---
title: Proposal — An eightfold path of engagement v1.1
date: 2026-08-06
revision: "1.1"
draft: false
author:
  - Mike Hales
  - Ewan Klein
download:
  - md
  - odt
---
# Overview
In this document we sketch an exploratory programme for interpreting the Eightfold path in a way that combines our common engagement in the human predicament with our plural engagements in current socio-economic-historical predicaments. It is intended as one possible way of organising future meetings of the Elephant Group.

# A pattern

A quite powerful yet simple pattern would be to take *one element of the path* per session, and ask ourselves what kind of difficulty we each have with this piece of the path:

1. in our relationships with *our objects of engaged concern* (quite probably, different objects for each of us); and
2. in our relationships with *other Buddhists* (e.g., within the Bodhi College Sangha, or more broadly, in the sources that we draw upon to inform our evolution).

# Notes

- The pattern might be construed as a combination of personal focus (exploring our own Buddha mind), dhamma focus and sangha focus. In this sense, the *Three Refuges* are tacitly there too.
- Rather than following the standard numerical sequence of  path components, we would probably benefit from moving more flexibly between them, according to the priorities chosen by the group. 
- We might approach this with the intention of developing and documenting some ideas and resources that could be shared more widely.

# Practical issues regarding 'bandwidth'

1. Depending on the size of the group, we might need to go into breakout groups so that each person has enough speaking space.
2. To enable *topical personal matters* to be brought into the space — "Right now I'm up against this — alongside the scheduled topic, we might want to think about two weeks per topic.
3. Existing Community Groups on the Bodhi College Discourse Forum have some relevant experience around such things.