When the commitment to justice comes together and coalesces with the spirit of love, what results is conscientious compassion…
Bhikkhu Bodhi
Conscientious Compassion
Topic: Love, Compassion, & Kindness
When the commitment to justice comes together and coalesces with the spirit of love, what results is conscientious compassion—compassion stemming from an assent to the hard demands of justice and from an ardent wish for others to flourish and realize their fullest potential. Conscientious compassion unites the highest moral visions of the great spiritual traditions in a call for transformative action. If we follow the call of conscientious compassion, we can bring into being the kind of world for which we long.
Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, originally from Brooklyn and born as Jeffrey Block, found his calling in the Theravada Buddhist tradition. He moved to Sri Lanka in 1972 to fully immerse himself in monastic life and Buddhist scholarship. There, he focused on translating Pali texts, the original scriptures of Theravada Buddhism. His translations serve a clear purpose: to make these ancient teachings understandable and relevant for people today.
In 2008, he founded Buddhist Global Relief (BGR), turning his attention to pressing global issues like hunger and malnutrition. The Buddha himself said, 'There is no illness like hunger,' emphasizing the deep spiritual value of providing for those in need. Bhikkhu Bodhi took this teaching to heart. BGR doesn't just feed people; it works to address the root causes of hunger, including social injustice and economic inequality.
More recently, Bhikkhu Bodhi joined the Global Compassion Coalition, expanding his efforts to a broader interfaith setting. He is also a spiritual ambassador for Our Voices, a climate action group that involves multiple faith traditions. His work is a reminder that the core Buddhist values of compassion and interconnectedness aren't confined to a single faith or community. Rather, these values are universal, urging us all to take action in the face of suffering and ecological imbalance.
Bodhi, Bhikkhu. "Conscientious Compassion." Global Compassion Coalition, 2023, www.globalcompassioncoalition.org/conscientious-compassion/.
Bhikkhu Bodhi
Theme: Compassion
About This Bhikkhu Bodhi Quote [Commentary]
Bhikkhu Bodhi’s teaching on “conscientious compassion” reveals the deep connection between justice and love. He explains that when these forces “come together and coalesce,” they create a compassion that is not just an emotion but a moral imperative. This is compassion shaped by “the hard demands of justice” and “an ardent wish for others to flourish.” It is not passive sympathy but an active commitment to uplifting others and addressing the conditions that cause suffering.
By uniting justice and compassion, Bhikkhu Bodhi challenges the notion that they exist separately. Without justice, compassion can become sentimental and ineffectual, offering comfort without real change. Without compassion, justice can become rigid and detached. “Conscientious compassion” brings together “the highest moral visions of the great spiritual traditions” and calls for “transformative action” that addresses social, economic, and political realities.
This vision is not theoretical but an invitation to shape “the kind of world for which we long.” Bhikkhu Bodhi reminds us that real compassion demands engagement beyond personal sentiment—it requires action that fosters justice and human flourishing. This is a collective effort, calling for courage, persistence, and an unwavering commitment to the well-being of all.
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