Transforming Work

by Arthapriya

Work - a necessary evil?
It doesn’t have to be.
It can be meaningful, satisfying and fun.
Team-based Right Livelihood is a completely different approach to work.

There is a popular perception of Buddhism that sees it as a move into quietude and stillness, but if we are to change ourselves and the world, we need to work at developing energy and resourcefulness. 

Buddhist Right Livelihood is a context where our ideals meet the world and are tested in activity. Where principles become practice. It is a place where our spiritual aspiration meets the reality of the workplace. It is out of this alchemy of the meeting of aspiration with the demanding realities of a competitive marketplace that a new approach to work is born - team-based Right Livelihood.

We spend much of our waking life at work and what we do with our time affects us. The Buddha thought Right Livelihood so important that he made it part of his path to Awakening.

Right Livelihood causes no harm to oneself or others and is ethically positive. At Windhorse:evolution we usually work in small teams; working in one of these teams is a strong spiritual practice. We learn how to cooperate with others, to take deeper responsibility for our mental states and to free ourselves from limiting views.

Our work is part of a greater circle of spiritual practice. In the peace and quiet of our morning meditation we develop qualities of mind that can find expression in the activity of our work. We may find it is through the challenges of work that our aspiration becomes grounded and seasoned, we become more resilient and resourceful. We also have opportunities to discuss and explore the principles of Buddhism in our regular Right Livelihood meetings helping us to discover how work can become spiritual practice.