All the suffering there is in this world
arises from wishing our self to be happy.
All the happiness there is in this world
arises from wishing others to be happy.― Santideva
You also get plenty of opportunities to help others outside of work. A friend of mine befriended a homeless woman years ago and still puts her up in a local motel until now and then when things are tough. Another friend paid for an immigration lawyer for her hairdresser. My older daughter is constantly finding lost pets and returning them to their owners… Sometimes that’s enough. No matter what you do for a living, you have the chance to be [at least] an amateur Bodhisattva in your spare time if you pay attention too…
Santideva… wrote a whole book on the subject. The title of his masterwork is usually translated, quite appropriately, as ‘A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life.’ In it, he summarized the path this way: ‘One should do nothing other than what is either directly or indirectly of benefit to living beings.’ Bring that mission with you to your job, no matter what kind of work you do. Commit to using each interaction as a chance to make the world a little better. By paying attention to how everything you do affects those around you, you’ll not only help them — you’ll help yourself wake up, too.
Buddha’s Office: The Ancient Art Of Waking Up While Working Well
Dan Zigmond
