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Compassion Talks

Compassion is a social feeling that motivates people to go out of their way to relieve the physical, mental, or emotional pains of others and themselves. Compassion is sensitivity to the emotional aspects of the suffering of others. When based on notions such as fairness, justice, and interdependence, it may be considered partially rational in nature.

Compassion involves "feeling for another" and is a precursor to empathy, the "feeling as another" capacity (as opposed to sympathy, the "feeling towards another"). In common parlance, active compassion is the desire to alleviate another's suffering.

Compassion involves allowing oneself to be moved by suffering to help alleviate and prevent it. An act of compassion is one that is intended to be helpful. Other virtues that harmonize with compassion include patience, wisdom, kindness, perseverance, warmth, and resolve. It is often, though not inevitably, the key component in altruism. The difference between sympathy and compassion is that the former responds to others' suffering with sorrow and concern whereas the latter responds with warmth and care. An article in Clinical Psychology Review suggests that "compassion consists of three facets: noticing, feeling, and responding".

In Buddhism, compassion is the heartfelt wish to relieve the suffering of all beings, paired with the courage to act. Compassionate actions plant seeds of joy in others—and in ourselves—making them a true source of lasting happiness.

From compassion on Wikipedia

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Title Speaker

Embracing Bodhisattva Challenges with Compassion

Lotus Sutra, Intimacy, Compassion, difficulty, Evil, Discrimination, Offering,...
Apr 23 1982

Transformative Enlightenment and Equality

Repentance, Dragons, Lotus Sutra, Offering, Compassion, Hindrances, Don't Know...
Apr 12 1982

Enlightenment: Personal Realization, Communal Validation

Transmission, Lotus Sutra, Buddha Nature, Dharma Transmission, Buddha Mind, Patience...
Mar 19 1982

Eternal Light and Timeless Liberation

Buddha Nature, Buddha Mind, Perfect Wisdom, Nirvana, Liberation, Compassion,...
Mar 12 1982

Predictive Pathways to Enlightenment

Buddha Nature, Compassion, Suffering, Meditation, Evil, Funeral, Precepts, Silence,...
Mar 08 1982

Journey to the Magic City Within

causation, Impermanence, Consciousness, Compassion, Evil, Politics, Separation,...
Mar 01 1982

Embracing Imperfection in Monastic Unity

Serial: NC-00877

Monastic Spirituality Set 3 of 12

OSB Cam, Commitment, Vow, Happiness, Liberation, Compassion
May 13 1981

February 8th, 1981, Serial No. 00400

Compassion, Concentration, Beginners, Delusion, American, Nirvana, Pain
Feb 08 1981

February 4th, 1981, Serial No. 00397

Continuous Practice, Impermanence, Compassion, Silence, Realization, Building, Bell,...
Feb 04 1981

Chastity: The Spiritual Path to Love

Serial: NC-00858

Monastic Spirituality Set 9 of 12

OSB Cam, Vow, Ego, Compassion, Cultivation, Anger
Nov 14 1980

Everyday Zazen: Mindful Living Art

Breath, Posture, Compassion, Discrimination, Meditation, causation, American,...
Dec 21 1979

Compassion in Adversity

Time, Compassion, Practice
Oct 01 1979

Cultivating Wisdom Through Zen Practice

Greed, Evil, Realization, Commitment, Beginners, Anger, Community, Discrimination,...
Mar 09 1979

Contentment in Simplicity: The Zen Path

Silence, Compassion, Building, Balance, Culture, Breath, Religion, Suffering...
Mar 05 1979

Serenity Through Minimal Desire

Silence, Building, Balance, Compassion, Suffering, Enemies, Culture, Breath, Religion...
Mar 05 1979

Riding Beyond Desires to Freedom

Eight Awarenesses, Suffering, Consciousness, Anger, Humility, Compassion, Pain,...
Mar 02 1979

Awakening Through Zen Integration

Compassion, Eight Awarenesses, Posture, Consciousness, Balance, Evil, Mahayana,...
Feb 26 1979

Awakening Through Dharma Transmission

Eight Awarenesses, Compassion, Balance, Posture, Consciousness, Nirvana, Evil,...
Feb 26 1979

Becoming Zen: Path to Ego-Free Harmony

Compassion, Fox, causation, Anger, Teacher-and-Student, Buddha Nature, Realization,...
Sep 01 1977

Embracing the Eternal Buddha Nature

Compassion, Transmission, Politics, Attachment, Don't Know Mind, Buddha Nature,...
Aug 30 1977

Love's Essence: A Buddhist Perspective

Compassion, Hate, Politics, Community, Attachment, Suffering, Consciousness, Pain,...
Aug 28 1977

Egoless Journey to Enlightenment

Subject-and-Object, Intuition, Hindrances, Compassion, Continuous Practice, Buddha...
Aug 24 1977

Silence and the Path to Insight

Silence, Buddha Nature, Hate, Beginners, Anger, Fox, Balance, Emotions, Compassion...
Aug 29 1976

Dynamic Unity of Life and Death

Realization, Birth-and-Death, Precepts, Compassion, Enemies, Oneness, Silence,...
Aug 28 1975

Living Death: Embracing Non-Duality

Precepts, Compassion, Oneness, Silence
Aug 26 1975

Zen Lessons Beyond Words

Practice, Compassion, Samadhi
Apr 06 1975

Silent Wisdom in Zen Practice

Practice, Compassion, Suzuki Roshi
Apr 06 1975

Journey to Spiritual Freedom in Community

Serial: NC-01130

Retreat Conference by Abbot Edward McCorkle, OCSO, of Holy Cross Abbey in Berryville, Virginia. Prior Bruno Barnhart makes comments.

OCSO, Abbot, Compassion, Patience, Anger, Breath
Mar 1975
1 of 7
New Camaldoli Hermitage

Transcending Impermanence for Inner Freedom

Birth-and-Death, Hate, Nirvana, Anger, Evil, Obstacles, Precepts, Happiness,...
Dec 07 1972

Lotus Journey: Transcending Birth and Death

Birth-and-Death, Patience, Obstacles, Conversation, Beginners, Suffering, Breath,...
Dec 06 1972

Embracing the Moment's Dynamic Essence

Birth-and-Death, Hate, Obstacles, Compassion, Repentance, Karma
Dec 05 1972

Birth and Death as Nirvana

Birth-and-Death, Nirvana, Obstacles, Patience, difficulty, Attachment, Compassion,...
Dec 01 1972

Shikantaza: The Path to Enlightenment

Attachment, Fasting, Consciousness, Bodhidharma, Funeral, Chanting, Posture, Breath,...
Nov 12 1972

Unfolding Reality: Embracing Dynamic Emptiness

Compassion, Demons
Feb 1972

Nowness: Interconnectedness in Zen Practice

Building, Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, confusion, difficulty, Community, Compassion...
Feb 1972

The Essence of Tranquil Zen Practice

Compassion, Realization, Rinzai, Samadhi, American
Jan 26 1972

Big Mind, Endless Compassion Journey

Big Mind, Patience, Buddha Mind, Buddha Nature, Funeral, Compassion, Suffering...
Dec 04 1971

Zen Directness in Everyday Life

Compassion, Emptiness, Practice
Nov 08 1971

Blossoming Enlightenment Through Transience

Community, Compassion, Funeral, Emotions, Ceremony, Pain, Building
Oct 22 1971

Catching Space: Zen's Living Wisdom

Breath, Compassion, Observe, Posture, Buddha Nature, Consciousness, Precepts, Silence...
Apr 27 1971

Living the Experience of Wisdom

Breath, Perfect Wisdom, Building, Instruction, Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, Lay,...
Apr 25 1971

From Osaka Roots to Zen Wisdom

Ceremony, Teacher-and-Student, Chanting, Transmission, American, Ordination,...
Apr 11 1971

Awakening Compassion Through Zen Vows

Compassion, Delusion, Realization, Pain
Dec 15 1970

Compassion's Path: Bridging Illusion and Reality

Attachment, Compassion, Hate, difficulty, Suffering, American, Building, Happiness,...
Dec 13 1970

Living the Bodhisattva Path Daily

Vow, Bell, difficulty, Lay, Delusion, Compassion, Evil, Hate
Dec 12 1970

Roots of Zen: Unraveling Delusions

Birth-and-Death, Vow, Silence, Fasting, Anger, Lay, Community, Delusion, Religion,...
Sep 27 1970

Swimming Freely in Compassion's Vastness

Discrimination, Compassion, Meditation, Pain, Delusion
Jul 05 1970

Buddha Is Always Here

Serial: SR-00051

Sandokai Lecture III
Monday, June 1, 1970
Tassajara

[The following lines of the Sandokai are discussed in this lecture:

Line 5 Reigen myoni kokettari...

Branching Streams, Sandokai, Emptiness, Buddha Nature, Suffering, Truth, Compassion,...
Jun 01 1970
Tassajara

Present Moment Zen: Life Force Unveiled

Hate, Building, Happiness, Compassion
Apr 11 1970

Embodied Presence Beyond Understanding

Meditation, Fox, Compassion
Apr 05 1970

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