Right Livelihood in an Alienated Society (II)

Welcome to our bi-weekly discussion series on selected topics!

Continuing our discussion on 10 Nov, we will explore how livelihood contributes to our well-being. Work constitutes a large part of our lives. What are the implications for our livelihood if we are to live a good life? Last time, we drew on the Buddhist idea of Right Livelihood and Aristotle's idea of the good life and looked at how they can be applied to our industrialized capitalistic society today that the humanistic-existentialist thinkers have identified as fundamentally alienating.

This week we will add insights from contemporary research:
What Makes Us Happy? Longest-Running Study by Harvard
This 75-year-old study spanning across four generations of researchers found one factor that consistently predicts happiness.

Guiding Questions:

• What does this study make you think about work and livelihood?
• How does this study relate to Buddhist and Aristotlean teachings?
• How would you apply the insights from this study in your own life?

Supplementary Reading:

1. Right Livelihood in Buddhism
   Bikkhu Bodhi - direction translation of the Pali Canon
   Thich Nhat Hanh - The Heart of Buddha's Teaching (5 pages)
2. Aristotle – Nicomachean Ethics Book I Chapter 7-8
   This is a free online version. You may consult whichever version you possess at hand.
3. Erich Fromm - The Sane Society (7 pages)
   Following a similar line of thought as Karl Marx and Max Weber's critique of capitalism, Fromm discusses what modern work means for our mental health.

Following Up:
This meeting is a continuation of the last, and may refer to materials from earlier discussions:
(1) Self-alienation as Original Sin (completed)
(2) Resentment and Forgiveness (completed)
(3) Call of Conscience and Self-Love (completed)
If you attended the previous sessions, we encourage you to continue the journey with us. If you haven't, feel free to drop in too!

#integrity #authenticity #humanpotential #selfactualization #selfesteem #alienation #livelihood #virtue #moraldevelopment #practicalspirituality #happinness #practicalspirituality #socialchange

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Stay in Touch:
Feel free to contact me if you want to suggest or request a topic for group discussion. You are also welcome to send me a DM for personal opinions or questions you don't feel comfortable sharing in the group.