MJ18 - 38 Blessings - Right Livelihood (19 Of 39)

This is the nineteenth session of the Buddhist path of practice leading from the mundane to the transcendental based on the 38 Blessings of the Mangala Sutta. This eighteenth blessing concerns workplace ethics, or how it is auspicious to follow right livelihood in one's professional life, in order to become a pillar of society.

Transcript

Last time you saw me, We looked at blessing number 17 on looking after one's extended family. With the Dumb and Talk today, We continue in the Pillar of Society subsection of our series on Enlightened Living to the next blessing, Number 18 on blameless work. The workplace is somewhere we have been discussing from various different perspectives at several points in our journey through the blessings. But if you remember back to blessing 14, We were interested in work only as a means to earn the salary we needed to support our close family, As covered in blessings 11, 12 and 13. Indeed, People might achieve differing standards of work in the workplace. But as a rough guide, We can divide workers into those who finish what they do without being interested in the quality, Then there are those who finish their work to the best of their ability, And finally there are those who ensure the result of their work is beneficial to society. The Buddha taught that anyone who wants to be a pillar of society must pay attention to the quality of every piece of work they do, As well as finishing it. But now we have matured a little further in the sequence of the blessings, We return to our work not simply as something which needs to be completed, But to be completed well and beneficial to society. In this blessing we are to learn about the ethics of the work we do, Because it is an important consideration in being the sort of person others in society can look up to. And don't forget that in Buddhism, The term work also includes the spiritual work on the level of the mind, All we do, Say or think in our lives. When we are thinking about work that might be blameless, The principles of blame discussed in relation to work, Although mostly dealing with the context of physical work here, Can in fact equally be applied to verbal and mental work as well. Being blameless in terms of human dignity on the level of society as a whole cannot escape the idea of the economy. Economics is not a term native to Buddhism, And the term Buddhist economics is a phrase coined by E. F. Schumacher in his famous book from 1973 entitled Small is Beautiful. But the whole idea of economics as if people mattered, And set the heart of why shoddiness or corruption in the workplace that might have been tolerated in blessing 2014 is no longer acceptable in blessing 18. And although I won't go into too much detail on the subject today, I will remind you that a much fuller treatment of the Buddhist approach to economics has been translated in this 2010 book by the Vice-Habit in Thailand, The Venerable Thachivuo. Contemporary Western economics tries to measure social well-being in terms of financial transactions alone. Western economists try to avoid getting involved in values in the economic consideration of different actions, An approach which is diametrically opposite to that of Buddhism. To give some examples of the amoral approach of economics, Any work which is unpaid is considered by economists to be a non-event, Which doesn't say much for voluntary work done in a temple. Furthermore, Any two transactions that pay the same are considered equivalent. This means, For example, That the purchase of a bottle of whiskey and the purchasing of a sack of rice to feed a village of hungry refugees, Both of which cost about $20, Have the same economic value. Furthermore, Any social downside of nightlife, Rampant consumerism, Or unethical business fueled by competition are considered negligible and have no place in the economic equation. Meanwhile, In Buddhism, The economics of livelihood has a human face because it acknowledges values. And just as a reminder of what we studied concerning pure practice, Back in blessing number 16, Today as promised we are returning to the Ic Khon or human dignity on the level of the economy. Some of the factors that are encouraged in Buddhist economics include physical and spiritual health, Quality of craftsmanship, Job satisfaction, And respect for human dignity. If public health suffers because of unethical business practices, Buddhism says that commerce cannot shrug off the medical costs or the responsibilities due to the victims. When consumerism exacerbates crimes, Buddhism raises the question of why honest taxpayers need to meet the costs of the penal system. In terms of spiritual health, Buddhism points out the way overconsumption and overproduction ravage our mental health and questions the ultimate value of stoking material greed. In terms of quality of craftsmanship, Buddhism says shoddy work produces shoddy minds. Instead, Buddhism prefers a working environment where workers are enthusiastic to give their best, Where apart from job satisfaction, Workers will have the chance to train and better themselves and refine their minds through their working lives. Job satisfaction, After all, Is not just idealism, But where workers enjoy their work, They are willing to go the extra mile and productivity will be improved in a way that even economists couldn't argue with. In terms of respect for human dignity, To be ethically sound, Economic activity must take place in a way that is not harmful to the individual, It must not encourage one individual to take advantage of another, And it must not undermine the dignity of society at large, Or indeed the natural environment, But rather enhance well-being in all these three spheres. Often when people are looking to measure the standard of work they are doing, They rely too heavily on the amount of praise or criticism they receive from others. Which brings me to a story which comes from one of Aesop's fables, Sometimes known as the Miller, His Son and the Donkey. In other places it goes by the name of the compliant farmer. One day, A long time ago, An old miller and his son were on their way to the market with a donkey which they hoped to sell. They drove him very slowly because they thought they would get a better price for the donkey if they kept him in good condition. As they walked along the highway some travellers laughed loudly at them. What foolishness, Cried one, To walk when they may as well ride. The most stupid of the three is not the one you might expect. Miller did not like to be laughed at, So he told his son to climb on the donkey's back and ride. They had gone a little further along the road when three salesmen passed them by and said, Oh, What have we here? Respect age, Young man, Get down and let the old man ride. Though the miller was not tired, He made the boy get down and climbed on the donkey's back instead, Just to please the salesmen. At the next turnstile they overtook some women carrying market baskets loaded with vegetables and other things to sell. Look at the old fool, Exclaimed one of the women, Perched on the donkey while the poor boy has to walk. The miller felt a bit vexed, But, To be agreeable, He told the boy to climb up behind him. They had no sooner started out again than a loud shout went out from another crowd of people on the road. What a crime, Cried one, To overload a poor dumb beast like that. He'd look more able to carry that poor creature than he is to carry them. They must be on their way to sell the animal to the knacker's yard, Said another. The miller and his son quickly scrambled down from the donkey and a short time later the market was thrown into uproar as the two came along, Carrying the donkey slung from a pole. A great crowd of people ran out to get a closer look at the strange sight. The donkey didn't mind being carried but so many people came to laugh and shout that he began to kick and bray and then just as they were crossing a bridge the ropes that held him in place gave way and down he tumbled into a river. At this point there was nothing left for the poor miller to do but to set out sadly for home. The usual moral given for this fable is when you try pleasing everybody then you end up pleasing no one. But a more poignant message to take from our story, Particularly in the context of ethical work, Is firstly if you want to find something to criticize you can always find something. However, Unfortunately those who spend their whole time criticizing others are very numerous in this world. Therefore if you are going to rely on others praise or criticism to teach you the truth of the situation you will always be at a disadvantage and this is why you are better advised to work from some sort of rule of thumb rather than popular opinion. In other words, Principles which are tried and tested. In place of hearsay or arbitrary standards for ethics in the workplace the Buddha advocated that we should make sure any work we do is ethical and draw the line accordingly. And in order to do this we revisit a set of four principles we saw already in blessing number nine. The first and most important criterion for livelihood being ethical is whether it compromises the five precepts or what you can consider a minimum baseline for humane behavior. For example, You should avoid becoming a hired assassin unless you intend to be unsuccessful at it. The second criterion, Not prohibitions but a set of positive observances, Is that any livelihood should conform with the five virtues or bhantsa-dhamma which comprise compassion, Non-exploitation, Not cheating on one's lawfully wedded, Truthfulness and awareness. The third criterion is that your chosen livelihood should not be illegal, For example smuggling. And the fourth criteria, In case your livelihood has not fallen foul of the first three criteria I've mentioned, Is that our livelihood should not conflict with local etiquette or bring us into disrepute with those we share society with. For example, Unlike in America, You should avoid giving tips when in Japan because it would come off as patronizing and embarrassing to the recipient. This is why if you want to be a pillar of society then give potential jobs careful consideration before adopting them professionally. Of course, You have to do your job well, But you also need to consider if there's going to be any bad side effects occurring as a result of the paycheck you take from home. If in doubt, Check by using these four principles. Check your job complies with precepts, Virtue, The law and local etiquette. We're taught that ideally our income should come from hard and honest work, Otherwise the economy and society cannot truly prosper. Of course, Earning your living by thieving, Short-lifting or pickpocketing would not be condoned in Buddhism because they all fall on the wrong side of the ethical line we defined earlier by our four principles. No matter what occupation you're talking about, There is always a grey area concerning what constitutes a fair profit. The Buddha sought to give clarity by charting what is meant by right and wrong livelihood. And we mustn't forget that those who make a success out of right livelihood in business will also have a wholesome effect on the economic situation of their country too. So let's look at the specific considerations of right and wrong livelihood for commerce, The public sector, Military, Medical profession and even the customers themselves. For commerce, The Buddha specifically taught in the Vinaya-Nichā Sutta of the Ango-Drena-Gaya to avoid five specific types of retail, Weapons, Flesh, Slaves, Alcohol or poison. The first sort of retail to avoid is weapons, Which refer to selling anything that can kill animals or people and supporting oneself from the profit made. The problem with being an arms salesman or a gunrunner is that they make you see the world in a very strange way. You end up seeing fellow living beings as target practice. The second sort of retail to avoid is dealing in slaves or human trafficking more generally. This means buying people at a low price and selling them at a higher price and supporting oneself from the profit made, Or running a brothel where you are making a profit out of the loss of another person's dignity. Taking on such an occupation will change the quality of your mind. It will cause you to objectify and commoditize people. As Bob Dylan wisely said, He started out in the dealing with slaves and something inside of him died. And what has to die for a slave trader to continue in their job is any respect for human dignity of their merchandise. Third sort of retail is dealing in flesh, Which would mean rearing live animals like buffaloes, Pigs, Ducks or chickens to slaughter oneself or to have someone else slaughter for us and supporting oneself from the profits made. Most normal people look upon animals with compassion, But the meat trade caused you to see animals as nothing more than walking meat counters. So even though it may not be your hand on the captive bolt pistol, As a meat trader your appreciation of the preciousness of life will disappear. The fourth sort of retail to avoid is dealing in alcohol or narcotics, Meaning selling alcohol, Beer, Spirits or any other sort of non-medicinal narcotic causing heedlessness and supporting oneself from the profit made. The humble off-license or liquor store complies with the law of most countries, But it does break with the right livelihood. Ask yourself who your best customers are in your liquor store and it'll always be the addicts. So basically you are making a profit at the expense of their reputation, Their wealth and their health. So where is the human dignity in that? Finally the sort of retail which needs to be avoided is dealing in poisons, Which might mean selling things like insecticide, Rat poison or the sort that is slipped into people's drinks. Even chemicals like DDT used to solve the malaria problem actually take 15 or 20 years to break down, Leading people in mosquito-ridden areas to die of DDT poisoning instead of malaria. So in summary, Those entangled in any of these trades will find themselves increasingly unable to feel compassion for others. The same principles of right livelihood would apply to dishonest retail practices, For example fixing weights and measures, No matter what you're selling. Unethical practices might mean a jeweler provides a sample of their work in solid gold, But as soon as the order is placed, The remainder of their work is delivered in gold plate. We'd be lucky if only private enterprise is guilty of unethical business practices. However, Retail of illegal products can never take place without some sort of cooperation from the corrupt. Whether it be the soft drug industry, Casinos, Forgery, Sex trade or white collar crime. The usual obstacle to right livelihood in the public sector is bribery or corruption. For example, Surveyors in charge of measuring land for a buyer if they are dishonest or corrupt and don't get paid protection money will over measure the land. However, If they are bribed, They will under measure it. Judges whose verdicts are affected by bribery are no better, Or come under the heading of wrong livelihood. In addition to the work categories already explained, Special mention should be given to the work of the professional soldier, Which comes into strong disagreement with any form of Buddhist practice. In the time of the Buddha, There was a soldier who thought that soldiers who fought bravely for their king and country would have heaven as their afterlife destination. However, The Buddha explained that those who kill will be killed in return. In the Duttya Gama-Watthu Sutta, In the Samyutta Nikaya, He said that the only possible afterlife destination even for those who only consider killing others are the euphemistically named unfortunate realms. On a brighter note, To be a doctor or a nurse can be a profession that can bring great merit if it's done well. If it's done badly, However, It can bring serious demerit. It is therefore for this reason that in the Angoja Nikaya's Duttya Upatthaka Sutta, The Buddha listed the prerequisites for making a good doctor or nurse that include the ability to prescribe the appropriate medicine, The ability to discern what is for the comfort and discomfort of patients, Being able to heal from the motivation of love rather than money, Not being faced by gore, And the ability to cheer up the patient with timely Dhamma teachings. Even on the other side of the store counter, Customers can be guilty of wrong livelihood, Taking advantage of naive store owners. So, Listen carefully to this example and see if you would be taken in. A butcher has two deer for sale, A big one and a small one. The butcher asks $20 for the big one and $10 for the little one. The devious customer comes up and buys the little one for $10. Sometime later he comes back and says he changed his mind and he wants the big one. The butcher asks $20 for the big deer but the customer says he has already given the butcher $10 and that the small deer he is returning is also worth $10. Together they are worth $20, The price of the big deer. The customer therefore exchanges the big deer for the small one. Meanwhile, The butcher is not smart enough to keep up with the customer's trick and is thereby cheated. On this occasion, The customer is the one guilty of wrong livelihood, Even though he might say the butcher deserved it. To conclude, If you aim to be a pillar of society who is beyond criticism by any reasonable person in the world, You can use right livelihood as your standard in ethical working practices. Apart from avoiding blame, All tasks which you do will be done to the best of your ability. Others will regard you as an upstanding member of society. For our working lives to be truly blameless, Aside from considering the ethicality of our working practices, The secondary problems in work we do may come from personal conflicts arising at work. Irrespective of the nature of the work, We need to cultivate good human relationships in the workplace otherwise we might risk blame and undermine our own or others' job satisfaction. So let's start with some Western consensus on the subject before complementing it with some of the more ancient wisdom from the Buddhist scriptures. So, According to software CEO Jim Belozic, There are five secrets to developing a better working relationship with your manager, Because productive respectful relationships between a manager and their employees are key to any company's success. While a manager's top priority is likely to prioritize hard-working employees who fulfill the company vision, It's probably safe to say that they'd also like to have more than superficial relations every day with the people with whom they work. After all, They probably spend more time with their staff than they do with their family. Of course, There's something in it for employees too, Because a manager plays a key role in advancement opportunities. So the more they know you, Your work, And your work ethic, The more likely you are to be rewarded. A healthy, Respectful relationship with your manager can improve your morale and productivity, And ultimately it can boost your career. If you want a relationship that goes beyond we get along fine, You might try some of the following five suggestions. Firstly, The employee may need to take the initiative to set up monthly meetings. If it's only a small business, It would be easy for the employer and the employee to see each other daily. But for larger outfits, It's more difficult for the manager to check in with every employee every day and keep tabs on all the tasks which each person is working on. So it's important that employees take the initiative themselves to set up individual meetings with their manager at least once a month. This helps the manager know what's going on in the business and helps to show the manager that you care about the job and are keeping goals and expectations in mind. Your manager may be busy, But the time spent will be a worthwhile opportunity to discuss the status of your current projects, To present your ideas for the future, And to check in to make sure you're on track with your manager's goals and strategies. Secondly, You may need to go out of your way to demonstrate innovation and initiative. Every CEO or manager wants a company full of motivated and productive employees. If you show that you're excited to take on new projects, It will help both you and your manager be more successful. If you work in an office where people are constantly pitching ideas for new products, Services, Projects, Or process improvements, Don't be afraid to raise your hand and volunteer to take initiative on something. If suggestions aren't free-flowing, Keep a running list of your own ideas and offer them up at your monthly meetings with your manager. Be innovative and taking initiative shows your manager that you're invested in growing with the company and that's bound to lead to a better working relationship between the two of you. A third facet of getting on well with one's manager is to strive for open communication. How many times have you told your manager that one of their ideas isn't so great? It's a scary conversation for any employee, But it's an important one. Although initially a manager may be reluctant to accept even polite pushback from an employee about their ideas, In the ideal world the manager should not get upset because along with the rejection of their idea comes with a suggestion for an alternative. Smarter employees may even propose how to adapt the manager's idea to make it work more effectively. The key is to remember that an employee is generally hired because they have a specific set of skills that a company values, Which allows them to see a different perspective than their manager can. Feeling comfortable enough to disagree with a manager and have an open line of communication in theory will build a strong relationship, One in which everyone in the company knows the best ideas will always be the ones to rise to the top. A fourth consideration is to remember your manager is human too. Most leaders come to work with their professional game face on, Armed with a to-do list a mile long. They spend their days focused on moving the company closer to its goals. However, Even leaders appreciate when their employees see them as something more than the person who signs their paychecks. Just as a manager should keep their employees happy and loyal by asking their team how was your weekend, It ought to be a two-way street. Employees should take the time to ask their managers questions like how are you? Did you do anything fun at the weekend? This isn't about being best buddies or feeling like you need to hang out together outside of work. It's about communicating on a more personal level. Last but not least, You shouldn't forget to be yourself. You've probably heard some of your co-workers referring to their work wives or their work husbands. It's usually said in jest, But there's some truth in the sentiment. Many full-time employees spend more time with their colleagues than they do with their actual families, And sometimes that commitment can cause friction at home or resentment at work. Unless your manager is psychic, They may have no idea about any issues brewing in your personal life. Generally, It's better for employees to be able to tell a manager when something at home is affecting their working life, Rather than leave their boss wondering why productivity has suddenly dipped or why you've developed a bad attitude. So, If you're a parent whose office hours are taking a toll on your family, Propose a schedule that allows you to work from home part-time. Or if you're a part-time college student who needs some extra time off close to exam time, See if there's a way to make up that time elsewhere in your schedule. Ask for what you need, But be willing to compromise, And a relationship with your manager will be the better for it. Keep in mind that your goal shouldn't be to become best friends with your manager, But there is no reason why the workplace should not be the opportunity for a manager and employee to bring out the best habits in one another. So, If you can focus on establishing good communication skills and building trust, Then the rewards will follow on many levels. So, Coming now to the Buddhist point of view, Blameless work doesn't just mean getting on well with our manager, But describes a reciprocal set of duties between employer and employee. These reciprocal relationships are laid out in the fifth grouping of the relationships mentioned in the Sikh Luwada Sutta. So, Let's start with the employer first of all. And bear in mind that most employees in the time of the Buddha were housed by their employer and did not worry about things like health and safety. In any case, The Buddha laid down five responsibilities of a manager. First responsibility was to allocate appropriate work. An employee's work should be allocated based on that person's age, Health, Disposition, And capability, So their work can be rewarding. For example, A flexible employer might give employees lighter tasks if they are working through their pregnancy. Secondly, A good employer needs to give adequate food and remuneration. A decent living wage should be paid and should increase according to the pay scale index. If employees live on-site, Their living and catering arrangements should be adequate. A manager with such caring behavior will manage to maintain the goodwill and loyalty of their workforce. And at this juncture, I should point out that there is a difference between Asian and Western work culture, Where in Asia, You charm your employer into giving you a raise in pay by working hard and being loyal, Whereas in the West, Normally you wouldn't get a raise in pay unless you ask for one. Thirdly, For a good employer, They need to take care of the employee even in times of illness. And I suppose in the present day, That would mean being given what's known in the US as a generous health care plan, As well as not being asked to take health risks in the course of their working duties. Fourthly, A good employer needs from time to time to give delicacies. This is a literal translation from the ancient scripture. So what would be expected would be for the boss to organize celebrations for special occasions to keep the manager-employee relationship an amicable one. In the present day, It might translate as pay bonuses for good work or prizes for employee of the month. Lastly, A good employer needs to allow holidays on occasion. Employees should be allowed to take holidays according to the usual working calendar and national festivals upon request. Employers and managers who take responsibility for their employees in these five ways are almost like a parent caring for their workforce, And from the Buddhist point of view, Is seen as a source of good habits and inspirations even in the place of work. However, Such good treatment from the employer doesn't come for free or out of legal obligation, And the Buddha also laid down five responsibilities an employee ought to have towards their employer in return. The first two characteristics of a good employee are that they need to start work before their employer and finish work after them. If any employee can practice both of these duties, It shows that they have a strong degree of responsibility towards their employer, A sincere respect, Love and gratitude towards their employer, Rather than trying to get away with the minimum of effort. Thirdly, A good employee should take from their workplace only the things expressly given to them by their employer. So, Petty workplace theft these days seems to have moved on from the occasional office supplies to more serious crimes like embezzlement, Data theft, Identity theft or sweet-hearting. Apart from being illegal in many countries, None of these would be considered behaviors worthy of a good or trustworthy employee. Fourth, A good employee needs to do their work better, Which means putting in the effort to innovate and improve the efficiency of their tasks without using this as a bargaining chip to negotiate a raise in pay from their employer. Lastly, A good employee needs to maintain and defend the manager's good reputation. Not that this advice should stand in the way of whistleblowing in the case of real workplace abuse, But if the employer has stuck to their five duties, They ought to be regarded as their employees in the same way as a kindly relative or a parent. The employer ought to be in such good standing with their workforce that the employees would want to stand up for their employer and their reputation. If the worst comes to the worst and neither the employer or the employees live up to their set of five duties as laid down in the Siklawatasutta, The sort of damage that comes from a breakdown of labor relations usually comes down to collective bargaining and eventually industrial action. If the employees are paid by the hour, They will stage a ghost low, Dislike in the rate of production. If they are on a piece rate pay, Then they would turn to shoddy work. If they are so inclined, There are a lot of things employees can do to damage or bankrupt the company they work for, Like the data theft I mentioned earlier, Especially relating to trade secrets. Meanwhile, The employers ramp up monitoring and surveillance, Making the life of employees increasingly unpleasant, And these are only some of the consequences within the workplace. But the problem of labor relations going sour goes wider to affect the quality of life in society as a whole. If employees lack job satisfaction, They will distract themselves with other short-term pleasures, Which involve undisciplined expenditure on roads to ruin, That will eventually lead to debt problems, Problems which will eventually come back to harm the employer too. So in short, It's better for everyone if there is harmony in the workplace. For today, I'd like to leave you with a short story about honesty and dishonesty in the workplace. It comes from one of the early birth stories of the Buddha, Known as the Seriwa Jataka. The Bodhisattva was once a door-to-door salesman of Seriwa, Whose name was Seriwa. His job was to go from house to house, Sometimes selling goods and trinkets, Sometimes buying goods and trinkets the householders offered him. One day, Along with another greedy door-to-door salesman, He crossed the river Telewaha and entered the city of Andapura. In that city, There was a family who had fallen on hard times, The sole survivors being a girl and her grandmother. The greedy salesman went to their house with his wares. The girl begged the grandmother to buy a trinket from the salesman and to pay for it with a gold-plated bowl from which they ate. In fact, The bowl was a valuable heirloom, But it had lost its luster and neither the old woman or her granddaughter knew its true value. The greedy salesman was called in and shown the bowl. He scratched it with a needle and knew it was solid gold, But wishing to have it for nothing, Said it wasn't worth half a farthing. So, He made a show of throwing it down and stomping out of the house. Later, The salesman who was the Bodhisattva came to the same street and was offered the same bowl. Unlike the previous salesman, He told the lady and her granddaughter the truth, Gave them all the money he had, Together with his entire stock, Leaving only a piece of money for himself. These he gave to the boatman and boarded the boat for the return crossing over the river. Meanwhile, The greedy salesman went again to the old woman's house, Hoping to get the bowl in exchange for a few trinkets. When he heard what had happened, He went ballistic and, Throwing down all he had, Ran down to the river to find the Bodhisattva's boat already in midstream. He shouted the boatman to return, But the Bodhisattva urged him on. The greedy salesman, Realizing he had lost through his dishonesty, Was so upset that his heart burst and he fell down dead. Unfortunately for the Bodhisattva, This was the start of a vengeful feud with the greedy merchant's reincarnation for many lifetimes until he was to arise as Devadatta in the Buddha's final lifetime. What I would like you to remember from the story is that ultimately, Taking an unfair profit in the work context never works out well for anyone. So, In this session, I have introduced to you Blessing 18 on blameless work. For our next session on, We'll move on to the sixth group of blessings with Blessing 19 on abstaining from all unwholesomeness, Which will be our first down payment on preparing our mind for enlightenment. Hopefully, As a result of today's session, You will be inspired to bring right livelihood into all your transactions in the workplace. And for today, This is me, Praniklis Tannisros, Signing off for now. So long folks, And stay safe.