How Zen and Contemplative Practice Affect Career

[Heigan]

Hi Treeleafers!

I'd like to ask for your help. I am currently working on a Masters in Positive Psychology and for my Capstone project (a sort of culminating final project), I'm writing a paper on how career and career development can be approached from the perspective of contemplative practice and more specifically Zen. I'd love to hear your thoughts on how your practice has affected your work life, your choice of career paths, how you manage the everyday stresses of the working world, etc... I want to include not only the academic research that has been done on the effects of meditation/mindfulness, but also some of the lived experiences from real people living and working in the real world. Please feel free to post in this thread or send me a message directly if you'd rather your response be private. I will not be quoting anyone by name in the final paper (with the possible exception of Jundo but it won't be the first time). Thank you in advance for your help.

With Palms Together ,

Heigan
Sat Today

[Horin]

Hello Hiegan,
my practice started after chosing any career. also i never practiced, to develop any abilities, to become more productive or whatever. yet, with my practice, i try to embrace my entire life including family and work. I work as a social worker so im glad my career and my practice fit together and i can include many aspects of the path into my work. Also there are difficult situations with people that are challenging my practice too. But this happens also in other contexts like family life.. of course within daily life there are benefits of practice, no question.. i become less entangled into drama, it seems that i am more calm and so on but its like a byproduct, not the intention.
So to be honest i cannot tell you really detailed how practice has influenced my work because i cannot measure it. Im very glad my branch of work has nothing to do with sales figures, performance and archievement, and so is my practice. I just can say that it feels somehow right to walk this way, although i am not able to compare it with my earlier work life or other aspects because my life has changed a lot while being a zen practicioner.

Gassho,

Ben


Stlah

[Mp]

Hello Heigan,

Well, I came to practice back in the 90's when I got married very young and then got divorced very young. I was looking for a path where I could be accountable and to maintain my own happiness - to not allow my happiness or meaning in this life to be controlled or dictated by the outside world. From there it has helped me see that I am the cause of my own suffering and that this world and all that is in it, is just was it is. How I interact with it; how I allow it to impact me is up to me ... I have that choice.

Over the years it actually has lead me on the path of being of service, to help people realize what I have been able to realize. To be able to see this world, both the good and bad as one world, as not separate experiences.

I will be talking tonight at our zazenkai about perspective, as I have been going through the process of getting hired on at our local hospital. Hope to see you there. =)

Just as an aside note ... Shikantaza which is the practice we practice here is actually not meditation or mindfulness - in my view it is beyond all that, beyond those words and categorizations. It is embracing and experience this whole universe and everything it has to offer. It is neither holding onto or pushing away those experiences, but rather embracing them with a warm hug!

You are more then welcome to use my name ... just remember the millions in royalties when you become rich and famous! LOL Just kidding

Gassho
Shingen

Sat/LAH

[Byrne]

I work with my wife. We’re artists and musicians. We’ve carved out a decent little career the old fashioned way. By finding people who actually want us to keep going.

We work very closely and rely on each other. We went through a very dark time that extended far to other family as well. I came to a moment very I foresaw the very real possibility of losing everything I had spent most of my life working for. I got real scared.

So I turned to practice to be sure that I could cultivate a method to walk through my life’s circumstances. Meditation has given me incredible insights into my mind and body and the interconnectedness of both. I work for myself. My only job security is my own effort and the stability of my relationship.

My life is very intense emotionally and physically. It requires a lot of energy. Zazen helps deepen my perspective at every changing moment. If I’m breathing I’m alive and I can always return to this whenever I need it. This is is especially helpful when I need to come to terms with what is out of my control.

Endless gifts.

Gassho

Sat Today

[Jakuden]

Hello Heigan,

Unfortunately it has become known in recent years that veterinarians are at an increased of suicide compared to the general population. There are probably multiple reasons for this. As the profession becomes increasingly female, there is a struggle to find work-life balance. Often it is difficult for veterinarians to cope with the restraints that client finances and client attitudes have on their ability to treat pets. We often tend to be perfectionists that suffer greatly from our inevitable mistakes and failures. Practice owners tend to have a very difficult time not letting money continually bleed out of the business, as they did not enter the profession for wealth and are constantly faced with requests for services without payment.
I can't overemphasize the amount that sitting has helped me find balance with all these challenges. I have come back from real depression, in a place where it was difficult not to take my stress out on others, to a place of contentment and fullfillment with my career. Being able to let go of the perfectionist need to ensure a particular outcome has allowed me to focus much more on being of service to my clients in whatever way they require, which is ultimately the best for the patients as well, in the big picture. I am also more available for my family emotionally outside of work even when tired. I am able to let go of grasping financial need for profit as a business owner, while at the same time keeping in mind that the business must support the livelihood of myself and all my employees, so I must safeguard its health.
I can't measure any of these things either, but I can feel their effects literally every minute of every day, and see clearly how they ripple outward and affect all those around me as well.

Good luck with your book!!

Gassho,
Jakuden
SatToday/LAH

[Jishin]

I'd love to hear your thoughts on how your practice has affected your work life, your choice of career paths, how you manage the everyday stresses of the working world, etc...

Work life:

Less suffering for me and others I am around. I sneeze, you catch a cold.

Choice of career paths:

None. I had been working for a while in my field before seeking and finding some peace in our practice.

How I manage the everyday stress of the working world:

I don’t. It manages me.

Etc.:

Just do it.

Gasho, Jishin, _/st\_

[Joyo]

Hello Heigan, thank you for starting this thread. It is encouraging to read others' posts here to see how this practice has helped people.

Practicing Zen has really changed how I parent. I have been a stay-at-home-mom for over 13 years now. I can't say it's made me the mother of the year, perfectly patient all the time lol! But it has helped me to understand my children, to take a deep breath in tense moments and react with calm abiding rather than from a place of anger. It has also helped me to let go, as my children are getting older (13 and 10). I have sad moments as their toys collect dust and their sweet innocence of the world is fading. I remind myself to live in this moment right now, that everything is impermanent and changing.

I do work 4 or 5 days a month at our local hospital in two departments, scheduling surgeries and as a unit assistant. Working as a unit assistant in a very busy medical/surgical ward can be very taxing. Especially for a highly sensitive person such as myself, which means I lean on my practice frequently at work. People are always sick and dying, and the job itself can be extremely demanding with a never-ending list of tasks and demands. Again, I have turned to my practice to help with this. Even though I don't directly work with sick and dying people, I offer metta to them, I remind myself that life is impermanent and the best way to not walk in constant suffering is to accept this. As for the fast pace and the constant demands put on a unit assistant, well there's no substitute for taking a few deep breaths, reminding myself that this stress I'm feeling is being created by me only, and going back to doing one task at a time, mindfully staying in the present moment. It may sound like I don't like being a unit assistant, but thanks to this practice, overall I enjoy it a lot.

On a side note, this practice also helps with ego. Working in a hospital, with highly educated people, I do get the odd comment like "why don't you work more?" or "if you ever want to do more with your life, you could become a nurse." I can honestly say that these comments do not bother me. I recognize that first of all, these nurses, doctors, surgeons don't mean to say these things in an insulting way. Yet, if I were the type of person that was insecure about my 1-year diploma from a community college, and a serious amount of degrees and letters lacking behind my name, I'm sure they would. This practice has helped me to see the beauty of life, just as it is. I am thankful to those who devote their entire lives to medicine and the education that comes with it. I am also thankful that I can choose not to.

Gassho,
Joyo
sat today/lah

[Meishin]

Hello Heigan,

There have been some wise comments in this thread. Please allow me to offer something that is not at all relevant to you now, but will be eventually.

I retired from the private practice of psychology two years ago. Many think of retirement as a wonderful event; they will be able to do all those things they didn't have time for before. It is rarely that way. Many retirees are surprised at how it is not quite what it was cracked up to be.

For me it has been an opening to find ways of having a more active Zen practice. There are numerous opportunities to contribute in ones particular situation. Frankly I found that without the need to draw ethical boundaries involved in staying true to ones professional limits (keeping ones beliefs mostly out of the clinical world), it is wonderful to share what has become invaluable to me. I'm no longer a closet Zen Buddhist. And the result is that people seem to gravitate to that -- there is a great need for ways to find meaning in what is a chaotic society. Many people are without resources.

Every person's experience is different. But for me it has made the time of retirement perhaps the loveliest of all times.

Gassho
Meishin
Sat Today

[testingwithfire]

Hello Heigan,

I'm In my fifties and I've recently reinvigorated a Zen practice. I have also been in recovery from alcoholism for many years and a few months ago I was able to begin being abstinent from compulsive overeating.

With the increased clarity of thought from abstinence, sobriety, and Zen practice, I'm finding that I can no longer continue in the tech field, when frankly I've never been all that well suited for or interested in it. I've always fit myself as best I could, but often I feel dead inside and unfulfilled after yet another day, like thousands, of staring at characters on a screen.

I've decided to emigrate to a place that will not require me to maintain a full-time job (and exorbitantly priced health insurance) just to survive. While I'm there, I'll pursue some volunteer opportunities, and I'll be immersing myself in the primary language (Spanish) whose basics I already know.

Now that I'm on the road to leaving full-time waged work, I'll probably investigate interests and paths that I would have pursued more diligently otherwise: the study of plant and animal life, for example. Where I'm going, there are indigenous craft cooperatives that often can use volunteers for writing and photography, and I'm hoping I can participate in those activities too. Finally, the 12 step fellowships I belong to generally need service workers, and I'll be happy to give some energy there.

It's hard to say what I might have done with my life had I not been derailed by addictions and emotional problems, or had I established a Zen practice earlier in life. Perhaps I would have been more scrupulous in pursuing only those interests that were deep and abiding... and having deep and abiding interests would have also been much more possible. It's all too easy to skate along the surface of a pursuit. I'm glad I'll be able to try to set things right now: some people never get the opportunity.

Gassho,
Amy
SatToday/LAH

[Tai Do]

Hi Heigan,
Working in the academic world I can say that zen has some major effects in how I interact with fellow professors and students. During both my Master and Ph.D., it helped me to stay focused in my writings and deal with a little depression after the death of my father.
Now I live in a far away town in the middle of nowhere in the country side of Bahia State, in the dry region of the Northeast of Brazil. My wife and I moved here because she passed in a public selection for the Federal University here and I found I job in a nearby private University. The private education sector in Brazil is now extremely stressful (the Public too, but for different reasons): we are constantly under pression for passing the students (otherwise they would simply go to another university), we face I serious lack of structure (as the university don’t want to lose money) and the students are generally very ill prepared to be in the academic world. In Brazil the best students are in the Federal Universities, with little exceptions (I studded in a Federal University and worked in two Federal Universities before, so I notice a huge contrast to the private universities students). I used to work for another private University that was more capitalist oriented than the one I now work for, so I was constantly being called by the director board and asked to lower the level of the classes. On top of it all, I have to drive for some 100 km three days per week in order to give my night classes and, of course, Brazilian education salaries are absurdly small compared to other countries.
Many times I thought to leave the academic world and just return to be a lawyer, but I have I deep sense of responsibility. I studied in a public university and didn’t had to pay for my studies. So I feel I great debt towards the Brazilian people for paying for my studies with their taxes. The practice has helped me to be less egoistic and think how I can do more to less the suffering in the world being a good enough teacher than being a bad lawyer as I was.
I came from a politically left-winged family and studied in Porto Alegre, one of the more multicultural cities in Brazil, in a urban area of some 3 million inhabitants. But now I live in a small 100.000 habitants town in a very Neopentecostal Christian dominated area. So the majority of my students and colleagues are extreme conservative right-winged and some have very deep religious prejudices against Catholics and non Christian in general.
A made the mistake to tell my students when they asked me that I was not Christian, but consider myself a Buddhist. Since then, one has being going to my classes with a T-shirt saying “Só Jesus salva” (“Only Jesus saves”), other has asked me if we Buddhists practice black magic, one lady has never again looked in my eyes, other has told me that Buddha made a pact with the devil and another has told me that I should convert because his minister can operate miracles in the name of Jesus. So, I guess I learned a lesson on karma…
You can understand how stressful my work is. I have no doubt that, inconsistent as it sometimes was, my zazen played I major role in helping me keep going. Especially after last year’s elections. The side effect, so to say, of zazen for me is a less panicked approach to the political and religious differences (alhough I have to confess that I still have to fight some prejudices against neopentecoltal christians and conservative right-winged folks).
As I can easily get distracted, the practice has also helped me a lot with staying focused as I prepare the classes, read books and papers, as well as write my own papers.
Yesterday, as I was driving to work, I had this idea and bought some candies and chocolates for my colleagues and students as a Hana-Matsuri gift. I think it was a good LAH.
Hope this can help you in your research, Heigan.
Thank you for this thread and for your research. I would love to see your final paper.
Gassho,
Mateus
Sat today/LAH

[jgotthart]

Hi Heigan,

For myself I started to practice around late 2014 after I had gotten out of the military. Practice helped me basically stay somewhat sane and gave me a framework for how to navigate a life that was being repaired. It helped me find the strength within myself to go and do what needed to be done like going to college and finding a job. All of this was in conjunction with dealing with some crippling anxiety and depression which the practice definitely helped me in as far as having the strength to admit that I was messed up and that I needed to see a psychiatrist. Now I work as a guitar teacher during the day, and the practice definitely helps me to have much more patience than I would have otherwise. A lot of times new players don't get the concepts of what you are trying to say or just plain don't get it and so it can take me a couple lessons just to help them do what I need them to do so they can actually get better.

Another aspect that has helped me is the idea that everything we do can be consider giving. I mostly heard this from Brad Warner but he refers to Dogen who states that the work we do whatever it is, is none other than free giving. This helps me approach any job I have as not something that I have to go do in order to live but as something that I choose to do in order to give something whether that be my time, or my knowledge of something in order to benefit other people. I hope this helps and good luck with your research project.

Gassho
John
Sat Today

[Jundo]

Don't quote me "officially" on the following, but it is my story ...

For me, I am a lawyer by training, but am now a translator of Japanese (mostly legal documents for money, but a bit of Buddhist materials)

I could be making a lot more money, but I made the decision to stay home and watch my kids grow, take care of Treeleaf, and limit my working hours per day to 6 or less. Fortunately, I can do that in the translation world, and after that my brain gets tired anyway. Of course, I cannot exactly control the schedule, so some days are 24 hours! or Zero! It is very detailed work, very careful ... like watch making sometimes, in which researching a single word or Kanji can take a lot of time. Also, slip ups can have big effects ... and angry clients. I could be making twice as much if I worked twice as much. I do have some other folks I sent overflow to, and that helps too.

My job is sometimes too busy, my clients too time rushed, there is a problem or mistake and my "boss" (me) is an ass. I am glad that I don't work in an office any more. I used to work in a big law office, but I did not care for it. Too money oriented, too "win win at any cost" oriented, too "dog eat dog." I don't think it is healthy to work in such environments, but so many of us can't avoid it these days.

I am fortunate to have such a job which combines my "hobby" (Japanese language studies) and a decent pay check. The house is comfortable, there is food on the table, gas in the car, and the kids have clothes and school ... plus Netflix on the TV and all middle class life. I am not a monk in rags with a begging bowl, but a daddy worried about paying for his kid's college in two years and our auto insurance (my wife totaled the car last week ... and another lady's car ... although both are physically and mentally okay, which is most important. Also, they have single payer National Health Insurance here, which is a bit relief in such situations, and no lawyers are going to sue me for most auto accidents here).

In any case, I realized long ago that "monks" in "monasteries" are also doing their jobs, and that is their "office." It is true. They are not saints who are meditating all day. They meditate, then cook in the kitchen, clean the windows, answer phones, fill out government forms, buy supplies, get the car fixed, greet guests, tend to sick co-workers and "cover" for them, fix the roof, do the accounting books for the temple, get reviews and yelled at. They are very busy, and operating a full time temple for most priests is a full time job not unlike running a business that deals with "clients" (parishioners). Other monks are "co-workers" and "bosses" and can drive one crazy too ... and don't think that they don't have "office politics."

So, life is normal. All of life is our monastery.

When life gets hectic ... either a mess at work, or a destroyed car(s) ... I try to sit Zazen. The emotions are there ... frustration, upset, anger, sadness ... because we are hardwired as animals that way, although due to practice the "fire tends to stay in the fireplace" more and does not run rampant. That is the best way to describe it.

Let me know if you need more.

Gassho, J

STLah

[Kyonin]

Hi Heigan,

I am a graphic designer. My practice has helped me a lot to set me free from a lot of the ugliness of the corporate world.

I worked for almost 20 years in advertising and marketing. And I was very unhappy because my work pushed people into buying stuff they didn't need. Sometime I worked in a campaign for a breakfast cereal brand that sold sugar to already unhealthy kids. As a former obese kid, that made me feel very guilty.

Then I worked for the Health Ministry here in Mexico and I was part of a super corrupt system that caused a lot of harm to society. Again, guilt and anxiety were almost unbearable.

So I ordained to try to give some kindness to the world and to mend for my actions.

Zen practice has been a great help to cope with that and to understand that by following the Eight Noble Path, you can indeed have a more calm life.

Gassho,

Kyonin
Sat/LAH

[Doshin]

Well I am not sure of the how or what but your question intrigued me so I will ramble for a moment.

I first began meditation 50 years ago at the age of 18, having just graduated from High School and immersed in a cultural revolution. It did not stick hard, but I spent the next 30 years revisiting the practice on and mostly off. About 20 years ago I jumped back in with both feet and spent several years very engaged. Then a great many complications in “this life”. (Career, family members health, multiple moves, etc) began to come between me and practice...not an excuse just I let it go when I should of held onto it even more. Then six or seven years ago when I retired for the second time I became more regular with my practice.

In summary, my practice has been part of me for a half century. When I was not practicing I noticed something was missing. When I practiced things seemed to come together more...not perfectly just “more”. During that half century I spent over a decade in academic institutions and forty plus years in a career in wildlife conservation. Stress and disillusionment were constant companions in what was always a loosing war to save biodiversity. However, when practice was relatively constant it was an anchor. A stabilizing force that seemed to help me to move forward. I can not explain how or why, I can just say I always felt its absence and its presence.

If you make sense of thqt let me know

Doshin
St

[Mp]

When I was not practicing I noticed something was missing. When I practiced things seemed to come together more...not perfectly just “more”.

Yes!!! Thank you Doshin.

Gassho
Shingen

Sat/LAH

[Heiso]

Hi Heigan,

I'm a lawyer and Kyonin, my practice has helped me escape and stay escaped from the ugliness of the corporate world. I work in-house for a company rather than in private practice. I could be making twice as much working in a big corporate firm but I have a good work/life balance and rarely crave the big house or flashy car - and yes, it would be great to have the cash so my wife could stay at home, so I could pay my daugher's college fees up front etc but I know that will come at a price and my practice has helped me realise that price probably isn't worth paying.

In practical terms practising zen helps me stay focused in the moment of reading and drafting very dense, precise documents although there's always work to be done on not being distracted by the latest Buddhist article, book review etc.

Gassho,

Neil

STLah