" Monastery at Work"

-- from Rama's tapes

"I define career success as using your work to advance yourself spiritually. "
-Rama

Western, or American Buddhism can not be built upon monastic life because the cultures do not support, or provide such opportunities. If you had been raised in an eastern culture and were drawn to the practice of meditation and the pathway to enlightenment you would have a variety of opportunities within your culture.

In the west, and actually more and more in the east, we spend the majority of our time in school and at work. So the challenge for seekers of light is turn the work place into the monastery.

All of the techniques that you learn you apply to the workplace. Energy management, impeccability, mindfulness, living in the moment with clarity and light—all of these pieces of the practice are pulled into the workplace.

I was walking down a corridor at work last week, and I saw three people who I spoke to briefly as we passed. Each one of those people was very angry at me. I could have blown the experience off as "their" problem. But when something happens three times, in rapid succession like that, I figure I need to consider that, from the working monastery point of view.

What I discovered about "me" was the amount of anger I have towards the system. I work in public education. I work in a particular "corner" of education that requires innovation and creative nontraditional solutions. The management is usually in opposition to almost everything that breaks tradition, and that usually puts me in a compromising position with management.

So, as I looked inside and took stock of my anger, I realized that I needed to find a way to work within the system, and in conflict with management, without anger. There is a way to be a warrior, and fight the battles that need to be fought, without adding an emotional charge that ultimately drains me. Now I get to work on that.

This is how the workplace turns into the monastery. I could literally describe hundreds of examples from one work day that provide me with opportunities for self-discovery.

So, allow yourself the possibilities of immortality by seeing work as your practice, your personal monastery for moving into enlightened mind.

Drawn from Dr Frederick Lenz's Teachings

Rama presented thousands of techniques that were intended to help students along their own pathway to enlightenment. Techniques presented here may be useful for you. The teachings are meant to be used by students who are serious about their practice, and their own enlightenment.

A special thanks to
Lynne (Samadhi) for her writing, and the inspiration to begin this feature.

Let Dr Lenz's Tapes Teach