Loving-Kindness, Compassion, and Self-Compassion Meditation
January 1, 2026 Kyoung‐Uk Lee
The expansion of compassion-oriented practices in Western psychology represents a 'second mindfulness revolution' building on the earlier dissemination of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. This chapter traces the historical and conceptual foundations of compassion practices across Buddhist traditions and contemporary psychology, arguing that growing societal concerns about conflict, competition, and violence have stimulated scientific and clinical interest in prosocial qualities such as empathy, altruism, and compassion. The authors conceptualize this shift as a distinct movement that has informed therapeutic models including dialectical behavior therapy and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.