Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: What is "right livelihood"?

[Ellen Keyne Seebacher (elle]

On Wed, Mar 02, 2011 at 02:38:45PM -0500, rhmorrison [at] aol.com wrote:

> On 3/1/11, Communities Editor <editor [at] ic.org> via Fred Olson
> issued a call for articles on "right livelihood" in intentional
> communities without explaining what it is. What is it?

I wasn't sure either, so I Googled it.  Here's an explanation from
http://www.rightlivelihood.org/right_livelihood.html :

"The idea of 'right livelihood' is an ancient one.  It embodies the
principle that each person should follow an honest occupation, which
fully respects other people and the natural world.  It means being
responsible for the consequences of our actions and taking only a fair
share of the earth's resources."

Then I remembered where I'd heard the phrase -- in reading about
Buddhism.  Here's a quote from Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh:

"To practice Right Livelihood (samyag ajiva), you have to find a way
to earn your living without transgressing your ideals of love and
compassion.  The way you support yourself can be an expression of your
deepest self, or it can be a source of suffering for you and others.
... Our vocation can nourish our understanding and compassion, or
erode them.  We should be awake to the consequences, far and near, of
the way we earn our living."

-- 
Ellen Keyne Seebacher                   elle [at] pobox.com

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