Abstract

                  This study aims to explore ethical concepts based on the translation of Asaṅga’s work on Śīlapaṭala (Chapter on Ethics) from the Bodhisattvabhūmi with regard to their applicability to laity, which in this case is modern leadership. Asaṅga, an Indian Buddhist monk and scholar, emphasizes two key aspects of ethics: the essence of ethics (svabhāva-śīla) and complete ethics (sarvaśīla), which comprises the ethics of the vow (saṃvaraśīla), the ethics of collecting wholesome factors (kuśala-dharma-saṃgrāhaka-śīla), and the ethics of benefiting sentient beings (sattva-ārtha-kriyāśīla); the three kinds of ethics cover all the work of bodhisattvas. The bodhisattva ethics is “complete” since it comprises the lay side and the monastic side.  The bodhisattva ethics can contribute to modern leadership which focuses on linking its organization to wider contexts with great concern on the development and the drive of their people towards organizational sustainability. The bodhisattva ethics provides an integrated framework for moral leadership theories and comes up with the ethical attributes of modern leaders, i.e., wisdom, skillful means, virtue, and self-restraint; all of these have altruism as the basis. By using wisdom, modern leaders can be visionary and creative; by using skills in selecting proper means, modern leaders can bring about transformative changes and be resilient to fluctuating situations; and by being a model in restraining oneself in accord with ethical standards and behaving virtuously, modern leaders can inspire their people to follow the model.  The notion of practicing ethics as a continuing process by bodhisattva aspirants can contribute to modern leaders who should be engaged in the process of procuring, and preserving their own ethics while helping to develop the ethical values and virtuous behaviors of their followers for the latter’s benefits and for the sustainability of the organizations.

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