|
In Mahayana Buddhism, the ultimate goal of all sentient
beings is to be the attainment of Buddhahood for the sake of
all beings. The paths which leads to that goal opens
simultaneously with the development of great compassion and
intuitive under-standing of the Ultimate reality [Sunyata].
And Bodhisattvas those who follow such paths are moved by
the suffering of others, dedicated themselves to the
attainment of the highest spiritual good not for the sake of
their own salvation only, but in order that they may be able
to benefit al sentient beings. Love and compassion are the
forces that motivated for all activities of Bodhisattvas and
are also the source of all their endeavours towards the
human welfare.
As Aryasura, a great Indian saint of first Century CE, says:
"The earth with its forest, great mountains and, oceans, has
been destroyed a hundred times by water, fire and wind at
the close of the aeons: but the great compassion of
Bodhisattva abides forever." Thus it is great compassion [Mahakaruna}
what makes Buddha and Bodhisattva a living God and active
and abiding interest in the welfare in not only of suffering
humanity but of all beings. Their Karuna is great as it
Knows no limitation of any kinds, their mercy is for all in
all periods of aeons. The love of Buddha is more intense
than that of a father for his only dear son; it does not
expect any gain, recognition or respect. "No activity of the
Buddha," says Aryadeva, "is without intention, their very
breath is for the good of beings".
Love and compassion in Buddhism are two aspects in one
identity. Buddhism defines love as a strong wish that
aspires to attain happiness for all sentient beings and
compassion is the state of mind that wishes each being to be
freed from all sufferings or sorrows:; 'making their
suffering into one's own'. And great compassion is the root
wisdom. it is therefore, chief of the other two causes of
Bodhisattva in which Chandrakirti has mentioned in his root
text, Madhyamikavatara. He has praised its importance in the
beginning of his test:
"Mercy alone is seen as the seed
Of an enlightened beings' rich harvest,
As water for development, and as
ripening in a state of eternal enjoyment."
It is important, like a seed, for the initial development of
the marvellous harvest of an enlightened being. In the
middle, it is like water for the progress of spiritual
practice higher and higher. And at the end, it is like the
ripening of fruit for the welbeing of all mankind. It is
same with Shakespeare's will known simile by comparing Mercy
to "the gentle rain from heaven". As the rain makes all
crops grow, so mercy produces all the virtues that should
adorn Bodhisattvas personality.
Santideve [685-763] also regards Karuna as lije and soul of
Mahayana Buddhism. He say that a Bodhisatva need not learn
many things, but only compassion, which leads to the
aquisition of all the principles and attributes of
Buddhahood. Were true compassion to be absent, a Bodhisattva
would be indifferent to the world, as such it constitute
both as essential mark of Boddhisattvas frame of mind and
and important element of his spiritual practice. Its
importance is also clearly emphasised in the Tantric text of
'Mahavairocana Surra," it says,
"This gnosis of the omniscient has compassion as its root
the bodhicitta its cause, and [the practice] of means
as its culmination".
The Cultivation of love and compassion
The cultivation of compassion is primarily and necessarily a
contemplative discipline, together with the notion that
perfect altruism is only possible through the healing
influence of the compassionate mind. It is the prime motive
behind the accumulation of merits and liberation of other
living beings is their primary concerns. This is explained
in second Bhavanakrama by Kamalasila with his typical
terseness, where the cultivation of compassion is no longer
presented as a simple preliminary practice rather it is
viewed as a fundamental and essential element of the
Buddhist path. Moreover, to underline its active aspect
still further, he proposes a change in the order of practice
of the brahmavihara. Evenmindedness [upeksa] appears now in
the first place as a preparatory practice for love [maitri]
and compassion [karuna]. The ultimate aim of the
contemplative cultivation of it is not only the removal of
the barriers, rather, the destruction of the barrier is a
precondition for the development of perfect selfless
conduct, animated by a compassion, but free of the subtle
vested interests of normal human affections.
According to Mahayana texts, the morality of both monks or
nuns and laypeople must contain three different kinds of
moral acts;
a] basic morality or restraint [samvara], b] active morality
of self perfection, and c] the active morality of service to
others. The latter embraces the active fruits of compassion,
the absence of which constitute specific violation of the
Bodhisattva's vinaya. Thus according to the Bodhisattvabhumi
of Asanga; A Bodhisattva should neither remain indifferent
nor react to someone of a cruel or evil disposition In such
a way as to increase that person's cruelity or sorrow. The
service to others may be interpreted into two different ways
but related, as the practical culmination of total
detachment: or it may be seen as the moral resultant of the
cultivation of compassion. The First is expressed by Santi
Deve a great saint of 8th century in the following stanza in
his Bodhisattvacaryavatara:
"I must bring to an end the pain of hunger and thirst with
the rains of food and drink, I myself will become food and
drink during the great famine of the intermediate kalpa".
Asanga considered the active application of compassion to be
a continuation of dhyana practice. Karuna is not seen as in
his Mahayanasutralamkara, common pity is not true
compassion, ouly pity born of wisdom and free of ill
attachments is true compassion. The altruistic mind of
enlightenment [Bodhicitta] is the higher form of love and
compassion in the Mahayana teaching. This mind can be
cultivated through two principle methods as explained in
most of the Mahayana sutra or texts. One is the precept
which stems from Maitreya to Asanga which is called the
"Sevenfold Cause and Effect Precept" and the other is the
system transmitted from Manjushri to Santideve known as "Equalising
and switching of self and other." In the method of the
Sevenfold cause and effect precept, 'to think of living
beings as beingo ne's mother' is particular important. As
Tsong Khapa [1357-1419] explains in his 'Lam Rim Chenmo' "
the feeling of motherliness is the ultimate counteragent [to
the aversion and indifference to all beings], to think of
all beings as mothers, remembering their kindness, being
aware of and repaying their kindness, effect friendliness
and esteem, and the result is a loving-kindness which
sentient beings dear as a mother does her only child. And
this leads to Compassion. Thus the true compassion arises
only after long and difficult process of spiritual training
or cultivation.
The second means of cultivation of compassion and Bodhicitta
is the method of realizing the equality of oneself and
others and also practising the substitution of others for
oneself. When a Bodhisattva cultivates the habit of
regarding others as equal to oneself, one learn to feel the
joys and sorrows of other like his own, and does not prefer
his own happiness to that of others. Thus the Mahayana
elevated compassion as concerns for the welfare of living
beings and willingness to sacrifice the self interest and
second to no other principle in the path. True concern for
other so the fruit of total unconcern for oneself: without
such unconcern. love is covert egoticism. Thus we read in
Milarepa's life [rNam-thar], one of his disciples eager to
clarify all his doubts before the master's death bed, asked
if it would be fitting for them to engage in external
practice if they were performed for the benefit of living
beings detachment from Milarepa answered that one could do
so if there was complete self interest. Bit this was
extremely difficult and as long as there was attachment, all
effort for the sake of others would be fruitless. It would
be like the blind leaking the blind. Rather, one should
humbly refrain from trying to lead the world to bliss and
engage in the quest of Buddhahood for the sake of all living
beings After all, "Space is limitless, sentient beings are
numberless, you will have ample opportunity for acting for
the sake4 of all beings when you become capable [as Buddha]
to do so". So it is clear that without a radical
transformation of the self, all attempts to help others will
be tainted with the "perfumation" of covetousness, hatred
and delusion; however subtle this may be they will always
bring about now sufferings. Obviously, all social or actions
can not be more than a palliative to deeply rooted human
suffering and attempts as helping other merely whitewash
problems. Thus we can summarise characteristically Buddhist
view of compassion in its two main points: [1] active
compassion is pointless without the full enlightenment of
the agent, and [2] the fulfillment of compassion takes place
in the realm of the mystical.
Now if we discuss a little about its relation to insight,
the Bodhisattva's compassion, very much like his wisdom,
shares in both the transcended realms of surpramundane
contemplative and the practical, sphere of the Bodhisattva's
activities. The essence of his compassion identification
with others is sustained and developed by higher wisdom
where all distinctions are dissolved, as it were. What needs
to be born in mind is that the spirit of unprecedented
altruism breathed buy all these passage in the outcome not
simply of mundane pity, not even of spiritual compassion
alone, but of compassion conjoined with the insight. The
Bodhisattva lives simultaneously in two worlds, the world of
appearance and the world of reality, Samsara and nirvana,
wisdom and compassion. The Mahayana Buddhism stresses the
simultaneous cultivation of both tendencies is not only
extremely important but indispensble. Haribhardra in his
Abhisamay Alamkar Aloka. says, "Sunyata and karuna are the
two principle features of the Bodhicitta." sunyata is prajna,
intellectual intuition, and is indentical with the absolute.
Karuna is the active principle of compassion that gives
concrete expression to sunyata in phenomena. If the first is
transcendent and looks to the absolute the second is fully
immanent and looks down towards phenomena. Sunyata is beyond
the duality of good and evil, love and hatred, virtue and
vice: second [Karuna] is goodness, love and pure act:
Sunyata [wisdom] is potential, and karuna is the actualised
state.
Here, we will find in many texts that compassion is born
from the perception of emptiness [sunyata]. It is found in a
Dharma Sangiti passage quoted by Santi Deva.
"He who has a concentrated minds attains to the vision of
things as they truly are. The Bodhisattva who sees things as
they truly are, develops great compassion towards living
beings." It is same with tantric text that 'Compassion is
conceived as arising from the vision of emptiness'. Service
to others and it are the fruits of the perfect vision of
sunyata, compared by Saraha to a tree:
"This magnificent tree of emptiness
is covered with flowers:
The most varied acts of compassion,
And fruits for others appear simultaneous."
It may be that the tantric approach to the cultivation of
compassion is a little bit different from the other
Mahayanic text. Mahayana distinguish compassion into three
kinds:
[1] compassion that observes being only.
[2] compassion that observes phenomena, and
[3] compassion of objectlessness.
It implies that compassion can be found not merely a form of
higher gnosis [jnana] but also that the perfection of
compassion is one with insight of non-duality. Compassion
like the highest dhyanic perception of emptiness, must be
beyond the reach of dualities, oppositions, and disputes.
According to the 'Rantnavali [iv, 94-96] of Nagarjuna,
compassion and emptiness together form the crown of Buddhist
teaching well beyond duality and non-duality. Therefore,
compassion in Budddhist context can not be interpreted as
simple pity. For an essential element of compassion in the
Mahayana, is the perception of non-duality. This perception
may take different forms and may be had at varying degrees
of depth, but as a Buddhist virtue, compassion is
characterised by its contemplative [dhyana] and gnostic [jnana]dimensions.
Thus in short, it is one secure foundation for the happiness
of all beings and the one remedy for their suffering, We
should not think that it is a preparation for some unworldly
ideal having no relevance to the problems of our present
world. It being a basis of all altruism, can make a great
influence to our present day life and can make our society
in solidarity and will bring a true happy human
relationship.
From religious point of view, it is through wisdom that the
Blessed One reached the kingdom of the Truth, and through
compassion that He became the bestower of the Truth. It is
through wisdom that makes Bodhisattvas to understand other's
suffering and through compassion that makes him to
counteract it,
References:
1. Santicdeva, "A Guide to the Bodhisattva way of life." [Bodhicaryavatara],
Library of Tibetan Works and Archives Dharmasala, 1981.
2. Tsong Khapa, Great Exposition of the stages of the path,'
[Lam Rimk Chenmo]; p6001, Vol. 152.
3. Asnaga, 'Bodhisattvabhumi', p5538, Vol. 110.
4. Dayal. Har, The Bodhisattva Doctrine in Buddhist Sanskrit
Literatures', Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1975. p178
5. Hopkins p.J. 'Compassion in Tibetan Buddhism', Snow Lion
Publication, New York, 1985 p110.
6. Gyatso G.K. 'Meaningful to Behold', Wisdom Publication,
London, 1980.
7. Gomez L.O. "Karunabhavana" Notes on the meaning of
Buddhist Compassion; The Tibet Journal, Vol. 3. Dharmasala,
1978, p33-53.
8. Murti T.R.V. The Central Philosophy of Buddhism', Library
of Tibetan works and Archives, Dharmsala, 1978.
9. The 14th Dalai Lama, 'A Meditation on Compassion',
Library of Tibetan works and Archives, Dharmsala, 1978.
10. Nagarjuna, The Precious Garland [Ratnavali], Snow Lion
Publication New York,
11. Guenther H.V. 'Treasures on the Tibetan Middle way,'
Shambala Publication, Berkeley, 1976, p84-86.
12. Newland G. 'Compassion, a Tibetan Analysis', Wisdom
Publication, London, 1983. P 50.
13. Matics M.L. 'Entering the path of Enlightenment,' Geoge
Allen and Unwin, Ltd. London, 1970.
14. Sangharaksita B. 'The Three Jewels,' Rider and Company
London, 1967, p167-203.
15. Blofeld J. 'Bodhisattva of Compassion', Shambala,
Boulder. 1978
|
