The Compassionate Buddhist: A Preliminary Reflection on the Buddhist Concept of Karuna and Its Implications

In my work, I attempted to highlight how the Buddhist value of Karuna is needed for true development. I was able to do this through a literature review of the Buddhist concept of Karuna and how it influences current movements within Buddhist social engagements. I concluded that Buddhist social participation, rooted in Karuna, truly addresses the needs of people and that this is needed for true development. To arrive at this conclusion, I first examined the definition of Karuna. Following that, a discussion on the ways that Karuna influences Buddhist action, Karuna’s importance, and some examples of it in the Boddhisattva’s lives was highlighted. To further the discussion, I also explored what social participation or engagement means in the context of Buddhism in general and how the Buddhist becomes socially participative. All these discussions would boil down to the discussion on Karuna as a root of Buddhist social participation and some contemporary examples of Buddhist social participation and engagement as inspired by Karuna.