Mentor’s Comment:

The introduction should explain about the context of Right Livelihood which is earning bread and butter only through legitimate means and without compromising righteousness in profession.

However, Buddha has recommended avoiding the following professions such as Dealing in weapons, slave trade and slaughtering of animals and profession connected with and selling intoxicants.

Moreover, in recent days, the right livelihood was never so significant because many people earn huge money out of illegal work like smuggling, corruption etc. and hence strictly abiding by Buddha’s ideology can only bring ethics and morality in the life of the people.

Model Answer:

Right Livelihood is, first, a way to earn a living without compromising the Precepts. It is a way of making a living that does no harm to others.

Lord Buddha views on ‘Right livelihood’ signifies that one should earn his bread and butter only through legitimate means and while putting one self into any profession, one should ensure that ‘Righteousness’ should not be compromised. He has also advocated that only non-violent means should be used for earning livelihood.

In the Vanijja Sutta (this is from the Sutra-pitaka of the Tripitaka), the Buddha said, “A lay follower should not engage in five types of business. Which five? Business in weapons, business in human beings, business in meat, business in intoxicants, and business in poison.”

“To practice Right Livelihood (samyag ajiva), we have to find a way to earn our living without transgressing our ideals of love and compassion. The way we support yourself can be an expression of our deepest self, or it can be a source of suffering for us and others. ” … Our vocation can nourish our understanding and compassion, or erode them. We should be awake to the consequences, far and near, of the way we earn our living.”

Right livelihood was never so significant as it is today because many people earn huge money out of illegal work like smuggling, corruption etc. and hence strictly abiding by ‘Buddha’s ideology can only bring ethics and morality in the life of the people.

In today’s global competitive world, Right Livelihood and its practice will not prove to be feasible as the economy requires revenue generation in order to sustain. Hence, in today’s context, Buddha’s ideology seems to be important in ethical concerns but in practical sense it does not seem absolute possible.

We can justify today’s livelihood as doing right with whatever the business or livelihood we choose. Doing right action with honesty and truthfulness in business and profession is what important percepts today we can practice and is also prescribed by Buddha.