“Kindness calms, Compassion propels”

The cultivation of Maitri (Loving-Kindness or Fraternity) and Karuna (Compassion) transforms the spiritual journey—especially along the Bodhisattva Path—into a gentle, blissful breeze across the vast ocean of existence.

Maitri, universal fraternity toward all sentient beings, fills the heart with peace and ease. Like a soothing elixir, it quenches malice and fosters goodwill, creating a spacious feeling of bliss. It enables us to see the goodness in others. Compassion (Karuna), the wish to alleviate the suffering of others, takes us a step further. While Maitri brings peace, Karuna awakens a profound stirring, pulling us out of the passivity of self-contentment. As we shall see, Maitri provides the solid foundation upon which Karuna can be cultivated. (Read  The Boundless Heart of Loving Kindness for more on Maitri)

Karuna: The Catalyst for Action

Karuna instills the courage to face the world’s suffering. It stirs within us an unrest, as though the pain of others were our own. Yet this unrest is not despair; it is the fire that drives us to act, to grow, and to uncover our fullest potential. Where Maitri calms, Karuna propels. Together, they guide the spiritual quest beyond mere self-absorption, toward boundless engagement.

Though the suffering of others may initially create unease within, Compassion becomes a source of strength. It leads us to discover a state where peace and responsiveness unite as one. In the luminous awakening of Buddhahood, profound inner peace manifests outwardly as ceaseless acts of altruism—a radiant expression of compassion’s eternal embrace.

Compassion – Beyond Self-indulgent Peace 

To elaborate further, the 6th Century Buddhist scholar Sthiramati (in Triṃśikā Vijñapti Bhāṣya)  defines compassion as:

“kaṃ ruṇaddhīti karuṇā“

— That which obstructs self-indulgence is Compassion.

Compassion stirs us forward. It awakens within us a profound recognition: as long as countless sentient beings around us remain mired in suffering, our own joy can never be whole.

The fleeting pleasures within the sphere of the duality of self and other are transient and unreliable. Compassion, with its boundless embrace, grants us the courage to transcend this divide. When boundless Karuna blaze, we do not seek solace in isolation but strive for awakening—into the luminous perfection of Buddhahood.

The Blossom of Karuna in Maitri’s Embrace

As the poet Stephen Levine wrote, 

“When your fear touches someone’s pain, it becomes pity,   
When your love touches someone’s pain, it becomes compassion.”

When we witness the pain and suffering of others, if we approach it with a sense of otherness, it strikes a note of fear within. Often, people try to avoid and turn away from facing those, thinking, “I don’t want to face it. Let this never happen to me.” They behave as if attending to those in suffering is like inviting that suffering into their own lives. Though sympathy may stir within, when laced with fear, it renders us powerless.  Hiding within that trembling fears, they stretch out a hesitant hand, to offer  alms to a stranger in pity —detached, guarded, and unfeeling. Such mercy, born of fear, becomes a pale shadow, stripped of the radiant warmth of true compassion.

The picture is starkly different when our hearts are pervaded with a deep sense of Maitri. When Maitri touches suffering, there is the blossom of Karuna, heartfelt compassion. This is possible because Maitri makes us see the fundamental goodness in others. We come to a deep sense of appreciating fraternity with all. Everyone is similar to us in their basic instinct – that of wanting to avoid suffering and wishing for happiness. Through the power of Maitri, as we truly recognize the pain and struggles of another, a deep and transformative compassion arises.

Transformative Power of Compassion

Karuna does not weaken us; it strengthens us. It does not leave us trembling in fear’s shadowy asylum. Instead, it brings a steady courage – a resolute inner stirring that empowers us to traverse every layer of unrest with serene determination. Compassion becomes the force that propels us forward, breaking barriers and awakening boundless potential. 

There is no need to fear this transformation. When we offer to others the protection we seek for ourselves—or even sincerely wish it for them—we begin to dissolve the roots of suffering within our own hearts. In doing so, we rise above our own suffering, or at the very least, cultivate resilience against it. As this yearning grows to encompass all beings, it blossoms into boundless compassion. When our hearts throb with the desire to alleviate the pain of others, it also has a healing effect on us. Our own pain becomes so insignificant and tolerable. 

Let us also remember that compassion is not necessarily about fixing others but being present with their suffering, and allowing it to motivate our own growth, so that we may better benefit all. That is how compassion becomes a propelling force toward awakening. 

Compassion is Not Only to Obvious Suffering

Compassion must awaken not only in the face of suffering that is obvious, but also toward those happily lost in the indulgence of worldly pleasures. For even they, caught in the endless churn of samsara, are bound in a restless longing – the ceaseless hunt for happiness. Their hearts, for the moment, may be filled with the sweetness of fleeting joys, but they are still in deep slumber, remaining untouched by unconditional peace and joy of liberation.

Awakening Through Great Compassion

Thus, when we witness the plight of beings caught in the cycle of existence—with its lures of pleasure and burdens of sorrow, great compassion can awaken in us. This compassion propels us toward the stages of awakening, with an earnest motivation to benefit all beings. Through this journey, we gradually blossom into the perfect awakening as a Buddha, where compassion flows effortlessly and ceaselessly, as  a radiant expression of our own inner wisdom.

Karuna: A Gift and a Practice

Karuna is both a gift we receive and a quality we cultivate, each enriching the other. On one side, we find ourselves cradled by the boundless compassion of innumerable Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, their care like a cooling rain that nourishes our weary hearts as we journey along the path. On the other, we can cultivate this same compassion for all sentient beings, weaving the fabric of our lives into a tapestry of profound meaning. These two aspects of Karuna are complementary—each sustaining and amplifying the other, guiding us toward a life of deep fulfillment and awakening.  

Let us rejoice in the boundless compassion of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, whose care nourishes our weary hearts. In their example, may we nurture this same compassion for all beings, touching their pain with fraternity and love. 

May all be auspicious! May all beings experience boundless compassion!
-Yogi Prabodha

For this article in other languages – Malayalam Post