Today's meditation is on Right Livelihood.
The Buddha said Right Livelihood is about not being in business that didn't cause harm to another human being.
These precepts were written about 4000 years ago,
So we need to look at Right Livelihood or Right Work in the context of today and think about the different aspects of our work in the modern world.
Examining ourselves and asking,
Am I living right in this area of my life?
Remembering what the translation of this word means.
Wise,
Ideal or wholesome.
So in other words,
Do I live in a wholesome way in my working day?
A few things we could ask ourselves.
Do I fulfill the duties of my work diligently?
Not wasting time,
Not claiming to work when I'm not.
Do I take anything from work home with me,
Knowingly?
Do I show respect and consideration to my employers,
To my managers,
To my colleagues,
To customers?
Do I work as part of a team,
Looking after people and not only thinking of myself?
Do I use right speech when talking about my job or do I infect others with my negative words?
The pursuit of right livelihood refers to the type of work we do as well as our attitude towards work itself.
You might not be entirely happy in your job.
You might see this as a temporary place,
But for now,
Can you be content?
Can you accept what is for now?
There is a word in Sanskrit called Santosha,
Which translates as contentment or acceptance.
We struggle when we don't or can't accept what is.
So is it possible we choose to have Santosha in our work?
Thich Nhat Hanh,
The Vietnamese monk,
Says,
There is no way to happiness.
Happiness is the way.
Having a positive attitude does the body good.
According to the Mayo Clinic website,
The benefits of positive thinking include an increased lifespan,
Lower rates of depression,
Better psychological and physical well-being,
And better coping skills during hardships and times of stress.
One can choose to be happy,
Positive and optimistic,
Or one can choose to be pessimistic and critical with a negative outlook on your work day.
A positive attitude helps you cope better under stressful situations at work and also inspires those around you.
Research has shown that gratitude can improve general well-being,
Increase resilience,
Strengthen social relationships,
And reduce stress and depression.
The more grateful people are,
The greater their overall well-being and life satisfaction.
They have stronger immune systems,
Lower blood pressure,
And better sleeps.
Grateful people also have a greater capacity for joy and positive emotions.
The brain changes with experience,
So the more that gratitude is practiced,
The more the brain learns to tune in to the positive things in the world.
Studies have shown that smiling for 17 seconds or more changes the chemicals in your body and produces serotonin,
Dopamine,
And oxytocin,
All the feel-good chemicals.
And even if it's false,
This still works.
So today we are going to do a gratitude meditation whilst smiling.
So I invite you now to close your eyes.
Relax your body.
Notice how the body feels now.
And now smile and try and hold it.
And notice how the body feels now.
Try and keep the smile throughout this practice,
But I will keep reminding you.
Take your attention to the center of the breath,
Just under the solar plexus,
Under the chest area.
Imagine that there in the center is a small bright white light.
It is a sphere of light.
Imagine that this is a source of happiness and gratefulness.
It is very powerful.
This light absorbs any negative thought or emotion.
Any tension in the body and tightness,
Clenching or squeezing is absorbed now by this light.
See this happening.
Check in on your smile.
Notice how the corners of your eyes feel while smiling.
Do you see anything different behind the closed eyes when you smile?
Different colors,
Different lights.
How does the forehead feel and the crown?
Do you notice a lightness?
How does the chest feel?
Now you are smiling and now the light in the center of your breath has absorbed any negative thoughts and emotions and any unhelpful physical sensations.
How do these areas feel?
Feel that this light is emitting waves of light now throughout your body.
These waves are gratefulness and happiness.
These waves of joy and gratefulness spread all the way to the top of your head,
Down your arms to your hands and fingers,
All down your body,
Filling each leg and feet and toes with bright white light.
How does your body feel right now?
Can you feel powerful energy?
Any tingling in the fingers and toes?
A lightness maybe?
Have a sense now that this light exudes from your body and spreads out into the room where you are.
It now spreads out around your home,
Around your street,
To each neighbor and to each person in your community.
Your gratefulness and happiness spreads to each of these people.
See your light spreading out of your place now and down towards the place of your work.
See the light spreading and touching every person in your place of work.
Have a sense of your colleagues and allow your happiness and gratefulness to touch each one of them.
See it touching your desk,
Your seat,
Your computer or anywhere around where you work.
Have a sense of happiness and gratefulness for each person and each thing in your workspace.
Now allow the light to come back to you.
Breathe in happiness and breathe out gratefulness for your place of work,
For your livelihood,
For now,
For what is in this present moment.
We don't need to worry about the future or dwell in the past.
We have this moment right now and this breath.
Be still now.
Be in this moment and for a few more moments just breathe.
Now become aware of your feet on the ground,
Your body against the seat or the bed.
Notice any sounds outside of the room and inside the room.
Become aware of the space around you.
The space to the left and the right of you.
The space behind you and below you.
The space above you and in front of you.
And have a picture of yourself in the space where you are.
And when you are ready,
Slowly and carefully open your eyes.
Thank you.
