Dear Friends,
The fifth factor of the eightfold path is usually translated as right (or wise) livelihood.
This can look at not only how we earn a living, but also how we support ourselves in the world, how we conduct ourselves, and how we use resources. This can also include our family responsibilities of raising children or taking care of parents. Much of our day is taken up with these tasks, so we want to make this all part of the practice.
Actions that are done repeatedly and over a long period of time have a big impact on our minds and our lives, so it’s worth looking here too. Can we support ourselves and our families without causing undue harm?
Each of us will have to examine our roles in the context of our lives to see what’s appropriate, what’s possible. And things are definitely complex!
From an article “Why Right Livelihood Isn’t Just About Your Day Job”, the author, Krishnan Venkatesh, says, “Almost every profession carries a burden of nagging doubt. … Today, any means of livelihood is knotted into a vast system that impacts lives and landscapes thousands of miles away.”
https://tricycle.org/article/right-livelihood-isnt-just-day-job/
As Brian Lesage says in a talk, “what I really want to point out about wise livelihood is that it’s not about perfection. … it’s about enacting and embodying beautiful qualities of heart no matter what situation we’re in.”
You might enjoy Brian’s full dharma talk here:
2023-09-05 Wholehearted Livelihood (37 minutes)
https://www.dharmaseed.org/talks/79803/
With good wishes,
Andrea