The Buddha at Work - The Joy of Effort!

"...I'd like to discuss how Right Livelihood and the Six Paramitas afford you the opportunity to have a career and life that you love, right here, in the present moment. Because a lot of us spend close to half our waking hours at work, and we don't have those hours to waste....Not one of us knows when we're going to die. It could be tomorrow, or in ten minutes, or in ten years.... So since we're all gonna die and we have no idea how long we have to do the things we want to do in our lives, it'd be nice to have a path that would allow us to be happy while we work."

So far, we've talked about dana, or generosity, shila, or ethics, and kshanti, or patience, and I've pointed out a few ways that focusing on these "perfections" can help us to fully enjoy our work while helping others. Because, like the man said, "all those who are happy in the world are so as a result of their desire for the happiness of others." As I've shown, by observing these guidelines we ultimately receive benefit for ourselves. Seems a little twisted, right? That the most selfish thing you can do is to help someone else?

I spoke with Hardcore Zen author Brad Warner a few months ago about this very thing, and here's what he had to say:

"We think it's kind of arbitrary or 'it's a good thing' to be compassionate, but it's also an intelligent thing to be compassionate. It's the smartest move you can make, to act in a compassionate way. We normally think we want to get what we can for ourselves, and screw the other guy, and that's seen to be a way to make yourself richer or more powerful, and it works to a limited extent, but I don't think it works ultimately. The reason it's intelligent to act with compassion, because that's ultimately how you are going to feel better. So there's tremendous incentive to act that way. It's not just something you're doing for somebody else, it's something you're doing for yourself."

And, as Geshe Michael Roach has taught us, the only route to success is by helping others to be successful.

Which brings us to the fourth Paramita, virya, which is translated as effort, perseverance, or diligence, and is also part of the Noble Eightfold Path. Hence the song that started us off. Gonna keep on tryin'... 

While it would be nice if we could be magically awakened by the touch of a wand, real progress on the path takes work. It takes noticing when we're straying from the path, and using the many remedies provided over the centuries to bring us back to it. And how lucky so many of us are to have a work environment within which to practice; it provides so many opportunities to notice our actions and thoughts and handle them appropriately.  

Here's what Thich Nhat Hanh has to say about it:

"Bringing the quality of diligence to our practice does not mean that we have to drive ourselves very hard and suffer a lot. Many people think that to be a diligent practicioner you have to practice sitting meditation for one hour, or two hours, or you have to sit all day until you feel pain all through your body, and you think that this is good. You are able to push yourself hard and so you feel like a hero. You can bear the pain in your mind and body. You have made it. You have survived a retreat.

This is not the practice of virya. You don't have to suffer in order to progress in the practice. True diligence, wholesome energy, and effort in our practice, is born from joy. The point of the practice is not to creat more suffering but to bring well-being, transformation, and healing. We are not practicing only to achieve some better state in the future but in order to get in touch with the joy and peace that are available right now, in every moment."

So virya doesn't mean beating yourself up over being angry, it means making the effort to handle your anger skillfully. And through practice, we become habituated to a very different kind of reaction in challenging situations.

Thay explains further in describing the Four Right Efforts - first, not to plant "new negative seeds on our consciousness." "If you don't have the seed of enjoying drugs, alcohol, or other things that disturb your mental and physical health and stability, then don't expose yourself to situations where that seed might become planted in your consciousness."

Can you imagine how this might be useful at work? Maybe you've seen others gossip at your workplace, and seen how damaging divisive speech can be. One possible way to handle this is to simply not be present in places gossip is occurring. This may not always be possible, but consider if there are specific times and places where people in the office like to dish, and take a look at whether you might be able to avoid these situations.

And perhaps if you do have an opportunity to choose a workplace, you can do so thinking of this first Right Effort, and work diligently to find a workplace that won't water your negative seeds. This might mean looking into a company's environmental policies, the well-being of its workers, or even the literal physical environment itself. Personally, I am very happy to have a beautiful view of the East River and the Brooklyn Bridge from my office window, and it's no small respite to have the Brooklyn Bridge park available for lunch on a pleasant day. I am sure that this environment is more nurturing to me and to my employees than our previous space looking out over a liquor store on Broadway.

The second Right Effort is about arranging our lives in a way that doesn't allow the negative seeds we already have to "manifest and grow." Thay tells us that "creating a sane, healthy environment for ourselves and our children is a big task. We must create communities where we can be in touch with the wonders of life and be surrounded by others who practice mindful living so that the negative seeds in us and in our children will not be watered every day."

We don't always feel like we can choose our workplace, but it's always possible to make Right Effort within our workplaces to make a change for the better. By being the cause for change within a workplace, others may become inspired to do so as well. Consider taking a look at different areas at work where you can cultivate mindfulness and taking responsibility for transformation in that area--the environment, healthcare, child care, philanthropy--anyplace you find yourself inspired to make a difference and cause a shift within your work environment. If you take this on, others will rise to the occasion and soon--presto--mindful community!

Thay talks about the third Right Effort, "to water the positive seeds that we already have in our store consciousness." How can we do this? "Suppose you begin to feel angry; instead of becoming consumed by that emotion, you listen to a Dharma talk or you talk to one of your Dharma brothers or sisters. That can stop the seed of anger from manifesting fully and then you can replace it with the manifestation of loving-kindness. It is like changing channels on a television." Easy, right?

Maybe you can't step away from your desk for a Dharma talk, but you might be able to walk around the block, breathing mindfully. You don't even have to get out of your chair to breathe, and you can even contemplate anger during this time and how it only serves to cause further suffering. I keep a Buddha on my desk, and a Buddha on my windowsill next to a "Peace is Every Step" print, just for these times. I can stop and look at the words, "Peace is Every Step," and contemplate them even if just for a moment, and this helps to bring me peace in a moment of anger or frustration.

And the fourth Right Effort is to "maintain the positive seeds that have manifested so that they continue to strengthen and grow." So when you find yourself automatically acting from compassion rather than reacting from anger, take note! And when you find yourself starting to react in anger, make the effort to handle your anger mindfully.

Remembering these four Right Efforts can give us joy and peace--not someday--but right here, right now. 

So back to "Higher Ground." I wish it were easier to use more of this song in support of virya, but there's a lot I can't reconcile - particularly Mr. Wonder's interesting take on reincarnation in the song. But I can't help smiling when I listen to it, which helps me maintain... joyful effort.

And no matter what, it's hard not to agree with this sentiment: 

Gonna keep on tryin'
Til I reach my highest ground