Franz Metcalf - Being Buddha at Work: 108 Ancient Truths on Change, Stress, Money, & Success

Being Buddha at Work

Ancient Truths on Change,
Stress, Money, and Success

Franz Metcalf and BJ Gallagher

Being Buddha at Work

Copyright 2012 by Franz Metcalf and BJ Gallagher

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First Edition

Paperback print edition ISBN 978-1-60994-292-2

PDF e-book ISBN 978-1-60994-293-9

IDPF e-book ISBN 978-1-60994-294-6

2011-1

Cover design: Ian Shimkoviak/The Book Designer

Copyediting: Elissa Rabellino

Interior design and composition: Leigh McLellan Design

We dedicate this book
to all workers throughout space and time,
to those who work to live
and those who live to work.

May the Buddhas words and wisdom
reach your eyes,
awaken your minds,
and guide your feet
along the path.

by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Choosing Mindful Work
Creating Right Livelihood

Practical Enlightenment
Chop Wood, Carry Water

Quality of Work Life
The Middle Way at Work

Being Successful
How Do You Define Success?

Money and Happiness
Whats the Connection?

Dealing with Change
Riding the Waves of Impermanence

Working with Others
Unity in Diversity

Dealing with Difficult People
Seeing All Beings as the Buddha

CustomersLove Em or Lose Em
Customer Service as Bodhisattva Activity

Leadership and Bosses
Lead, Follow, or Get Off the Path

The Big Issues
Beyond the Bottom Line

Work Practices and Processes
Practice Is Awakening

The Care and Feeding of Employees
Your Team as Your Sangha

Solving People Problems
There Are No AnswersPursue Them Lovingly

Organizational Change
Everything Changes; Nothing Remains without Change

THE DALAI LAMA

M ORE THAN 2500 years have passed since the Buddha lived and taught in India. We Buddhists remember the Buddha as a great teacher who showed the path to ultimate peace and happiness for all sentient beings. His teaching remains refreshing and relevant even today because he invited people to listen, reflect, and critically examine what he had to say in the context of their own lives.

It is a fundamental truth that whatever our social status, background, age, or gender, we all want happiness and dislike suffering. However, all of us regularly experience suffering and are caught in the sway of disturbing emotions. Like all religions, Buddhism deals with basic human problems, but what distinguishes the Buddhist way of thinking is its employment of human intelligence in dealing with our disturbing emotions. In addition, the Buddhist view of interdependence and the advice not to harm anyone emphasize the practice of compassion and nonviolence. This remains one of the most potent forces for good in the world today.

From a Buddhist viewpoint, all that we do originates in the mind. The quality of our actions depends primarily on our motivation. If we develop a good heart, then, whatever field we work in, the result will be more beneficial. With proper motivation, our activities will be helpful; without it, we are likely to make trouble. This is why the idea of compassion is so important. Although it is difficult to bring about the inner change that gives rise to it, it is absolutely worthwhile to try.

The ultimate purpose of the Buddhas teachings is to serve and benefit humanity, which entails applying them in practice in our day-to-day lives. This in turn reflects a practical approach to human problems, and I dont believe you need to be a Buddhist to benefit from such an approach. This book, Being Buddha at Work, attempts to relate the Buddhas advice to the modern workplace. I trust that readers will find inspiration here and pray that those who do will meet with success in putting that inspiration into effect.

October 27, 2011

Introduction
Putting Buddha to Work

T HIS BOOK IS for people who seek to apply ancient spiritual wisdom to current workplace situations. Sometimes this means ancient solutions to todays problems. Sometimes it means new perspectives on timeless troubles. In all cases, we put Buddha to work because he was not some solitary hermit; he was the founder and CEO of a growing organization. As you get into this book, youll see what we mean.

Most people who perform paid work outside the home spend more of their waking time at work than anywhere else. They see their bosses more than they do their spouses. They spend more time and energy dealing with difficult coworkers than they do with their own difficult children. For many of us, work itself has become an important way to establish personal identity, to meet social needs, to build satisfaction through accomplishment, and to find purpose and meaning in life. Its also a place where we face the fundamental truths of the world according to Buddhism: everything is frustrating, everything is interconnected, and everything is impermanent. (Note that these are translations of