Generosity and Compassion Towards Others

By Parveen Jain

Compassion and generosity go hand in hand. Compassion causes a feeling of self-distress upon encountering someone else who is hurt or in distress, and generosity is the desire to alleviate others’ distress. We are predisposed to both compassion and generosity, but our own selfish and adverse tendencies obstruct them. 

Compassion stems from sentiments of love, kindness, and peace toward all living beings and nonliving entities and manifests into the similar feelings. It is an expression of nonviolence (ahiṁsā) because without compassion, or with a deficiency of compassion, it is difficult to comply with nonviolence. Those with awakened and firm sentiments of compassion do not intend, and are incapable of, hurting others. Therefore, Jains believe that it is an honorable duty to have friendship and compassion toward all living beings.

Generosity includes a willingness to provide help to those who are in need. Generosity is so important in Jain philosophy that it is embedded in puṇya, which is a category of the fundamental truth (tattva). Generosity arises from compassion and manifests in acts of charity. It is an expression of magnanimity and becomes auspicious when done with feelings such as humility, with no desire for personal gain or any derived benefit.

For more information, please see chapters 6 and 12 in An Introduction to Jain Philosophy.