Compassion is a human emotion An emotion is a mental and physiological state associated with a wide variety of feelings, thoughts, and behavior. Emotions are subjective experiences, or experienced from an individual point of view. Emotion is often associated with mood, temperament, personality, and disposition. The English word 'emotion' is derived from the French word é prompted by enduring pain Suffering, or pain, is an individual's basic affective experience of unpleasantness and aversion associated with harm or threat of harm. Suffering may be qualified as physical, or mental. It may come in all degrees of intensity, from mild to intolerable. Factors of duration and frequency of occurrence usually compound that of intensity. In with others. More vigorous than empathy Empathy is the capability to share and understand another's emotions and feelings. It is often characterized as the ability to "put oneself into another's shoes," Empathy does not necessarily imply compassion, sympathy, or empathic concern because this capacity can be present in context of compassionate or cruel behavior, the feeling commonly gives rise to an active desire to alleviate another's suffering. It is often, though not inevitably, the key component in what manifests in the social context as altruism Altruism is the deliberate pursuit of the interests or welfare of others or the public interest. In ethical Ethics is a branch of philosophy which seeks to address questions about morality, such as what the fundamental semantic, ontological, and epistemic nature of ethics or morality is , how moral values should be determined (normative ethics), how a moral outcome can be achieved in specific situations (applied ethics), how moral capacity or moral terms, the various expressions down the ages of the so-called Golden Rule The ethic of reciprocity, also known as the Golden Rule, is an ethical code that states one has a right to just treatment, and a responsibility to ensure justice for others. Reciprocity is arguably the most essential basis for the modern concept of human rights, though it has its critics. A key element of the golden rule is that a person embody by implication the principle of compassion: Do to others what you would have them do to you. ^[1] Ranked a great virtue in numerous philosophies Most academic subjects have a philosophy, for example the philosophy of science, the philosophy of mathematics, the philosophy of logic, the philosophy of law, and the philosophy of history. In addition, a range of academic subjects have emerged to deal with areas which would have historically been the subject of philosophy. These include, compassion is considered in all the major religious traditions A religion is an organized approach to human spirituality which usually encompasses a set of narratives, symbols, beliefs and practices, often with a supernatural or transcendent quality, that give meaning to the practitioner's experiences of life through reference to a higher power, God or gods, or ultimate truth. It may be expressed through as among the greatest of virtues Virtue is moral excellence. A virtue is a character trait or quality valued as being good.

Religious and spiritual views on compassion

The Hindu traditions

In the various Hindu Hinduism is the predominant religion of the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism is often referred to as Sanātana Dharma, a Sanskrit phrase meaning "the eternal law", by its adherents. Generic "types" of Hinduism that attempt to accommodate a variety of complex views span from folk and Vedic Hinduism to bhakti tradition, as in traditions, compassion is called DAYA, and, along with charity and self-control, is one of the three central virtues.^[2]

The importance of compassion in the Hindu traditions reaches as far back as the Vedas The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in Ancient India. They form the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism, sacred texts composed over a period prior to 1500 B.C. While the early Vedas sometimes glorify war and the worship of the war god,Indra Indra is the god of War and Weather, also the King of the gods or Devas and Lord of Heaven or Svargaloka in Hinduism. Mentioned first as a god of war and warriors (Kshatriya) in the sacred Hindu text of Rig Veda, he subsequently became the chief deity. Indra is bestowed with a heroic and almost brash and amorous character. He has always remained, the later Vedas demonstrate a greater sensitivity to the values of compassion. The central concept particularly relevant to compassion in Hindu spirituality is that of ahimsa Ahimsa is a Sanskrit term meaning to do no harm (literally: the avoidance of violence - himsa). It is an important tenet of the religions that originated in ancient India (Hinduism, Buddhism and especially Jainism). Ahimsa is a rule of conduct that bars the killing or injuring of living beings. It is closely connected with the notion that all. The exact definition of ahimsa varies from one tradition to another. Ahimsa is a Sanscrit Classical Sanskrit is the standard register as laid out in the grammar of Pāṇini, around the 4th century BCE. Its position in the cultures of South and Southeast Asia is akin to that of Latin and Greek in Europe and it has significantly influenced most modern languages of Nepal and India word which can be translated most directly as "refraining from harmfulness." It is a derivation of himsa which means harmful, or having the intent to cause harm. ^[3]

The prayers of Vasudeva Datta, for example, a 16th century Vaishnava The followers of Vaishnavism are referred to as Vaishnava or Vaishnavites. A large percentage of Hindus are Vaishnavas, with the vast majority living in India. Awareness, recognition, and growth of the belief has significantly increased outside of India in recent years. The Gaudiya Vaishnava branch of the tradition has significantly increased the holy man or sadhu In Hinduism, sadhu is a common term for an ascetic or practitioner of yoga . The sadhu is solely dedicated to achieving the fourth and final Hindu goal of life, moksha (liberation), through meditation and contemplation of Brahman. Sadhus often wear ochre-colored clothing, symbolizing renunciation, exemplify compassion within Gaudiya Vaishnavism Gaudiya Vaishnavism is a Vaishnava religious movement founded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1534) in India in the 16th century. "Gaudiya" refers to Gauḍadeśa (present day Bengal/Bangladesh) with Vaishnavism meaning the worship of Vishnu. Its philosophical basis is primarily that of the Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavata Purana, as well as. He prayed to the Lord Krishna Krishna is a deity worshiped across many traditions in Hinduism in a variety of perspectives. While many Vaishnava groups recognize him as an avatar of Vishnu, other traditions within Krishnaism consider Krishna to be svayam bhagavan, or the Supreme Being asking him to "deliver all conditioned souls" because his "heart breaks to see the sufferings of all conditioned souls In many religions and parts of philosophy, the soul is the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being, often regarded as immortal. It is usually thought to consist of one's consciousness and personality, and can be synonymous with the spirit, mind or self. In theology, the soul is often believed to live on after the person’s death, and some".

Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj (April 17, 1897 – September 8, 1981) was an Indian spiritual teacher and philosopher of Advaita (Nondualism), and a Guru, belonging to the Ichegeri branch of the Navnath Sampradaya said, "The entire universe strives to fulfil a desire born of compassion."^[4] Compassion is thereby considered to be the very cause of all existence.

The Buddhist tradition

Compassion is that which makes the heart of the good move at the pain of others. It crushes and destroys the pain of others; thus, it is called compassion. It is called compassion because it shelters and embraces the distressed. - The Buddha. ^[5]

Compassion or karuna is at the transcendental and experiential heart of the Buddha's teachings. He was reputedly asked by his secretary, Ananda, "Would it be true to say that the cultivation of loving kindness and compassion is a part of our practice?" To which the Buddha replied, "No. It would not be true to say that the cultivation of loving kindness and compassion is part of our practice. It would be true to say that the cultivation of loving kindess and compassion is all of our practice."^{[citation needed]}

The first of what in English are called the Four Noble Truths The Four Noble Truths (Sanskrit: catvāri āryasatyāni;Wylie: 'phags pa'i bden pa bzhi; Pali: cattāri ariyasaccāni) is one of the most fundamental Buddhist teachings. In broad terms, these truths relate to suffering (or dukkha), its nature, its origin, its cessation and the path leading to its cessation. They are among the truths Gautama Buddha is the truth of suffering or dukkha Dukkha is a Pali term roughly corresponding to a number of terms in English including suffering, pain, unsatisfactoriness, sorrow, affliction, anxiety, dissatisfaction, discomfort, anguish, stress, misery, and frustration. In Buddhism, the cessation of dukkha is regularly identified as the teaching's ultimate aim (unsatisfactoriness or stress). Stress It includes a state of alarm and adrenaline production, short-term resistance as a coping mechanism, and exhaustion. Common stress symptoms include irritability, muscular tension, inability to concentrate and a variety of physical reactions, such as headaches and elevated heart rate is identified as one of the three distinguishing characteristics According to the Buddhist tradition, all phenomena other than Nirvana are marked by three characteristics, sometimes referred to as the Dharma seals: impermanence, suffering, and impersonality of all conditioned existence. It arises as a consequence of the failure to adapt to change or anicca Impermanence (Sanskrit: अनित्य anitya; Pāli: अनिच्चा anicca; Tibetan: མི་​རྟག་​པ་ mi rtag pa; Chinese: 無 (the second characteristic) and the insubstantiality, lack of fixed identity, the horrendous lack of certainty or anatta In Buddhism, anattā or anātman (Sanskrit) refers to the notion of "not-self". One scholar describes it as "meaning non-selfhood, the absence of limiting self-identity in people and things." In the Pali suttas and the related āgamas (referred to collectively below as the nikayas), the agglomeration of constantly changing (the third characteristic) to which all this constant change in turn gives rise. Compassion made possible by observation and accurate perception is the appropriate practical response. The ultimate and earnest wish, manifest in the Buddha, both as archetype and as historical entity, is to relieve the suffering of all living beings everywhere. ^[6]

The Dalai Lama The Dalai Lama is a lineage of religious leaders of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The Dalai Lamas were also the political leaders of Lhasa-based Tibetan government between the 17th century and 1959. "Lama" is a general term referring to Tibetan Buddhist teachers. The current Dalai Lama is often called "His Holiness" by has said, "If you want others to be happy,
 practice compassion.
 If you want to be happy,
 practice compassion."

The noted American monk A Bhikkhu , Bhikṣu (Sanskrit) (Thai: ภิกษุ) is a fully ordained male Buddhist monastic. Female monastics are called Bhikkhunis (Skt: Bhikṣuṇīs). Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis keep many precepts: they live by the vinaya's framework of monastic discipline, the basic rules of which are called the patimokkha. Their lifestyle is shaped so as Bhikkhu Bodhi Bhikkhu Bodhi , born Jeffrey Block, is an American Buddhist monk, ordained in Sri Lanka and currently teaching in the New York/New Jersey area. He was appointed the second president of the Buddhist Publication Society and has edited and authored several publications grounded in the Theravada Buddhist tradition states that compassion "supplies the complement to loving-kindness Loving-kindness is a term coined by Myles Coverdale for his Coverdale Bible of 1535, as an English translation of the Hebrew word hesed (which appears in the Latin Vulgate as "misericordia"); in that text it is spelled "louinge kyndnesse". It is also used in this sense in the American Standard Version and various other versions: whereas loving-kindness has the characteristic of wishing for the happiness Happiness is a state of mind or feeling such as contentment, satisfaction, pleasure, or joy. A variety of philosophical, religious, psychological and biological approaches have been taken to defining happiness and identifying its sources and welfare of others, compassion has the characteristic of wishing that others be free from suffering, a wish to be extended without limits to all living beings. Like metta Mettā or maitrī (Sanskrit) has been translated as "loving-kindness," "friendliness," "benevolence," "amity," "friendship," "good will," "kindness," "love," "sympathy," and "active interest in others." It is one of the ten pāramitās of the Therav�, compassion arises by entering into the subjectivity Subjectivity refers to a person's perspective or opinion, particularly feelings, beliefs, and desires. It is often used casually to refer to unsubstantiated personal opinions, in contrast to knowledge and fact-based beliefs. In philosophy, the term is often contrasted with objectivity of others, by sharing their interiority in a deep and total way. It springs up by considering that all beings, like ourselves, wish to be free from suffering, yet despite their wishes continue to be harassed by pain Pain, in the sense of physical pain, is a typical sensory experience that may be described as the unpleasant awareness of a noxious stimulus or bodily harm. Individuals experience pain by various daily hurts and aches, and sometimes through more serious injuries or illnesses. For scientific and clinical purposes, pain is defined by the, fear Fear is an emotional response to threats and danger. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of pain. Psychologists John B. Watson, Robert Plutchik, and Paul Ekman have suggested that fear is one of a small set of basic or innate emotions. This set also includes such emotions as joy,, sorrow "Sing The Sorrow" is also the title of a now platinum album released by the band AFI in 2003, and other forms of dukkha."^[7]

At the same time, it is emphasised that in order to manifest effective compassion for others it is first of all necessary to be able to experience and fully appreciate one's own suffering and to have, as a consequence, compassion for oneself. The Buddha is reported to have said, "It is possible to travel the whole world in search of one who is more worthy of compassion than oneself. No such person can be found."^{[citation needed]}

The Jain tradition

Compassion for all life, human and non-human, is central to the Jain Jainism is an ancient dharmic religion from India that prescribes a path of non-violence for all forms of living beings in this world. Its philosophy and practice relies mainly on self effort in progressing the soul on the spiritual ladder to God consciousness. Any soul which has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state of supreme tradition. Though all life is considered sacred, human life is deemed the highest form of earthly existence. To kill any person, no matter their crime, is considered unimaginably abhorrent. It is the only substantial religious tradition that requires both monks and laity to be vegetarian. It is suggested that certain strains of the Hindu tradition Hinduism is the predominant religion of the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism is often referred to as Sanātana Dharma, a Sanskrit phrase meaning "the eternal law", by its adherents. Generic "types" of Hinduism that attempt to accommodate a variety of complex views span from folk and Vedic Hinduism to bhakti tradition, as in became vegetarian due to strong Jain influences.^[8] The Jain tradition's stance on nonviolence Ahimsa is a Sanskrit term meaning to do no harm (literally: the avoidance of violence - himsa). It is an important tenet of the religions that originated in ancient India (Hinduism, Buddhism and especially Jainism). Ahimsa is a rule of conduct that bars the killing or injuring of living beings. It is closely connected with the notion that all, however, goes far beyond vegetarianism Vegetarianism is the practice of following a diet that excludes meat . There are several variants of the diet, some of which also exclude eggs and/or some products produced from animal labour such as dairy products and honey. Jains refuse food obtained with unnecessary cruelty. Many practice a lifestyle similar to veganism Veganism is a diet and lifestyle that seeks to exclude the use of animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose. Vegans endeavor not to use or consume animal products of any kind. The most common reasons for becoming a vegan are ethical commitment or moral conviction concerning animal rights, the environment, human health, and spiritual or in response to factory farming Confinement at high stocking density is one part of a systematic effort to produce the highest output at the lowest cost by relying on economies of scale, modern machinery, biotechnology, and global trade. Confinement at high stocking density requires antibiotics and pesticides to mitigate the spread of disease and pestilence exacerbated by these. Jains run animal shelters all over India: Delhi Coordinates: 28°37′N 77°14′E / 28.61°N 77.23°E Delhi , known locally as Dilli (Hindi: दिल्ली, Punjabi: ਦਿੱਲੀ, Urdu: دلّی dillī), and also by the official name National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT), is the second-largest metropolis in India. With over 15.9 million residents, it is the eighth largest has a bird hospital run by Jains; every city and town in Bundelkhand Bundelkhand is a geographic region of central India. The region is now divided between the states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, with the larger portion lying in the latter has animal shelters run by Jains. Jain monks go to inordinate lengths to avoid killing any living creature, sweeping the ground in front of them in order to avoid killing insects, and even wearing a face mask to avoid inhaling the smallest fly.

The Jewish tradition

In the Jewish tradition Judaism is a set of beliefs and practices originating in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), as later further explored and explained in the Talmud and other texts. Judaism presents itself as the covenantal relationship between the Children of Israel (later, the Jewish nation) and God. It is considered either the first or one of the first monotheistic, God God is most often conceived of as the supernatural creator and overseer of the universe. Theologians have ascribed a variety of attributes to the many different conceptions of God. The most common among these include omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, omnibenevolence , divine simplicity, and eternal and necessary existence. God has also been is the Compassionate and is invoked as the Father of Compassion^[9]: hence Raḥmana or Compassionate becomes the usual designation for His revealed word. (Compare, below, the frequent use of raḥman in the Quran The Qur’an is the central religious text of Islam. Muslims believe the Qur’an to be the book of divine guidance and direction for mankind, and consider the original Arabic text to be the final revelation of God).^[10]Sorrow and pity for one in distress, creating a desire to relieve, is a feeling ascribed alike to man and God: in Biblical Hebrew Biblical Hebrew, also called Classical Hebrew, is an archaic form of the Hebrew language in which the Hebrew Bible and various Israelite inscriptions were written, ("riḥam," from "reḥem," the mother, womb), "to pity" or "to show mercy" in view of the sufferer's helplessness, hence also "to forgive" (Hab. iii. 2); , "to forbear" (Ex. ii. 6; I Sam. xv. 3; Jer. xv. 15, xxi. 7.) The Rabbis speak of the "thirteen attributes of compassion." The Biblical conception of compassion is the feeling of the parent for the child. Hence the prophet's appeal in confirmation of his trust in God invokes the feeling of a mother for her offspring (Isa. xlix. 15). ^[10]

Lack of compassion, by contrast, marks a people as cruel (Jer. vi. 23). The repeated injunctions of the Law and the Prophets that the widow, the orphan and the stranger should be protected show how deeply, it is argued, the feeling of compassion was rooted in the hearts of the righteous in ancient Israel.^[11]

Compassion, empathy, altruism, kindness and love are frequently used interchangeably in common usage. When the concept is examined in depth it becomes clear that compassion is more than simply a human emotion. Kabbalah, the Jewish mystical tradition, is particularly clear about this. One rabbi has put it this way:

^[12] This idea is greatly expanded by Michael Laitman who says, "Thus if we thoroughly examine Nature's elements, we will see that altruism is the basis of life." Here altruism is the word used but the concept is consistent with an understanding of compassion ^[13]

A classic articulation of the Golden Rule (see above) came from the first century Rabbi Hillel the Elder. Renowned in the Jewish tradition as a sage and a scholar, he is associated with the development of the Mishnah and the Talmud and, as such, one of the most important figures in Jewish history. Asked for a summary of the Jewish religion in the most concise terms, Hillel replied (reputedly while standing on one leg): "That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Torah. The rest is the explanation; go and learn." ^[14] Post 9/11, the words of Rabbi Hillel are frequently quoted in public lectures and interviews around the world by the prominent writer on comparative religion Karen Armstrong.

The Christian tradition

The Christian Bible's Second Epistle to the Corinthians is but one place where God is spoken of as the "Father of compassion" and the "God of all comfort" (1.3). The life of Jesus embodies for Christians the very essence of compassion. Christ's example challenges Christians to forsake their own desires and to act compassionately towards others, particularly those in need or distress.^[15] Jesus assures his listeners in the Sermon on the Mount that, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." In the Parable of the Good Samaritan he holds up to his followers the ideal of compassionate conduct.

The heritage within Western Christendom of compassion as the principle of charity has resulted in recent times in the growth of remarkable charitable phenomena such as Oxfam, Médecins sans Frontières and Live Aid with global reach and budgets of millions of dollars. True Christian compassion, say the Gospels, should extend to all, even to the extent of loving one's enemies.

Our Lady of Compassion is a feast day celebrated by Roman Catholics to honor the Theotokosas Co-Redemptrix.

The Islamic tradition

In the Muslim tradition, foremost among God's attributes are mercy and compassion or, in the canonical language of Arabic, Rahman and Rahim. Each of the 114 chapters of the Quran, with one exception, begins with the verse, "In the name of God the Merciful, the Compassionate". ^[16] The Arabic word for compassion is rahmah. As a cultural influence, its roots abound in the Quran. A good Muslim is to commence each day, each prayer and each significant action by invoking God the Merciful and Compassionate, i.e. by reciting Bism-i-llah a-Rahman-i-Rahim.

The Muslim scriptures urge compassion towards captives as well as to widows, orphans and the poor. Traditionally, Zakat, a toll tax to help the poor and needy, was obligatory upon all Muslims (9:60). One of the practical purposes of fasting or sawm during the month of Ramadan is to help one empathize with the hunger pangs of those less fortunate, to enhance sensitivity to the suffering of others and develop compassion for the poor and destitute. ^[17] The Prophet is referred to by the Quran as the Mercy of the World (21:107); and one of the sayings of the Prophet informs the faithful that, "God is more loving and kinder than a mother to her dear child." ^[16]

See also

• Agape
• Brahmavihara
• Compassion fatigue
• Caregiving
• Empathic concern
• Forgiveness
• Karuna
• Mudita
• Tenderness
• Radical compassion

References

1. ^ Matthew 7:12
2. ^ http://[www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/DummiesArticle/id-977.html] Exploring Religious Ethics in Daily Life
3. ^ Joel Federman, The Politics of Universal Compassion (forthcoming)
4. ^ I AM That: Dialogues of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, page 59
5. ^ Download Digital Buddha Vacana
6. ^ HarperCollins Dictionary of Religiion, 1995.
7. ^ Bhikkhu Bodhi, The Noble Eightfold Path: Way to the End of Suffering. Buddhist Publication Society, 1994, page 39.
8. ^ South India Handbook: The Travel Guide By Robert Bradnock, 2000 Footprint Travel Guides, p. 543, Vegetarianism: A History By Colin Spencer, 2002 Thunder's Mouth Press, p. 342
9. ^ Lampert K., Traditions of Compassion: From Religious Duty to Social Activism, Palgrave-Macmillan, 2006; ISBN 978-1403985279
10. ^ ^{a b} http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=699&letter=C&search=compassion | The Jewish Enclopedia
11. ^ http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=699&letter=C&search=compassion |The Jewish Enclopedia
12. ^ Compassion
13. ^ From Chaos to Harmony, chapter "Altruism Is Life's Law", page 60 by Michael Laitman
14. ^ Babylonian Talmud, tractate Shabbat 31a. See also the ethic of reciprocity or "The Golden rule."
15. ^ Lampert Khen (2006), Ch. 1
16. ^ ^{a b} http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/tawheed/conceptofgod.html | University of Southern California
17. ^ The concept of compassion in Islam- i, The Milli Gazette, Vol. 2 No. 24

External links

• Great Compassion Dharani Sutra
• TED Prize winner Karen Armstrong's video lecture on Compassion
• Armstrong's Compassion Charter blog
• Mirrored emotion by Jean Decety from the University of Chicago.
• Dan Rather Reports on compassion and neuroplasticity research, with the Dalai Lama
• Mirrored emotion by Jean Decety from the University of Chicago.
• Daniel Goleman, psychologist & author of Emotional Intelligence, video lecture on Compassion
• Dalai Lama on Compassion, Rice University, May 2007.

• A View on Buddhism COMPASSION AND BODHICITTA
• Greater Good magazine on Compassion, Spring 2004.
• Compassion: Encyclopedia of Spiritual Knowledge.
• Detailed practical advice on how to turn sympathy into compassion.
• Spring 2008 Compassion issue of the journal In Character.
• Professor Robert Thurman: "Compassion is feeling the feelings of others."
• "...Peace is the manifestation of human compassion." — His Holiness the Dalai Lama
• A critique on compassion

Categories: Emotions

See Also:

• Compassion

What Links Here:

Recently Viewed Pages:

• States: Blogs
• Hugo Adam Bedau: Blogs

Most Popular Pages:

• States: Blogs
• Compassion: Encyclopedia

Related 'Compassion' Searches: