Right Livelihood
By Sean Weaver
Exploring Right Livelihood can begin with an examination of the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism. Then we can see where Right Livelihood fits into a broader framework of compassionate action.
1. Suffering: Identify a form of suffering that you would like to alleviate in your livelihood
2. Cause of suffering (craving): Identify the cause of suffering that you would like to alleviate in you livelihood
3. End of suffering: Identify what the end of this suffering looks like for the people you wish to help
4. Path to the end of suffering (Noble Eight-Fold Path): Identify a strategy to implement or deliver this end of suffering and any steps along that path. This can be informed by the Noble Eight-Fold Path: Right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right diligence, right mindfulness, right concentration.
Right: as in tuning a guitar – not too much of this, not too much of that.
Right View
Open mind, curious mind, humble mind, beginner’s mind. Right view is our ability to distinguish wholesome roots from unwholesome roots. Right view is cultivated by mindfulness and an awareness of self. Right view especially includes our recognition that we are good enough just as we are. This informs and illuminates everything we think and do.
Right Thought
Right View comes into language as our inner voice. Connecting thought to body. Using thoughts, not being used by thoughts. Thinking about underlying causes and not just focusing on symptoms. E.g. responding mindfully to a mistake: what can I learn from this mistake? What were the conditions that led to me making this mistake? How can I change these conditions? Experience the anxiety of the mistake as a physical sensation and give it my full attention. Allow it, hold it.
Right Speech
The outward expression of Right Thought is Right Speech. Careful speech that is aware of the power of speech in its effect upon others. We have two ears and one mouth: use them in proportion. We are aware that we can cause suffering through speech. We are aware that we can alleviate suffering through speech. What dominos do we want to start tumbling? What kind of stone do we want to throw into the pond? How do we speak when things are going rough? What speech would escalate a conflict? What speech would resolve a conflict? You are good enough, just as you are, right here, right now.
Encouragement, encouragement, encouragement.
We need to be especially mindful of our speech to children, but also mindful of our speech to children of all ages.
Frustration: what about when your expression of kindness does not produce desired results? Notice when it is more important to not speak and let others speak. Right speech is also right listening.
Right Action
This is the embodiment of Right Speech. Doing what needs to be done. Enhancing happiness, preventing suffering. When we are kind to others it brings joy to both them and us. If we are unkind to others it brings suffering to them and us. If we want to be happy, make others happy. We have power to change the world around us for the better. We can act to make it better. We can choose to act in this way regularly and practice it. A guiding set of principles for right action in the Buddhist context are the 10 grave precepts: Not killing, not stealing, not speaking falsely, not misusing sex, not giving or taking drugs, not speaking of the faults of others, not praising oneself whilst criticizing others, generosity, not indulging in anger, not defaming the three treasures: Good enough, practice, community.
Right Livelihood
This is the organization of Right Action into a profession. Earning a living without transgressing our ideals. Not just what we do to make a living, but also how we approach this. Also, right livelihood needs to be right for us and our personal and family circumstances. What is right livelihood for one person is not necessarily right livelihood for another. One of the things that can easily cause us to compromise on our ideals is an expectation or opportunity to earn more money or gain more fame from certain actions or approaches. Small is beautiful. Letting something grow organically is beautiful. Evolutionary change is beautiful. Right livelihood can be the ground whereby you cultivate your self-realization as a daily practice. Right livelihood can be the living expression of our true nature.
Right Diligence
Right Diligence is gentle discipline and perseverance. Just as the practice of clarifying the mind requires an awake and noble, upright posture, our right livelihood requires diligence and perseverance. But this diligence needs to be in alignment with our ideals. Working very hard for fame or fortune may be diligent, but may not be right diligence.
Right Mindfulness
The continual cultivation of clarity is Right Mindfulness. Cultivating our awareness of our circumstances, stilling the mind enough to cultivate clarity, acting with clarity, responding with clarity, and keeping the mind clear. Noticing the conditions that lead to the mind losing clarity: these conditions can include over-work, taking on too much, getting stressed, getting over tired. But we do not want to overdo mindfulness. Not too much, not too little.
Right Concentration
Focus, focus, focus. Zen is the cultivation of single pointed focus of mind. We can burn a hole in a piece of paper using a piece of glass, but to do so we have to focus. We can burn a hole through life’s challenges, but to do so we have to focus. We can burn up all of our delusions and realize our true nature, but to do so we have to focus. If we chase two rabbits we will catch neither. What rabbit do we want to chase? Chasing several things results in drilling several shallow wells. We will not strike water this way. We do not strike water by drilling another well. We carefully choose a spot and drill there and persevere there. It is important to take time to choose. Setting aside time for reflection to enable this choosing to arise from clarity is an important part of right livelihood.
© Sean Weaver
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1. Suffering: Identify a form of suffering that you would like to alleviate in your livelihood
2. Cause of suffering (craving): Identify the cause of suffering that you would like to alleviate in you livelihood
3. End of suffering: Identify what the end of this suffering looks like for the people you wish to help
4. Path to the end of suffering (Noble Eight-Fold Path): Identify a strategy to implement or deliver this end of suffering and any steps along that path. This can be informed by the Noble Eight-Fold Path: Right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right diligence, right mindfulness, right concentration.
Right: as in tuning a guitar – not too much of this, not too much of that.
Right View
Open mind, curious mind, humble mind, beginner’s mind. Right view is our ability to distinguish wholesome roots from unwholesome roots. Right view is cultivated by mindfulness and an awareness of self. Right view especially includes our recognition that we are good enough just as we are. This informs and illuminates everything we think and do.
Right Thought
Right View comes into language as our inner voice. Connecting thought to body. Using thoughts, not being used by thoughts. Thinking about underlying causes and not just focusing on symptoms. E.g. responding mindfully to a mistake: what can I learn from this mistake? What were the conditions that led to me making this mistake? How can I change these conditions? Experience the anxiety of the mistake as a physical sensation and give it my full attention. Allow it, hold it.
Right Speech
The outward expression of Right Thought is Right Speech. Careful speech that is aware of the power of speech in its effect upon others. We have two ears and one mouth: use them in proportion. We are aware that we can cause suffering through speech. We are aware that we can alleviate suffering through speech. What dominos do we want to start tumbling? What kind of stone do we want to throw into the pond? How do we speak when things are going rough? What speech would escalate a conflict? What speech would resolve a conflict? You are good enough, just as you are, right here, right now.
Encouragement, encouragement, encouragement.
We need to be especially mindful of our speech to children, but also mindful of our speech to children of all ages.
Frustration: what about when your expression of kindness does not produce desired results? Notice when it is more important to not speak and let others speak. Right speech is also right listening.
Right Action
This is the embodiment of Right Speech. Doing what needs to be done. Enhancing happiness, preventing suffering. When we are kind to others it brings joy to both them and us. If we are unkind to others it brings suffering to them and us. If we want to be happy, make others happy. We have power to change the world around us for the better. We can act to make it better. We can choose to act in this way regularly and practice it. A guiding set of principles for right action in the Buddhist context are the 10 grave precepts: Not killing, not stealing, not speaking falsely, not misusing sex, not giving or taking drugs, not speaking of the faults of others, not praising oneself whilst criticizing others, generosity, not indulging in anger, not defaming the three treasures: Good enough, practice, community.
Right Livelihood
This is the organization of Right Action into a profession. Earning a living without transgressing our ideals. Not just what we do to make a living, but also how we approach this. Also, right livelihood needs to be right for us and our personal and family circumstances. What is right livelihood for one person is not necessarily right livelihood for another. One of the things that can easily cause us to compromise on our ideals is an expectation or opportunity to earn more money or gain more fame from certain actions or approaches. Small is beautiful. Letting something grow organically is beautiful. Evolutionary change is beautiful. Right livelihood can be the ground whereby you cultivate your self-realization as a daily practice. Right livelihood can be the living expression of our true nature.
Right Diligence
Right Diligence is gentle discipline and perseverance. Just as the practice of clarifying the mind requires an awake and noble, upright posture, our right livelihood requires diligence and perseverance. But this diligence needs to be in alignment with our ideals. Working very hard for fame or fortune may be diligent, but may not be right diligence.
Right Mindfulness
The continual cultivation of clarity is Right Mindfulness. Cultivating our awareness of our circumstances, stilling the mind enough to cultivate clarity, acting with clarity, responding with clarity, and keeping the mind clear. Noticing the conditions that lead to the mind losing clarity: these conditions can include over-work, taking on too much, getting stressed, getting over tired. But we do not want to overdo mindfulness. Not too much, not too little.
Right Concentration
Focus, focus, focus. Zen is the cultivation of single pointed focus of mind. We can burn a hole in a piece of paper using a piece of glass, but to do so we have to focus. We can burn a hole through life’s challenges, but to do so we have to focus. We can burn up all of our delusions and realize our true nature, but to do so we have to focus. If we chase two rabbits we will catch neither. What rabbit do we want to chase? Chasing several things results in drilling several shallow wells. We will not strike water this way. We do not strike water by drilling another well. We carefully choose a spot and drill there and persevere there. It is important to take time to choose. Setting aside time for reflection to enable this choosing to arise from clarity is an important part of right livelihood.
© Sean Weaver
Back to Articles List