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24
Introduction
gledeterminingfactor,butthereisalwaysavastinterplayofvariouskarmas
andconditionsinvolved.Acceptingtheresponsibilityforfutureshapingin-
fluencesofouractionsgivesfreedomtoconsciouslyshapeone’slifebyskill-
fulmanagementofthepresentsituation.
Asfarasmethodsareconcerned,Hinayānameditationsinvolveaware
calmingmind(Tib.shyine,Skt.śamatha,intheWesternpsychologyadopt-
edasthepopularMindfulnesspractice),whichisnotonlysupposedtogive
amoreconsciousandmeaningfullife,butforemostlyresultinanon-concep-
tualinsight(Tib.lhaktong,Skt.vipassand)intomind’sselflessnature,which
isfamouslycomparedtoseeingone’sreflectioninacupofcoffeeonceonefi-
nallyhasstoppedstirringit.Everydaylifeofthiskindofpractitionershould
facilitategainingamindfulpeaceofmind,thusoneshouldavoidnegativeac-
tionsandexcitements.Tisapproachismostlyvisiblewithmonksandtoday
alsonunsoftheTeravādaschoolofBuddhismwhichflourishedinSouth-
EastAsia(SriLanka,Tailand,Myanmar,Laos,Cambodia).
Yet,peoplewithrichinnerandsociallives,idealisticallyinterestedin
bringingbenefittothegreatestamountofpeople,mightfindMahāyānaor
GreatWayBuddhismmoreattractive.Hereacompassionatemotivation
(Skt.bodhicitta)ismoreimportantthanmeticulousmaintenanceofrules
oftherightconduct(Skt.pratimoksha).Accordingtotheteachingsofthe
Middle(orratherCenterless)Path(Skt.madhyamaki),itisimportantto
balancethiscompassionwithPerfectionofWisdom(Skt.prajñdpdramitd).
Compassionisnotsomuchperceivedasmercyorpity,butratheraselfless
wishfollowedbyaheroicactivityforthebenefitofothers.Itisdescribedas
TeFourImmesurables(Skt.brahmawihard),whichareexpressedinafa-
mousTibetanprayer:
Mayallsentientbeingshavehappinessanditscauses[love,Skt.maî-
tre]
Mayallsentientbeingsbefreeofsufferinganditscauses[com-
passion,Skt.karuna]
Mayallsentientbeingsneverbeseparatedfromblisswithout
suffering[sympatheticjoy,Skt.mudita]
Mayallsentientbeingsbeinequanimity,freeofbias,attachment
andanger[equanimity,Skt.upeksha].
Inordertopreventsentimentalinefficiency,itisadvisedtobalancecom-
passionwithwisdom(andlikewiseucoldintelligence”withactivecompas-
sion).InBuddhism,wisdomdoesnotdenotemerelyanintellectualknowl-
