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56 EASTERN HORIZON | TEACHINGS
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Geshe Dadul: The experience of ghosts and spirits by situations and accept it open-mindedly. However, we
sentient beings is no less an occurrence today than should always bear in mind not to deviate from the
it was during the Buddha’s time. Even technological original spirit of the Buddha’s teachings. Regardless of
devices have been spotted to support or at least point to what methods we are applying, Dharma is a main pivot
the existence of such beings. Given that, as the Buddha’s for awakening, not the methods or the way of teaching
concern was with the freedom from suffering and itself.
finding genuine, lasting peace, he would most likely use
whatever means necessary, technological or otherwise, Geshe Dadul: In order for the Buddha’s teachings to be
to convey what was needed by the individuals he meaningful for someone, i.e. to relieve them of their
was addressing to that end. By the way, not every sufferings, and to lead them to a state of joy and peace
phenomenon is necessarily empirical and within the (not just temporary pleasures), the teachings need to
reach of technology. be presented in a way that individuals can understand,
accept, and relate in practical ways to benefit from.
Meditative experience has been the cornerstone of The Buddha knew this, and this is how it came to be
the spiritual life during the Buddha’s time. Today, that many of his teachings, when taken together, at a
mindfulness meditation in particular has become glance, vary in scopes and messages, or appear even
highly secularized, devoid of its religious identity. contradictory. However, when contextualized, one sees
Would the Buddha be aghast by this trend or would that the Buddha was meeting his audience where they
he encourage it instead? were, teaching to their capacity of understanding and

ability to relate to the instruction to that effect. In fact,
Aggacitta: Mindfulness for secular application is not that was the precise intent of the Buddha when we
new because it was already well-known during the find him speaking in the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra not just
Buddha’s time, as we can deduce from the declaration, of the classical Śrāvāka (Pāli; Savaka), Pratyeka (Pali;
1
in AN 4.35. , of Vassakāra, the chief minister of Pacekka), and Bodhisattva vehicles, but also explicitly of
Magadha, who listed it as one of the four qualities of a Celestial Vehicle and Brahma Vehicle, and implicitly of a
person with great discernment. He asked the Buddha Human Vehicle, in addition to the above three standard
either to agree with or criticize him for that but the Buddhist vehicles.
Buddha did neither and instead proposed his own set of
four qualities which did not include mindfulness. Therefore, the present-day efforts behind the
secularization of his teachings, including teaching
Min Wei: We cannot deny that things keep on changing mindfulness in a secular way, are carried out, hopefully,
over time as they are impermanent. The teaching with this clarity of purpose aimed at counteracting
methods of the Buddha is the same. Therefore, one the dissonant mental states, while accommodating the
should not attach to a so-called ‘a religious identity’ or unique personal variables in regards to scale, scope, and
‘a dogmatic view’. In some aspects, we need to think nature of people’s world views. Even if these programs
outside the box and not blindly attach to the traditional are devoid of their traditional religious identity, but so
methods as change is inherent in everything. Change long as they are grounded in the basic moral foothold
is sometimes needed in order to meet the needs of our of addressing the real sources of suffering in greed,
st
modern society in the 21 century. In fact, we should clinging, hatred, ignorance, and self-centeredness,
adjust the teaching methods depending on the current but not exploiting them, then they can still earn the
approval of the Buddha. Mind you, these so-called
1 These are (1) being learned, (2) having quick-witted
modern trends cannot at all become yet another
understanding of what is said, (3) being mindful, able to
commercial trick aimed at perpetuating the same age-
remember and recollect what was done and said a long time
old corporate greed at the expense of its customers. For
ago and (4) being adept in the affairs of the household life,
then, not only would that not gain the approval of the
diligent, endowed with enough ingenuity in their techniques
to manage them and get them done.