Foundations of Spiritual Living: Step Five on the Eightfold Path

Hello Wonderful Open Heart Project,

Today we continue with the foundations of Buddhist practice and reach the fifth step on the Noble Eightfold Path: Right Livelihood.

Right Livelihood asks how we bring our practice into the way we work and make a living. Work takes up a large share of our time, which makes it one of the places where practice gets tested. Traditionally, the teaching means avoiding work that harms others. It also covers how we treat the people we work with and for. Do we bring generosity to the job? Do we help people feel less afraid? Do we share what we know in ways that help them?

Meditation lets us start with our own minds. The way we speak to ourselves tends to become the way we speak to others, and that shows up at work as much as anywhere.

This week, try treating your work as part of your practice. Notice where it already is, and where it isn’t yet.

With love,
Susan

PS: There’s a full, in-depth talk on Right Livelihood, on my podcast, Buddhism Beyond Belief, Episode 46, that you can listen to here (if you want to).