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Karuna

World Religion
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Compassion in Buddhism—the heartfelt wish to alleviate the suffering of others.

Detailed Definition
Karuna arises from seeing the universality of pain and is central to the bodhisattva ideal. In poetry, it is often depicted as a mother’s love for her child or rain falling equally on all. Poets evoke karuna to inspire action, not just feeling, framing it as the dynamic force that moves the awakened heart to serve a suffering world.
Example
Example in poetry:
In a Mahāyāna poem, karuṇā is “the rain that falls equally on friend and foe”; A modern verse defines it as “compassion that acts—not just feels”; A minimalist lyric: “Karuṇā: seeing your pain as my own, and doing something”; A Tibetan-inspired poem calls Avalokiteśvara “the embodiment of karuṇā—tears turned to lotuses”; A student’s reflection: “I thought empathy was enough—karuṇā taught me to move.”
Additional Notes
In Buddhism, Karuna is not merely pity but an active, empathetic compassion that motivates one to take action to relieve the suffering of others. It is the second of the Four Immeasurables (Brahmaviharas) and is considered essential for the path of the Bodhisattva, who vows to liberate all beings. In poetry, Karuna can be a powerful theme, exploring the depth of human empathy and the desire to alleviate pain in the world, contrasting with themes of indifference or cruelty.
Also Known As
Compassion
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