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Jobs that are Traumatising - Plenum - 06-28-2013
you may or may not agree with the Buddha's definition of right livelihood. But here is a 'consensus' viewpoint on what was intended by his teaching of this principle:
wikipedia Wrote:Right livelihood
This means that practitioners ought not to engage in trades or occupations which, either directly or indirectly, result in harm for other living beings. In the Chinese and Pali Canon, it is explained thus:
More concretely today interpretations include "work and career need to be integrated into life as a Buddhist," it is also an ethical livelihood, "wealth obtained through rightful means" (Bhikku Basnagoda Rahula) - that means being honest and ethical in business dealings, not to cheat, lie or steal. As people are spending most of their time at work, it’s important to assess how our work affects our mind and heart. So important questions include "How can work become meaningful? How can it be a support, not a hindrance, to spiritual practice — a place to deepen our awareness and kindness?"
The five types of businesses that should not be undertaken:
Business in weapons: trading in all kinds of weapons and instruments for killing.
Business in human beings: slave trading, prostitution, or the buying and selling of children or adults.
Business in meat: "meat" refers to the bodies of beings after they are killed. This includes breeding animals for slaughter.
Business in intoxicants: manufacturing or selling intoxicating drinks or addictive drugs.
Business in poison: producing or trading in any kind of poison or a toxic product designed to kill.
- -
I was talking to someone earlier in chat about the work they did at Walmart ... cleaning the toilets. And they referred to it as jokingly causative of PTSD. And I recalled the few times at McDonalds where I worked as a teenager where I was assigned to those duties ... and yes, 'traumatising' might be considered a word for it.
it is easy to forget with my cozy office job, where I sit at a desk in an air-conditioned environment, where people are pleasant and civil, and my hands never get dirty that not all jobs are like this. My dad slaved in a hot kitchen 10-12 hours a day for decades on end; with some vacation time maybe every 3-4 years. I have it easy by comparison.
indeed; there are some jobs that are truly traumatising; and these people turn up to it day after day. Sometimes there are alternatives ... but sometimes, in the short term, there are not.
You have my empathy and compassion. You really do. I've seen enough glimpses of that type of misery and environment to know that it is not healthy, and highly distorted indeed (orange ray impositions on individuals).
namaste. and thanks for the opportunity to share.
plenum
RE: Jobs that are Traumatising - Hototo - 06-28-2013
Whoohee, 5/5. Not a bad set of playing cards I have!
Weapons (design of almost anything can be turned to military uses if sufficient willpower is used, so we are all building weapons, also, love bombs)
Human beings (Who do you think you buy the services for except from the person renting you the person able to perform the service, AKA; wage-slavery)
Meat (Design of fish farms for underwater use falls neatly into meat category)
Intoxicants (...)
Poison (Most or any cleaning solution qualifies)
Following Buddha some more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naraka_(Buddhism) Since "Naraka" is where you end up to "burn away "bad karma""
Quote:Avīci, is the "uninterrupted" Naraka. Beings are roasted in an immense blazing oven with terrible suffering.[2] Life in this Naraka is 3.39738624×10(to the power of 18) years long.
Ahh, full fusion nature.
Also:
Quote:Arbuda (頞部陀), the "blister" Naraka, is a dark, frozen plain surrounded by icy mountains and continually swept by blizzards. Inhabitants of this world arise fully grown and abide lifelong naked and alone, while the cold raises blisters upon their bodies. The length of life in this Naraka is said to be the time it would take to empty a barrel of sesame seed if one only took out a single seed every hundred years.[2]
Sure sounds like N-Europe to me. A cold plain of icy mountains with the occasional blizzard broken only by a scorching hot summer. Enjoying full fusion nature.
Sounds roughly like what Buddha said would happen to people like me *yawns and looks out the window* is boring after an infinity.
That being said. Best job I had was cleaning common use rooms/bedrooms (the type of cleaning where you wear thick gloves and a mask) and fixing wood exterior's (yards, fences and such).
Worst job I've had is trying to explain to people how we are all one and why people should focus more time on making art. (still at this job)
RE: Jobs that are Traumatising - Marc - 06-28-2013
I remember reading this. I'm currently seeking a right livelihood as Starbucks is selling poison, meat, addictive substances, and the employees are slaves. So I've got a 4/5 job. I hope to hear back from zoo today on whether I got that job or not. If I did then I would be a lot closer to right livelihood. Oh God GIVE ME THIS JOB!
RE: Jobs that are Traumatising - Spaced - 06-28-2013
I worked one day at a meat packing plant where I stood in a sort of 'disassembly line' where we gutted turkeys. My job was to reach up through an incision and grab the heart and yank it out along with the lungs. I can tell you THAT was a traumatizing job. For a while whenever I would try to sleep I would FEEL the sensation of the tissue giving way as I pulled out the heart and it would wake me right up.
Dunno how people can stay at a job like that.
RE: Jobs that are Traumatising - Hototo - 06-28-2013
The same way we stay at any job Spaced. By sufficiently dulling our heart chakras to not care.
RE: Jobs that are Traumatising - Marc - 06-28-2013
(06-28-2013, 10:49 AM)Not Sure Wrote: The same way we stay at any job Spaced. By sufficiently dulling our heart chakras to not care.
This almost brings tears to my eyes. So many people have to shut off how the feel to keep doing what they do.
RE: Jobs that are Traumatising - Hototo - 06-28-2013
Watch the American Psycho greeting card scene to have an idea of what goes in the mind after the heart is shut off in the job. Watch Shugo Chara if you want to see what a well done love bombing looks like and how it opens your heart.
RE: Jobs that are Traumatising - Jeremy - 06-30-2013
I went through a traumatizing experience during my stint in call centers. I started out doing tech support for Dell at a third party call center which was ok at the time. Then I moved to customer support for a large enterprise level software backup company. I basically verified coverage then sent them to their appropriate department for tech support.
At this point though I would admit that our drinking had become out of control also so the combination of constantly being hung over plus this life force being sucked out of me while being in cubicle hell caused an eventual crash. I gained about 80lbs in 1.5 years and eventually was fired. At this point, I started meeting with a psychologist whom I still go to maybe once a year just to catch up as he's such a fascinating person to talk to.
I remember how I hated the world for what it was. How people were and how they lived their lives. I was full of resentment towards humanity for what it had become. I still, at this point, valued materialism to a point and always wanted a new mustang. He said bluntly "but why? Its just a car". At that point which was probably 8-10 years ago, I didn't understand but when I think about all the little blunt quips he muttered as I stared blankly back at him completely drained of all life, I can now see what a wonderful teacher he had become.
Wow that was one helluva tangent. Anyways, the main point I was getting to is that a traumatizing job can most certainly be outside of those few listed. It can include those mundane jobs that provide a service only to line the pockets of investors also. I know some may enjoy the cubicle life as I know there are some very rewarding careers that are confined to such but for me, I had to be moving. At the time I chose X-Ray, I almost changed and went to wildlife biology which was my true passion. Looking back, I'm so glad I didn't as though the reason I thought it was my true love was because I was running away from the human interaction that I so much needed to learn the lessons of love and acceptance towards others with whom I fought so fiercely to deflect.
RE: Jobs that are Traumatising - Marc - 07-10-2013
I just got hired to work as a laborer at the woodland park zoo in Seattle. I'm soo happy that I can now work in a job that is 'right livelihood.' At my previous job I had a manager that would laugh about the dead animals that we served to customers and said I should have a tally board for how many animals we killed today... But now I'm free to help animals instead of serve them on a plate.
YAYYYYY!!!!
RE: Jobs that are Traumatising - Spaced - 07-10-2013
Way cool Marc! Congratulations!
RE: Jobs that are Traumatising - Jade - 07-10-2013
Marc, congratulations and thanks for the burst of hope!!! I am seeking for a job that doesn't involve sacrificing any of my morals and it's been a very difficult endeavor so far. How exciting to get to work for a zoo and to aid in the care and comfort of animals that have chosen such a valuable life path. I bet they are very excited to have you join their team.
RE: Jobs that are Traumatising - AnthroHeart - 07-10-2013
I work for a bank, and it's a pretty decent job. I get to do reporting, pulling reports for the business. It's an office/desk job, and I like it like that.
RE: Jobs that are Traumatising - Plenum - 07-10-2013
(07-10-2013, 12:31 PM)MarcRammer Wrote: I just got hired to work as a laborer at the woodland park zoo in Seattle. I'm soo happy that I can now work in a job that is 'right livelihood.' At my previous job I had a manager that would laugh about the dead animals that we served to customers and said I should have a tally board for how many animals we killed today... But now I'm free to help animals instead of serve them on a plate.
YAYYYYY!!!!
nice man, really nice!
I'm sure your life will be transformed
RE: Jobs that are Traumatising - jacrob - 07-13-2013
I find the most traumatising aspect is that most of us are doing work to keep food on the table and mortgages paid in very unfullfillng and vitality-sapping jobs. Stuck inside for 5 days, sitting on bums whole day with virtually no movement, bathed in artificial light and air, staring at screens, getting home when it's dark, no energy to engage with family, no sunlight or interaction with nature. Then 2 days to recouperate, usually with major Sundayitis on the second day, before doing it again until we're 65. This is heinous and emotionally painful.
I'm working hard on trying to believe my passions will sustain me financially. I do automatic writing and crystal healing. But it's hard to segue from a secure financial income supporting a single mom and mortgage, to a dream come true career.
When it does arrive, as I believe it will, I'm going to cook a loving breakfast for my family, go the beach every morning, lay in the sun, read, start work at 11am, finish at 4, cook dinner for family (I just love cooking meals for friends and family, and I get alot of enjoyment at the appreciation they have of the food), laze in the bath with a glass of red and a good book, repeat the next couple of days, then 4 day weekend. This would be bliss!
RE: Jobs that are Traumatising - Charles - 07-13-2013
I think being ether a prostitute or a slave would be terribly traumatizing.
RE: Jobs that are Traumatising - Jade - 07-13-2013
Prostitution doesn't have to be traumatizing. There are people who willingly sell their own sex in safe environments for adequate compensation who thrive. Personally, I think prostitution is one of the more legit ways in our society today to earn money, if it's done properly. Unfortunately, drug use and physical abuse are rampant, but that's a flaw in the system, not in the profession as a whole.
RE: Jobs that are Traumatising - jacrob - 07-14-2013
(07-13-2013, 09:24 AM)Guenivere Wrote: Personally, I think prostitution is one of the more legit ways in our society today to earn money, if it's done properly.
Tell me you're joking!
RE: Jobs that are Traumatising - Jade - 07-14-2013
I'm not joking, I think prostitution being illegal is one of its serious problems. I think there can be a mutual exchange of sexual energy for monetary funds, without detriment to either party. The way prostitution is set up now, obviously, is degrading and exploitative, of course, and human trafficking is one of the worst sins. But two consenting adults exchanging mutual energy is natural and will continue on in some form or another for a long time. Marriage itself has long been a financial/sexual contract. Discussing these energy exchanges in an open and honest way is important to resolving the various distortions of abuse that exist.
RE: Jobs that are Traumatising - reeay - 07-14-2013
Also consider pre-existing trauma that people 'carry' prior to entering into a potentially challenging job (e.g., anxiety disorders, PTSD etc). For example, in the mental health sector we have many who have been thru challenging psychological issues in their life experience and become sort of the 'wounded healers'... some are able to go thru healing prior or during their work as therapists but some do not. The ones who carry lots of unresolved issues are at higher risk for being vicariously traumatized or becoming highly involved with clients' challenges (in an unhealthy way).
RE: Jobs that are Traumatising - Hototo - 07-14-2013
Prostitution should be legal.
Anyone that still seriously questions the right of 2 adults to do what ever they want with one another because it offends an external non participating persons morality seriously needs to check themselves in for some R&R.
RE: Jobs that are Traumatising - jacrob - 07-17-2013
(07-14-2013, 06:28 AM)Not Sure Wrote: Prostitution should be legal.
Anyone that still seriously questions the right of 2 adults to do what ever they want with one another because it offends an external non participating persons morality seriously needs to check themselves in for some R&R.
To each his own, I appreciate your viewpoint. If everyone participating in the exchange are consenting adults then it supposedly okay.
But for me something just doesn't seem right about people selling their bodies for money - morality aside. There are sacred aspects to the energetic exchange initiated in love making or even a one-night stand, and money somehow doesn't fit into this general sanctity.
I've been told by several psychics I was nun in a past life so this probably colours my opinion on the subject....I can't expect everyone to light candles and have strewn rose petals all about whenever they get busy.
RE: Jobs that are Traumatising - Jade - 07-17-2013
Your point of view is completely understandable. There is sacredness in everything, and in everything we sell, and in the ways we try to make a living to support ourselves. Some people sell their healing skills. It's an energy exchange. Money isn't even inherently evil, it's just energy.