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The Spectrum of Compassion (2 of 3) - Kim Allen

The following talk was given by Kim Allen at The Sati Center in Redwood City, CA on March 14, 2024. Please visit the website www.audiodharma.org for more information.

The Spectrum of Compassion (2 of 3)

Welcome to our second class of this "Spectrum of Compassion" series. I want to start with a recap. Last time, in our first session, we considered our intuitive sense of the word "compassion" in its modern usage. We felt into what that word evokes for us. We considered that what is translated as "compassion" in early Buddhist texts might not be quite the same thing, given that relational qualities have a cultural component. Nonetheless, we would also expect that human emotions have some degree of universality.

We are walking between those two understandings. We are proceeding by reading Suttas¹, letting them guide us from the ground up into an understanding of what is meant by compassion in these early Buddhist teachings, which come from the Pali Canon.

In the last class, we found many examples of attitudes and behaviors that had to do with caring and wanting to reduce harm and suffering for ourselves and others. We saw that compassion therefore has to be linked to ethics, because that is the realm of practice directly connected to wanting to avoid and reduce harm in the world. We also saw a few scenes that I called "sweet"—scenes of the Buddha displaying his own physical vulnerability as he got older. Yet, we saw that he carried the clear wisdom that this is simply the natural way of things. It is part of his teachings to come to terms with aging, illness, and death.

We ended the last reading with the Buddha teaching Nakula, an older man, that although he is afflicted in body, he does not have to be afflicted in mind. The compassion of teaching the Dharma² and helping people to understand is really the main part of the Buddha's compassion, as will be woven throughout this course. There is a Sutta that says explicitly, "The gift of Dharma is the greatest gift."

Today, we will start digging into some of the different Pali³ words that are all translated as "compassion" in English. I mentioned last time that there are several terms rendered as compassion, and we lose the subtlety in the original texts when we only get that one English word. We will look at three words today to continue building out our understanding of this spectrum of compassion.

My aim in teaching this class is to broaden our understanding of what compassion is in general, and at least in these early texts.

Terminology: Three Different Terms

I want to mention up front that I am drawing to some degree on the study that Gil Fronsdal has done recently on this term, but I am also adding my own interpretations and examples.

There are three different terms related to sympathy, empathy, caring, concern, and compassion. They are Karuṇā, Kāruñña, and Anukampā. The first two are related etymologically, but they are distinct words and should be considered separately.

1. Karuṇā:⁴ Many people recognize this as one of the four Brahmavihāras⁵. If I asked you, "What is the Pali word for compassion?", you might have said Karuṇā. The four Brahmavihāras are Mettā (loving-kindness or goodwill)⁶, Karuṇā (compassion), Muditā (appreciative or altruistic joy)⁷, and Upekkhā (equanimity)⁸. Karuṇā has to do with meditative cultivation and a temporary liberation of the mind. In the early teachings, it is used almost exclusively as a meditation practice. It counteracts cruelty.
2. Kāruñña:⁹ This term is rarely heard. It is used in only eight passages across seven Suttas. Maybe this is actually the best candidate to match the modern English understanding of compassion. It seems to include other nuances, like protection, honor, or valor.
3. Anukampā:¹⁰ By far the most common usage, with about 160 instances. This is a broad term associated with caring in general—not only being concerned with alleviating suffering. It includes wanting to enhance others' well-being and supporting people's spiritual and personal development. It is used as the motivation to teach the Dharma, to visit the sick, and to give and accept gifts.

Unfortunately, all of these get translated as "compassion" in English translations, so we don't realize which one is being used. That obscures the distinction. It suggests that modern translators might be projecting some meaning onto the Suttas that may not necessarily be there.

One historical note: by the time of the Visuddhimagga¹¹, a commentarial text from about 900 years after the Buddha (400–500 years after the Pali Canon was written down), the term Karuṇā had migrated in meaning to include an active interest in alleviating suffering. In the early Suttas, Karuṇā is the opposite of cruelty, but it doesn't necessarily mean you are acting in the world to remove suffering. The shift in meaning helps explain why later Mahayana schools used Karuṇā as the motivation to teach and help others, which is rarely stated in the earliest texts.

Karuṇā: Meditative Cultivation

Let's look at Suttas that use the term Karuṇā.

Advice to Rahula

This is a teaching the Buddha gives to his son, Rahula. It is part of a longer discourse (Mahā-Rāhulovāda Sutta, MN 62), but I have picked out the part on cultivating the four heart qualities.

"Rahula, develop meditation on loving-kindness (Mettā); for when you develop meditation on loving-kindness, any ill will will be abandoned.

"Develop meditation on compassion (Karuṇā); for when you develop meditation on compassion, any cruelty will be abandoned.

"Develop meditation on altruistic joy (Muditā); for when you develop meditation on altruistic joy, any discontent will be abandoned.

"Develop meditation on equanimity (Upekkhā); for when you develop meditation on equanimity, any aversion will be abandoned."

Here we see the opposite of each quality. Mettā opposes ill will. Karuṇā opposes cruelty. Altruistic joy counteracts discontent. Equanimity is countered to aversion (or sometimes partiality/passion). It is very clear here: "Develop meditation on..."—the context is cultivation.

Pervading the Directions

This next passage (from MN 7) explains how we actually do this meditation.

"He considers thus: 'The imperfections of the mind have in part been given up, expelled, released, abandoned, and relinquished by me.' They gain inspiration in the meaning, inspiration in the Dharma, gladness connected with the Dharma. When they are glad, rapture is born. In one who is rapturous, the body becomes tranquil. One whose body is tranquil feels pleasure. In one who feels pleasure, the mind becomes concentrated."

We are talking about a meditative process where the mind becomes gathered.

"Then how does one abide? One abides pervading one quarter with a mind imbued with loving-kindness (Mettā), likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth; so above, below, around, completely and everywhere; they abide pervading the all-encompassing world with a mind imbued with loving-kindness, abundant, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility and without ill will."

It then repeats the same formula for Karuṇā (compassion), Muditā (joy), and Upekkhā (equanimity). This is a heart cultivation. We are developing the Citta (mind/heart) such that it is boundless. Obviously, we don't start with this ability. We often start with goodwill for our family and friends, but maybe not for that difficult person. We realize that is a limitation on our heart. We work with these meditations to make it possible to have this expansive feeling in all directions.

This leads to concentration of the mind, and even meditative absorption (Jhāna)¹² can occur based on any of the Brahmavihāras.

Temporary Liberation

This cultivation leads to a "temporary liberation of the mind." It is not final liberation, but the mind is temporarily completely free from the opposite of whatever quality you are cultivating.

In MN 99 (Subha Sutta), it says:

"Just as a vigorous conch-shell blower could make himself heard without difficulty in the four quarters, so too, when the deliverance of mind by loving-kindness is developed in this way, no limiting action remains there, none persists there."

The same applies to the other three. Karuṇā is the one identified with compassion here. We have this liberation of mind where we know that absolutely nothing can taint the pervasion of the mind with this heart quality. Even if your least favorite politician were to come into your mind, you would have nothing but loving-kindness and compassion for them. You would feel the power and strength of that. It gives us the understanding that the heart is stronger than any defilement.

The Connection to Action

Finally, the Karajakāya Sutta (AN 10.208) shows the connection between these heart qualities and action in the world.

"The Buddha asks: 'What do you think? Suppose a youth were to develop the liberation of mind by loving-kindness from childhood on. Would this person still perform unwholesome deeds later on?'

"The monks reply: 'Certainly not, Blessed One.'

"The Buddha says: 'Suppose a youth were to develop the liberation of mind by compassion (Karuṇā), by altruistic joy (Muditā), by equanimity (Upekkhā) from childhood on. Would this person still perform unwholesome deeds later on?'

"The monks reply: 'Certainly not, Blessed One.'"

We see the connection between heart qualities and ethics. If a person has really cultivated this, would they be able to do harm? The monks say no. We cultivate Karuṇā on the cushion to counteract the tendency toward cruelty. Under stress, our mind can close down and close out another person. We cultivate these qualities to make it more likely that we will not close down in that way.

Question: I didn't understand what you meant when you said compassion is "only meant for meditation."

Kim: The term Karuṇā is only used in passages that relate to meditative cultivation. It doesn't mean release from suffering in the sense of acting in the world; that context is usually reserved for Kāruñña and Anukampā. The context of the word Karuṇā is sitting on the cushion and cultivating something that counteracts cruelty.

Kāruñña: The Response to Suffering

Now let's look at the second term, Kāruñña (sometimes spelled Kāruṇiya in transcripts). This appears in only eight passages.

The Sick Person

"Suppose a sick, afflicted, gravely ill person was traveling along a highway, and the last village behind and the next village ahead were both far away. They would not obtain suitable food and medicine or a qualified attendant. They would not get to meet the leader of the village district.

"Another person traveling along the highway might see this person and arouse sheer compassion (Kāruñña), sympathy, and tender concern (Anukampā) for them, thinking: 'Oh, may this person obtain suitable food, suitable medicine, and a qualified attendant... For what reason? So this person does not encounter calamity and disaster right here.'"

This sounds familiar to our English usage: caring about the suffering of another and hoping it gets alleviated. Notice it doesn't say the person does alleviate it, but they hope for it. This term Kāruñña relates to our intuitive sense of compassion.

Sariputta and Udayin

There is a scene where Venerable Sariputta, one of the Buddha's chief disciples and a fully awakened Arahant¹³, is giving a teaching. A junior monk, Udayin, objects to it three times. The Buddha is present.

"Udayin said: 'This is not possible, Reverend Sariputta, it cannot happen.'

"Sariputta thought: 'Even in front of the Buddha, Venerable Udayin disagrees with me three times, and not one mendicant agrees with me. I’d better stay silent.' Then Sariputta fell silent.

"Then the Buddha said to the Venerable Ananda: 'Ananda, there is a senior mendicant being harassed, and you are just watching it happen. Don’t you have any compassion (Kāruñña) for a senior mendicant who is being harassed?'"

Sariputta is an Arahant; he isn't hurt by Udayin's statements. He isn't having self-doubt or anger. So what is this feeling Ananda is supposed to have?

It implies stepping forward and taking action. It has a sense of protection. Ananda is asked to step up, perhaps to protect the Dharma or the container of the community. In the Pali dictionary, Kāruñña includes a dimension of protection. This usage sounds more like how we use "compassion" in English—taking action, not necessarily to relieve emotional suffering, but as a protective stepping forth because something isn't quite right.

Participant Comment: It implies Ananda should respond, but with compassion, not reactivity.

Kim: Exactly. It's an interesting combination of taking action, presumably in a compassionate way, to protect the situation.

Anukampā: Caring for Welfare

Now we move to Anukampā. There are 160 instances of this term, compared to 63 for Karuṇā and 8 for Kāruñña. This is by far the most common term translated as compassion.

Buddha and Mara

The Buddha is talking to Mara, the personification of distraction and unwholesomeness. Mara is taunting him. The Buddha responds: "I sleep in peace, full of compassion (Anukampā) for all beings."

Teaching Speech

In the Abhaya Sutta (MN 58), the Buddha discusses speech:

"Such speech as the Tathāgata¹⁴ knows to be true, correct, and beneficial, but which is unwelcome and disagreeable... the Tathāgata knows the right time to use such speech. Why is that? Because the Tathāgata has compassion (Anukampā) for beings."

Compassion doesn't always mean making people happy. Sometimes the Buddha says things that are disagreeable because he knows they are beneficial. He teaches out of Anukampā.

Seeking Welfare

The monks often say of the Buddha: "The Blessed One is compassionate and seeks our welfare; he teaches the Dharma out of compassion (Anukampā)." "Seeking welfare" is broader than just alleviating suffering. It includes supporting happiness, concentration, and personal development.

The Compassionate Teacher

A stock passage repeated often:

"Whatever should be done by a compassionate teacher out of compassion (Anukampā) for his disciples, desiring their welfare, that I have done for you."

This demonstrates Anukampā as a general term for care that includes sympathy, empathy, alleviating suffering, taking action, and supporting well-being.

Inspiring Compassion

The Buddha’s teachings inspire this quality in his followers.

"A householder hears that teaching... they take up the training... they give up killing living creatures, renouncing the rod and the sword. They are scrupulous and kind, living full of compassion (Anukampā) for all living beings."

Here, Anukampā is directly opposed to violence and killing. It counteracts cruelty, just like the meditative Karuṇā.

Participant Comment: Anukampā seems to be more intentional, wishing for someone's best.

Kim: Yes, there is an underlying sense of care. It's interesting to see the subtle differences. When we include all of them in this "spectrum of compassion," we get a broader sense of what the term means. Anukampā seems to be the broad umbrella of care and welfare.

Meditation: Radiating Compassion

Let's practice together. I will offer a radiation practice based on the style of the monk Venerable Anālayo.

Find a posture where you can sit for a little while. Bring the attention inward. If it's comfortable, close your eyes. Allow yourself to sense where you are sitting—your seat against the chair or cushion, feet on the floor—so we have a stable foundation.

Take a moment to breathe gently, letting go of thoughts, speech, and listening. Soften the eyes, the shoulders, and the belly.

Bring to mind a being for whom it is easy to feel a connection—a simple relationship, like a pet or a baby. Someone where it is easy to have a sense of care. We want the best for this being; we feel warmth or a simple smile when we think of them.

As you think of this being, bring the attention to the heart area—not the physical heart, but the energetic area of the chest. Hold the image and the attention there. Perhaps imagine breathing in and out through the front of the chest. Hold this being in Anukampā, with a sense of care and protection.

As you breathe in, strengthen that feeling of care and compassion. On the out-breath, imagine some kind of energy expanding outward from the heart in a simple way. Create a rhythm of strengthening the quality and letting it breathe out.

Gently, gradually replace the image of the being with just the feeling in your heart.

Imagine the heart is a star. It is beginning to shine. When we breathe in, the star gets a little brighter. When we breathe out, rays of light extend naturally from the star. Stars don't push their light out; they just shine. The light flows naturally. It doesn't matter how far it goes—maybe just to your skin, maybe into the room.

Now, imagine we are surrounded by a curtain. We pull that curtain aside in front of us. The light from our heart shines unimpeded in the forward direction. Pull the curtain around to the right; light shines unimpeded to the right. Pull it around to the back; light shines behind us. Pull it around to the left; light shines to the left. The light of our care, our empathy, shines all around us. Above and below. It is not hindered by floors or ground.

The star in our chest sits in the middle and shines in all directions. Not pushing, not trying too hard. Relax so it can just shine.

Radiating compassion in all directions. Notice that in order to shine outward, the light first passes through every one of our own cells. We are always the first recipient of this radiation from the heart. Let that pervade all your tissues.

Gently soften the mind. Release the intention to radiate compassion. Let it float away. Return to the sense of breathing and sensations in the body. Let go into the present moment.

Conclusion

In the Buddhist texts, the primary example of compassionate action is teaching the Dharma. The Buddha's teaching is concerned with helping people find their way out of Dukkha¹⁵ (suffering). It focuses on their development and happiness.

Next time, we will look more at Anukampā and some additional examples of the Buddha's teaching—some of which are unconventional—through the lens of how they might be beneficial for beings.

Thank you for being here. Have a beautiful evening and week.