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8x Path - Livelihood

INTRODUCTION | VIEW + INTENTION | SPEECH + ACTION + LIVELIHOOD | EFFORT + MINDFULNESS + CONCENTRATION



right? 		Right livelihood is the third of the morality group (speech, action +) and it is one of the path factors as our work is usually a big part of 'what we do' in the world. The main thought here is to encourage people to earn a living in a morally or kammically correct way. The ongoing reflection is around 'good and bad' kamma - skilful and unskilful actions.

The Buddha outlined a set of standards regarding the acquiring of wealth [Anguttara 4.62]. He was clear that it should be acquired:
• only by legal means, not illegally
• peacefully, without coercion or violence
• honestly, not by trickery or deceit
• without harming or bringing suffering to others.
As regards this last item the Buddha mentions [Anguttara 5.17] five kinds of livelihood which are likely to bring harm to others and so are to be avoided:
• dealing in weapons
• trading in living beings (raising animals for slaughter, slave trade & prostitution)
• in meat production and butchery
• in poisons
• in intoxicants.
Obviously any occupation that requires violation of right speech and right action is a wrong form of livelihood, but while other occupations, such as selling weapons or intoxicants, may not violate those factors they can be considered wrong because of their consequences for others.

half full?
half empty? 		There is another list to consider [Majhima 117] of several dishonest or dubious means of gaining wealth which fall under wrong livelihood:
• practicing deceit
• treachery
• soothsaying
• trickery
• extortive money lending - usury.

There is a Thai treatise which outlines the positive aspects of right livelihood under three headings:
• Rightness regarding actions: means that workers should fulfill their duties diligently and conscientiously, not idling away time, claiming to have worked longer hours than they did, or pocketing the company's goods.
• Rightness regarding persons: means that due respect and consideration should be shown to employers, employees, colleagues, and customers. An employer, for example, should assign his workers chores according to their ability, pay them adequately, promote them when they deserve a promotion and give them occasional vacations and bonuses. Colleagues should try to cooperate rather than compete, while merchants should be equitable in their dealings with customers.
• Rightness regarding objects: means that in business transactions and sales the articles to be sold should be presented truthfully. There should be no deceptive advertising, misrepresentations of quality or quantity, or dishonest manoeuvers.


just right 		Honesty is perhaps the over-riding factor that supports right livelihood. One has a sense of fairness, of the agreed standards of the market place, of the expectations of customers or clients and offers goods and services in accord. Cheating is the opposite.
Compassion or kindness is next and one considers the possible harm that might come to others - human or not - from ones actions. It is important to be reasonable in setting boundaries, for example some cultures have little choice but to fish or hunt for their living.
INTRODUCTION | VIEW + INTENTION | SPEECH + ACTION + LIVELIHOOD | EFFORT + MINDFULNESS + CONCENTRATION