Download A Guide to Practising Right Livelihood in the Modern World

A Guide
to
Practising Right Livelihood
in the
Modern World
by Ratnaprabha.
Based on a lecture delivered at the Singapore Buddhist library, 1995.
Livelihood is a huge part of life
Primarily: it is what you do in order to obtain the material necessities of life.
Secondarily: it is how you spend your time.
Attitudes to work
The West: a work ethic
i.e. it is regarded as immoral not to be working, and people identify themselves by
their job. One can feel devastated if out of work, with no alternative source of selfrespect. But work is often very unsatisfying, and is only done to have enough money
to do what you really want to do in your free time, and to get the possessions the
dominant ideology says that you can't do without.
India: manual work seen as degrading
So there is a social pressure for the successful to avoid work. And it is believed that
no religious person should work. Thus Buddhist Bhikshus (monks) from very early
times not only were not supposed to work, but the laity would be shocked if they did.
This attitude is present to some extent in Sri Lanka, Thailand etc. It means that the
religious person is virtually compelled to depend on the charity of the lay people. This
may be fine for some, but others a) are not taking responsibility for themselves, and
so can lack maturity in some ways; b) are very tempted to appear to be the sort of
person their supporters want them to be; and c) may lack a productive outlet for their
energies.
China and Japan: 'a day of no working is a day of no eating'.
Chan monks are encouraged to be productive. They work at basic tasks to support
the monastic community.
The modern Buddhist
With dependents
Such a person needs to work to support his or her family, so what matters is finding
work which helps, or at least does not hinder, the spiritual life. See below, under
wrong livelihood.
Many remarks about those with no dependents also apply, but the possibilities are
more limited, since someone responsible for a family needs more income and has
less time than someone who is not.
No dependents
If one is very spiritual, one may be able to meditate and practice full time, so it is a
healthy society that can support such people fully, as dana (generosity).
Ratnaprabha - a Guide to Practising Right Livelihood in the Modern World
posted on the FWBO Centre Support website, www.fwbo-centre-support.org page 1
Others may be good at teaching, or academic study, or running beneficial Buddhist
organisations, and it is excellent if the Sangha is sufficiently flourishing to find
support for them.
Others may have a vocation, something ethical and beneficial which they wish to
devote their skills to, such as school teaching, nursing, art, or even research into the
frontiers of science. But joining a Buddhist right livelihood team, if one is available,
could also be a vocation.
Many, perhaps most, even if a they have full-scale commitment to the Dharma life,
probably need work, not just to get support, but also to engage their motivation and
enthusiasm with something productive, something objective.
Wrong Livelihood
A livelihood is 'wrong' for ethical reasons
Buddhist ethics spring from the realisation that 'actions have consequences'
So when considering your livelihood, you need to reflect on its effect on you (see
below).
And reflect on its effect on others. Use the list of the five precepts:
1. Does it harm anyone, directly or indirectly, physically or mentally?
2. Does it involve taking anything not freely given: ranging from robbery to the
exploitation of scarce natural resources?
3. Does it stimulate dissatisfaction, sexual or otherwise? much of the advertising
industry is thus wrong livelihood.
4. Does it involve any form of deception?
5. Does it produce goods or services which lower the level of people's
consciousness?
Consumerism
Your livelihood should not promote items which are just luxuries which stimulate
craving.
Forms of livelihood condemned by the Buddha
Trade in:
• weapons
• living beings
• meat
• drugs or drink
• poisons.
All these are still common professions, and one can reflect on whether one has any
connection with them. e.g. owning shares with an arms manufacturer.
Elsewhere, fortune telling and soldiering are described as wrong livelihood. And even
the kind of acting or showmanship which is degrading and induces negative states.
(This would now include much TV!)
Unhealthy work
One is too exhausted to practise. Or one's mind is full of worry and pre-occupation.
Or the work is physically unhealthy.
If one has a job of this nature, guard the doors of the senses, and try to make the
situation as positive as possible.
Ratnaprabha - a Guide to Practising Right Livelihood in the Modern World
posted on the FWBO Centre Support website, www.fwbo-centre-support.org page 2
Right livelihood (Pali Samma ajivo)
It is very significant that it is given a stage of the Eight-Fold Path to itself.
Sangharakshita notes that this stage of the path represents the whole collective side
of the spiritual life, so one could add Right Politics and Right Society. (The Buddha
didn't include these elements, probably because politics and social structure were
not open to much change by the ordinary person in his day. But he did give advice to
the influential on these matters.)
Right Livelihood is not just 'not wrong'
But that is a start. Once you have found work which is not unethical and does not
prevent your practice, you can start to use it to help your spiritual life. e.g. practise
mindfulness and friendliness in your work situation, then it is more a Right
Livelihood.
Any ethical work can have spiritual value. You can concentrate on it, work efficiently,
to a high standard, conscientiously, cheerfully. If it is dull and repetitive, then you can
keep a spiritual practice going at same time: reflect on the Buddha., watch breath,
recite a mantra, etc.
If you are working with other Buddhists, consider the importance of having a vision,
and of all workers keeping in touch with it. Why are we doing this? You all wish to
follow the Buddha's path to Enlightenment, including the Right Livelihood phase. You
have a common goal transcending the immediate economic objective, and so are a
sort of Sangha.
The value of being stretched: it is good if work is demanding, then you will have to
grow. 'Work is the Tantric Guru' (Sangharakshita): either you grow or more you fail.
Dana economy
Trying, at least on a small scale, to develop an economy based on giving rather than
exchange. You have to operate in the world of exchange, but at least within a
Buddhist business, you can come from an attitude of wishing to give of oneself,
without calculating what you get back. Actually, you get far more satisfaction this
way, because then you are not locked in the ego. And people do receive their needs,
and live very well. I hope it spreads.
Some aims of team-based right livelihood businesses
(Sangharakshita)
To provide support for Buddhists, including food, clothing, shelter,
retreats, Dharma books etc.
The system of support differs from wages. You give from your ability, and you
receive (not take) from genuine need.
To provide a working environment which helps spiritual progress.
A spiritual community, where the workers share the ideals of Right Livelihood, and
are spiritual friends to each other.
To finance Buddhist activities
Some characteristics of a team-based right livelihood business
(based on the example of Windhorse Trading)
It should provide a positive work environment.
Spiritual practice has a place at work: work as practice
Ratnaprabha - a Guide to Practising Right Livelihood in the Modern World
posted on the FWBO Centre Support website, www.fwbo-centre-support.org page 3
You can learn and practise the Dharma just by working, if all the necessary factors
are present.
To be Right Livelihood, your work should actually assist your spiritual progress.
But a Buddhist business also should allow time off, and resources, for the aspects of
spiritual life that it cannot provide, notably retreats for intensive meditation or study.
ethics
One's work can be an opportunity to improve one's ethical standards.
Anything helped by the business should not itself be unethical, if possible (but
everything is connected, and you can't just withdraw from involvement with the whole
world)
communication
In work, you learn about yourself and about how effectively to relate to others,
especially by co-operating.
Cooperativeness replaces competitiveness.
It is very difficult not just to have a leader who tells you what to do: you have to be
very aware of the others, and act in metta instead of power. Consequently, your
egoism is being challenged, and you come a bit closer to being a Bodhisattva..
friendship
There is value in the workers living together as a community, or at least regularly
having retreats, meditations, study groups etc together. Developing personal
connections with each other, and having opportunities more relaxed than work in
which to iron out any personal difficulties.
mindfulness
energy
objective challenge
The business should be scrupulously ethical, helping world if possible
It also provides a point of contact with non-Buddhists, who are impressed to realise
that spiritual people can work hard, compete very successfully, and remain ethical,
too. Just the opportunity to meet Buddhists may be a bridge for people, and has
been, often.
One is working with other Buddhists
The profit is given away
Certain Dharma projects find funds very hard to come by otherwise. e.g. Buying land
at Bodhgaya for a rest-house for pilgrims, financing publications, supporting Dharma
teachers etc.
The importance of commitment, with real Buddhists in control
Dana economy in whole society: speculate
Pure land...
In a Pure Buddha Land, all you do is imbibe the Dharma. But perhaps even there,
part of what makes it a pure land is the presence of an ideal team-based work
situation.
References
Mitrata number 49.
Lecture by Sangharakshita: The Ideal Society: Right Livelihood (1968)
Ratnaprabha - a Guide to Practising Right Livelihood in the Modern World
posted on the FWBO Centre Support website, www.fwbo-centre-support.org page 4