Questions tagged [compassion]

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When to retaliate when someone abuses us?

In the Kakacupama Sutta, the Buddha says the following "Monks, even if bandits were to carve you up savagely, limb by limb, with a two-handled saw, he among you who let his heart get angered ...
cgtk's user avatar
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1 vote
5 answers
161 views

What are the limits of Buddhist compassion?

Compassion seems to be a central insight in Buddhist thought. When someone truly grasps Buddhist ideas they find themselves de-emphasizing their own ego, and understanding that they're interconnected ...
mcraenich's user avatar
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3 votes
4 answers
119 views

What makes people care about others behind their backs?

If I am with someone in person or talking over the phone, they are engaged and care about me. But what happens when I am not with them? Why would anyone care about me when I am not around them? What ...
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1 vote
1 answer
67 views

Nyanaponika Thera on the Inter-relations of the Four Sublime States

I'm wondering about older sources for some of what Ven. Nyanaponika Thera says in this essay: The Four Sublime States: Contemplations on Love, Compassion, Sympathetic Joy and Equanimity. For some of ...
patient-obligation40's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
102 views

Do Buddhas and Bodhisattvas care and have compassion for all sentient beings equally

Do Buddhas and Bodhisattvas care and have compassion for all sentient beings equally. On the one hand, my question is a little facetious (if only because, at least within the laity, not doing so is ...
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0 votes
1 answer
37 views

Pillar of Spiritual Intelligence (SQ)

What is Buddhism view on this? Spiritual Intelligence (SQ) SQ may be defined as: “The ability to behave with wisdom and compassion, while maintaining inner and outer peace, regardless of the situation....
little star's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
57 views

Right Channel to esclate Buddhism rules and regulation matters

Where is the right channel to escalate or feedback the Buddhism matters via email writing ? I am thinking write to The World Fellowship of Buddhists (The WFB) via email.
little star's user avatar
0 votes
6 answers
202 views

How to politely pursuade a lay person/Bhante to wear a mask?

To wear a mask in the covid pandemic is not a precept in Buddhism. I noticed many lay person and even many high level monks not wearing mask when talking to a stranger. Q1) How do i politely persuade ...
little star's user avatar
4 votes
6 answers
177 views

How to teach sympathy/empathy in Buddhism?

I have been following Buddhism and mindfulness for a while now. I have a 5 year old son and want to teach him to be sympathetic/empathetic and grateful but im struggle to reconcile some of the ...
user982853's user avatar
1 vote
5 answers
177 views

Compulsive desire to correct others

I'm often trying to correct others' views, opinions, and lifestyles. I feel a strong urge to correct when their actions are clearly bringing negative consequences for themselves and others. For ...
Damocle Damoclev's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
126 views

What was the name of the great compassion meditation the Buddha did for a significant part of his daily routine?

Didn't the Buddha do some kind of great compassion meditation for a significant part of his daily routine while teaching? If so, what's the name of it and what did it involve?
vimutti's user avatar
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2 votes
8 answers
184 views

Relationship between truth and compassion

Can a bodhisattva or lay Buddhist be too concerned with truth at the expense of compassion and altruism? What is the relationship between truth and compassion? e.g.. is the truth always compassionate, ...
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5 votes
6 answers
196 views

Why do enlightened beings want to save sentient beings? Does everyone want to be saved?

Does enlightenment always comes with compassion so that all enlightened beings aspire to save sentient beings from sufferings? Or is the question 'why' only showing that I am using my discriminating ...
Stevie's user avatar
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0 votes
3 answers
108 views

Ghost or horror stories/videos are appropriate during Pandemic moment?

There are more and more horror movie during pandemic and tension moment. Hong Kong is one of the example before riots recently. Pretty much of productions of horror or ghost movie produced because the ...
little star's user avatar
3 votes
5 answers
128 views

How to show compassion for attention-seeker

I like the way this site tries to focus on practical advice so I have a specific question concerning compassion. I have a close person that used to be closer in the past. Mainly I distanced somewhat ...
user19838's user avatar
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4 votes
5 answers
227 views

Compassion vs the invisible hand and capitalism

Compassion and empathy encompassing all beings seems to be the Buddhist ideal. How do Buddhists reconcile this today with Adam Smith's invisible hand? I.e., the idea that following our self-interest ...
Dianne's user avatar
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4 votes
7 answers
295 views

Sunyata is the truth and compassion is not an illusion?

It’s curious that if you study Buddhism you need to understand that Maya is an illusion and life is a product of cause and effect of past karma, so is deceptive. All my emotions are deceptive but ...
Doubtful Monk's user avatar
3 votes
4 answers
541 views

Can someone help me to find suttas on Self compassion

QN: I'm looking for Buddha's teachings on self compassion. (Especially for lay practitioners.) There are few verses which can be found in Dhammapada: He, who by good deeds covers the evil he has done,...
threefold's user avatar
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5 votes
7 answers
577 views

How should I offer a compassionate ear to my mother while setting healthy boundaries?

I hope you are all well. I have been studying Buddhism for a few months and I am very grateful for the teachings. I've visited this website frequently for similar questions and this is the first ...
brocollizip's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
101 views

Stages of Compassion in Mahayana

Dear friends, I am looking for references pertaining to the notion of the Four Stages of Compassion in the Mahayana traditions. Thank you for your kind and generous help, may you all be well and safe. ...
Fabien Todescato's user avatar
2 votes
3 answers
168 views

The Practice of Giving: How to Practice Giving "Thusly"?

In the Diamond Sutra (or Vajra Prajna Paramita Sutra) Buddha says to Subhuti: a Bodhisattva should not dwell anywhere when he gives. He should not dwell in forms when he gives, nor should he dwell ...
Uralan's user avatar
  • 33
0 votes
1 answer
100 views

Why vinaya forbids monk to ordain physically handicapped?

Isn't this a kind of "opposite to empathy, compassion, metta"? Nowdays, householders(not all) have cruel behaviour towards handicapped ones. If monk also declines to help, would that be called as ...
funny's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
31 views

Compassion Meditation's Efficiency

In compassion meditation (metta-bhavana), does the strength of the effect depend mainly on concentration? Or are there other factors involved as well? Thank you.
user avatar
2 votes
3 answers
109 views

"true love", compassion and suffering

According to Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, "true love" has four elements: Loving kindness: this produces a lot of joy and happiness. Compassion: it makes us and the other people suffer less. Joy: "If ...
apadana's user avatar
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3 votes
4 answers
167 views

Are loving-kindness and compassion (metta and karuna) special kind of attachments?

To alleviate someone from suffering, Buddhism teaches one to practice mettā karuṇā. But it seems to me that to thinking good about someone and wish them the best, we need to have a better version of ...
Ooker's user avatar
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1 vote
4 answers
82 views

Immediate Remedies to Judgmental Thoughts

I had previously asked a question about contempt. Since then, I noticed a few things, such as that it's not easy for me to 'cancel' out analytically my judgment of others. If I try to question my ...
user avatar
1 vote
5 answers
125 views

Inauthentic Compassion and Friendship

When I meditate on compassion, afterwards there is a post-meditative effect of making me kinder, but usually in a way that doesn't benefit me. It makes me want to rekindle friendships that were not ...
user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
38 views

Analysis and Compassion

I understand that compassion meditation uses in great part feeling and the generation of affect. I wonder: Are there aspects of compassion only accessible through meditating on compassion analytically?...
user avatar
1 vote
3 answers
75 views

Pride and Compassion

I have read in psychological studies that oxytocin and serotonin interact to produce social rewards. Serotonin has been postulated to relate to authentic pride (a positive kind of pride based on ...
user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
572 views

What is the view of Buddhism in correcting others' view in spite of their willingness to accept it?

I have these questions: If an enlightened mind sees that helping someone is beneficial to them, then would they do it even when the helped doesn't proactively ask? If they are hated by the helped, ...
Ooker's user avatar
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2 votes
3 answers
106 views

Fearful of Compassion

I started practising compassion meditation, and initially it worked very well. Yet, I feel more averse to it than initially, and when I meditate I sometimes experience a kind of distorted facial ...
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0 votes
2 answers
94 views

Gratitude, Movement and Compassion

I noticed all the emotions mentioned in the title have a certain similarity. Does Buddhism talk about movement or gratitude? Similarly, movement seems to occur spontaneously, but gratitude and ...
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0 votes
2 answers
106 views

Has any Buddhist ever talked about postponing Buddhahood forever, but not for all sentient beings?

Has any Buddhist ever talked about postponing Buddhahood forever, but not for all sentient beings? I do not, I suppose, mean because the "bodhisattva" enjoys life. I am trying to ask about "...
user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
54 views

Compassion's Unity

My question is two-fold. First, I believe that metta is classified as a meditation object involving concentration. Yet, in this study, researchers suggest it is a mixture of focused attention (e.g. ...
user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
107 views

Compassion and Motivation

I wondered today whether compassion is an antidote to a kind of lack of motivation, given that it remedies fear in the suttas, and often approach and avoidance are seen as opposite (e.g. fight or ...
user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
54 views

Loving-Kindness for Concentration

In meditation, I seem to have great difficulty with the breath. Having some stability and mindfulness, but very little concentration, vividness and sharpness. However, loving-kindness works for me ...
user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
138 views

Friendship and Compassion

I've realized that that I don't feel much friendliness for a person which I considered my friend previously. At the level of friendship, things are not the same. Yet, this person has done nothing ...
user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
68 views

Buddha's Comment on Compassion Meditation

I think I recall reading about the Buddha saying that compassion meditation was far superior to compassionate action, hundreds (or some great number) times more. Is this accurate? What is the source ...
user avatar
6 votes
5 answers
770 views

How do you talk to someone whose loved one is dying?

What can you say to someone whose loved one (e.g. spouse or parent) is dying? Assume if you can that in the West, e.g. Europe and America, although people (strangers) might have heard the first thing ...
ChrisW's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
45 views

Emotion in Compassion Meditation

I have a very simple question. Sometimes, I visualize in compassion meditation without feeling anything for the whole session. Sometimes, I feel a lot of affect and start even crying. Should one ...
user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
314 views

Is the Buddhist path one of 'selfless offering' or 'inner kindness'?

Just expanding on this answer is the Buddhist path one of 'selfless offering of oneself and efforts' or of 'inner kindness' i.e. kindness to oneself. Or is it both or neither. I've come across both ...
Crab Bucket's user avatar
1 vote
4 answers
127 views

Should/Would the Noble Sangha let go of the Dhamma?

Supposed that respect, veneration and any kind of wisdom has gone missing; and that the Sangha has become a group of householder wearing robes; and the leaders of the Sasana are all but householders. ...
Samana Johann's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
291 views

Lovingkindness and Compassion of the Buddha?

In an effort to understand the concept of lovingkindness it would help me to see how the Buddha explicitly described lovingkindness and specific acts of his unconditional compassion. I've heard from ...
user avatar
4 votes
5 answers
132 views

Feeling versus Analysis in Compassion Meditation

I believe I have read within the Dalai Lama's works that there exists (at least) two kinds of compassion meditation: Generating the four abodes within oneself, in a more concentrative and affective ...
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3 votes
4 answers
145 views

How is one supposed to be compassionate and 100% free of suffering while others are suffering?

How is this possible besides if one simply doesn't mind if others are suffering? But if one truly doesn't mind whether others are suffering or not isn't that a lack of compassion? Is one supposed to ...
Angus's user avatar
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1 vote
5 answers
148 views

What are The Buddha's most compassionate acts?

Source could be from sutras or anything else. Thank you.
Bwrites's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
68 views

Is it correct to say that true compassion (not trying to be) only manifest when there is wisdom?

That is to say that wisdom must come first before compassion.
C T's user avatar
  • 21
4 votes
8 answers
2k views

How to avoid apathy in the absence of self?

I have noticed in my meditation / mindfulness practice the following: as the idea of self dissolves, the ideas of compassion, happiness, sorrow, and basically everything that a "person" might ...
Stanley's user avatar
  • 371
0 votes
4 answers
177 views

If you cannot can save others then why is your practice more worthy than anything else?

If you have doubts on whether your practice (i.e. of the Eightfold Path) will free anyone from saṁsāra in your lifetime, then what reasons can you give for why your practice should take precedence ...
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4 votes
5 answers
308 views

are mundane acts of compassion meaningful?

Did the Buddha say anything of the value of mundane acts of generosity which may temporarily alleviate the suffering of others in a temporary, worldly way, but do not free others from from suffering? ...
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