ādi 9.10 — All glories to Śrī Mādhavendra Purī, the storehouse of all devotional service unto Kṛṣṇa! He is a desire tree of devotional service, and it is in him that the seed of devotional service first fructified.
CC Ādi 9.11 — The seed of devotional service next fructified in the form of Śrī Īśvara Purī, and then the gardener Himself, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, became the main trunk of the tree of devotional service.
CC Ādi 9.12 — By His inconceivable powers, the Lord became the gardener, the trunk and the branches simultaneously.
CC Ādi 9.13-15 — Paramānanda Purī, Keśava Bhāratī, Brahmānanda Purī and Brahmānanda Bhāratī, Śrī Viṣṇu Purī, Keśava Purī, Kṛṣṇānanda Purī, Śrī Nṛsiṁha Tīrtha and Sukhānanda Purī — these nine sannyāsī roots all sprouted from the trunk of the tree. Thus the tree stood steadfastly on the strength of these nine roots.
CC Ādi 9.16 — With the sober and grave Paramānanda Purī as the central root and the other eight roots in the eight directions, the tree of Caitanya Mahāprabhu stood firmly.
CC Ādi 9.17 — From the trunk grew many branches, and above them innumerable others.
CC Ādi 9.18 — Thus the branches of the Caitanya tree formed a cluster or society, with great branches covering all the universe.
CC Ādi 9.19 — From each branch grew many hundreds of subbranches. No one can count how many branches thus grew.
CC Ādi 9.20 — I shall try to name the foremost of the innumerable branches. Please hear the description of the Caitanya tree.
CC Ādi 9.21 — At the top of the tree the trunk branched into two. One trunk was named Śrī Advaita Prabhu and the other Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu.
CC Ādi 9.22 — From these two trunks grew many branches and subbranches that covered the entire world.
CC Ādi 9.23 — These branches and subbranches and their subbranches became so numerous that no one can actually write about them.
CC Ādi 9.24 — Thus the disciples and the granddisciples and their admirers spread throughout the entire world, and it is not possible to enumerate them all.
CC Ādi 9.25 — As a big fig tree bears fruits all over its body, each part of the tree of devotional service bore fruit.
CC Ādi 9.26 — Since Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu was the original trunk, the taste of the fruits that grew on the branches and subbranches surpassed the taste of nectar.
CC Ādi 9.27 — The fruits ripened and became sweet and nectarean. The gardener, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, distributed them without asking any price.
CC Ādi 9.28 — All the wealth in the three worlds cannot equal the value of one such nectarean fruit of devotional service.
CC Ādi 9.29 — Not considering who asked for it and who did not, nor who was fit and who unfit to receive it, Caitanya Mahāprabhu distributed the fruit of devotional service.
CC Ādi 9.30 — The transcendental gardener, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, distributed handful after handful of fruit in all directions, and when the poor, hungry people ate the fruit, the gardener smiled with great pleasure.
CC Ādi 9.31 — Lord Caitanya thus addressed the multifarious varieties of branches and subbranches of the tree of devotional service.
CC Ādi 9.32 — “Since the tree of devotional service is transcendental, every one of its parts can perform the action of all the others. Although a tree is supposed to be immovable, this tree nevertheless moves.
CC Ādi 9.33 — “All the parts of this tree are spiritually cognizant, and thus as they grow they spread all over the world.
CC Ādi 9.34 — “I am the only gardener. How many places can I go? How many fruits can I pick and distribute?
CC Ādi 9.35 — “It would certainly be a very laborious task to pick the fruits and distribute them alone, and still I suspect that some would receive them and others would not.
CC Ādi 9.36 — “Therefore I order every man within this universe to accept this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and distribute it everywhere.
CC Ādi 9.37 — “I am the only gardener. If I do not distribute these fruits, what shall I do with them? How many fruits can I alone eat?
CC Ādi 9.38 — “By the transcendental desire of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, water has been sprinkled all over the tree, and thus there are innumerable fruits of love of Godhead.
CC Ādi 9.39 — “Distribute this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement all over the world. Let people eat these fruits and ultimately become free from old age and death.
CC Ādi 9.40 — “If the fruits are distributed all over the world, My reputation as a pious man will be known everywhere, and thus all people will glorify My name with great pleasure.
CC Ādi 9.41 — “One who has taken his birth as a human being in the land of India [Bhārata-varṣa] should make his life successful and work for the benefit of all other people.
CC Ādi 9.42 — “ ‘It is the duty of every living being to perform welfare activities for the benefit of others with his life, wealth, intelligence and words.’
CC Ādi 9.43 — “ ‘By his work, thoughts and words, an intelligent man must perform actions which will be beneficial for all living entities in this life and the next.’
CC Ādi 9.44 — “I am merely a gardener. I have neither a kingdom nor very great riches. I simply have some fruits and flowers that I wish to utilize to achieve piety in My life.
CC Ādi 9.45 — “Although I am acting as a gardener, I also want to be the tree, for thus I can bestow benefit upon all.
CC Ādi 9.46 — “ ‘Just see how these trees are maintaining every living entity! Their birth is successful. Their behavior is just like that of great personalities, for anyone who asks anything from a tree never goes away disappointed.’ ”
CC Ādi 9.47 — The descendants of the tree [the devotees of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu] were very glad to receive this order directly from the Lord.
CC Ādi 9.48 — The fruit of love of God is so delicious that wherever a devotee distributes it, those who relish the fruit, anywhere in the world, immediately become intoxicated.
CC Ādi 9.49 — The fruit of love of Godhead distributed by Caitanya Mahāprabhu is such a great intoxicant that anyone who eats it, filling his belly, immediately becomes maddened by it, and automatically he chants, dances, laughs and enjoys.
CC Ādi 9.50 — When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the great gardener, sees that people are chanting, dancing and laughing and that some of them are rolling on the floor and some are making loud humming sounds, He smiles with great pleasure.
CC Ādi 9.51 — The great gardener, Lord Caitanya, personally eats this fruit, and as a result He constantly remains mad, as if helpless and bewildered.
CC Ādi 9.52 — With His saṅkīrtana movement the Lord made everyone mad like Himself. We do not find anyone who was not intoxicated by His saṅkīrtana movement.
CC Ādi 9.53 — Persons who had formerly criticized Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, calling Him a drunkard, also ate the fruit and began to dance, saying, “Very good! Very good!”
All Glories to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu!
When we view the house from one side we know not what the rest of it looks like. For our movement, the movement of people. The movement of morality. The movement of God. It requires everyone to bring their wisdom to the table. To speak up. To say something. We always look at each others values, our religions, our ways as different. But i assure all, and most probably know this, if you seek you will find so many more similarities then differences. With each fraction of light, with each parcel that comes together to solve the grand puzzle it will be made more understandable. And then you must ACT in the kingdom of heaven. Do everything you can. This universe supports us, now. Right now. Understand your audience. One might be turned off by dogmatic austerity, approach that man differently then someone who is say...at breaking point willing to do anything. Someone who is christian, he may be of one, if he views his ways as the only right way, approach him differently by learning his ways. It is in sharing that I will be revealed amongst you. Know this, it is each and everyone of you that are the change to be. You each have a specific arrow that will pierce a specific heart. Your every word and action can benefit someone and you may not even know it. Like yelling into a crowd and only one listens, for you are all of that one nature.
Much Love
What you have listed is non different from the Kabbalistic Tree of life. Branching from Keter (crown-unity) into understand and wisdom. It is in the tree that it has been seeded. And if you really like, for whatever reason, astrology and tarot have also been placed on this tree. There is nothing that may not be placed on the Tree of life. Amazing this life is, is it not?
Mercy is Holy Name Prabhu,
Mercy came in the form of Srila Prabhupada's books.
In the form of Devotees.
In the form of Krishna Prasadam.
We have just to accept them.
Chant;
Read;
Associate;
Serve;
Your servant,
Dear Mataji,
Thank you for your early comment. It is enlightening. I will take all comments as His mercy.
Hare Krishna.