Compassion (karuṇā)

Abstract

Compassion is a major theme throughout much of Buddhist history. In Early Buddhism, mettā/maitrī (Pāḷi/Sanskrit), often translated as “loving kindness,” is more prominent, and in Mahayana Buddhism, karuṇā, usually translated as “compassion,” becomes more widespread; these two virtues are most closely associated with the English sense of compassion, or sympathetic or empathetic care, in Buddhism specifically for sentient beings, with reference to liberating them from the suffering of samsara, the cycle of birth and death. Particularly in Mahayana Buddhism, wisdom (Skt. prajñā) and compassion are the two primary virtues, and, as such, so much of Mahayana can be characterized as having to do with compassion that any bibliography on the topic is by necessity somewhat arbitrary and highly limited in its selections. Regardless, it can be argued that certain figures carry a special emphasis on compassion: bodhisattvas, who vow to bring all sentient beings to awakening, and among them especially Avalokiteśvara (Tib. Chenrezig; Ch. Guanyin; Jpn. Kannon), and cosmic buddhas, especially Amitābha and Amitāyus (Ch. Amitofo; Jpn. Amida). The concept of upāya, skillful means for liberation, expresses the multifarious application of compassion and is particularly associated with bodhisattvas (upāya, however, deserves a separate bibliographical entry of its own). Other figures include Tārā, most prevalent in Tibetan Buddhism, said to be an emanation of Chenrezig, and Bodhisattva Jizō (Skt. Kṣitigarbha) in Japanese Buddhism, protector of children and travelers and more recently associated with mizuko kuyō, offerings to aborted fetuses and deceased infants. In Early Buddhism, the bodhisatta (Pāḷi) of the Jātaka tales refers specifically to the past lives of the historical Buddha Śākyamuni in which he compassionately sacrificed his own life over many lifetimes until he accrued the merit to become the Buddha. The Jātaka tales are a subset of the Avadāna, which generally refers to past life sacrifices. Scriptures, schools, and sects, and major teachers related to these figures, are also often associated with compassion. The approach taken here is intensive rather than extensive. Primary texts in translation, commentarial traditions arising out of them, and sometimes contemporary interpretations are grouped together to provide a multifaceted view. Formal treatises of prominent Buddhist thinkers are often paired with collections of letters, where the former provide the doctrinal basis of compassion and the latter personalized, concrete, intimate expressions. Owing to space limitations, this necessarily means that some traditions are sampled and others are not.