A Dialogical Study of the Buddhist Concept of Compassion and the Confucian Concept of Benevolence

Miaohong Shi; Fachan Shi; Qingyuan Shi; Nengcheng Shi

doi:10.62177/apbs.v1i2.1497

Authors

Miaohong Shi Lingyan Mountain Branch of the Chinese Buddhist Academy
Fachan Shi Lingyan Mountain Branch of the Chinese Buddhist Academy
Qingyuan Shi Lingyan Mountain Branch of the Chinese Buddhist Academy
Nengcheng Shi Lingyan Mountain Branch of the Chinese Buddhist Academy

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62177/apbs.v1i2.1497

Keywords:

Buddhist Compassion, Confucian Benevolence, Ethical Dialogue, Unconditional Great Compassion, Master Yuanying, Dialogical Ethics

Abstract

This paper conducts a comparative and dialogical study of "compassion" in Buddhism and "benevolence" in Confucianism as two core ethical categories. Building upon an examination of compassion's grounding in the theory of dependent origination and its hierarchical structure of the four immeasurables, as well as benevolence's grounding in the theory of mind-nature and its schema of graded extension from "loving kin" to "loving people" to "loving things," the paper analyzes the similarities and differences between the two from three dimensions: theoretical foundations, modes of practice, and orientations toward the world. By juxtaposing Zhang Zai's "all people are my brothers and all things my companions" in the Ximing with the Mahayana notion of "unconditional great compassion," the paper critically reflects upon the reductive dichotomy that categorizes benevolence as merely "graded love" and compassion as simply "equal love." Finally, taking Master Yuanying's "harmonization of Buddhism and Confucianism" as a modern paradigm, the paper reveals the synergistic value of compassion and benevolence in contemporary philanthropic practice and the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.

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