PROJECT

KARUNA
Part 2 of 4 Brahma Viharas, Immeasurables
 FOUR
IMMEASURABLES
Loving-Kindness Compassion
Wishing all to be happy! Wishing all to be free
Not selfish affection from suffering!
Not empathy, not pity.
Caring without attachment

Appreciative Joy Equanimity

Happy that you are happy! Balanced mind, not
Not party-high happy. avoiding, not clinging.
Not indifference.
COMPASSION (KARUNA)
 Definition: Not only wishing others and oneself to be free
from suffering, act to help in that direction.
 Example: Giving donation to help disaster victims, going
vegan.
 Near enemy: Pity, a separation from you and other’s
suffering, “Oh you poor thing”, Condescension
 Far enemy: Cruelty, e.g. Bullying, cyberbullying
EMPATHY VS COMPASSION VS
PITY

Compassion: Pity: Too far, don’t

Empathy: Feel the Understanding and care, conceit in
suffering with others, Helping. A middle way
between crippled by being better off.
too crippling
feeling and not caring.
  Is it right to bully
back the bully?
 Comment on the
issue, not the person.
 Apply compassion
for all sides.

KARUNA AS OPPOSITE OF
CRUELTY E.G. BULLYING
HOW TO PRACTICE KARUNA
 Practice Metta first!
 When meeting suffering, karuna can come about naturally.
 Don’t get exposed to too many negative stuffs which you
cannot do anything about.
 Always help whenever you can, let go if you cannot.
 Don’t (cyber)bully, not even towards bullies.
 Go vegan! Or at least flexitarian.
 Feel your body, be kind to yourself, not cruel.
A SONG FOR COMPASSIONATE EATING!
 VEGAN FOR COMPASSION
 Vegans= No animal products, no meat, no seafood, no milk, no honey, no
eggs of any animals.
 Motivation:
1. For compassion: animals have to undergo suffering to produce these stuffs.
a. Meat: Every day hundreds of millions of animals breed to be killed relatively young, like their
baby age.
b. Milk: Cows have to be raped to be pregnant all the time, baby cows killed to steal the milk
c. Eggs: Male chicks killed after hatching as they are useless
2. For environment: A lot of greenhouse gas released via animal agriculture (more
than all transportation systems). Saving environment is compassion for humans
and animals.
3. For health: Vegans are healthier, less risk of diseases, lower medical costs, look
younger. How old do I look? Guess my biological age. This is compassion for
self.
BEING KIND TO YOURSELF,
SELF KARUNA
 “I’m not vegan, I am so evil.” forcing yourself to do
something beyond your capabilities is being cruel to yourself.
 I accept you just as you are. The door of my heart is open to
you.-Ajahn Brahm
 Loving what is.-Bryon Katie
 Develop compassion for yourself and others, use wisdom to
balance.
 As your compassion grows, your diet will change to more
vegan too!
PROJECT KARUNA
 Project Vegan for a week!
 All meals for that week, make it vegan, or at least one meal
per day a vegan meal (then make that 3 weeks!)
 Snap pictures of your vegan meal,
 Put it on Facebook/Instagram/social media!
 Promote delicious and healthy vegan meal.
 Apps like Happy cow to find vegan restaurant!
 Feel free to continue being vegan if you feel it’s ok for you!
EXAMPLE

 Vegetarian Hor Fun! So yummy!