What is karuna?

Karuna is the Pali and Sanskrit word for compassion (karuṇā). It is the wish that beings be released from suffering, together with a readiness to help where we can. It is the second of the four sublime states, alongside loving-kindness, sympathetic joy and equanimity.

Compassion and pity

Karuna is often described as the heart trembling in response to another’s pain. It is not the same as pity, which looks down on someone from a distance. Nor is it being overwhelmed by sorrow. Teachers call grief and helpless sorrow the “near enemy” of compassion, because it looks similar but drains the mind. Cruelty is its “far enemy”. True compassion stays steady enough to be useful.

In the early teachings

In the early suttas the Buddha teaches his son Rāhula to develop compassion because it removes the wish to harm. Compassion is also one of the boundless states described as a way of dwelling with the divine, a mind that fills every direction without limit. The Buddha’s own decision to teach after his awakening is traditionally explained as an act of compassion for a suffering world.

In the Mahayana

In Mahayana Buddhism, compassion is paired with wisdom as one of the two wings of the path. The bodhisattva, a being who aims to become a buddha for the sake of all, is moved above all by great compassion (mahākaruṇā). Compassion is embodied in the figure of Avalokiteshvara, known in East Asia as Guanyin or Kannon, and in Tibet as Chenrezig. Practitioners in these traditions recite his mantra or visualise his form as a way of cultivating a compassionate heart.

How to practise

You can practise compassion in a way similar to loving-kindness. Bring to mind someone who is going through a hard time, and silently wish, “May you be released from suffering. May you be at ease.” Then extend the wish to others, including people you find difficult, and finally to all beings.

It helps to start with yourself or someone close, because compassion grows more easily where there is already warmth. If the practice becomes heavy, you can return to loving-kindness or to the breath for a while. Compassion is meant to soften the heart, not to weigh it down.

In daily life, compassion shows itself in small actions: listening patiently, offering help, and not adding to anyone’s pain with harsh words.