Tips for job behavior

Exploring Theravāda's connections to other paths - what can we learn from other traditions, religions and philosophies?
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purple planet
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Tips for job behavior

Post by purple planet »

All tips you got about how to act more buddhist and more mindful at work - in general and also on specific work place scenarios would be appreciated
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Sam Vara
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Re: Tips for job behavior

Post by Sam Vara »

The best advice is the simplest. Resolve to keep the precepts, or to follow the ten forms of wholesome conduct. They should keep you safe, and provide an excellent foundation for mindfulness.
There is further advice from the Buddha about our duties towards employers in the Dighajanu Sutta http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .nara.html
by whatsoever activity a householder earns his living, whether by farming, by trading, by rearing cattle, by archery, by service under the king, or by any other kind of craft — at that he becomes skillful and is not lazy. He is endowed with the power of discernment as to the proper ways and means; he is able to carry out and allocate (duties). This is called the accomplishment of persistent effort.
And much the same thing spelt out in the Sigalovada Sutta http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .nara.html,
where the lay person is encouraged to show respect to his employer in the following ways:
(i) they rise before him,
(ii) they go to sleep after him,
(iii) they take only what is given,
(iv) they perform their duties well,
(v) they uphold his good name and fame.
I don't think I could follow these literally, as spending more time at work than my workaholic boss would increase my stress levels and put an end to any meditation practice. But I have found that following the general spirit of these - doing one's best, and being a willing worker - keeps me happier. A day spent shirking and clock-watching makes me feel really bad, in fact.
Last edited by Sam Vara on Thu Aug 22, 2013 2:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Crazy cloud
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Re: Tips for job behavior

Post by Crazy cloud »

I keep a close eye on my self and my inner balance troughout the days (mental - feeling or head and stomach). And I use my own "perfect" balance as a "tool" to make a better inner balance in the other person i communicate with. Whenever i experience a sense of imbalance i myself - i check it out at once, make adjustments according to situation, and keep on like that. Like to mention that i have quite a few years of experience in dealing with "very difficult people" , and have benefited a whole lot (never attacked or been threaten), and of course, learned a lot about my self.

Did mention this for my ajhan today - not absolutly sure if he understand fully what i was trying to explain. I will ask him tomorrow

metta

:)
If you didn't care
What happened to me
And I didn't care for you

We would zig-zag our way
Through the boredom and pain
Occasionally glancing up through the rain

Wondering which of the
Buggers to blame
And watching for pigs on the wing
- Roger Waters
HumbleThinker
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Re: Tips for job behavior

Post by HumbleThinker »

purple planet wrote:All tips you got about how to act more buddhist and more mindful at work - in general and also on specific work place scenarios would be appreciated
Be attentive. If you can't be attentive to all things at once (ie. specific task, customers, boss, coworkers, self, etc.), begin by being very attentive to the specific task you are doing, then try to expand your attention from there. You will eventually learn to be attentive to many aspects of the job without losing efficiency on any one aspect.

As others have said, remember the precepts. For the same reasons that right speech generates good kamma and contributes towards liberation outside of the workplace, right speech reaps benefits within the workplace. The same goes for the other precepts.

Right Livelihood: The Noble Eightfold Path in the Working Life by Susan Elbaum Jootla is a nice piece on the subject
"I know that I know nothing" -Socrates

IOW, take what I say with a grain of salt, for I likely know as little or less than you do.
ricebowl
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Re: Tips for job behavior

Post by ricebowl »

purple planet wrote:All tips you got about how to act more buddhist and more mindful at work - in general and also on specific work place scenarios would be appreciated
I had a new hire, i.e. a lady manager who came to me and told me that she needed some privacy. She had a newborn baby and she would like to milk herself and bring some secretion home. I told her to use the toilet. She said it was unhygenic. Upon her request I allowed her to use the server room, it was airconditioned and cozy. However I told her that the boss wanted to install surveillence cameras there. These cameras would allow him to survey the server rooms and offices while he was in the toilet defecating. She said she needed the hygiene and server room briefly, I said go ahead. I quit the job soon after.
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contemplating
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Re: Tips for job behavior

Post by contemplating »

always remain mindful of what you are doing.. "Is this useful to the path?" .. Your thoughts, actions, speech, etc.
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