How should I spend my day, according to Lord Buddha teachings?

Question

According to Lord Buddha teachings, How should a normal employee spend his/her day ?

How much time should one meditate? (annapanna or vipassana) ?

While sitting in office, how should i sit (sometimes i try to sit as straight as possible, but after 10 minutes i am back to ordinary state)

I want to know how to spend all my 24 hours in order to remain all time conscious (what exactly means conscious, suppose i am walking, should i remain aware about my hand and legs moving or my breath) ?

Kindly help

Answer 1

How much time should one meditate? (annapanna or vipassana) ?

2 session of 1 hour each sitting meditation generally works well for many, but this is not the true meditative practice.

According to Lord Buddha teachings, How should a normal employee spend his/her day ?

Real meditation is from awakening to sleep. Be aware of sensation arising and passing either due to posture, bodily sensations, mental activity and thoughts, sensory experiences, etc.

As an employee you should earn your living in the right way and ethically. Meditating or other activity in office which might interfere with your duties might not be ethical.

While sitting in office, how should i sit (sometimes i try to sit as straight as possible, but after 10 minutes i am back to ordinary state)

What every posture that works for you is fine. Over rigid postures may give undue attention of colleagues which might not help.

If you are referring to "crookedness of body" in (Pacetana) Ratha,kara Sutta, this is a figure of speech referring to lax morality.

I want to know how to spend all my 24 hours in order to remain all time conscious (what exactly means conscious, suppose i am walking, should i remain aware about my hand and legs moving or my breath) ?

In short the breath and arising and passing of sensations. Generally when you are waking moving parts have more sensations, but as you progress it is good to look throughout the body.

If the sensations are pleasant you get attached if not averse. This is one thing you have to understand and be aware of. Staying in a particular posure may be present for a little while but becomes painful and the urge to more arises. When you move the new posture becomes pleasant and cycle continues. Similarly for thoughts, memories, and other sensory experiences. Regarding sensory experiences and perceive it as positive or negative or neutral, if positive you experience a pleasant sensation and you get attached to the pleasant sensation triggered by the evaluation and similarly when the experience is negative.

Answer 2

The Buddha tends to give a different style of teaching for lay people and monastics. Meditation is rarely advised for lay people, they focus on developing merit for a good future rebirth. Lay people are frequently urged to follow the five precepts, to develop right livelihood, and to give dana.

So you are already going beyond what is suggested by the Buddha. You may find his teachings for monks to be more relevant for your practice but don't lose sight of the basics, precepts are an important practice to complement meditation.

Answer 3

You could work vipassana into the workday. It's designed to help us just see what is happening as it is happening, and to catch even our most subtle emotional reactions.

You can also practice meditation that supports the main vipassana practice: like Metta or loving-kindness if too much anger comes, or anapana (breath meditation) if you need to calm down quickly.

One of my favorite teachers, who specializes in teaching people for the working world, is Stephen Procter. These are videos with the method and the theory:

• Mindfulness Meditation Talks - Stephen Procter
• Guided Mindfulness Meditation Training