Karunā Bhāvanā

Karunā is the compassion towards others when seeing them suffer physically and mentally. We who live in the human world suffer from one or another form of affliction every moment; physically and mentally people suffer due to sickness, natural disasters etc. One may practice karunā ceto vimutti (compassion based mental-emancipation) either as mahaggata (great) or as appamāna (infinite) by following the same approach as explained under mettā and muditā meditation. One may develop the ability to eradicate taints through practicing insight within karunā ceto vimutti. Karunā meditation is developed contemplating as follows:

 

1. May I be free from physical suffering; may I be free from mental suffering; may I be physically healthy; may I be mentally healthy, and may I live happily. 

1. As I wish for myself… (Apply the same pattern as mentioned in the mettā meditation) may all beings be free from physical suffering; may they be free from mental suffering; may they be healthy, physically and mentally; and may they live happily.

 

In the same way as we have discussed for mettā & muditā meditations, karunā meditation can be developed as mahaggata (great) and appamāna (infinite) following the same approach.