Karuna and maha-karuna
(71m)
Lukas: We're grateful to the Buddha because he discovered that it's from sutamayapañña to cintamayapañña that takes to bhavanamayapañña, so this is the Buddha's because there is no other way, I think.
A. Sujin: And this is the only way to know him, to respect him, to be savaka Buddha. And for those who understand him, they can understand how great wisdom he attained.
L. And this is called faith.
Su. I think that the understanding is the most important thing because the Buddha's greatest virtue is wisdom, right understanding, and great compassion, to anyone, no matter in which world, in every world, even for beings in deva and brahma world.
L. But I don't understand, to have compassion, great compassion, for the world.
Su. Without compassion, would you like anyone to understand the truth?
L. Yes, but for me compassion is if you cannot help somebody else, then I feel compassion.
Su. Even you help them in many ways, everywhere, but they won't have understanding.
L. That's why I have compassion for them, because I can't help them, that's what I understand for compassion.
Su. Okay, compassion for what?
L. But why did the Buddha have such a great compassion? I don't understand that.
Su. Because of his great wisdom, he sees that everyone is in darkness, no light of right understanding at all.
L. But I think that faith is more important than compassion, this is my own experience.
Su. What is compassion?
L. There is compassion if I cannot help someone else.
Su. For whom?
L. From me to them.
Su. From you to them?
L. Yes, right.
Su. Why is there compassion at that moment?
L. Because I've been taught like that, Buddha had compassion, I also need to have compassion.
Su. That is faith, not understanding, and I'm talking about understanding, not faith, just being told to have compassion. It's not like that, but to understand what compassion is. Is compassion me or is compassion dhamma?
L. Compassion is a dhamma, but I think that faith is more important than karuna.
Su. That's why you have to understand what is compassion, or karuna.
L. When you see others and you cannot help them.
Su. Do you think that you know because the other person tells you? Just to know, or you consider what he said, whether it's true or not, and what he said is not just being told that it is karuna.
L. I know it's karuna from the Tipitaka...
Su. No no no, it's not from anything, you can say Tipitaka, but it depends on one's own understanding at moment of reading Tipitaka, but what about one's understanding about the words of the Buddha?
L. Okay, from my own understanding karuna is when you cannot help others, that's why I feel compassion, that's from my own experience.
Su. So karuna is a reality, right?
L. Yes, from Tipitaka I know it's a reality.
Su. From your understanding of the words of truth, not just thinking that it's there in Tipitaka, but from the words of truth that you consider and you know if it's true or not. So, is karuna a reality?
L. Yes, it is.
Su. Is it a khandha?
L. Yes, is it sankhara khandha.
Su. Is it sankhara in paticca samuppada?
L. Yes, the second.
Su. No, karuna can not be sankhara by way of paticca samuppada, we just follow the words we've heard very briefly, and what about the others in the many books of the Teachings? We have to understand each one, so that it conforms with any word in the Tipitaka, because it's the word of truth, exactly, completely, absolutely. It cannot be changed at all. To have confidence of the truth is to understand it as not self. So can karuna be sankhara by way of paticca samuppada?
L. I'm not sure, Tan Ajahn.
Su. Because there's not enough considering to understand each reality as it is. That's why the Buddha taught by way of khandha, to help one's understanding to be firm enough, not to change, that it has to be such, because he helped the others by talking in different manners, different aspects, for each different accumulation. But just one word is not enough, for example, if you tell everyone that "it's dhamma, it's dhamma", who knows what dhamma is that, and what is meant by dhamma? That's not enough. That's why we learn to understand this, when one knows why there are so many words like khanda, ayatana, dhamma, dhatu and so on: to show that it cannot be changed at all, it has to be such. That's why karuna is a reality, right?
L. Yes it is.
Su. What kind of reality is it?
L. Sankhara khanda.
Su. Okay, can it be vedana khandha?
L. No it cannot be vedana.
Su. Because it's there in Tipitaka or because you understand that it cannot be, because it is not vedana cetasika? You just follow the word in the book, because the word is the same, but different understanding, different level of thinking, different level of reflecting on it. That's why it's not enough, never enough to understand the truth that actually it's just a reality which is conditioned to arise and falls away instantly, and so very close, but they are not the same. Like chanda and lobha, never the same, only the Buddha can tell the difference between phassa and vitakka, and so on, each one.
That's why it's not just the word in the book, but the words of the truth in the book condition the person who has read it, reflecting on it, wise considering and so on, to really understand that: that cannot be taken for anything else, it has to be only that, just arising and falling, how can that be I? It just leads to the understanding of no self, little by little, this is the point. Why do we want to understand that it is not self? Because it's so true! it depends on the person whether he just has been born and no interest in understanding the truth at all, or after hearing what the truth is, that person has chanda, interest to understand, not yet to have less attachment to rupa khandha, vedana khandha and so on, but to understand the truth that it has to be that way, no self, no matter what is there at all, no matter it is karuna, compassion, it's not I.
But there must be more understanding of it, enough to let go of the idea of "I" have compassion to such and such person. And one has to understand, not just to follow or be told, or have faith in it, it's not that, the understanding is the most important, the best of all sankhara dhamma is pañña, right understanding. We learn little by little to understand it. What is it, karuna? It's a reality, different from metta, and what is metta? Until it's so clear in one's mind, to lead to no-me, not me at all, only a reality, and each reality is different, not the same at all. That's why no self, no thing at all, no matter it is any kind of citta or cetasika. So now, the point you are thinking about is compassion, right now?
L. Yes, karuna.
Su. Okay, if you see someone with lots of fame and wealth, who is so beautiful, who has everything in life, do you have karuna for him or her?
L. No, more likely I would have issa :)
Su. Did the Buddha have karuna for them? For those people who had everything? In order to understand karuna better, we can talk about any situation and anything, to see whether there is real understanding of that aspect. Did the Buddha have karuna for them?
L. Yes, I think so.
Su. Because no matter how wealthy, how beautiful and so on and so forth, ignorance is there, not understanding the truth. That is the maha-karuna for anyone in the world who still has ignorance. The king, the queen and anyone with great importance or wealth and so on, good things, yet the Buddha had maha-karuna for king Bimbisara. Because they still do not have understanding of the truth of samsara. That's why this is the characteristic of karuna, but for us, as much as we can have, it's only for things, but what about understanding. If we have karuna we can be patient enough to help them to understand, because it's so very very valuable or very very precious in samsara. It's the seed of understanding to let go of the idea of self because actually no one at all, only that which is conditioned to arise and fall away. If anyone understands that they'd like to share with the others, why not? because it's so very precious from what we got from the teachings of the Buddha, the enlightened one, the most respected one. That's why we do not keep it for ourselves, because of karuna, is that right? So karuna can be things given to anyone, or dhamma, understanding, what is the best, what is better? So now, is it clear about karuna, its different degrees?
L. That's why I speak to my mom.
Su. Nicely?
L. Why not, what can I do?
Su. You can be that at that very moment. No one likes to be angry, but it's conditioned. When there is more understanding, more karuna, right?
L. Yes, right.
Su. Understanding brings more and more wholesome moments, right? Conditions for better and better wholesomeness, kusala. Without it, can there be karuna now? And when you see someone killing, no karuna at all. Stealing, no karuna, no metta either.
L. Yeah, but I'm gonna change that, maybe in the future. I can't feel karuna now.
Su. That's why it's so very difficult to go against akusala in a day, it's all around, this kind or that kind, all the time, that's why understanding is the best because reality cannot be controlled, it's conditioned to arise, just to be that, not other at all. That's why understanding reality clearly is the best thing, because we might think that we understand enough but actually not at all, as long as that which is now appearing is only that which has impinged on the eye-base, it cannot be anything together as something at all. Very very short, very very tiny, so how can it be any one or any thing. It can be broken up into the tiniest piece, atom or item, depending on what word you use, but the word just leads to the understanding, no matter in what language.
L. Thank you Tan Ajahn, you're so right, I will keep in my heart what you've told me.
Su. I appreciate your understanding and your kusala and please bring up anything that you would like to talk about and to understand, it's so very helpful for everyone.