Bodhi means Woke
Engaged‑Buddhism FAQ — bodhi, “woke,” and bodhisattva śīla
Q1. What do we mean by “woke” in this sangha?
Awake to suffering and its causes — and willing to act. That’s just bodhicitta in plain clothes: awareness + compassion, turned outward for others’ welfare.
Q2. Can you reach bodhi while hating “wokeness”?
Not likely. Bodhisattva ethics is threefold: (1) guard the vow, (2) collect wholesome qualities, (3) accomplish the welfare of beings. All three are required; they form one ethic “comprising all ethics.” If you refuse the third (others’ welfare), you’re not keeping the ethic.
Q3. What is “bodhisattva śīla” in one line?
Guard your vows, grow your capacities, and benefit beings — including through teaching, protection, and material help.
Q4. Isn’t this just “politics”?
Taking care of people is not a party platform; it’s the path. Asanga says the bodhisattva protects beings from fear of beasts, robbers, kings, landlords; relieves their sorrows; and provides requisites. That is “accomplishing welfare.”
Q5. How do we talk to people who sneer at “woke”?
Use upāya. Teach “with skill in means” so the hostile gain faith and clear vision, move off bad views, and head out of suffering. Translate dharma into what they can hear today; aim for view‑shift, not point‑scoring.
Q6. What does “engaged” look like on the ground?
- Protection: be a refuge when people are afraid — of violence, of rulers, of losing livelihood or reputation.
- Relief: tend grief and material calamity (death in the family, lost property, ruined income).
- Instruction: gather people and instruct with advice and lessons — the ethic includes teaching.
Q7. Does right speech include public debate?
Yes — when it serves beings. Asanga even includes answering legitimate questions and, if needed, “converting the crowd” (read: shift the room with clarity and example).
Q8. “Non‑violence, no matter what?”
Our default is non‑harm. The tradition also preserves rare extreme‑case teachings on compassionate intervention (Upāyakauśalya‑type stories). Asanga’s version is explicit: with only mercy, a bodhisattva may stop a mass‑murderer — and even work to remove rulers who are violently oppressive. This is not license; it’s last‑resort upāya with fierce accountability.
Q9. How do we avoid burnout or purity traps?
Asanga warns: you can’t save others while still bound — so keep collecting wholesome factors (training, meditation, wisdom) and doing welfare work. Both/and, not either/or.
Q10. What counts as “progress” here?
Fewer fears in your community. Less grief unattended. More people with basics covered. More minds clarified. The chapter literally lists these as bodhisattva duties/outcomes.
Q11. How do we handle trolls?
Answer sincere questions; set boundaries with the rest. Keep the aim: benefit beings. (If you need a shorthand: name the poison, name the antidote, water the right seeds.)
Q12. What should I read to deepen this?
Start with Asanga’s Chapter on Ethics (what we quoted above) for the threefold śīla and concrete duties; pair it with the Upāyakauśalya‑sūtra and Thích Nhất Hạnh’s Understanding Our Mind for storehouse‑mind and seeds.
One anchoring passage (keep handy)
“The bodhisattva protects frightened beings from fear… of kings, of robbers… of loss of livelihood, of defamation… and relieves the sorrow of calamities… [then] provides requisites, gives himself as a resource, and gathers beings and instructs them with advice and lessons.”