Staying Alive
I loved the talk Tempel Smith gave at the DPP retreat on “Right Livelihood.” He explained that the Pail word “samma-ajiva,” which is traditionally translated as “right livelihood,” can more literally be translated as “right fire-of-life.” So it’s less “right career,” as I’ve always thought of it, and more “right way of feeding our fire, of sustaining our vitality.” The issue not so much what job do we have, but more what do we do to keep ourselves alive.
The talk offered questions, rather than answers. (As most great talks do.) For example:
“What is the impact of your work on your heart and mind?”
“How can you practice in your work as it is today?”
“Does your livelihood support your awakening?”
I leave these for you to ponder.
(image from Phantasmagoric Theatre Tarot)