We come to the 5th step on the Noble Eightfold Path having to do with how you make your living. It would also be a good time to mention that the Eightfold Path is also known as The Middle Way. He took great care after spending time with aesthetics at the time who were yogis that practiced very extreme forms of self-deprivation such as fasting for long periods of time, celibacy, giving up all worldly possessions and leaving behind their livelihoods to pursue this extreme lifestyle in hopes of purification. What the Buddha saw when he saw reality clearly was that many of these extreme methods were a hindrance to the goal of enlightenment because it would leave the person to weak or unable to shelter themselves from the harsh realities of nature and could die before ever glimpsing reality clearly and become enlightened! Thus, The Middle Way shows us that balance is needed for strength and wisdom to walk this path.

Of course, monasteries that took care of monks physical needs were created and made sure they had the shelter, food and medicine they needed to thrive and be healthy while practicing meditation, studying the writings of the Buddha and if becoming enlightened themselves adding modern adaptations to the teachings. Because, remember, Buddhism is more a philosophical science based on practice, comparing subjective experience with other practitioners and continuing on like that in much the way the scientific method is.

Photo by Christopher Burns on Unsplash

With this in mind, let’s take a closer look at Right Livelihood as you would expect this means with the highest ethical standards already lied out in the first five limbs of the path. The Buddhist publication Tricycle takes this approach:

…we need to live our lives ethically, and this means ensuring that we do as little harm as possible to anyone or anything while we’re earning our daily bread. If we don’t, our practice will be undermined by our daily actions, not only because of the practical consequences of harmful acts but also through the internal agitation of remorse and denial.

What we have interpreted the Buddha to have stated about right livelihood over 2,500 years ago are as follows:

Buddha defined five precepts of right livelihood. Certain professions were forbidden because they resulted in harm to other living beings. These professions are:

1. Business in weapons
2. Business in human beings (Slavery, prostitution, anything to do with the exploitation of sex)
3. Business in meat ("Meat" refers to the bodies of living beings after they are killed. This includes breeding animals for slaughter as well as the use of their bodies for food, garments, tools, etc.).
4. Business in intoxicants (The manufacture or selling of intoxicating drinks or addictive drugs.)
5. Business in poison (The manufacture or selling any kind of poison or a toxic product designed to kill.) ~Tough Nickel

Obviously, the culture was different back then. Or was it?

Arms dealing and the horrors of war are a cancer on the human race that much is clear. However, these days our service forces don’t just participate in war they bring medicines, help newly democratized countries get their new governments going. All is not perfect that is for sure and our own government has been guilty of many transgressions that have been uncovered and we can see where these things are no good for ourselves and for the world.

Photo by NASA on Unsplash

We are so interconnected in our global society that it is impossible to be completely extricated from being somehow connected to ills of industries that are not in alignment with goodness like factory farming, industries that pollute and financial industries that regularly deal in fraud and dishonesty. But we can do our best. We have a lot of resources at our fingertips to research the businesses that we frequent and we can use our voice to speak out when things are not right. We can do business with companies that have high ethical standards for their products, business practices and how they treat the people they employ. Doing business in a way that does not exploit human beings or exploit the dark side of human nature. The whole point of Buddhism is to transcend these impulses because if they are exploited in any way or in art or film they water the seed of ignorance and we can see how that is affecting our society just by looking around us.

Photo by Nicolas Hoizey on Unsplash

Modern Day Right Livelihood and Personal Fulfillment

Using myself as an example I learned about these concepts early on in my careers in hi-tech and music and I have used these as guiding principles to navigate through dealing with business entities, partners and so on. It is not always easy to remain steadfast in the commitment to these ethical standards when you are dealing with other people but it is so worth it. I became intertwined in business with a producer a few years ago when I found some his interactions on social media as highly misogynistic. It was absolutely difficult for me because my creative partner also got intertwined with this person and I ultimately had to walk away from at the time was the most fruitful creative relationship I ever had. It ended up being the fertilizer for a whole new era at a higher level for me because my conscience was clear and I was operating from pure intention without any negative dealings holding me back. This has given me the inspiration to reach even higher as I am currently studying piano and music theory with a passion and a love for music that is beyond anything I imagined in the past when I had to let things go. I have also been inspired to explore acting, to be used for the good, in the not too distant future and these ideas would have never come to me had I been bogged down trying to deal with unscrupulous and negative business engagements. Walking away with grace always opens doors in your mind and in your world.

Photo by Olga DeLawrence on Unsplash

Money Doesn’t Buy Happiness

In concluding this essay on I want to end with some observations on making money on Steemit. In the context of Right Livelihood if we look at the opportunities here we can either follow these principles and not behave out of greed or selfishness and we can choose a path of service. Sometimes because we haven’t been taught we can think we are choosing a path to prosperity but if we look closely we may see our intention is only to make money or take as much as possible without providing value. If that is our only intention and we do not understand the wisdom of Right Livelihood what happens is that we ended up having a hole inside ourselves that can never be filled. That is the symptom that is telling us that we are on the wrong track. We may end up with a large sum in our accounts but zero sum in our hearts. If we feel frantic, like we always need more even though we HAVE accumulated so much if the principles outlined here are not followed we will end up feeling empty and/or disconnected. If we are exploiting in any of the ways that have been mentioned it is going against what is necessary to create goodness for self and others and personal fulfillment.

Greed and exploitation can feel good for a while but it’s like an addiction. Eventually it catches up with you by seeping out somehow. It’s best to change course and follow these principles. They never fail.

What do you think?

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@soulsistashakti is a musical artist and writer based in NYC as well as a practitioner of Buddhist teachings. You can check out my music on my FB artist page at https://www.facebook.com/soulsistashakti