Everything about Compassion totally explained
Compassion is an understanding of the emotional state of another or oneself. Not to be confused with
empathy, compassion is often combined with a desire to alleviate or reduce the
suffering of another or to show special kindness to those who suffer. However, compassion may lead an individual to
feel empathy with another person.
Compassion is often characterized through actions, wherein a person acting with compassion will seek to aid those they feel compassionate for. Acts of compassion are generally considered those which take into account the pain of others and attempt to alleviate that pain. In this sense, the various forms of the
Golden Rule are in part based on the concept of compassion, if also on the concept of
empathy.
Compassion differs from other forms of helpful or humane behavior in that its focus is primarily on the alleviation of pain and
suffering. Acts of
kindness which seek primarily to confer benefit rather than relieve existing pain and suffering are better classified as acts of
altruism, although, in this sense, compassion itself can be seen as a subset of altruism, it being defined as the type of behavior which seeks to benefit others by reducing their suffering.
The cultivation of compassion is considered a virtue in many philosophies and also in almost all major
religions.
Buddhism
"Compassion is that which makes the heart of the good move at the pain of others. It crushes and destroys the pain of others; thus, it's called compassion. It is called compassion because it shelters and embraces the distressed." -
The Buddha
At the core of
Buddhism is the idea that "unenlightened life is suffering" (the first of
Four Noble Truths). Thus from statement the fundamental basis of Buddhism is the concept of compassion.
In the words of
Dalai Lama: "Compassion makes one see the picture clearly; when emotions overtake us, the lack of seeing clearly clouds our perception of reality and hence the cause of many misunderstandings leading to quarrels (even wars)."
American
Buddhist monk Bhikkhu Bodhi wrote: “Compassion supplies the complement to
loving-kindness. Whereas loving-kindness has the characteristic of wishing for the
happiness and welfare of others, compassion has the characteristic of
wishing that others be free from
suffering, a wish to be extended without limits to all living beings. Like
metta, compassion arises by entering into the
subjectivity of others, by sharing their interiority in a deep and total way. It springs up by considering that all
beings, like ourselves, wish to be free from suffering, yet despite their wishes continue to be harassed by
pain,
fear,
sorrow, and other forms of
dukkha.
To increase the breadth and intensity of compassion it's helpful to contemplate the various sufferings to which
living beings are susceptible. A useful guideline to this extension is provided by the
Buddha’s first noble truth
, with its enumeration of the different aspects of
dukkha (suffering). One contemplates beings as subject to
old age, then as subject to
sickness, then to
death, then to
sorrow,
lamentation,
pain,
grief, and, and so forth.”
Source
Jainism
(originally a
Pali word; also regarded as a
Sanskrit word) is the
Jainist concept of
love. In
Tibetan, it's "snying-rje". It is also translated as "
compassion," a key concept of
Mahayana Buddhism (see
Bodhisattva and
Avalokitesvara). As
mercy, it's the special
kindness shown to those who suffer. It is considered the indispensable complement to enlightened
wisdom or
Prajña. Compassion is important in all schools of Buddhism.
Karuna is commonly summed up as wisdom tempered with compassion. Yet more commonly, especially in
Mahāyāna Buddhism, karuna is one of the two qualities, along with wisdom (
prajña), to be cultivated on the
bodhisattva path.
In
Theravāda Buddhism, karuna represents one of the four
Brahmavihāras, along with (
Pali):
metta,
mudita, and
upekkha. Karuna is aptly described as compassion; the hope that a person's sufferings will diminish; compassion is the
"wish for all sentient beings to be free from suffering."
Christianity
The example of
Christ has also inspired
Christians throughout history to fund
hospitals and other such institutions. It is also
Christ's example that challenges
Christians to forsake their own desires and act compassionately towards others, especially, but not exclusively, towards those in some type of distress or need. This is typified in Jesus' statement from the sermon on the mount:
- "Blessed are the merciful: for they'll obtain mercy."
Compassion can also be kindness towards a stranger that's unexpected in most situations. Compassion can be linked to
generosity,
empathy,
sympathy, and
mercy. The life of Christ reflects for Christians the very essence of the meaning of compassion. It has inspired many Christians throughout the centuries to care for the lame, deformed, broken-hearted, sick, dying and those who are in need. Christian compassion extends to all, even to placing a primacy on loving one's own enemies.
In the Bible, 2 Corinthians also talks about God as
"the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort" (1.3). Hebrews 4:15 also talks about Christ as One who completely understands: who is able to sympathize, and have compassion in the fullest sense of the word. It says "
For we don't have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we've one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin."
Hinduism
The prayers of Vasudeva Datta, a
Vaishnava holy man (
sadhu) from the 1500s, exemplify compassion within
Gaudiya Vaishnavism and
Hinduism. He prayed to his Lord (
Krishna) as follows:
"My dear Lord, You incarnate just to deliver all conditioned souls. I now have one petition, which I wish You would accept. My Lord, You are certainly able to do whatever You like, and You are indeed merciful. If You so desire, You can very easily do whatever You want. My Lord, my heart breaks to see the sufferings of all the conditioned souls; therefore I request You to transfer the karma of their sinful lives upon my head. My dear Lord, let me suffer perpetually in a hellish condition, accepting all the sinful reactions of all living entities. Please finish their diseased material life [throughawarding them liberation from suffering]." (from the
Chaitanya Charitamrita, Madhya-lila, Chapter 15)
Islam
Among
Allah’s
attributes are Rahman and Rahim (compassionate and Merciful). The Arabic word for compassion is Rahmah. Rahmah (compassion, mercy) and its roots abound in the
Koran. A Muslim begins everything by reciting Bi Ism-i-Allah al-Rahman al-Rahim (for example begin in the name of Allah Who is Compassionate and Merciful). Thus a Muslim is supposed to invoke Allah the Compassionate and Merciful at every step.
Muhammad is also referred to in the Koran as the Mercy of the World (21:107). Thus the final prophet of Islam also represents universal mercy.
The Koran shows great compassion to orphans, widows, the poor and captives. It wants to liberate these poorer and oppressed sections from their situation.
Zakah, a toll tax, has been made obligatory on all believing Muslims, men or women to help these sections. “(
Zakat) charity is only for the poor and the needy...and (to free) the captives, and those in debt, and in the way of Allah and for the wayfarer – an ordinance from Allah. And Allah is Knowing, Wise.” (9:60)
Fasting [Arabic:
sawm] during the month of
Ramadan helps make one sensitive to other’s pangs of hunger and develop sensitivity to others suffering and this develops compassion towards the poor and destitute.
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