What is mercy and who is a merciful person?

Today we’ll talk about what mercy is, who a merciful person is and how to become a merciful person.

In the pursuit of money, power and recognition, people often forget about such universal human values ​​as love for one's neighbor, respect and acceptance. Children are taught from childhood to be courageous, purposeful and persistent. We grow up with the understanding that life is an eternal struggle in which only the strongest survive.

Kindness, honesty and mercy fade into the background. Everyone around just says that you need to think only about your personal well-being. If a person is kind, honest and sympathetic, then he is perceived as a soft-spoken and weak person. In fact, everything is exactly the opposite. A merciful person is much stronger in spirit. Only a few of us are able to forgive and perceive others as they are.

What is mercy?

Mercy is a person’s ability to forgive and selflessly help. Forgiveness here is not meant in words, but in its true, spiritual meaning. By forgiving, a person feels relief, inner freedom and love for his neighbor. There is no place for selfish motives here. A merciful person does not think that thanks to his actions he will earn himself an extra plus to his karma, or will then be able to use the situation for his own purposes. Otherwise, it is no longer mercy, but pretense and hypocrisy.

Mercy is closely intertwined with such concepts as kindness, care, compassion and love for the human soul. A compassionate person not only acts out of good intentions, he feels love and concern for the well-being of the person.

How does mercy manifest itself?

Mercy and compassion are what make us more humane. But is what we consider good always so? Here, for example, is the situation described above with an alcoholic at the church. Maybe outwardly it looks like a good deed, but in the end there is nothing good in it. How to determine in what situations and how to show mercy correctly?

When one of the adults snatches the ninety-ninth candy from a child’s hands, probably, from the child’s point of view, they did something wrong to him, and he may even be very upset. But from an objective point of view, this is a manifestation of mercy. And on the contrary, not snatching this ninety-ninth candy from a child’s hand would be cruel.

Therefore, mercy is a sincere desire to save another person or any other living being from suffering. The problem is that we often ourselves have a very distorted understanding of suffering and its causes. That is why today children from an early age have obesity, diabetes and dental problems, and all because in this case mercy is manifested in some clearly distorted form, and the love of parents is often measured by the amount of sugar consumed by the child.

Mercy in religion

The concept of mercy is found in pre-biblical Greek literature. Over time, it has practically not changed its meaning. Then it was interpreted as a feeling that arises in a person when he sees the suffering of others.

From a religious point of view, mercy is one of the main virtues. It is aimed at performing spiritual and physical deeds for the people around us. In each of the world's religions, be it Christianity, Islam or Buddhism, mercy appears as a necessary quality for a person. Only by being open, kind and sincere, a person will be able to know God and discover the spiritual light within himself.

The Christian essence of mercy lies in boundless love for God. A piece of the image of the Lord is in every person. Having believed in the Almighty, a person automatically believes in the holiness and significance of every human life on Earth.

Religion among Muslims is inextricably linked with socio-political life. They even have a special annual tax to help the poor and needy.

From a Buddhist point of view, mercy is compassion and love for all living beings. A Buddhist prays for every soul, plant and animal. Thus, he achieves harmony with the whole world.

As we see, people of different religions perceive the concept of “mercy” almost equally. It doesn’t matter which God you pray to, it is important that you remember those commandments that teach you to be kinder and more tolerant of the people around us.

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The paradox of mercy.

Mercy was given to us initially as representatives of the human race. But it does not manifest itself at the level of instincts. But people have an excellent tool to develop it - education. Teachers know that mercy lessons need to start from the first years of a child’s life. Parents, then educators and school teachers try to instill in children the simple idea of ​​love for all living things.

If in childhood we are taught to love cats and dogs, then adult life passes under the short motto: “here it’s every man for himself.” When childhood ends, the main question arises: why do people consider mercy a virtue? Of what use is it to those who help others? The very idea of ​​mercy presupposes attention to other people's pain and sorrow . The main paradox is brewing: a person strives to do good for himself and at the same time is ready to voluntarily delve into someone else’s “badness.”

The question will help you understand the concept: what happens in the soul of an indifferent or embittered person?

It can be assumed that there have been traumatic events in the life of an evil person. The result of such events was a behavior mechanism: either I hurt you or you hurt me. In order to prevent pain, such a person will humiliate, call and snap, but he himself will suffer from this. This mechanism is described by Freud and is called projection.

Every evil deed corrodes the soul and we physically feel this suffering. After all, the expression “my soul hurts” is not a metaphor, it is real pain that leads to migraines, heart attacks and oncology. At the same time, part of our inner “I” suffers from the lack of good deeds. We expect kindness and compassion from others, but are afraid to let them into our lives.

An interesting example is given by the Dalai Lama XIV in the book “Everything you wanted to ask the Dalai Lama”: “...When I meet someone on the street, I smile and express my human feelings. Whether another person benefits or not depends on his own way of thinking. But I benefit from smiling. He who experiences compassion, first of all, receives the reward himself..."

A modern parable about mercy

9 athletes took part in one Paralympics. The athletes stood at the start and waited for the signal. Each of them had a disability. The participants heard the command: “March!” Everyone jumped up and ran. One guy didn’t even have time to run a few meters when he tripped and fell. He sobbed bitterly from pain and resentment.

Hearing the crying, the participants slowed down. They stopped and ALL returned to the start together. One girl approached the sobbing young man, helped him get up and asked how he was feeling. After that, the athletes stood shoulder to shoulder and crossed the finish line in unison. The audience was delighted! Everyone stood up and began to applaud the athletes. At that moment, everyone realized that there are times when it is more important to support another person than to win yourself. You don't always need to move only forward; sometimes you need to stop and look back.

Definition of mercy

It is not so easy to answer the question: “What is mercy?” The answer does not come immediately. And all because people think about various problems and ways to solve them, but they forget about the main thing.

Mercy is a manifestation of love for one's neighbor. This is what they say in many books. But your neighbors are not only relatives and friends, they are absolutely all the people who surround you. It is not necessary to show “love” feelings; basic respect for others is enough. And then the world will be transformed for you. And you will understand that your neighbor’s grandmother is not so nasty, and you can talk normally with the sellers at the market. Bring goodness to the world. We can also say that mercy is a kind of goodwill, a desire to help without demanding anything in return. These qualities are inherent in every person, you just need to find them in yourself.

Some people are sure that these are completely inappropriate characteristics, and no one needs them today. But it’s worth trying to be a little kinder, respect people and help them if they need it. And then you will notice that those around you respond in kind, the world around you will be transformed. Mercy is the path to the top.

Contradictions that prevent people from being merciful

Lately, we are increasingly hearing about such concepts as tolerance, freedom of choice, human dignity and personal rights. We are called to be tolerant and open-minded people. However, a number of conflicts arise:

1. By providing help and showing mercy, do we not humiliate the personal dignity of the person in need, and thus create inequality, which further leads to discrimination?
2. When helping our neighbor, do we understand his desires correctly? Perhaps his ideas about the good are fundamentally different from our ideas. Are we imposing personal values ​​and ideals?
3. In a broad sense, mercy involves active participation in the life of another person. Essentially, it is an eternal service to the people around you. The question arises, do they need this service? Sometimes, in order to find oneself, a person must show patience, perseverance and willpower.

All these and other contradictions can lead to confusion. For some, these statements develop into a seed of doubt. People begin to believe that mercy is harmful and suppresses a person's willpower. Perhaps people do not fully understand the essence of mercy or perceive it in a distorted form. Be that as it may, each person chooses for himself what he should be. If we love, feel good in our hearts, sincerely sympathize and worry about the people around us, then we will never believe that this is wrong and bad.

Listen to your heart, open it to the people around you. Be kind, sympathetic and merciful and then you will know what true happiness and harmony are.

Is it possible to develop this quality?

The question is actually a complicated one. Are you ready to give up some benefits in favor of your neighbor? Let's say you have a hundred rubles in your wallet. Will you spend fifty of them on milk for your old grandmother neighbor? If yes, then mercy is already built into you.

This quality first of all requires sacrifice. Sometimes you have to deny yourself in order to help someone. When a person helps out of excess, it is good. But if a person takes it away from himself and gives it to those more in need, it is doubly valuable.

How to become a merciful person?

Perhaps for some this question will seem somewhat naive. How can one acquire a quality that should be formed in a person from infancy? Naturally, it is impossible to become merciful with one snap of your fingers. Persuasion and stories about the need to love the people around us, to be responsive and attentive will be ineffective until we ourselves realize this. In fact, everything is in your hands. If you feel that you want to become kinder and more tolerant, then by all means start working on yourself.

1. Analyze the feelings of people around you. Ask yourself the question: “What would I feel now if I were in his place?” This will help you develop compassion and understand people better.
2. Be responsive. If you see that you can help a person, don't try to find excuses. Lack of time, inopportune moment - all these are empty words. Offer your support! Perhaps your participation will make the person happier!
3. Thank people. It doesn't matter how significant their action is. Appreciate what people do for you. When walking along a clean sidewalk, say “Thank you” to the janitor. For you, this is a mere trifle, and the person will feel needed and valuable.
4. Give your interlocutor an opportunity to speak out. Compassionate people worry and care about the condition of the people around them. Make an effort and listen to what the person is trying to convey to you. There may be a secret call for help in his story.
5. Accept people as they are. Make it a rule not to judge or humiliate others.

Mercy is the highest manifestation of human kindness. People are not born sensitive and compassionate. Much depends on upbringing, environment and a number of other factors. Nevertheless, people change, and it’s up to you to decide in which direction to change.

Charity organizations.

The desire to give without expecting anything in return is confirmed by examples of the generosity of doctors: Nikolai Ivanovich Pirogov, Nikolai Vasilyevich Sklifosovsky, Sergei Petrovich Botkin, Ivan Petrovich Pavlov. They devoted themselves to science and saving the sick, alleviated a lot of suffering and saved many lives.

World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day is celebrated May 8 , the birthday of its founder, Henri Dunant. He visited the war and was shocked to see the number of wounded soldiers who were not treated. Henri Dunant described this terrible downside of the war in a book that he sent to all political figures of the time, rich people and his friends. He founded a global organization to help those suffering, became a Nobel Prize laureate and spent his last days in a shelter, leaving all the money to charities.

During her lifetime, Mother Teresa was called the Angel of Mercy, who really became a mother to abandoned children, terminally ill and poor slum dwellers. Mother Teresa always appeared at the scene of disasters, earthquakes, and wars to support people and pray for them. According to her, a huge sin is not anger, but indifference to the misfortune of another person. In the middle of the 20th century, the Order of Mercy was opened. Today, this is the only religious order where the number of people wishing to join its ranks exceeds the number of vacant places.

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The hospice movement , the idea of ​​which originated in the early Christian era, is considered one of the highest manifestations of humanism and mercy The word “hospes” itself is translated as “guest”, “hospitable” and has nothing to do with death. The first hospices were located along the roads followed by Christian pilgrims. These were institutions for the weakened, infirm and sick people, where they took care of body and soul.

Modern hospices differ from hospitals in that they do not “fix” the human body, but treat patients as individuals. There is rarely silence in the hospice - volunteers and musicians work here, relatives and famous actors and writers come to visit. Here everything is decided not by the number of diapers and IVs, but by the spiritual qualities of the staff. The operating principle of modern hospices is to teach relatives to care for the patient in such a way as to alleviate his pain without humiliating his dignity. If relatives cannot cope, nurses come to the rescue.

Is it possible to learn mercy? Can. Empathy manifests itself in different ways, but, in essence, means one thing: voluntarily accepting a share of someone else’s suffering. It is not at all necessary to immediately go to a hospital for seriously ill patients or give all your money to a stranger. You can start small:

• Help a fallen person get up.
• Pay for coffee for another visitor.
• Comfort an upset colleague.
• Take warm clothes to the shelter.
• Become a donor.
• Pay for groceries for an elderly person in a store.
• Feed a homeless cat or dog.
• Help your new neighbors get comfortable.
• Call your grandparents just like that, for no reason.
• Leave a note with good wishes in a library book.
• Let a woman and a child pass in line.
• Ask about the affairs of an elderly neighbor.
• Help a non-local person find the right street or house.

This is not a complete list of good things that you can do right now without spending a lot of time and money on them.

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Why is justice needed?

Justice is necessary to avoid chaos in the world. Every person should receive what he has achieved and what he deserves. People who live with justice know that they need to fight and go towards their goals in life, and not wait for a happy turn of fate until what they want comes to them. You should treat everyone around you fairly. Then the world will respond in kind - these are the natural laws of life. Justice presupposes honesty: one should not deceive or lie to people. It is worth remembering that, first of all, at these moments you are lying to yourself. Be honest with yourself first, and then with others.

What is compassion

To begin with, it is worth understanding that compassion is not pity, which is a momentary feeling. You might feel sorry for an abandoned puppy or kitten, or a wounded bird. To sympathize means to live with a person in his grief, to share it with him. For example, a person who cares for his close relative experiences improvements in his condition and new attacks of the disease with him. His poor condition literally affects the well-being of the one who has compassion. This feeling does not require any payment, gratitude, it is free. This is a kind of light that comes from within a person and warms the one who is consumed by grief. The feeling of compassion must be absolutely selfless. And only then will it become true and sincere.

Why is mercy important to a reasonable person?

For a wise person who clearly distinguishes between the eternal and the mortal, it is important to understand that mercy is a prerequisite for peace of mind, since a merciful person relieves himself of the huge burden of thinking about who deserves good and who deserves evil, who is guilty and who is right. Moreover, a benevolent attitude in itself not only helps to prevent conflicts, quarrels, strife, and so on, but also allows you to find friends and well-wishers, who in the absence of mercy could be enemies or simply nobody.

But even the very attitude of treating everyone as living beings with whom we are on the same level makes a person freer and happier. It does not matter whether it is a dog, a cow, a criminal, an ordinary person, a hero or a sage - all are equal on the basis that all are the eternal soul at their core. And such an attitude not only brings peace and tranquility, but also allows you to more clearly see both the spiritual nature of other beings and your own soul. And perceiving oneself from the point of view of the soul is one of the main achievements on the spiritual path .

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Why is compassion needed?

We need compassion to the same extent as mercy. Don't you want to live in a world full of smiles, happiness, good mood? A person stricken with grief is unable to smile. Restore his faith in life - share his grief with him. The forces that will go into helping, fighting for the happiness of another person will return to you in double size. By doing good, a person feels a surge of cheerfulness and warmth. You can start transforming a gray, dull, insensitive world today, without delay.