Okay, so what is the difference between metta and compassion?
Simple question.
It does have a simple answer.
I think people are not so clear on the difference between these two.
Not realizing that they are actually different sides of the same coin.
And there is quite a bit of, there is some sense of overlap, but
They are opposites.
They are opposite sides of the same coin.
So, Meta, which we translate as actually friendliness.
Meta comes from the word Mita.
Mita and then you strengthen the I and it becomes an E and so you get Meta.
Mita means friend, Meta means friendliness.
What it refers to is the intention, the mind state which is intent upon
bringing happiness to other beings, or not exactly bringing happiness, intent upon a wish or a desire or an inclination, because it doesn't have anything to do with desire or attachment, not necessarily, but an inclination
that beings should be happy.
So you have a being who is in a neutral state, it is the wish, the volition, the mindset that that person or people or that all beings should be happy.
So it's a positive one.
Compassion, karuna, which we translate as compassion, is the opposite.
You have a neutral person,
and you wish for them not to fall into suffering.
May this person be free from suffering or conversely you have a person who is in suffering and the wish for them to be free from suffering.
The intention, the mindset that
that beings should be free from suffering.
So it doesn't actually require you to do anything.
Neither one of these actually requires actions.
It's these mindsets that will inform your actions.
So as a result of a desire for beings to be happy, or a mindset that is good for beings, that you wish for beings to be happy, may beings be happy.
As a result, you will then act in such... you'll act accordingly.
So you'll do things to bring happiness and peace and freedom from... or happiness and peace to people.
Now, compassion
When you have this mindset, it will inform your actions in such a way that you work to relieve suffering.
When someone is in pain, you will immediately act to try to free them from that.
When they're in mental anguish or despair, you'll incline towards freeing them from that.
The problem is that in the end it all comes down to the same thing, that true happiness is freedom from suffering.
They're one and the same.
But the
the feeling in one's mind is different.
So when one has love for beings, has friendliness, it's a wish, it's a positive wish.
When one has compassion, it's a wish to take away, it's a wish to take away someone's suffering.
But they're kind of two sides of the same coin.
And so it's an interesting question.
But I think it's a clear answer that compassion is desire to take away suffering, friendliness or metta is desire to bestow happiness.