Dk 19Karuṇā cetaḥsamādhiḥ
Pāli / Sanskrit:Karuṇā cetaḥsamādhiḥ
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Karuṇā Cetaḥsamādhiḥ: Concentration of Compassion
Background
Karuṇā Cetaḥsamādhiḥ is a discourse belonging to the Abhidhamma Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, where the Buddha and his disciples deeply investigate the nature of mind and dhammas. This discourse focuses on one of the noblest spiritual states: concentration of compassion (karuṇā cetaḥsamādhiḥ), that is, the concentration of the mind in a state of immeasurable compassion.
According to the Theravāda tradition, the Abhidhamma Piṭaka is the portion of the teaching that analyzes mental and physical phenomena in detail, helping practitioners understand the mechanism by which mind and matter operate. This discourse arises from the foundation of the Buddha’s basic teachings on the Four Immeasurable Minds (Brahmaviharas): loving-kindness (mettā), appreciative joy (muditā), equanimity (upekkhā), and compassion (karuṇā). However, Karuṇā Cetaḥsamādhiḥ goes deeper by analyzing the state of compassion when it becomes concentration (samādhi).
Main Content
The discourse teaches that supreme compassion is not a crude emotion or superficial empathy, but a concentrated state of mind (samādhi) developed through meditation. Concentration of compassion is when a monastic’s mind is completely focused on the wish that all beings be freed from suffering (dukkha) and attain liberation (nibbāna).
In this state, the mind is not shaken by desire or hatred. It is supported by spiritual faculties (indriya) such as faith (saddhā), energy (viriya), and concentration (samādhi). Concentrated compassion is not an emotional vibration, but a steady, comprehensive stream of attention directed toward the welfare of all sentient beings without excluding anyone.
Unlike loving-kindness (mettā), which may carry selectivity, compassion (karuṇā) in this concentration functions as a powerful spiritual force to soothe suffering. It does not distinguish between friends and enemies, between those near and far. Concentration of compassion is a sacred fire that burns away all the boundaries of a narrow mind.
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