Compassion (karuna) - One Of The Four Sublime States

[camerata]

II. Compassion (Karuna)

The world suffers. But most men have their eyes and ears closed. They do not see the unbroken stream of tears flowing through life; they do not hear the cry of distress continually pervading the world. Their own little grief or joy bars their sight, deafens their ears. Bound by selfishness, their hearts turn stiff and narrow. Being stiff and narrow, how should they be able to strive for any higher goal, to realize that only release from selfish craving will effect their own freedom from suffering?

It is compassion that removes the heavy bar, opens the door to freedom, makes the narrow heart as wide as the world. Compassion takes away from the heart the inert weight, the paralyzing heaviness; it gives wings to those who cling to the lowlands of self.

Through compassion the fact of suffering remains vividly present to our mind, even at times when we personally are free from it. It gives us the rich experience of suffering, thus strengthening us to meet it prepared, when it does befall us.

Compassion reconciles us to our own destiny by showing us the life of others, often much harder than ours.

Behold the endless caravan of beings, men and beasts, burdened with sorrow and pain! The burden of every one of them, we also have carried in bygone times during the unfathomable sequence of repeated births. Behold this, and open your heart to compassion!

And this misery may well be our own destiny again! He who is without compassion now, will one day cry for it. If sympathy with others is lacking, it will have to be acquired through one's own long and painful experience. This is the great law of life. Knowing this, keep guard over yourself!

Beings, sunk in ignorance, lost in delusion, hasten from one state of suffering to another, not knowing the real cause, not knowing the escape from it. This insight into the general law of suffering is the real foundation of our compassion, not any isolated fact of suffering.

Hence our compassion will also include those who at the moment may be happy, but act with an evil and deluded mind. In their present deeds we shall foresee their future state of distress, and compassion will arise.

The compassion of the wise man does not render him a victim of suffering. His thoughts, words and deeds are full of pity. But his heart does not waver; unchanged it remains, serene and calm. How else should he be able to help?

May such compassion arise in our hearts! Compassion that is sublime nobility of heart and intellect which knows, understands and is ready to help.

Compassion that is strength and gives strength: this is highest compassion.

And what is the highest manifestation of compassion?

To show to the world the path leading to the end of suffering, the path pointed out, trodden and realized to perfection by Him, the Exalted One, the Buddha.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors...a/wheel006.html

[camerata]

A couple of famous Canonical references:

The mission he [the Buddha] set for himself and for the Sangha was one of compassionate, liberative action. The first sixty arahants were sent out with the words:

"Go forth, bhikkhus, for the good of the many, for the happiness of the many, out of compassion for the world, for the good, benefit, and happiness of gods and men. Let not two go by the same way."

Mahaakassapa is praised because "he teaches the doctrine to others out of pity, out of caring for them, because of his compassion for them."

For the above disciples, all that had to be done for their release had been done. They now embodied compassion. Compassion was their nature — Mahaa-karu.naa, great compassion, rather than the elementary compassion which the novice on the path attempts to radiate and practice.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/harris/bl141.html

[fabianfred]

I like to give a simple explanation of compassion as pity combined with love.

As we know only an Arahant can love truly without any attachment and without expecting anything in return...the rest of us just try our best.

We all pity and have compassion for a cripple or begger beside the road...but a monk should feel compassion for all beings....still not escaped from Samsara by reaching stream-entry.

[phetaroi]

As we know only an Arahant can love truly without any attachment and without expecting anything in return...the rest of us just try our best.

We all pity and have compassion for a cripple or begger beside the road...but a monk should feel compassion for all beings....still not escaped from Samsara by reaching stream-entry.

1. No, "we" don't know that.

2. Having pity for someone borders on irrelevancy. Doing something about their condition is true compassion.

[camerata]

I think what Fred means is "We know from the Pali Canon..."

Interestingly, Nyanatiloka's dictionary translates karuna as pity, rather than compassion. The English definition of compassion is:

a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering

Pity is:

sympathetic or kindly sorrow evoked by the suffering, distress, or misfortune of another, often leading one to give relief or aid or to show mercy

Both stop short of including giving relief as mandatory, but in the Pali Canon it's clear that karuna involved the action of teaching the Dhamma.

[phetaroi]

I think what Fred means is "We know from the Pali Canon..."

Interestingly, Nyanatiloka's dictionary translates karuna as pity, rather than compassion. The English definition of compassion is:

a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering

Pity is:

sympathetic or kindly sorrow evoked by the suffering, distress, or misfortune of another, often leading one to give relief or aid or to show mercy

Both stop short of including giving relief as mandatory, but in the Pali Canon it's clear that karuna involved the action of teaching the Dhamma.

Okay, although I don't quite agree with your interpretation of the two English definitions of compassion. I see no value to pity. I see value in compassion. And, of course, it is Kuan Yin's view of compassion that so many find so compelling, including here in Thailand, although she (he?) is not considered to be a Theravada entity...even though there she is in many (if not most) Theravada Buddhist temples here in Thailand. Quite interesting, actually.

[camerata]

The definitions I used were actually from dictionary.com, but in any case I think one has to go by whatever is the most accurate definition of the Pali/Sanskrit word karuna.

I also find Kuan Yin very interesting but she is a Chinese fusion of the Mahayana bodhisattva Avalokitasvara and the mythical Chinese Princess Miao Shan. For the whole story and a fascinating read I'd recommend John Blofeld's book, Bodhisattva of Compassion. Blofeld himself was a devotee, although his main practice was Tibetan Buddhism.

AFAIK, Avalokitasvara was known in Thailand during the time when Mahayana was prevalent but the modern female Jao Mae Kuan-im is a Chinese import. I don't think there is any real significance in images of her in temples other than people like having deities to pray to. All over the North there are images of "The Laughing Buddha" (a.k.a. Budai, a Chinese Zen monk from the Liang Dynasty claimed by some to be an "incarnation of the Buddha to come") in temple grounds. Same thing, I guess. All part of the rich tapestry of Thai religious belief.

In a book I have about the deities in Japanese Buddhism, the author (a Pure Land temple abbot) says that ultimately all are personifications of a quality or a principle. Avalokitasvara is the personification of the compassion which we all have within us.

[Samuian]

"Go forth, bhikkhus, for the good of the many, for the happiness of the many, out of compassion for the world, for the good, benefit, and happiness of gods and men. Let not two go by the same way."

One may harbor compassion all for of them, cause ever since all the smart,

compassionate people who followed, obviously didn't make an impact at all!

Or was the world and it's people so much, much worse before now?

Compassion and no religion ever managed nor will manage to prevent wars,

fights, crime, domestic violence, cheating and dishonesty....

the dark side, will ever remain dark, that is the plan we live in, it's called duality!

This but doesn't exclude the choice of being compassionate and radiate it!

Just a thought or two... on this matter, as reflections of the moon on the water,

they will never be the moon, always remain refelctions!

[phetaroi]

The definitions I used were actually from dictionary.com, but in any case I think one has to go by whatever is the most accurate definition of the Pali/Sanskrit word karuna.

I also find Kuan Yin very interesting but she is a Chinese fusion of the Mahayana bodhisattva Avalokitasvara and the mythical Chinese Princess Miao Shan. For the whole story and a fascinating read I'd recommend John Blofeld's book, Bodhisattva of Compassion. Blofeld himself was a devotee, although his main practice was Tibetan Buddhism.

AFAIK, Avalokitasvara was known in Thailand during the time when Mahayana was prevalent but the modern female Jao Mae Kuan-im is a Chinese import. I don't think there is any real significance in images of her in temples other than people like having deities to pray to. All over the North there are images of "The Laughing Buddha" (a.k.a. Budai, a Chinese Zen monk from the Liang Dynasty claimed by some to be an "incarnation of the Buddha to come") in temple grounds. Same thing, I guess. All part of the rich tapestry of Thai religious belief.

In a book I have about the deities in Japanese Buddhism, the author (a Pure Land temple abbot) says that ultimately all are personifications of a quality or a principle. Avalokitasvara is the personification of the compassion which we all have within us.

Another great post. I'm certainly not as well read as you about Kuan Yin, but I've gobbled up just about everything I can find on the internet. All very interesting. I was particularly surprised that in historical times she was a he for quite a long while.

The idea that Kuan Yin and other characters are actually personifications of a quality or principle...interesting...that hadn't occurred to me.

[phetaroi]

Compassion and no religion ever managed nor will manage to prevent wars,

fights, crime, domestic violence, cheating and dishonesty....

the dark side, will ever remain dark, that is the plan we live in, it's called duality!

I take strong exception to you in this regard. I have been in meetings that were about to erupt into physical discourse, and seen them calmed by someone's statements such as, "What so ever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me."