Grammatical Analysis
Karuṇā: [f.] compassion; empathy. Derived from the root kar (to do, make), implying an active psychological movement that runs to relieve distress, or from kirati (to scatter), because it scatters or breaks up the sorrow of others.
Orthodox Definition
Karuṇā is the second of the four divine abodes (brahmavihāra). It is defined as the wholesome mental state that arises when witnessing the suffering, helplessness, or affliction of other living beings, manifesting as the deep desire to see them liberated from that pain. Doctrinally, it is an expression of the mental factor of non-hatred (adosa-cetasika), acting as the direct antidote to cruelty and harmlessness (vihesā).
The Visuddhimagga clarifies that true compassion must be clearly separated from its “near enemy,” which is worldly sorrow, grief, or sentimental pity (domanassa). Pity is an unwholesome state rooted in aversion, whereas true Karuṇā is balanced, clear, and structurally wholesome. Its “far enemy” is active cruelty, violence, and malicious intent.
When cultivated through samatha, compassion can serve as the focal object to secure the first three fine-material absorptions (rūpajhāna).
Textual References
- Sutta: Mahāgovinda Sutta (DN 19) – Discussing the systematic radiation of compassion to all quarters of the cosmos.
- Abhidhamma: Vibhaṅga (Appamaññāvibhaṅga section).
- Commentary: Visuddhimagga (Chapter IX) – Outlining the exact technical progression to develop compassion without falling into unwholesome sorrow.