The Ideals of Right Livelihood

This talk was given at a men's Regional Order weekend June 1993

Right livelihood has been part of the Buddha's teaching from the very beginning. According to tradition the first discourse the Buddha gave was to the five men who had previously been his companions in a life of ascetic hardship. That discourse was on the four noble truths, the fourth of which, as you know, is the noble eightfold path, which includes Right Livelihood. Right Livelihood was part of the Dharma from the very first words

That's just by way of setting the scene so to speak. Right Livelihood is an important aspect of the Buddha's teaching because it is part of the noble eightfold path, part of the four noble truths, a fundamental feature of the middle way. The traditional definitions of right Livelihood are given negatively, I.e. they say what you shouldn't do, in other words, they are definitions of wrong livelihood.

Wrong livelihood according to the Majjhima Nikaya is: “to practise deceit,treachery,soothsaying,trickery and usury” (MN 117) and according to the Anguttara Nikaya : “ Five trades should be avoided by a disciple – trading in arms,in living beings, in flesh, in intoxicating drinks and in poison.”(AN 5:177) Bhante Sangharakshita has taken these definitions somewhat further by stating very positively that Perfect Livelihood represents “the need to create an ideal society”.

My own involvement with right livelihood and indeed with the Triratna Buddhist Community is based on a very strong response to this idea of creating an ideal society. I and probably many of you have wanted to change the world ever since I was a teenager. In my late teens and early twenties I worked in offices in London. What I came to realise then was that I did not want to work for money. I did not want to make providing for the future a central task in my life. I wanted to to live my life now, in the present and I wanted it to have meaning beyond the accumulation of wealth and possessions. When I was working at one firm of accountants just off Fleet St., I saw an old man retire who had spent his whole life with the company. After he left, he used to come back very frequently and hang around and nobody had much time for him. I was twenty one at the time and I took that old man's sad plight as a warning. When I was twenty two, I gave up my budding career in accountancy and decided to devote myself to finding some meaning in life. That's a decision I have never regretted. Some years later I found myself in West Berlin and began to meet people with a somewhat similar outlook on life or at least with similar questions. There I and some friends started to publish a small magazine. Our intention was to get a project going that would disseminate our ideas, provide us with a living and eventually develop into a total lifestyle with us living and working together. It didn't succeed for a number of reasons but as far as I was concerned it wasn't a complete failure because I gained some valuable experience and learned a lot about myself and other people. I was not totally disillusioned by my experience because there were in Berlin at that time some very successful projects where people were living and working together and trying to develop lifestyles different from those which were conventionally acceptable. Some of these alternative communities are still going strong. (in 1993)

The idea of people living and working together with some sort of values beyond the accumulation of money and property was one familiar to me before I came across Buddhism or the Triratna Community. I had also developed some ideas about what a venture needed in order to succeed. In particular it was obvious to me from my experience with the magazine that people needed to have shared ideals.

I discovered Buddhism in 1983 and shortly after that I found myself in Dublin with hardly enough money to live on. I came across the Alternative London directory and reading through the section on Buddhism I found right livelihood mentioned in connection with the Triratna Community. I came to London in 1984 and decided to contact Triratna and get involved in Right Livelihood. It was not to be. When I turned up at the centre I was given a leaflet about the centre's activities and told about how people got involved gradually. I looked at the leaflet when I got home and put it away because I didn't feel the need for a meditation class and anyway I couldn't afford it, my income and expenditure were running neck and neck at the time. However some months later I picked up “Buddhism for Today” by Subhuti at Swiss Cottage library and was very struck by what I read. Especially what I read about the New society. This was what I had been groping towards for years and here there were people putting it into practice in London.

I decided without further ado to get involved with Triratna. So Right Livelihood was important to me before I got involved with Triratna both in the ethical sense highlighted by the traditional definitions and in the idealistic sense put forward by Bhante.

Now when I joined Friends Foods Health Food shop in 1988 the ideal that I had before my mind was that which is exemplified in the Culagosinga Sutta. To refresh your memory here it is: “Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Nadika in the Brick House. Now on that occasion venerable Anuruddha, venerable Nandiya and the venerable Kimbila were living at the Park of the Gosinga Sala-tree Wood. In the evening, the Blessed One rose from meditation and went to the Park of the Gosinga Sala-tree Wood. The park keeper saw the Blessed One coming in the distance and told him: "Do not enter this park, recluse. There are three respectable people here seeking their own good. Do not disturb them."

Venerable Anuruddha heard the park keeper speaking to the Blessed One and told him: "Friend park keeper, do not keep the Blessed One out. It is our Teacher, the Blessed One, who has come." Then venerable Anuruddha called out to venerable Nandiya and venerable Kimbila to meet the Blessed One. One took his bowl and outer robe, one prepared a seat, and one set out water for washing the feet. The Blessed One sat down on the seat made ready and washed his feet. Then those three venerable ones paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down at one side. When they were seated, the Blessed One said to them: "I hope you are all keeping well, Anuruddha, I hope you are all comfortable, I hope you are not having any trouble getting alms food." They replied: "We are keeping well, Blessed One, we are comfortable, and we are not having any trouble getting alms food." Buddha: "I hope, Anuruddha, that you are all living in concord, with mutual appreciation, without disputing, blending like milk and water, viewing each other with kindly eyes."

Anurruddha: "Surely, venerable sir, we are living in concord, with mutual appreciation, without disputing, blending like milk and water, viewing each other with kindly eyes."
Buddha: "But, Anuruddha, how do you live thus?"
Anuruddha: "Venerable sir, as to that, I think thus 'It is a gain for me, it is a great gain for me, that I am living with such companions in the holy life.' I maintain bodily acts/verbal acts and mental acts of loving-kindness towards those venerable ones both openly and privately. I consider: 'Why should I not set aside what I wish to do and do what these venerable ones wish to do?' Then I set aside what I wish to do and do what these venerable ones wish to do. We are different in body, venerable sir, but one in mind." The venerable Nandiya and the venerable Kimbila each spoke likewise.

Buddha: "Good, good, Anuruddha. I hope that you all abide diligent, ardent, and resolute."
They replied: "Surely, venerable sir, we abide diligent, ardent, and resolute."
Buddha: "But, Anuruddha, how do you abide thus?"
Anuruddha: "Venerable sir, as to that, whichever of us returns first from the village with alms food prepares the seats, sets out the water for drinking and for washing, and puts the refuse bucket in its place. Whichever of us returns last eats any food left over, if he wishes; otherwise he throws it away where there is no greenery or drops it into water where there is no life. He puts away the seats and the water for drinking and for washing. He puts away the refuse bucket after washing it and he sweeps out the refectory. Whoever notices that the pots of water for drinking, washing, or the latrine are low or empty takes care of them. If they are too heavy for him, he calls someone else by a signal of the hand and they move it by joining hands, but because of this we do not break out into speech. But every five days we sit together all night discussing the Dhamma. That is how we abide diligent, ardent, and resolute." (MN 31& 128)

This was what I wanted to experience, to live and work with people in such harmony that we all felt of one mind, “as friendly and undisputing as milk and water”. That was what I wanted Friends Foods to be like. This meant developing trust and generosity. This is what seemed the most important aspect of team-based right livelihood to me. If we are to change the the world we have to change ourselves and change the way we relate to the people in our immediate vicinity. This is, to say the least, a tall order.

Right livelihood is an essential part of the Buddha's teaching because it touches on a fundamental and even instinctual aspect of human activity. It is second only in significance to sexual activity as an area of our lives that requires transformation but resists it. Sexual activity is a manifestation of instinct. Livelihood also partakes of instinct, the instinct of survival, preserving life.

Where our instincts are involved our emotions are involved and where our emotions are so strongly involved we have the greatest difficulty bringing consciousness to our decisions, attitudes, views, opinions etc. We may, for instance, believe we are being perfectly sensible when we talk about sexual relations but often we are not. Similarly, in the area of livelihood, the pursuit of the means of physical comfort and security. We may believe we have perfectly pragmatic and sensible attitudes but undoubtedly a lot of factors will be involved which we are not aware of. Sex and money are concerned with security - to put it another way, sex and property are the barricades that humanity tries to erect before the forces of death and decay. Sex and property are attempts to thwart the law of impermanence. But life cannot be thwarted. We need to bring our understanding and practice in the areas of both sexuality and livelihood more and more into line with the facts of life, especially the fact of impermanence.

For me the main implication of this is that work must have meaning. It must help forward my spiritual practice. Work must create the conditions for the growth of the Sangha. It must be based on generosity rather than greed. It must be based on co-operation rather than power, on trust rather than competition. Work that has meaning beyond itself is work that recognises the central importance of spiritual principles in the lives of individuals, and in the life of society as a whole. Work that is meaningful is work that recognises the importance of the growth and development of individuals in wisdom and compassion as a major contribution to the civilisation of humanity.

To rely on working to earn money to provide security now and in old age is fine so far as material well-being is concerned. Material well-being is a relatively unimportant consideration for a Buddhist in this affluent society. Even the poorest among us is wealthy by the standards of real poverty and starvation. What we have to concern ourselves with is the spiritual well-being of ourselves and the world we live in - “the sleeping sickness of the soul” as Hillary Clinton has called it. (1993 speech on 'the politics of meaning') What most people lack in this society is not bread or shelter or clothing, it is meaning. Meaningless lives are not rendered more meaningful by a greater consumption of goods and services. In fact the opposite is probably the case. For any life to have meaning there has to be a focus on systematically growing and developing in the direction of greater wisdom and compassion.

Therefore, in our work, in our pursuit of livelihood, we need to have this focus on the development of wisdom and compassion as central as possible. My experience has led me to believe that this is best achieved in the company of others who share a similar ideal. In other words, I firmly believe that team-based right livelihood is the best way to give meaning and substance to our working lives. The reasons for his are more to do with the need for Sangha than with any economic factors. The Dharma lives in the Sangha, it takes flesh in the Sangha, it is given expression in the Sangha and the Sangha at work is the Dharma at work. The importance of team-based right livelihood then is that it helps to create, nurture, and strengthen the Sangha.

Working together we learn to co-operate, co-operating we learn how to trust each other, trusting one another we learn how to be kind and generous, being kind and generous we go beyond ourselves. Going beyond ourselves we move nearer to the wisdom of interconnectedness and the consequent release of metta and compassion. The only worthwhile reason to engage in team-based right livelihood is to move closer to our ideals.

Having enthused about team-based right livelihood, I would like to add a rider. I don't think everyone is suitable for team-based right livelihood. I know that some people find it extremely difficult to work in teams. I know that some people feel so insecure about money that being on a low wage would cause them a lot of stress. I know that some people are so cynical about ideals that being in a team-based right livelihood would only afford them endless opportunities for reaction. And some people have vocations - for example, artists, doctors, teachers. (Maybe these could be teams?) I don't think everybody is suitable for team-based right livelihood. I do think that team-based right livelihood is suitable for everyone though.

Just as, for instance, the Dana economy is the ideal and the most suitable way for the Triratna Order to manage its affairs but is not practical because the Order or at least some Order members are not able to join in with it, so also with team-based right livelihood. It is suitable for everybody but everybody is not suitable for it. It requires a substantial level of idealism and maturity to be able to wholeheartedly engage, day in day out, with the same people doing the same things and still maintain a wide enough perspective to remain inspired.

I would like to go now to look at the three aims of team-based right livelihood. These are: to provide a means of support for the workers; to provide an experience of Kalyana Mitrata;to give away money

The first aim of team-based right livelihood is to provide financial support for the workers. The principle here as you all know is “give what you can, take what you need”. In the past in many co-ops there was very little money and this often led to arguments and harshness in the area of meeting people's financial needs. This is a self-perpetuating sort of situation. If people's emotional needs are not being met, if they do not experience friendliness, kindness, trust, love, then often they will look to whatever money can buy to meet their needs. In other words, people's financial needs increase if their emotional needs are not being satisfied. Security must be found somewhere. We are not able to stand unprotected before the monster of impermanence.

The first aim of team-based right livelihood is intimately connected with the second and the third. The support provided by friendship and the satisfaction gained through being able to give generously are important factors in having a happy team that doesn't rely too much on financial reward and doesn't want to work part-time. The simple life is easier to lead if we have friends who obviously care for us and if we can see some positive fruits from our actions.

The second aim of team-based right livelihood is to create the conditions which are conducive to spiritual progress or, in other words, to provide an experience of Kalyana Mitrata. This brings us back to the story from the Culagosinga Sutta. What we are aiming at in team-based right livelihood is to be able to function as one mind, co-operating and trusting to the extent that our working life is a pleasure, a shared activity of friends constantly supporting and helping each other in a spirit of generosity. I said earlier that the story in the Culagosinga Sutta was an ideal and an inspiration to me when I first joined Friends Foods. I am pleased to say that I feel we have made great progress in Friends Foods in actualising this second aim of team-based right livelihood, providing an experience of Kalyana Mitrata. There is a strong spirit of friendliness, generosity, trust and helpfulness between us and it has grown over the years. The main factors involved in building this have been: spending time together; an emphasis on trust – e.g .people's financial needs are what they say they are; a willingness to accommodate differences of personality; the presence of Order Members effectively going for refuge

The third aim of team-based right livelihood is to help finance Buddhist activities. Of course it has to be said that team-based right livelihood in the sense that I have been talking about it is itself a Buddhist activity and therefore re-investment is helping to finance Buddhist activities. Also a residential community of Buddhists is a Buddhist activity and therefore paying the bills in a residential community is helping to finance a Buddhist activity. Beyond that there is teaching, Karuna Trust projects, retreat centres – all of which team-based right livelihood helps to finance either directly or indirectly. Directly through donations and indirectly through using the facilities. The principle behind this third aim of team-based right livelihood is the principle of generosity, of going beyond self. The whole function of team-based right livelihood as envisioned by Bhante Sangharakshita, namely the transformation of society, requires a going beyond self.

In the first aim of team-based right livelihood this is represented by “give what you can”. In the second aim aim, it's in the friendship and tolerance. And in the third aim, we go beyond ourselves by giving away some of the financial fruits of our labour. This is how team-based right livelihood unites the ideals of wisdom and compassion in a very practical way and sets us firmly on the path to further growth through our everyday work, by transforming our greed for possessions, our hatred of others as manifested in competitiveness and our delusion shown by our attempts to secure ourselves against decay and death.

Team-based right livelihood helps us to change greed into generosity by encouraging us to work for something other than financial reward and by encouraging us to give away some of the profit we do accumulate. It helps us overcome and transform our hatred by throwing us into a close relationship with others which demands co-operation and trust and a willingness to let go of some of our dearly held views and opinions. And team-based right livelihood helps us to confront our delusions by focusing on meaning in the working day rather than on money.

The further we drift from what is truly meaningful, the more painful we will find team-based right livelihood and the closer we come to what is meaningful and important in life the more enjoyable and satisfying is our experience of team-based right livelihood. In fact the closer we are to having a perspective that is freer from delusions the more we realise that team-based right livelihood is more than just a job, more than just a business. It is in fact a very practical and even relatively easy way to progress towards Insight.