This paper focus on practicing of cultivating compassion, it uses the "Chapter on Gocarapariśuddhi" in Buddhāvataṃsaka as a practice guideline. The purpose of this research is to emphasis on the investigating of the method on the practice of cultivating compassion, rather than the result of the practice. Nowadays, the word “compassion” has been applied extensively; however, what does “compassion” imply in the Buddhist context? Currently, Chan contemplation is the mainstream on the teaching of cultivating compassion, yet for the modern people who live in a fast-paced and technologic life, Chan contemplation seem too delicate. Therefore, is the method of “making a vow when encountering a situation,” a teaching from the “Gocarapariśuddhi,” more suitable for modern people to practice cultivating compassion? Moreover, many Buddhist sutras teach cultivating compassion so as to overcome hatred and anger, but is this the same attitude addresses in the “Gocarapariśuddhi”? In order to solve these issues, this paper utilizes the method of interdisciplinary studies, Buddhist hermeneutics, and lexicology. First, to find a common foundation of cultivating compassion from relevant sutras, which is the three Buddhist trainings of precepts, concentration, and wisdom, and make a comparison between how Buddhism and Sociobiology expound the idea of “altruism”. In doing so, to emphasize the principle of Buddhism’ compassion: must have the correct view of interdependent arising when feeling compassion toward all sentient beings. Finally, to analyze the method of practice cultivating compassion in the “Gocarapariśuddhi” using the principle of three Buddhist trainings. This research claims that in the “Gocarapariśuddhi,” each verse contains the three Buddhist studies; moreover “making a vow when encountering a situation” is the method of cultivating compassion taught in this chapter. From how Buddhist sutras interpret “language” and the research on the neuroplasticity, the result shows this “making a vow when encountering a situation,” a linguistic method of cultivating compassion, is easier to practice compared with the Chan contemplation method. Moreover, after analyzing words in each verse, it becomes clear the purpose of cultivating compassion in the “ Gocarapariśuddhi” is not to overcome the hatred and anger within one’s mind, rather, it is to cultivate wisdom, the purpose of which is to deal with the core vexation: craving. In addition, there are two stages of practicing cultivating compassion in “Gocarapariśuddhi” using Huayan Samadhi as a method, they are “practice in accord with understanding” and “extinction of understanding and any conceptualization.”
