Compassion Beyond Concepts: A Nondual Buddhist View

By Tchiki Davis, M.A., Ph.D.
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Compassion is one of the most celebrated human qualities. Across cultures and traditions, it is upheld as a virtue, an ideal, and a guiding light for how we relate to one another. In Buddhism, compassion—karuṇā—is central to the path of awakening. And yet, when we begin to look deeply through the lens of nonduality, compassion becomes both full and empty. 

It becomes clear that what we call “compassion” is itself a concept, endlessly defined and redefined by causes, conditions, and perspectives. From this recognition, a paradox arises: while compassion naturally flows when we see the interconnectedness of all things, from the ultimate perspective there is no compassion, no non-compassion—just life happening as it must.
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This exploration invites us to step beyond the conventional understanding of compassion into the subtle and liberating view that Buddhism and nondual teachings reveal.

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What Is Compassion?

At the most basic level, compassion is often described as the heartfelt wish to alleviate the suffering of others. In ordinary language, it is understood as kindness, empathy, or care directed toward those in pain. From a Buddhist perspective, compassion (karuṇā) is considered one of the highest qualities of the "awakened heart", often paired with wisdom to guide one’s actions in ways that reduce harm and foster healing.

Compassion Through the Lens of Dependent Origination

At the heart of Buddhist philosophy is pratītyasamutpāda, or dependent origination. This principle teaches that nothing exists in isolation; everything arises in dependence upon causes and conditions. A flower is not just a flower—it is sunlight, rain, soil, air, and countless unseen processes all converging in a moment. In the same way, every thought, action, and emotion is conditioned by an unfathomable web of influences.

When we see this, the very basis of blame begins to dissolve. How could we hold someone solely responsible for their anger, greed, or fear when these are the products of countless prior conditions—genetics, upbringing, societal influences, cultural values, and even yesterday’s weather? Each moment is the result of the moment before, stretching back infinitely. In this sense, the recognition of dependent origination naturally gives rise to compassion. It is not a compassion based on judgment or superiority but one rooted in understanding: given the same causes and conditions, we too would act the same way.
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Yet, this kind of compassion is not a cultivated virtue in the ordinary sense. It is the spontaneous outpouring of insight, an expression of wisdom and the understanding of reality. Once we see the interwoven nature of life, responding with gentleness and compassion feels as natural as breathing.

The Fluid and Relative Nature of Compassion

Still, even as compassion arises, we must acknowledge that “compassion” is a word, a concept, a placeholder for something that cannot be fixed in definition. What one person calls compassionate, another may see as harmful. Imagine offering financial support to a struggling friend. From one perspective, this is kindness; from another, it may foster dependency, preventing them from developing resilience and self-reliance. Which is it—compassion or harm?

The answer depends entirely on perspective. And perspective itself is conditioned by culture, values, personal history, and even momentary mood. Compassion is therefore never an absolute quality but a shifting interpretation. In this way, compassion as a concept becomes slippery, unreliable, and ultimately empty.
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Buddhism teaches the emptiness (śūnyatā) of all phenomena—that nothing possesses inherent, fixed existence. Compassion, too, is empty. It cannot be pinned down, defined once and for all, or guaranteed to have a particular effect. This recognition can feel unsettling at first, as though it undermines our highest ideals. But in truth, it is liberating. It frees us from clinging to rigid notions of what compassion—or any action—should look like and invites us to meet life with open curiosity.

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Beyond Compassion and Non-Compassion

From a nondual perspective, the paradox deepens further. Nonduality points to the reality that all distinctions—self and other, good and bad, compassion and cruelty—are conceptual overlays on a seamless whole. In the immediacy of experience, life is simply happening. To say “this is compassion” or “this is not compassion” is to impose a judgment after the fact. It's a thought, a label, a concept that is not ultimately real.

If all arises from causes and conditions, then whatever occurs could not have been otherwise. A harsh word, a gentle act, a moment of silence—all emerge from the same flow of life. From this view, compassion and non-compassion are equally part of the unfolding. There is no separate agent making a choice to be compassionate or not; there is only the arising of phenomena, interdependent and ungraspable.
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This is not to suggest indifference or nihilism. Rather, it is a call to release our fixation on labels and allow life to reveal itself without constant categorization. When we stop trying to decide whether something “counts” as compassion, we discover a deeper openness. We see that every moment—whether tender or fierce, soothing or challenging—is part of the great mystery of being.

The Uncertainty of Compassion

Another layer of complexity arises when we consider the unpredictable consequences of our actions. What we intend as compassionate may lead to harm; what seems harsh may bring about profound healing. A teacher who challenges a student firmly may seem unkind in the moment, yet this challenge could awaken resilience or insight that soft indulgence never would. Conversely, offering comfort and support might inadvertently foster dependency or avoidance.

From the relative perspective, we do our best, guided by wisdom, empathy, and care. From the ultimate perspective, however, we recognize that we can never fully know the ripple effects of our actions. Life’s web is too vast, too intricate, for the human mind to comprehend. What then is compassion? It cannot be reduced to an action, an outcome, or an intention. It is always relative, contextual, and interpretive.
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This recognition softens the grip of certainty. Instead of clinging to the idea that we must always act compassionately, we begin to rest in not-knowing. From this place, a more authentic responsiveness arises—not bound to the concept of compassion, but attuned to the living moment.

The Non-Conceptual View of Compassion

At the deepest level, nondual teachings invite us to see that all concepts—including compassion—are creations of the mind. They divide reality into categories, attempting to carve the seamless whole into manageable pieces. Yet, in truth, no such boundaries exist.

When we rest in the everythingness prior to concepts, we see life as it is: dynamic, ever-changing, beyond naming. Here, compassion is neither affirmed nor denied; it simply has no meaning. What remains is a profound intimacy with life itself, an openness that allows whatever is arising to be fully seen, felt, and honored.
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From this non-conceptual view, what we call compassion may still manifest in our actions—in fact it is more likely to. We may naturally respond with kindness, generosity, or care. But these are no longer acts of “being compassionate” in the sense of fulfilling an ideal. They are simply the play of life, arising from conditions, flowing into conditions, without ownership or self-consciousness.

Compassion: Normal View vs. Nondual View

Aspect	Normal View of Compassion	Nondual View of Compassion
Definition	Compassion is kindness or care toward those who suffer.	Compassion is a concept, empty of fixed meaning—just another label applied to life’s unfolding.
Source	An individual chooses to be compassionate through effort and intention.	Compassion arises naturally when blame dissolves in seeing dependent origination; no one “chooses” it.
Blame	Compassion means forgiving others for their mistakes while still holding them responsible.	Blame loses meaning, as all actions are conditioned; compassion flows as recognition of interdependence.
Outcome	Acts of compassion are expected to reduce suffering and create positive results.	Outcomes cannot be known—what seems compassionate may cause harm, and what seems harsh may liberate.
Identity	Compassion strengthens the sense of being a “good person” or helper.	No separate self performs compassion; it is simply life moving as it must.
Ultimate View	Compassion is a moral virtue to cultivate and express.	Compassion and non-compassion dissolve; all is inseparable flow, beyond labels.

Living Compassion Without Grasping It

How then do we live in this paradox—where compassion both arises naturally and yet dissolves into emptiness? The answer lies in holding both perspectives at once. On the relative level, compassion is deeply valuable. It guides us toward empathy, care, and connection. It supports healing and eases suffering. On the ultimate level, compassion is empty, conceptual, and inseparable from all other phenomena.

Buddhism often describes this as the union of wisdom and compassion. Wisdom sees emptiness, the lack of inherent existence in all things. Compassion responds to suffering with care. Together, they form a dynamic dance—wisdom preventing compassion from becoming rigid or self-righteous, compassion preventing wisdom from collapsing into cold detachment.
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In this sense, compassion becomes not a fixed ideal but a living expression of awakened awareness. It moves as needed, unbound by concepts, guided by the immediacy of conditions.

Compassion as a Mirror

Finally, it is worth noting that compassion often tells us more about ourselves than about the act itself. When we judge an action as compassionate, we are revealing our own values, conditioning, and perspective. When we accuse something of being unkind, we are exposing our own preferences and expectations.
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In this way, compassion is a mirror. It reflects the mind that perceives it. Seeing this, we begin to loosen our hold on the word itself and turn our attention inward. What arises in us when we encounter suffering? How does our own conditioning shape what we call compassion? Can we allow these responses to be seen without judgment, simply as part of the unfolding?

Final Thoughts on Compassion

Compassion is both essential and empty, both a guiding light and a fleeting concept. Through the lens of dependent origination, we see how compassion arises naturally once blame dissolves in the recognition of causes and conditions. Through the lens of nonduality, we see how compassion cannot ultimately be grasped, defined, or separated from its opposite.

In the end, compassion is not something to hold or achieve. It is a concept pointing toward a reality that transcends concepts. To cling to compassion is to miss the openness it points to. To release it is to discover a spaciousness in which all of life—gentle and fierce, kind and unkind—belongs. And perhaps that is the deepest compassion of all: the willingness to let life be exactly as it is, without needing it to conform to our ideals.

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