Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer argues that the Buddhist commitment to compassion does not make sense given Buddhist non-self doctrine and offers in its place the doctrine of non compassion. To accomplish this, the writer first gives a brief overview of what the doctrine of non self is and how it is arrived at. Then the writer shows how the doctrine of non self and suffering interact and the practical consequences resulting from this. Next, the writer gives an account of what Buddhist compassion must be, based on this interaction. Finally, the writer argues that this new characterization is not truly compassion as conventionally considered, although the practical consequences resulting from accepting the non-self doctrine may look outwardly like compassion.

From the Paper:

"For instance, take the famous analogy of the chariot found in The Questions of King Melinda. What constitutes the chariot as a chariot? Is it the chariot's parts? Obviously, the parts alone are not the chariot. Could the chariot be all the parts together? No, the parts can be arranged in any such way. Could the chariot exist without its parts? This cannot be the case either. What about the chariot's form? No, Buddhists consider form as just being another part of the chariot. And, so we see that the chariot exists only in light of our conception of it. We give an aggregate of phenomena that we experience a name. In the same way, this is how the idea of a self comes to be.
"The preceding has come to be known as the doctrine of non self. According to the Buddhists, clinging to the concept of a self is probably the most important obstacle when it comes to eliminating suffering in the world. A person who clings to a self is very likely to cling to the ideas, feelings, perceptions, thoughts, and etc. that he considers to be his own. This person posits a fundamental distinction between himself and the world, himself and others."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bodhi, Bhikkhu. 2005. In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon. Somerville, Massachusetts: Wisdom Publications.
• Mendis, N.K.G. 2007. The Questions of King Melinda: An Abridgment of The Milindapanha. Kandy, Sri Lanka: Buddhist Publication Society.

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