Karuna करुणा (Sanskrit) means compassion.
Unfortunately, an increasingly watered-down term, comparable to Mindfulness. More and more people are talking and writing about it, but not practising it. With far-reaching consequences for ourselves and our society.
How can the development of compassion heal us personally and universally?
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Two years on, the coronavirus pandemic is still dominating events around the world. In the debate in Germany about a general or partial vaccination obligation, supporters and opponents are currently bitterly opposed. Each group argues with its own figures, data and „facts“ - sometimes more, sometimes less comprehensible. But always more aggressive and less empathetic. My Body, mine Freedom, me me me.
The healthy centre remains largely invisible. One thing is clear: only in retrospect will we know which medical and political decisions were beneficial and detrimental.
It is particularly sad that even in holistic medicine circles - including the Ayurveda scene - people are increasingly fighting for extreme positions. This is sometimes in stark contrast to the values we actually stand for. A central one of these is Compassion.
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What is compassion?
In Buddhism, our compassion is one of the four boundless, immeasurable attitudes of mind that we should train every day like muscles in order to gain deep realisation of our true nature and be useful to others. Loving kindness, (compassionate) joy and equanimity are the other three attitudes that bring us closer to this goal in life.
In the ancient scriptures of Ayurveda, compassion for all suffering beings is called the Ayurveda is seen as the fundamental motivation that brought the „knowledge of a long and healthy life“ to light. Ayurveda serves not only personal health and individual well-being, but also a healthy society on a healthy planet in harmony with the laws of nature, far beyond one's own lifespan.
Compassion is therefore much more than just a few warm words. It is a deep state of mind coupled with the urge to be useful to others. Without anything in return, without taking advantage. It is the donation from an empty account that remains secret and is not used publicly for your own branding and marketing. It is the benevolent call to people seeking help, even if their attitude differs from ours.
There have always been countless opportunities to train our own compassion: Poverty, hunger, epidemics, wars, natural disasters and refugee flows are just some of them. When we empathise intensely with the suffering of others, a deep desire to help and act arises.
However, these global events are often too far removed from our reality. Corona has changed that: we are experiencing health, social and economic suffering within our own four walls or in our immediate vicinity. We all have one thing in common: we want an end to this suffering. But the ways to get there differ.
Why do we find it so difficult to empathise with and accept different attitudes and actions? Because we make far too little effort to understand the concerns and needs of others!
Instead, we give free rein to our ego-centredness - which is not good for me, it is simply wrong. The real problem does not lie in seemingly wrong decisions, but in precisely this egocentricity, which gives rise to attachment and aversion.
Some experts cite alexithymia, which describes the inability to read and express emotions. Over 10% are said to be affected by this emotional blindness in Germany, and the trend is rising. However, this „diagnosis“ is not a final judgement, but rather a snapshot. Just as a dyslexic person learns to read and write in a coordinated way through practice, „emotional blindness“ can develop warmth.
From a psychological point of view, compassion is more than a change of perspective in which we imagine the circumstances of others in a thought process. Rather, it is emotionally based and can already be found in parental care. Compassion involves, on the one hand, approaching suffering with commitment and understanding it - and, on the other hand, trying to alleviate and prevent suffering with courage and dedication. In thought, word and deed.
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Compassion is an expression of sattva.
Sattva balances our mind and activates our inherent abilities of discernment, determination and memory.
Ayurveda explains in a unique way how health arises from a sattvic state of mind:
When sattva dominates our mind, we make beneficial choices for our lifestyle and diet. These in turn are the basis for balancing the five elements and three forces (Vata, Pitta, Kapha) in our body. In the sattvic state, we no longer have to follow Ayurvedic rules and health plans, we feel attracted to healthy living. Without compulsion, without pressure, completely naturally.
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Compassion leads us directly to Svastha!
Svastha is the ultimate goal in Ayurveda: holistic health of body, senses and mind with deep realisation and resting in the Self.
A holistic Ayurveda prescription does not only include recommendations on diet, lifestyle, medicine or treatment measures. It integrates the enhancement of our ethical and moral integrity.
25 years ago, I was sitting in my teacher's Ayurvedic consulting room in northern India. A terminally ill man asked if there was any hope for him. My teacher's answer: „Go into the forest and feed the starving monkeys there.“
What can you do today to increase your compassion?
