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52 EASTERN HORIZON | TEACHINGS

it. What we can do is to bring the practice to them and Min Wei: As the Buddha has clearly mentioned in the
to cultivate the insight of love and compassion while Canon, in practicing Right Livelihood, a lay follower
learning ways to protect the lives of all living beings. should avoid the five immoral occupations which
involve trading in weapons, living beings, meat,
It is important to contemplate on life and that the intoxicants, and poisons. These are the five trades which
happiness and suffering of others are not too far should not be carried on by lay followers when they
separated from our own happiness and suffering; and start a career.
that in the end true happiness is not possible without
understanding and compassion. Therefore, Mahayana Besides that, one should also take care that one’s
Buddhism promotes vegetarianism out of compassion occupation does not destroy nature and the
and giving up meat can help relieve the suffering of environment. Our work should bring benefit to others,
animals. A vegetarian diet can also bring great benefits and protecting the environment for future generations
to our environment as well. is a good example.

Dadul: A senior disciple of the Buddha, named Arya It is therefore important to opt for careers where by
Katayana used to give precepts to people like butchers their very nature they do not harm other living beings,
or fisherman to keep at night when they weren’t including nature and the environment. One should also
working. Virtue or wholesomeness of an action is investigate the mission of a company and its business
determined by the motivation, not by the nature or activities before we joined them. In this way we will
appearance of the action or non-action. Receiving and not be caught in a dilemma where we feel we cannot
keeping precepts such as of not killing and not fishing support what the company do even though we are an
from sun set to sunrise, or from when one stops work employee there.
until one resumes the next day, would be a way of
earning some merit. Also, even when working in those Out of compassion and with wisdom, how can we
professions, one can mentally disagree about it and convince or persuade someone to practice Right
generate regret over the actions, while pursuing the Livelihood?
profession for the time being out of necessity and be
open to shifting to another profession when opportunity Aggacitta: The Buddha often spoke about four means
arrives. That way one will mitigate the negativity from of sustaining a favorable relationship (saṅgahavatthu):
the harmful pursuits. Also, participating in socially giving, endearing speech, beneficent conduct, and
7
constructive missions and making comfortable impartiality. In Bala Sutta (AN 9.5) he elaborated:
contributions from the earnings to worthy causes in
memory of those beings affected as a purification of Among gifts, the best is the gift of the Dhamma. Among
one’s actions are surely of benefit. types of endearing speech, the best is repeatedly
teaching the Dhamma to one who is interested
What would be your advice to a new Buddhist about in it and listens with eager ears. Among types of
to start a career as to how to choose a job that will beneficent conduct, the best is when one encourages,
not be considered as wrong livelihood? settles, and establishes a person without faith in the
accomplishment of faith, an immoral person in the
Aggacitta: As I mentioned at the outset, try to choose accomplishment of virtuous behavior, a miserly person
a career that will not be harmful to one, or others, in the accomplishment of generosity, and an unwise
through the breaking of the 5 Precepts or even the person in the accomplishment of wisdom.
committing of the 10 types of bad conduct which can
cause one to take rebirth in the woeful realms.
7 Translation by Bhikkhu Bodhi in The Numerical Discourses
of the Buddha.