Awareness in Buddhist Meditation

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Compassion is frequently seen as a necessary antidote to hatred,
from Buddhaghosa 28 to Conze 29 . The many centuries of Buddhist
thought have repeated the three roots of evil to be lust, hate and
delusion (lobha, dosa, moha). And in doing so we certainly follow
the Suttas, the sayings of the Buddha himself. But it is one thing
to pinpoint the source of evil, and quite something else to set up a
system of opposites to overcome the evil by resistance. The wellknown
saying that ‘hate cannot be overcome by hate but by love
alone’ has no doubt much to recommend it. But the question is
raised whether love and compassion should or even can be cultivated
as an antidote to the evil of hate.
Thus, when it is said 30 that the ‘cultivation of friendliness and
compassion can bring about a reorientation of our attitude to others
... induce us to be tender to all that lives, and direct our hatred
away from other people’, it is also admitted that ‘the root of all this
hatred is the belief that we are separate individuals, and this cannot
be eradicated by the cultivation of social emotions.’
The fact of hatred, of aggressiveness, of opposition, is fairly obvious,
as obvious as that there is water in the river. But can one
prevent the water forcing its way merely putting a dam across its
course? Can one stop hate by sentiments of loving kindness, by acts
friendship, by edifying statements and professions of compassion?
Even when those feelings are sincere in their expressions and active
in their benevolence, they originate from a source which is quite
alien to the impulses of either love or hate.
To put it very simply: it cannot suffice to condemn or to suppress
hate by cultivating an opposite tendency of love and compassion;
because such attempt leaves untouched the source which seeks an
outlet. A more profitable outlet for hate would be to direct this hate
on to another object, thereby creating a diversion, as it is done when
28 Visuddhimagga.
29 Further Buddhist Studies.
30 Conze, Further Buddhist Studies, p.39.