The Blessed Ones

Part 6: Blessed are the Merciful

Talk 6 The Beatitudes

#5 Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy.

What's the meaning of mercy?

Mercy is compassion or forgiveness shown towards someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm, or to withhold forgiveness from.

Mercy is the kindness that makes us forgive someone, usually someone that we have authority over.

In this spiritual context, I see mercy as respecting another person's dignity, especially when they are in some type of difficult or even unsavoury condition.

What's the opposite?

Hard-heartedness, pitilessness, ruthlessness, retaliation, vindictiveness and cruelty are the opposite of mercy, all of which undermine the dignity of the person.

What is the context of mercy in the Beatitudes?

In the last talk, we considered the fourth beatitude: "Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, they shall be filled." This fourth step on the ladder is a real mile stone on the journey up. There has been the acknowledgement of emptiness (#1); which naturally leads to mourning (#2), which in turn can either lead to a hardened heart, or a heart of flesh which seeks righteousness. In the latter case, for the one who has become meek through mourning, the fourth step is a golden one, for it is the beginning of the mission. To seek the Righteous One not only through interior practice, but through service in the world.

If, with a heart of flesh, we step into the field of unrighteousness, we are stepping into a dark place for the sake of one another; to bring light to that darkness. As we enter into situations that may be tough, demoralising, exhausting or painful, we again need to ensure that our heart remains one of flesh. When we step into the field of unrighteousness, in our hunger to realise the Righteous One and to do so through action in the world, we must do so meekly to allow that fulfilment to come, and we must also exercise mercy for the doers of unrighteousness: the abusers, the perpetrators and the wrong doers. We need a spirit of forgiveness, so that we do not get caught in the dvanda (pairs of opposites) of time and space, such as right and wrong, good and bad, forgive or condemn, and instead keep our eye single on the Essence of the person, even of the perpetrator, which is Divine.

What's to be renounced?

In this teaching, the main false god to be renounced is that of power: using our position of power to dismiss, disregard, condemn or humiliate another, or withhold pardon, rather than respect the dignity of the person.

Indian Saints

"In turn, mercy is the fruit of this desire for and attachment to God, a kind of yogic radiance of inner calm, by which one is now able to feel and share the joys and sorrows of those around us, as ours too" according to the reading of Swami Prabhavananda (from the text of Francis X. Cloony).

This point by Swami Prabhavananda is so important: "one is now able to feel and share the joys and sorrows of those around us, as ours too". We are engaging with the One Self. Our mourning has created a meek nature with a heart of flesh, with which we gently step out to find the Righteous One, often in the dark places. Mercy is asked of us as we act as a channel for the Light of Righteousness to shine upon others, including those whom society may condemn.

The last two of the eleven principles listed by Mahatma Gandhi for the sadhaka (spiritual aspirant) reflect this beatitude's teaching on mercy:

10. Swadeshi - Duty Towards the Neighbour: Gandhi respected an ancient ideal which says that one's first duty was to one's neighbours.

11. Asprishyata - Navaran- Removal of untouchability: We are to mix freely with all people, no one is to be seen as untouchable or "lower".