Questions tagged [compassion]
The compassion tag has no usage guidance.
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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 ...
- 558
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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 ...
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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 ...
user24784
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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 ...
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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 ...
user23973
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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....
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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.
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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?
- 550
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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, ...
user20628
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
- 519
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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,...
- 420
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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 ...
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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.
...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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.
user7302
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"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 ...
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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 ...
- 645
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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 ...
user7302
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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 ...
user7302
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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?...
user7302
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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 ...
user7302
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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, ...
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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 ...
user7302
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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 ...
user7302
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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 "...
user2512
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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. ...
user7302
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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 ...
user7302
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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 ...
user7302
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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 ...
user7302
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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 ...
user7302
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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 ...
- 45.7k
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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 ...
user7302
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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 ...
- 21k
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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. ...
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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 ...
user8619
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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 ...
user7302
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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 ...
- 552
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What are The Buddha's most compassionate acts?
Source could be from sutras or anything else. Thank you.
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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.
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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 ...
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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 ...
user8619
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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?
...
user8619