What is struggle?

Question

I am in sales line profession. Try believe that sales, here in India is at its worst now. Being a medical representative i know how much medicines mean to those who are in need of them. But this corporate/hardcore businessman world do not know about anything. Anything, anyhow, they know is how they have to take-out money out of their own society. They pick 8 members of society against remaining 72 members and do everything to go beyond the filth. being in association with them, daily i feel humiliated and harrased. They compel me to thug others, to push sales unneccesarily.

I am all here not by myself but by default. education system here is crap. I am doing this because i do not have support from our government at basic levels or as we (family) do not have so called financial background.

My question is: How can i left my family supposed to be survived in my absence while i'd be out in search of enlightenment?

Please respond with everything possible you can express. Thanks and regards.

Answer 1

Regarding right livelihood- taking care of the sick is one of the few areas of social responsibility that are regularly mentioned in the oldest Buddhist texts. By this, I mean, they hadn't started thinking about literacy, pollution, and other modern progressive issues. I agree the modern Pharmaceutical business has some nasty parts. Essentially you have to trust the that the doctors will give the right medicine when the time comes and leave the ineffective medicine on the shelf.

Regarding "absence while in search of enlightenment"-- There are many versions, sects of Buddhism that do not make up a rule that says you have to be monk to be come Enlightened, and they are many version, sects of Buddhist that doesn't prohibit having a family if one is a monk. Nyingma pa, all Japanese sects, some Korean Sects, probably most American sects allow the ordained to be married.

The path of the serious Upāsaka (lay follower) is more than the 5 precepts. Depending on the tradition, lay followers take the 8 precepts, the Upāsaka precepts or the Bodhisattva Precepts, all of which are compatible with a lay life, i.e. holding a job and taking care of a family.

Finally, if you are serious about a career change, consider doing it in a way that allows you to continue to support your family. The historical Buddha after going forth eventually came back home after he had a successful sangha and a model for how to live without starving and his wife & child ordained. This was in part lucky circumstances-- nowadays, to make a living in Buddhism, you write books, conduct retreats and so on.