Compassion (Buddhism, Hinduism, Zen)

This state is that above all attributed to Buddha - "the compassionate one" - and is a quality of all [bodhisattvas]

in their concern for the liberation of all. It arises through the awareness of unity, the experience of the enlightened person of his oneness with all beings. In Hindu philosophy the meaning of [karuna]

extends to include any activity that contributes to a reduction in another's suffering. Together with [prajna]

, one of the principal virtues of Mahayana Buddhism - wisdom is necessary for compassion to be effective (the concept of the "silly saint" - all heart and no head - is used in Christian circles as well). In meditation as practised in Hinayana Buddhism, it is a positive state of mind in which unlimited compassion is directed to every sentient being. Having reflected on the evils of lack of compassion and the blessings of compassion, the meditator does not at first direct compassion towards those to whom he is antipathetic, to very dear friends, to a neutral person, to an enemy or hostile person or to a member of the opposite sex or to a dead person. He becomes versatile in the unspecified pervasion of compassion (five ways), specified pervasion (seven ways) and directional pervasion (ten ways); and eleven advantages arise.

One of the four divine abidings or states described as subjects for meditation in Hinayana Buddhism. As experienced in the sense sphere, one of the formations aggregate (mental coefficients) of Hinayana Buddhism, being listed among the inconstant states, and as general secondary (sometimes present in any profitable or profitable-resultant consciousness).