Social Justice Pathway
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137Environmental Stewardship as Sacred PracticeCompare and contrast Buddhist, indigenous, and Western perspectives on environmental responsibility; analyze how Buddhist principles of interdependence and compassion inform ecological ethics; and implement environmental practices that demonstrate Buddhist values of non-harm and care for all sentient beings.
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133Exploring BoundariesAnalyze personal and physical boundaries, implement healthy boundary-setting practices, and evaluate how visible and invisible boundaries shape experience.
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130Measures of WealthAnalyze how conventional definitions of wealth based solely on material accumulation can lead to dukkha and competitive harm; evaluate alternative measures of success that incorporate ecological sustainability, community wellbeing, and psychological health; and synthesize understanding by designing career pathways that embody right livelihood principles while demonstrating how redefining wealth creates conditions for both personal contentment and collective benefit.
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120Skillful Communication in ActionAnalyze complex communication scenarios (family conflicts, social tensions, leadership challenges, literary or public media sources) and synthesize Buddhist speech principles with conflict resolution techniques to create approaches that promote healing, understanding, and positive social change.
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121Empathy and CompassionDifferentiate between cognitive empathy, emotional empathy, and compassion by analyzing how each contributes to understanding others’ perspectives and experiences; evaluate how dependent origination explains the uniqueness of individual viewpoints using examples like “The Blind Men and the Elephant”; and implement mindful listening and perspective-taking practices that cultivate empathy and transform it into compassionate action for alleviating others’ suffering.
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124Engaged BuddhistsAnalyze the work of exemplary, socially engaged Buddhists; implement their principles in daily life; and evaluate how modern engaged Buddhism aligns with the Buddha’s original teachings.
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129The Buddha’s EquanimityAnalyze the Buddha’s demonstration of equanimity in the kusa grass story by examining how he transcended social hierarchies and caste distinctions; evaluate how treating all beings with equal dignity challenges contemporary forms of bias and discrimination; and implement practices of unconditional respect that demonstrate recognition of innate goodness in all people regardless of their social status, background, or relationship to oneself.
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127Karma and the Practice of Life ReleaseEvaluate the Buddhist practice of life release within contemporary ecological contexts, analyze the ethical complexities of wildlife conservation and animal welfare, and design compassionate actions that authentically preserve life while considering environmental impact and cultural sensitivity.
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104MeritAnalyze the relationship between virtuous actions and their karmic effects; evaluate how motivation influences the merit generated by specific behaviors; and synthesize understanding of merit by designing anonymous acts of service that demonstrate the Buddhist principle of selfless giving.
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103Ahimsa in SocietyAnalyze systemic structures through the lens of ahimsa (non-aggression) by identifying who benefits and who is harmed by specific economic, social, or political systems; evaluate personal participation in potentially harmful systems using Buddhist ethical frameworks; and synthesize understanding by designing alternative approaches that prioritize ahimsa and pratityasamutpada (dependent origination) in social change efforts.
