Questions tagged [right-livelihood]
Element of the eightfold path relating to ethical conduct with the context of one's occupation or livelihood.
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1answer
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How to part with potentially harmful possessions
In line with my understanding of the teachings, I have been letting go of many possessions that have been accumulating in my life. I realized they really are unnecessary, they mostly just add stress ...
3
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2answers
91 views
In Buddhist ethics, where does personal responsibility end?
Regarding the teachings on virtue, not considering the more advanced teachings (such as Dependent Origination), did the Buddha ever speak of where the sphere of personal responsibility ends?
The ...
2
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2answers
73 views
Right Livelihood and Working in Technical Support
Currently, I work at home taking calls for tech support for a cable company. I work to help solve customers' issues as best as possible over the phone and send a technician if need be. The one thing I ...
2
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4answers
188 views
Music and Right Livelihood
A lay follower should not engage in five types of business i.e. business in weapon, human being, meat, intoxicant and poison. But there are many jobs can be considered harmful but not included in the ...
3
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5answers
1k views
Does doing an ordinary day-to-day job account for good karma?
If you do an ordinary job, say anything like a software engineer, or a waiter in a hotel or a farmer, anything, like a 9-5 job. Helping society in whichever peaceful means possible. Does it accumulate ...
3
votes
8answers
149 views
Is begging for alms acceptable for lay persons?
Receiving alms is definitely part of the monastic life.
Is begging for alms acceptable for lay persons?
Is begging for alms considered Right Livelihood for lay persons?
Is begging for alms considered ...
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2answers
84 views
Does one usually “need” to earn a living, or does on usually “want” to earn a living?
...and why?
Is the a case where one would neither need nor want?
What's (or would be) a "trade" purified on one or both sides and it's quality, effect, if given into? That of one pulling one ...
0
votes
1answer
57 views
The “cow-keeper”-story?
My person remembers a possible common know story about a Brahman collecting as much as possible cow's leading to sorrows for poor. The Sublime Buddha approached him one day, gave a talk and later he ...
2
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2answers
60 views
Buddhist ethics & hydroponics: ethical issues?
AFAIK, in Theravada, ordained monastics are prohibited from growing their own food. Even hydroponics would likely be prohibited by vināya due to probability of harming small unseen life (algae, etc) ...
4
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1answer
422 views
Is it wrong livelihood to pick up cherries?
I currently am taking care of an organic garden and minimizing any harm that could befall on any living beings by sustainable techniques, and on the side am helping to pick cherries and yet I have ...
-1
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2answers
176 views
Planting without soil & harm ideas: giving inspiration, motivation
My person thought of motivating, encouraging each other in supporting the foundation for meditation, complete Sila incl. right livelihood, if bound to house-life, viewing on the aspects of, planting ...
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2answers
64 views
Right Livelihood Monastics
Since we know (in some traditions) monks and nuns can't work, what is meant by right livelihood for them?
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2answers
74 views
Is academic research right livelihood?
A question to those of you who’ve spent some time in academia: is academic research right livelihood?
Given that it requires one to engage in thinking for the entire duration of one’s working hours, ...
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5answers
92 views
Is Buddhist lifestyle harmless to living beings?
Is the Buddhist lifestyle harmless to living beings? Lot's of creatures are being killed in various human activities (walking, farming, building, etc.) Did Buddhists found a way to live while not ...
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3answers
104 views
Judges passing the death sentence
The Yodhajiva Sutta tells the story of a warrior who thought that brave warriors who fought valiantly and died heroically on the battlefield, would go to warrior heavan. The Buddha disappointed him by ...
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3answers
78 views
Is divination for fun acceptable?
I recently read an answer on here referencing a sutra that states "animal arts" such as performing any form of divination constitutes wrong livelihood which should be abstained from. What I'm ...
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8answers
7k views
Is stock trading a wrong livelihood?
Does stock trading count as pursuing gain with gain mentioned as wrong view in MN117?
Sure active stock trading is very destructive, especially nowadays it's like trading the weather, but does it ...
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vote
2answers
76 views
Is working in government insurance company right livelihood?
I am currently jobless. I saw the advertisement of recruitment of government insurance company. So I thought to ask before applying. I am very confused. I don't want to do any wrong livelihood jobs.
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5answers
282 views
are mundane acts of compassion meaningful?
Did the Buddha say anything of the value of mundane acts of generosity which may temporarily alleviate the suffering of others in a temporary, worldly way, but do not free others from from suffering?
...
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3answers
268 views
Is owning a restaurant considered wrong livelihood?
The Vaṇijjāsutta:
Pañcimā, bhikkhave, vaṇijjā upāsakena akaraṇīyā. Katamā pañca? Satthavaṇijjā, sattavaṇijjā, maṃsavaṇijjā, majjavaṇijjā, visavaṇijjā — imā kho, bhikkhave, pañca vaṇijjā upāsakena ...
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8answers
966 views
Jobs indirectly related to the meat business
According to the Vanijja Sutta on Right Livelihood:
"Monks, a lay follower should not engage in five types of business.
Which five? Business in weapons, business in human beings, business
in ...
1
vote
4answers
125 views
Is it ethical to develop software for financial company?
I'm wondering whether it is ethical to work as software engineer for financial company that develops software for exchanges and banks. When we consider exchange, different things are traded there, i.e....
4
votes
4answers
552 views
Why are children represented as inessential in some Buddhist text?
There are multiple question related to this already asked, but none of the response or question address as to why children are presented in Buddhist text as inessential, such as these:
… That is ...
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3answers
246 views
How is Vegetarianism morally superior to eating meat in a Buddhist context?
Fact: Buddha ate meat. He died from food poisoning eating pork. Are not thousands if not millions of living being slaughtered when you harvest vegetables (worms, insects, micro-organisms etc.)? So how ...
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5answers
218 views
Blind police justice and right livelihood
The police seem necessary for any defiled society; but that doesn't mean being a police officer, who must follow laws objectively but also blindly, is necessarily right livelihood.
They are ...
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2answers
225 views
Right livelihood with modern (potentially dangerous) products
Besides right livelihood described by Buddha, we also have to avoid action that is harmful.
Some people claim that the long-term side effects associated with various modern products are unknown, or ...
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5answers
2k views
Is it okay to seek financial gains as a layman?
I work in a highly competitive market, and often people around me only talk about money or finances or the global economy day in and day out. A few of my friends/interns were attracted to Buddhism ...
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2answers
670 views
Is Being a Bartender Considered Right Livelihood
Selling animal for its meat is considered a wrong livelihood. Made intoxicants and sell them is also a wrong livelihood. If people are working on a non-vegetarian food counter, I believe that is not ...
2
votes
4answers
188 views
Right view of the external modern world
Did Gautama Buddha make any statements about the justices or injustices of the world?
I would like to elucidate the right view to a person who has undergone a certain injustice. The person in ...
7
votes
2answers
284 views
Advice for a young person living in a western city
I've read here about sensual pleasure and music and I agree with what I've read: that boredom breeds states of unwholesome pleasure and that when we give up our thoughts to entertainment we do just ...
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6answers
202 views
Right livelihood - how many cutouts is enough?
Slaughtering an animal for meat or a person for wealth is not right livelihood, nor is it right to pay someone else to do so. So far, so good.
Modern corporations allow individuals to amass more ...
6
votes
4answers
671 views
Is shellfish aquaculture considered a wrong livelihood?
I am currently employed on an aquaculture farm that specializes in clams and oysters. According to our modern system of taxonomy, both of these organisms are considered animals. I also know that a ...
13
votes
6answers
6k views
A Good Career for a Buddhist?
I am a business woman and my job is stressful. It is entirely motivated by greed. I want to leave my career but I have a dream to help poor people in my country and also to make my parents proud of me....
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7answers
570 views
Caught in a bind; what to do?
I would imagine the following may be a bit odd to be asking here outright and dare I say it, a little egoic to do so, but I was referred to this place to ask questions, and I have some questions. But ...
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6answers
329 views
Would making a video game be considered “business in intoxicants” or “business in poisons”?
Right Livelihood, as stated in the :Vanijja Sutta
"Monks, a lay follower should not engage in five types of business. Which five? Business in weapons, business in human beings, business in meat, ...
4
votes
1answer
142 views
Is working for a big corporation invariably wrong livelihood?
That can be a very complicated point.
Almost every work for a big corporation could be (potentially) seen as wrong livelihood! Hard to find a big corporation that works with good products, ethical ...
4
votes
4answers
302 views
Are all non-monastic ways of life wrong livelihood?
Leading on from this answer - is it true that ultimately most or even all non-monastic lifestyles are wrong livelihood. Not being a monk I find this point of view quite challenging but just because I ...
6
votes
4answers
405 views
Does breeding dogs fall under right livelihood?
Does breeding and selling dogs fit into right livelihood provided that you make a concerted effort to make sure the animals find homes with responsible owners?
Edit:
Thanks for the answers so far. I ...
4
votes
2answers
337 views
What is meant by pursuing gain with gain?
Leading on from this answer - in the Maha-cattarisaka Sutta it identifies wrong action in one's livelihood as
Scheming
Persuading
Hinting
Belittling
Pursuing gain with gain
What is meant by ...
13
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15answers
4k views
Will actors really go to hell?
In the Talaputta Sutra the Buddha says that actors will either be reborn as an animal or go to hell
When an actor on the stage, [he thinks that] after death, he is reborn
in the company of the ...
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2answers
201 views
Where in the Pali Canon does it give examples of right livelihood and it's opposite
A while ago I remember reading part of the Pail Canon where it gave a comprehensive list of professions the Buddha considers not right livelihood. It has things like fortune tellers in the list. I ...
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4answers
327 views
Information Technology Careers and Right Livelihood Dharma
As a Buddhist looking for perfecting his Right Livelihood: finding a Livelihood which is so perfect and Right that it not only avoids bad-karma-making (killing, stealing, intoxication, etc.) but even ...
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2answers
324 views
Developing mindfulness doing complex activities like learning or programming?
It is easy enough to see the power of developing mindfulness through walking meditation, eating meditation, and any repeated task including cooking.
How does one develop mindfulness capacities when ...
2
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1answer
257 views
Being a monstery monk while training in career online?
Is it OK to be a monastery monk (eating community gruel, etc.) but using your laptop to study for your career during half the day (instead of meditation with all of it)? Would the administrator be OK ...
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0answers
120 views
Full view on right livelihood [closed]
I have seen some questions on what the scope of right/wrong livelihood is, however most of the questions I have seen only touch on a specific point, so I would like to consolidate these questions and ...
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3answers
1k views
Can Buddhists be good workplace leaders?
Many people that start to meditate and follow the Dhamma become more tolerant, less attached to reputation, more "easy going" and treat all with loving kindness, this can create an opportunity for ...
6
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4answers
433 views
Kamma and right livelihood in a modern business environment
It is easier to define "right livelihood" in the time of the Buddha when compared to our modern society. I would like to know if this situation can be considered wrong livelihood and if it creates bad ...
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4answers
3k views
How to make a decision based on Buddhist principles?
I have been practicing Buddhism since a child, about twenty years. Throughout my adult life I have been trying to combine my practical life with my Buddhist beliefs. In some situations, however, I ...
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1answer
250 views
Can a military career be ethical?
There are military generals as lay people and stream enterers in the suttas. And there is no clear prohibition to a military career. There are some suttas that criticize the karma of soldiers on the ...
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6answers
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Can lay people be involved in the weapons business?
There is a short sentence in the suttas where the Buddha said lay people should not involve themselves in the weapons business, but it seems this is not as serious as the five precepts.
The question ...
