Within the Madhyamaka understanding of emptiness (śūnyatā), compassion (karuṇā) is not an ornament added after the fact, but an indispensable counterpart to wisdom (prajñā). Insight into the lack of inherent existence in all phenomena dissolves rigid boundaries between self and other, so that the suffering of others is no longer felt as something distant or fundamentally separate. When the self is seen as dependently arisen and empty, ego-centeredness loses its footing, and concern for the welfare of all beings naturally intensifies. In this way, compassion functions as both the motivation for practice and the spontaneous expression of realizing emptiness.

This relationship is often articulated through the framework of two truths: ultimate and conventional. Ultimately, beings and their experiences are empty of inherent nature; conventionally, they undergo very real suffering that calls for response. Recognizing both levels at once allows compassionate action to be fully engaged without reifying a solid self, other, or act of helping. Such compassion is not indifferent or nihilistic, because emptiness does not negate the functioning of the conventional world; rather, it clarifies how causes and conditions give rise to suffering and how they can be transformed. In this sense, compassion safeguards the Middle Way, ensuring that the realization of emptiness does not slide into apathy.

Madhyamaka thus presents wisdom and compassion as inseparable aspects of the awakened mind. Wisdom without compassion would lack direction and ethical force, while compassion without the insight of emptiness would remain entangled in dualistic grasping. When joined, the understanding that all beings are empty and interconnected becomes the very ground for boundless, impartial care. This union shapes both the inner orientation of the practitioner and the outer expression of skillful means, so that the realization of emptiness is always oriented toward the alleviation of suffering for all beings.