करुणा
Karuṇā
Compassion / Empathic sorrow
悲
Grammar 語法
feminine noun (ā-stem)
Definition 釋義
The second brahmavihārā — the wish for beings to be free from suffering and pain. Karuṇā is 'the heart that trembles' at the sight of suffering. Its near enemy is grief (soka) — becoming lost in sorrow; its far enemy is cruelty. True karuṇā is clear-eyed: it does not add its own suffering to that of others but remains present with equanimity and the desire to help. In Mahāyāna Buddhism karuṇā becomes mahā-karuṇā (great compassion) — the bodhisattva ideal — but in Theravāda it is also a fundamental quality for all practitioners.
Canonical Example 典籍例句
Karuṇāsahagataṃ vā cittaṃ sabbadhi pharitetvā viharati.
Or with a mind accompanied by compassion, one abides having pervaded all directions.
Source: DN 13 (Tevijja Sutta)
At a Glance
- Pali
- Karuṇā
- IAST
- Karuṇā
- Devanagari
- करुणा
- Chinese
- 悲
- Difficulty
- beginner
Related Words
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