If this practice surfaces thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please reach out before continuing.
US: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text 24/7) · Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 · UK: 116 123 Samaritans · AU: 13 11 14 Lifeline · International: findahelpline.com. This practice is a complement to clinical care, not a substitute.
Quick Answer
Karuṇā Bhāvanā is the Theravāda compassion practice, the second of the four brahmavihāras. Drawn from Buddhaghosa's Visuddhimagga IX.77-96 and Salzberg's Lovingkindness (1995), the practice offers compassion to the self first, then to those who suffer. Sit with what hurts.
Tradition and source
Tradition
Theravada Buddhist, the second brahmavihāra
Classical source
Visuddhimagga IX.77 to 96 (Buddhaghosa, 5th c. CE)
Modern source
Sharon Salzberg, Lovingkindness (1995), ch. 7
What this practice does
Karuṇā is mettā's sibling, same posture, same phrases, different target. Where mettā is unconditional friendliness, karuṇā is the trembling of the heart in response to suffering. The Dalai Lama's modern teaching makes this explicit. Self first, always. You cannot pour from an empty vessel; this is not a metaphor.
How to practice
The instructions below run 15 to 25 minutes. Read through all the steps before you begin. The practice is not the goal; you are.
Settle into a posture you can keep. This practice is somatic as well as contemplative, so let the body be part of it rather than furniture for it.
Offer compassion to yourself first: may I be free from suffering, may I be held in compassion, may I be gentle with what hurts, may I know I am not alone.
Bring to mind someone you know is suffering. Offer the same phrases for them.
Bring to mind a wider circle, your community, your country, the world.
Close by holding all beings who suffer in this moment.
What to notice, and when to stop
Best for which inner weather
According to Aria's comparative-traditions framework, this practice is the matched prescription for the following inner weathers. Tap any to read the full weather prescription.
Take the 12-question Inner Weather Reading → to find your dominant weather today.
Difficulty and duration
Duration
15 to 25 minutes
Difficulty
beginner
Category
Loving-Kindness (Brahmavihārā)
Crystal companion
In Crystal Cassandra's work, certain stones are the somatic companion to certain practices. The pairing is not magical; it is a steady weight in the palm that becomes part of the noticing.
Apache Tear
Apache Tear is the stone the modern Western crystal canon names for grief work, its semi-translucent obsidian carries the symbolic resonance of held tears. Many practitioners hold it during karuṇā practice. The classical pairing makes it the strongest cross-sell for the Heavy Rain.
Related practices
These practices complement Karuṇā Bhāvanā (Compassion Practice), same category, or matched to overlapping inner weathers.
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Explore More Tools
Mindfulness Practice Library
Return to the full 25-practice library, organised by category and tradition.
Open →Inner Weather Reading
Aria's 12-question assessment, surfaces the inner weather you are in today and the matched practice from this library.
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Guided pacing for breath-based practices.
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