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What's the difference between grace and mercy?

Expressions researched:
"What's the difference between grace and mercy"

Conversations and Morning Walks

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Grace means he'll willingly give you mercy, and mercy means you ask for mercy.

Morning Darsana and Room Conversation Ramkrishna Bajaj and friends -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Guest (10): What's the difference between grace and mercy?

Prabhupāda: Grace means he'll willingly give you mercy, and mercy means you ask for mercy. Kṛpa-siddha. Sādhana-siddha and kṛpa-siddha. You are trying to earn one lakh of rupees—that is sādhana. But if somebody is gracious he can give you: "Take one lakh of rupees. Don't work hard." That is grace. That is kṛpa. You are ambitious for one lakh of rupees or somebody graciously give you: "All right, take." There are many persons. So that is grace. Otherwise, you earn by your hard labor. That is sādhana. Similarly, by association, by sādhana-bhakti, you attain perfection, and by grace also, you can attain perfection. Two ways. So those who are kṛpa-siddha, they are more fortunate. (Hindi) Preach this Bhagavad-gītā as it is. People will be benefited. You'll be benefited. Don't make unnecessary interpretation, misguide others and spoil your own life. That is very unfortunate. What is the difficulty to accept Bhagavad-gītā? There is no difficulty. Unfortunately we interpret in different way and take it other way. So our little attempt is to spread Bhagavad-gītā as it is, and whatever it may be, it is being accepted in the Western countries. Not by all. But the people in general, now the... Feeling the weight, they have now began opposing.

Indian man: Have seen the new light.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They're opposing me very vigorously in America.

Indian man: And that is a good sign.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is our victory, when there is opposition, and that is our victory. In spite of opposition, we are selling our books in large quantity. Yes. Large quantity. What is the one week sale that? Eighteen lakhs or something like...

Girirāja: In one week, the books, total of books, was seven lakhs books in one week.

Mr. Bajaj: In one week? That would be hundred thousand dollars.

Prabhupāda: No, no. More than. Eh? Seven lakhs?

Indian man (3): But mostly they are in America. Also in that number in Japan?

Prabhupāda: No, America. And opposition is also in America. No, Europe and America, they are taking.

Indian man (4): Opposition is, Prabhupāda, natural. Because you are converting their churches into temples.

Prabhupāda: No, there are many of. First thing is that my students are advised, "No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication up to the point of smoking cigarette and drinking tea, and no gambling." But this is their life. How they can give up this? And that is... It is a shock. Therefore they say "brainwash," that "How a gentleman can give up all these things?" Many... Not many. A few of my students, they left. They said that "Swāmījī is denying the primary necessities of life." They left. They could not tolerate. So I do not make any compromise: that if you want to become my student you have to give up these things. So the responsible parents, they are appreciating that "My son is now purified."

Page Title:What's the difference between grace and mercy?
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Rishab
Created:16 of Jul, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=1, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1