Customer Reviews

Mindfulness and Meaningful Work: Explorations in Right Livelihood

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book inspired me! It presents a wide range of views on the subject of right livelihood, from traditional Buddhist thinking to essays from well-known non-Buddhist writers. I was especialy impressed by the inclusion of essays on Amish economics, Islamic banking, and the scientific study of mindfulness founded by psychologist Ellen Langer at Harvard. In addition, the author's closing essay did a great job of describing the practical steps you need to take to find "right livelihood." And, the book happens to have a beautiful cover, which makes it a pleasure to give as a gift.

I'm the author/editor and Ernest Callenbach wrote the Foreword.

In creating this anthology, I set out to explore the integration of mindfulness and ethics in the workplace. In my own opening essay I show how Buddhism and the New Age movement have impacted American culture and stimulated an increasing interest in the meaningfulness of work.

I use the Buddhist 8-fold path, which includes Right View, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Mindfulness, and Right Contemplation to organize essays by some of the leading thinkers and doers of our time, including Thich Nhat Hanh, Joanna Macy, Sam Keen, E.E Schumacher, Gary Snyder, Shakti Gawain, Shunryu Suzuki, Robert Aitken, Tarthang Tulku, Marsha Sinetar, Rick Fields, Ellen Langer, and many others. They share their insights on the practice and value of working and of finding work that is meaningful, life-affirming, and non-exploitative.

In my closing essay, I describe in some detail a practical method for using mindfulness to find meaningful work.

My overall goal was to deepen your understanding of the concept of "right livelihood;" show how to go about overcoming the obstacles in your path so that you can find and maintain meaningful, satisfying work; and provide encouragment to live in a way that increases your inner peace, self-worth, and purpose.

Interesting book in the Buddhist document of Right Livelyhood. Not as much a book about Mindfulness as a book about Meaningful Work. Most of the authors say much of the same thing. One author, Sam Keen, I liked a lot. This book might help you decide your priorities when it comes to career. And the advice contained within might help you alter your livelyhood in a way that you are more in tune with ecological concerns

In spite of the empty criticisms and single-minded diatribes of a couple of previous reviewers, I think this book is well worth it.

Other than Tarthang Tulku's "Skillful Means" it's hard to find much information on right livelihood and certainly, this is a definitive review.

I especially liked the even-handed inclusion of points of view from other religions besides Buddhism.

The reviewer who said it makes a great gift was right. And, it makes a great bedside book to help you go to sleep inspired and hopeful that it IS possible to find right livelihood.

In spite of the empty criticisms and single-minded diatribes of a couple of previous reviewers, I think this book is well worth it.

Other than Tarthang Tulku's "Skillful Means" it's hard to find much information on right livelihood and certainly, this is a definitive review.

I especially liked the even-handed inclusion of points of view from other religions besides Buddhism.

The reviewer who said it makes a great gift was right. And, it makes a great bedside book to help you go to sleep inspired and hopeful that it IS possible to find right livelihood.

We have here some 4- and 5-star stuff, and some 1-star stuff. Averages out to 2 stars for this reader.

I bought the book on the strength of Claude Whitmyer's inviting introduction and a quick perusal which revealed fine articles by Tarthang Tulku, Patricia Ryan-Madson, Marsha Sinetar and other thoughtful contributors. A closer reading revealed disappointments - most notably a thinly veiled anti-capitalist screed by Sulak Sivaraka entitled "A Buddhist Model for Society". Why is it that virtually all sangha writing having to do with the order of economic and social affairs seems to spring from some dog-eared 60's political action handbook? What is it about technology, capitalism, business and change that so entrances virtually all Buddhist writers, making them incapable of seeing that it is human nature itself that gives rise to the world's state of affairs, that vesting more power in government is hardly a way to solve social problems, and that arrangements of voluntary exchange between adults (e.g. employer and employee) are not necessarily exploitative?

I'm as keen as the next Eightfold path follower to help my fellow being and to contribute to building a more humane society. But some writers are calling for Buddhists to somehow act globally with statements like "We need new, powerful institutions capable of regulating and taxing transnational corporations, and we need new international unions to represent workers dealing with global capitalists".

Hello! Let's live in the real world, OK? Mindfulness is about dealing with what's really true. Government corruption makes corporate abuses look like kindergarten hijinks. Union corruption is, well, pretty stinky. This whole 'down with the capitalist running-dogs' approach is just so much agitating without any actual useful direction.

OK, well, other than that, some very nice writing on Amish, Islamic, Christian-mystic, and other viewpoints of work in the world. (And you don't see the Amish calling for the formation of a new, 500-member lower house in the UN to direct world affairs).

like any compilation, there are a variety of theories that are good, not so good and poor. most of the contributions sound good, but have no practical value. it would be nice to have jobs which help us be mindful, skillful and fulfilled. but let's face it. most jobs are low paying and unfulfilling no matter what frame of mind one should place themselves in. it's all nice ideologies from well-known (and successful) zen authors. this book does not help you explore right livelihood as much as mocks your efforts to try. this book is akin to those get rich infomercials which state "if i can do it, you can too". get this from the library or don't get it at all. don't like my review? check out how many used copies are for sale. i rest my case.