Karuṇā

Karuna ( compassion, not pity ) is a central concept of the Buddhist mind training and ethics.

He describes the virtue of mercy, of love and of ( active ) compassion. This state of mind is next to Metta ( loving kindness ), Mudita ( sympathetic joy ) and Upekkha ( equanimity ) one of the four cardinal virtues ( Brahma - vihara ), which should develop a Bodhisattva on his way to help others to enlightenment. Prerequisite for the development of Karuna is the experience of unity of all existence. The consequence of this experience of non- separateness is an attitude of compassion, in which all polar representations and the associated resistors and dislikes dissolve: all beings and all phenomena of this world will be met with the same all-encompassing love and willingness to help. The virtue of this spirit is embodied by the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara in Mahayana Buddhism.

Karuna is in India and Sri Lanka a common first name for women, less frequently, men ( known as Karuna Amman, for example, also Colonel Karuna ).

The term Karuna is increasingly used in conjunction with institution name, and healing techniques, but most are not in the Buddhist context.

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