What is Compassion?
Dicitionary Definition of Compassion:
A feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.
Psychologist View of Compassion:
"The definition of compassion is the ability to understand the emotional state of another person or oneself. Often confused with empathy, compassion has the added element of having a desire to alleviate or reduce the suffering of another. Compassion can lead to empathy."
-Beverly Engel
-Beverly Engel
Compassion According to Buddhism:
"Compassion is made up of two words. 'co' meaning together and 'passion' meaning a strong feeling. When we see someone is in distress and we feel their pain as if it were our own, and strive to eliminate or lessen their pain, then this is compassion. So all the best in human beings, like sharing, readiness to give comfort, sympathy, concern and caring - all are manifestations of compassion. You will notice also that in the compassionate person, care and love towards others has its origins in care and love for oneself.”
-Ven S. Dhammika
"What is compassion? It is not simply a sense of sympathy or caring for the person suffering, not simply a warmth of heart toward the person before you, or a sharp clarity of recognition of their needs and pain, it is also a sustained and practical determination to do whatever is possible and necessary to help alleviate their suffering."
-Sogyal Rinpoche
-Ven S. Dhammika
"What is compassion? It is not simply a sense of sympathy or caring for the person suffering, not simply a warmth of heart toward the person before you, or a sharp clarity of recognition of their needs and pain, it is also a sustained and practical determination to do whatever is possible and necessary to help alleviate their suffering."
-Sogyal Rinpoche
Thesaurus:
Synonyms
all heart, being big, benevolent, bleeding heart, charitable, commiserative, forbearing, going easy on, humane, humanitarian, indulgent, kindhearted, kindly, lenient, living with, merciful, old softie, piteous, pitying, responsive, soft shell, softhearted, sparing, sympathetic, tender, tenderhearted, understanding, warm, warmhearted
Antomyms:
cruel, hard, harsh, hateful, indifferent, mean, merciless, tyrannous
all heart, being big, benevolent, bleeding heart, charitable, commiserative, forbearing, going easy on, humane, humanitarian, indulgent, kindhearted, kindly, lenient, living with, merciful, old softie, piteous, pitying, responsive, soft shell, softhearted, sparing, sympathetic, tender, tenderhearted, understanding, warm, warmhearted
Antomyms:
cruel, hard, harsh, hateful, indifferent, mean, merciless, tyrannous