Compassion

What is Compassion?

In the Buddhist tradition, compassion can be understood as a deep desire to relieve the suffering of other beings. Although the worlds of science and religion are in many ways mutually exclusive, both neuropsychologists and Buddhist religious figures agree that compassion is necessary for achieving personal and societal growth. Traditional Buddhists texts explain that becoming a bodhisattva is dependent on the degree to which a being is compassionate. Recent psychological experiments conclude that practicing compassion not only improves relationship dynamics, but also strengthens both physical and mental health. 

Buddhist philosophies teach that compassion is only possible once a being obtains the wisdom to understand that happiness comes not from pursuing one’s own needs and desires, but from being kind to others. Once one is freed from this delusion, a being is capable of all-embracing compassion.

Mahayana Buddhism and Compassion

Mahayana Buddhism, directly translated as “the great vehicle to enlightenment,” is rooted in all-embracing compassion and the belief that all beings must commit to relentlessly working for the benefit of others. Followers of the Mahayana path do not seek personal enlightenment but the liberation of all sentient beings. Attaining Buddhahood is merely a byproduct of living a compassionate life. 

Compassion and Wisdom

Compassion cannot exist alone: if it is not balanced with other qualities like wisdom, it will lead to suffering. According to the Tantric Treasure 15a, 

A being that fails to practice compassion will not attain enlightenment even if they succeed in gaining the ultimate wisdom of emptiness. Likewise, a being that focuses exclusively on compassion will be stuck in the cycle of rebirth. 

According to both Buddhist philosophy and Western psychology, beings must balance compassion with wisdom in order to attain happiness. For Buddhists, practicing compassion allows beings to break free from the bonds of karma. For psychologists, training in compassion provides a more positive self-image and sense of peace. Failure to properly balance wisdom with compassion leads to suffering. Merely acquiring wisdom, without compassion, results in an antisocial life due to apathy and egocentricity. Practicing compassion without wisdom is  likewise problematic because it leads to the over-cherishing of others’ aspirations at the cost of ones’ own wellbeing. 

The Power of Compassion

Once wisdom and compassion are balanced, beings can escape suffering. Compassion distracts the mind from its delusions, or fundamental distortions, in “which it constructs a personal identity as an autonomous self that persists through time and acts as a controller of the mind/body system” (Condon, Dunne, Wilson-Mendenhall 2). When beings subscribe to these distortions by viewing them as accurate depictions of reality as opposed to just thoughts, they become subjected to a life of constant suffering. However, once a being practices compassion and wisdom together, they can begin to deconstruct these delusions. Compassion and wisdom allow beings to appreciate and understand the true nature of the world while eliminating self-focused behaviors.

Psychologists have proved a strong connection between compassion and happiness. Practicing compassion by connecting with other people weakens one’s sense of identity and self-centeredness. Alternatively, it allows the individual to feel one with the universe, like a part of a whole. This in turn alleviates a heavy responsibility that comes with the feeling that one is at the center of the world, and can thus diminish feelings of anxiety and depression. Instead, merely existing as a part of the universe is sufficient and satisfying. This feeling of ultimate satisfaction and relaxation allows for happiness to thrive.

Psychologists have also found that compassion leads to improvements in relationships and in personal health. In Western society, “mindfulness and compassion are thought to promote physical health, mental well-being and even virtuous character.”( Condon, Dunne, Wilson-Mendenhall 1). Recent experiments have shown that meditation and other mindfulness and compassion-based practices lead to the reduction of mental-health symptoms like anxiety and depression. Although traditional buddhist practice has little concern with romantic relationships, Western psychologists conclude that wisdom and compassion have been shown to preserve and strengthen relationships in times of adversity.

Compassion in The Life of the Buddha

Compassion is a fundamental element in the Bodhisattva’s path towards enlightenment. According to The Life of the Buddha, when the Bodhisattva is faced with the final task of defeating the demons, he “did not have even a hint of lingering fear. On the contrary, he was full of compassion. And because of this the weapons hurled at him by the opposing side all transformed into flowers as they rained down upon him” (Chogyel 58). Fighting with compassion gave the Bodhisattva the power to deflect the weapons and transform them into flowers. Although he was fighting demons, he was able to treat them with kindness, which ultimately made him more powerful. In this traditional Buddhist text, practicing compassion gave the Bodhisattva the power to create miracles, revealing the immense value and power that early Buddhists associated with compassion. All throughout his journey toward ultimate awakening, the Bodhisattva maintained a “heart that embraced all sentient beings, seeking the liberation of all from their dissatisfactory mode of existence.” (Ruben 81).

Compassion as a Language

Both psychologists and traditional Buddhists agree that human beings are naturally compassionate and kind, but those qualities require nurturing and cultivation so that they do not become dampened by life circumstances. Neurologist Richard Davidson compares learning compassion to learning a language: just as humans are naturally good at learning languages, humans are also innately compassionate. In order for humans to properly develop linguistic skills, they must be raised in a community that speaks the language. In the same way, in order for humans to maintain their innate compassion, they must be raised in a loving, caring compassionate community. In fact, most qualities required to attain Buddhahood are innate: “becoming a Buddha—the state of maximal flourishing—does not require one to construct or acquire new virtues; instead, one cultivates core human capacities that are already present, if sometimes only to a slight degree, in all humans” (Condon, Dunne, Wilson-Mendenhall 3).

Traditional Buddhist beliefs and psychologists’ findings come to the same conclusion that balancing compassion and wisdom is necessary for leading a fulfilling life, be it one that ends in buddhahood or one that is characterized by happiness.

References

Batchelor, Martinique. “Compassion.” The Spirit of the Buddha, Yale University Press, 2010, pp. 81–93. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt5vm5xv.9.

Da Silva, José Antunes. “Compassion in Mahayana Buddhism.” Revista Portuguesa De Filosofia, vol. 52, no. 1/4, 1996, pp. 813–830. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40419452.

Habito, Ruben L. F. Experiencing Buddhism: Ways of Wisdom and Compassion. Divine Books, 2012.

Paul Condon, John Dunne & Christine Wilson-Mendenhall (2018): Wisdom and compassion: A new perspective on the science of relationships, Journal of Moral Education

Richard Davidson. “The Science of a Happy Mind.” Center for Healthy Minds, 21 Mar. 2016, centerhealthyminds.org/join-the-movement/the-science-of-a-happy-mind.

Further Readings

Lama, Dalai, et al. An Open Heart Practicing Compassion in Everyday Life. Little Brown & Company, 2008.

This book, written by the Dalai Lama, serves as a simple introduction to Buddhism. It provides a clear, practical explanation for the purpose of compassion on the Buddhist path to enlightenment. This text serves as a perfect foundation for starting Buddhist practice.

Thurman, Robert A. F. Inner Revolution: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Real Happiness. Riverhead Books, 1999

Written by Robert Thurman, a good friend of the Dalai Lama, this national bestseller serves as an introduction to Buddhism. Its main purpose is to provide insight into how to incorporate compassion and mindfulness into everyday life. Inner Revolution also provides a broad critique of our seemingly compassionless society.

Brooks, Natalie. Neuroplasticity: The Power of Positive Thinking and the Fascinating Ability of the Brain to Change Itself. Independently Published, 2019.

This book explains the concept of neuroplasticity, the scientific concept that our thoughts can change the structure of our brain. This relates to Richard Davidson’s research: we are capable of training our minds to become more passionate and then in turn, happier. Here, there is a strong emphasis on the importance of nurture over nature. 

Weng, Helen Y., et al. “Compassion Training Alters Altruism and Neural Responses to Suffering.” Psychological Science, vol. 24, no. 7, 2013, pp. 1171–1180., www.jstor.org/stable/23484563.

This research article describes a recent experiment in which scientists proved that compassionate training results in compassionate actions later on, further proving the concept of brain plasticity.

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