Monday Morning Greetings 2026 #32 – The Philosophers Corner III — The Misconceptions About Mercy

Misconception I: You Cannot Act for Mercy Mercy is undeserved kindness. Therefore, some conclude that we cannot do anything to receive mercy, because the moment we act for it, it is no longer undeserved. We have done something to obtain it. But is that conclusion correct? If bhakti is the path of grace, and we can do nothing to attract mercy, then why practice Krishna consciousness at all? A simple analogy helps resolve this apparent contradiction. Imagine you are caught in a violent storm, and your life is in danger. You are in an isolated area and see a lone farmhouse. Desperate for shelter, you run to the door and knock. The owner opens the door and invites you inside. Did your knocking negate the owner’s mercy? Of course not. It was never your house. You had no claim to enter. You were admitted solely because the owner chose to be merciful. Your knocking did not earn you shelter. It simply expressed your need and gave the owner the opportunity to extend his kindness. Now take the…