Do different people perceive Krishna’s mercy differently?
Question Does Krishna's mercy appear different based on our capacity to perceive him, based on our love for him Answer Yes Because Firstly what different people will consider as mercy can also vary according to time, place, circumstance When people are largely materialistic, they have a definition of success that centers on material things And when they define success in material terms then naturally when they don't get that material success, they see that as absence of mercy And when they do get that material success they see it as mercy So therefore it is natural So for example for a materialistic person a greater opportunity for sense gratification, greater facility for sense gratification that may well be seen as mercy And for a spiritual person trying to advance in the spiritual path a greater capacity for sense control a greater ability to control the senses that may be seen as success This is with respect to material things in this world If we consider spiritual things in terms of who is actually receiving Krishna's mercy in what terms As even spiritually, different devotees may pursue Krishna's mercy in different ways So for example in the Rasleela, when Krishna disappears from the Gopis and then just to have some just to enhance the excitement in the Leela Krishna appears in the Vishnu form Now initially from a distance Krishna and Vishnu, their complexions look the same and the Gopis are delighted to see some complexion that seems to be like Krishna's they think it is Krishna and they charge toward that person and when they see it as Vishnu they are disappointed Now Yogis they strive for years and decades and lifetimes by meditating within their heart No They strive to perceive Krishna within their hearts or with their eyes whichever way it works out and they would consider seeing Krishna Yogis primarily strive to see the form of Vishnu 400 form of Vishnu they would consider seeing the form of Vishnu as the greatest success of their lives but when the Gopis see Krishna they don't consider it as the greatest fortune So rather than being elated they are disappointed How can anyone be disappointed on seeing Krishna that's because they are actually so transcendentally advanced so spiritually elevated in such an extraordinary state of spiritual exaltedness that for them they know no one except Krishna as their lord and thus when they see anyone other than Krishna they feel that oh this is disappointing I want some even if they say Vishnu they don't want Vishnu they want Krishna and Krishna alone and thus they feel disappointed when they are not able to see Krishna so here when they are unable to see Krishna here seeing Vishnu becomes a cause of disappointment although seeing Vishnu is also mercy but they don't see it as mercy they see it as disappointment where the Yogis would see Vishnu as mercy so depending on our level of consciousness whether it be in terms of the elevation of consciousness from material to spiritual terms or level of consciousness in terms of the kind of Rasa and the kind of relationship we have with Krishna in the spiritual world we may see the same things as mercy or we may not see them as mercy so yes the perception of mercy depends on the receptivity of the level of receptivity or the level of consciousness of the perceiver of course as we become purified more and more we are able to start seeing more and more things we are able to start, we can see Krishna's mercy in more and more forms and thus we can move closer and closer to Krishna and ultimately attain Him.