The thesis explores the ideal of compassion in Mahayana Buddhism and its role in overcoming the consequences of karma. Through an analysis of the fundamental concepts of early Buddhism and their development within the Mahayana tradition, it demonstrates how a compassionate state of mind represents a key response to the fear of negative karmic outcomes. The analysis is based on a comparison between the ethical teachings of early Buddhism and those of Mahayana Buddhism, which places compassion at the center of its value system. With the doctrine of emptiness, Mahayana Buddhism transcended the dualistic distinction between one's own and others’ suffering, and formulated the ideal of the bodhisattva – an awakened being who dedicates their enlightenment to compassionate action for all sentient beings. The interpretation of Shantideva’s The Way of the Bodhisattva illustrates, through a concrete example, how the ideal of compassion is actualized through the transformation of the mind. The final insight of the thesis is that compassionate actions are not merely a strategy to improve one’s personal karma, but the natural consequence of an awakened mind that has overcome the illusion of separateness between self and others.
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