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60 EASTERN HORIZON | TEACHINGS

Right View and Right Intention to propagate his profound Dhamma From the Mahayana perspective,
represents wisdom that will lead us of liberation because there were Bodhisattvas are beings devoted to
to good and moral conduct. Then still some beings with a little dust both individual transformation and
there are three elements under covering their eyes and who could collective liberation from suffering;
moral conduct of Right Speech, therefore be similarly awakened. who has vowed to guide the world
Right Action, and Right Livelihood. with compassion and wisdom
There are also three elements for Although the Buddha started his towards liberation as well as to
the development of wisdom through missionary career by propagating carry out their vows to benefit all
the purification of the mind, i.e. the sublime Dhamma of liberation beings. Therefore, the Mahayana
Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and to renunciants and potential Buddhist goal of liberation
Right Concentration are. renunciants, he soon had to adopt includes both personal and social
Geshe Dadul: I think it is high time a more worldly approach as his transformation.
for everyone, especially spiritual lay followers increased. Knowing
leaders and practitioners of all the limitations of the household Geshe Dadul: Broadly speaking,
religions, to become well versed life for the practice of liberation, Buddha taught two vehicles of
in the fields of climate and other he realistically taught another practice, that of prātimokṣayana
related secular sciences that have set of teachings oriented towards and bodhisattvayana. The former
immense practical impact on the mundane peace, harmony, morality, is for those pursuing personal
quality of life on the planet we success and prosperity. While the liberation and the latter for those
share. They could then be influential essential teachings for renunciants inclined to work for full awakening
players who could also bring the are oriented towards total liberation for the sake of others. In either
angle of long-term common good in this very life, those for the laity case, the actual form of practice
of the global community to bear on are oriented towards making involves cultivating oneself to
those decisions. merits and faring on well in amsara. rise to the task at hand. The latter
Nonetheless this second set of vehicle involves cultivating the ten
The general perception of teachings is not the summum bonum far-reaching practices of generosity,
Buddhist practice is that it of Buddhist practice, but is just a ethics, patience, etc., all geared
involves personal liberation from fringe benefit resulting from the towards benefitting others here
suffering. But one of the defining appearance of a sammāsambuddha and now while pursuing them to a
characteristics of engaged whose primary goal is to help state of complete self-competence,
Buddhism is its shift in focus sentient beings liberate themselves perfection. Ideally, what the latter
from individual suffering and from all forms of suffering. vehicle purports to achieve is
individual liberation to structural nothing short of what engaged
forms of suffering and collective Min Wei: Engaged Buddhism is Buddhism movement envisions and
liberation. Do you see this as about liberation of suffering for aspires to achieve. The question
a departure from the original oneself and others, in contrast to is how practically competent
aim of the Buddha, or is this the primary doctrines of Buddhism one is, besides the aspiration, in
an expression of the Buddha’s which focuses mainly on self- working for society in the present
compassion for society? liberation. Both personal liberation situation. For the bodhisattvas, out

and collective liberation are not of the three trainings, the training
Aggacitta: I would say it certainly a deviation from the viewpoint of morality itself has three sub-
is a departure from the original of Buddhist practice because the divisions, 1. the ethical conduct of
aim of the Buddha. Evidence for original intention of Buddhism is refraining from negative actions, 2.
this can be found in the account of to liberate all sentient beings from the ethical conduct of cultivating
the newly awakened Buddha being samsara. virtue, and 3. the ethical conduct
encouraged by Brahma Sahampati of [specifically] benefiting sentient