Compassion Manifesting in Skillful Means

Abstract

Contemporary philosophers and scientists have been taking greater interest in compassion and skillful means, investigating them and devising programs to teach them. In light of the increase in violent actions and harsh and divisive speech in society today, these topics are of crucial importance. Buddhism has an abundance of teachings on compassion, skillful means, and methods to cultivate them. These “teachings from the East” can complement and enhance the Western approach to these topics. The Mind and Life Institute has contributed to this, as have the programs suggested and endorsed by the Dalai Lama—Social, Emotional, and Ethical Learning at Emory University and the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford University, among others. Having trained as a monastic in the Tibetan Buddhism tradition since 1977, I write from within the Buddhist tradition, sharing knowledge from source material in India and Tibet and oral teachings and explanations of Tibetan teachers. My emphasis is on clearly defining what compassion is and is not and on explaining a method to cultivate and practice compassion as taught in the Indo-Tibetan Buddhist tradition. I make recommendations on how to adapt traditional Buddhist training in a secular compassion training context.