Work and Play Become One……..
Whether we are working in a place for the next 1 year, 10 years, 100 years isn’t the issue. The issue is while we are working there, we treat everyone, and our work as if we are going to be there for a hundred years. Why? Because wherever we work, we are working with other PEOPLE. People have feelings, impressions, can be happy and can be hurt. Hence when we are working there, we should never think, these people don’t matter, I am just here for a short time so it doesn’t matter what they think. But we should think, while I am here I AM GOING TO MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY. I am going to be kind to everyone. I am going to make everyone like me and I am going to like them. Then wherever we go, we create respect, love, care and good feelings from others towards ourselves. That is so important as it will affect other areas of our life.
We may plan this or that for the next 30 years but we can die tonight. Everyone in between is insignificant or just a stepping-stone to get where I want would be a bad attitude to have. Because whether we live 30 years more or 30 hours more, it is WHAT we create in our environment which is of the ultimate importance. Do we create distrust, laziness, irresponsibility and dishonor? Or the environment we create is trust, responsibility, kindness and integrity? Whether we live long or not is out of our hands, but what we do during that time is in our hands. Life is much more than getting ahead at the expense of others. Getting ahead in life is fine, creating a happy, trusting, caring environment along the way IS MOST IMPORTANT.
If we use people and a place as a stepping stone..we lose everyone’s respect and we lose respect for ourselves. We may get the money and material items, but when we lose respect for ourselves, then we become bitter and unhappy. Even angersome eventually. That would not be a good result for all the hard work. Hard work must result in happiness of the mind not just material gains. HAPPINESS FOR OTHERS AND OURSELVES IS THE ULTIMATE RESULT OF WORK AND CAREER WE SHOULD SEEK. A happiness that brings zero harm to others.
1. Doing work in such a way that others don’t need to correct us, or push us to meet the deadline is such a wonderful way to give back to others in the office. Free love to them.
2. Helping another member of our team to finish their work, or cover for them in emergencies without agenda is a nice spiritual way to live.
3. Never backbite about other people in our team. We have issues, talk it out in a pleasant manner with the attitude to solve the problem but not to win. Winning is not everything. Sometimes you can win, but lose everything in the process. Talk to iron things out is the best motivation. Never create schism or insinuate. Make peace and harmony.
4. Be honest. Come when you are supposed to and leave when things are done… Never leave your work for others to cover for you. You send a message to people that you haven’t any integrity. Integrity is the basis of trust. When you create trust in people’s mind, you create a harmonious attitude and environment. Everyone enjoys harmony.
5. Buy lunch, a birthday card, a snack, a drink and stuffed toy for others in your team from time to time. Soup when their sick. Be caring with eachother. Don’t think of the office as just a place to get as much freebies and money as you can. But a place to share, give and return kindness too. When? Whenever necessary.
6. We all have personal problems that we bring to work sometimes and we can’t help it because it disturbs us. So if we have reacted negatively to someone because of it, apologize from the heart when you have calmed down. Bringing our problems to work is an inevitable, but apologizing from the heart is wonderful. Apologies do not make you lose face in the long run. In fact, it helps you to gain face.
7. Sure your quitting time may be for example 6pm, but if there’s work, finish it and support your team. If you run out, after a while people feel you are not with them and then eventually they will not be with you. Teamwork is not about the work, it is about how you make others feel when you finish the work and not leave it to them. It’s called caring and compassion.
Work and play are not different when your work makes a huge difference in other people’s lives. The concept of work and play being different is applicable sometimes but not in all circumstances. There are times when we go to ‘play’ after work AND it becomes work. For examples being stuck in traffic, your friends cancel appointments, overcrowded loud shopping malls, relationships that drag us down, being with people who are totally into themselves, getting to a party that is totally not happening or meeting people who are not for real. These are some scenarios that play time becomes worse than ‘work’ time.
The purpose of work is to support ourselves so we can do activities that make us happy. But if our work is such a nature that it brings others happiness, then we are priviledged to work in such a job and it is not really a job. Hence we should not treat it as work or job in the traditional sense of the word. Because helping others bring happiness to ourselves so that is not work. Hence timing is not the issue anymore. It’s about giving it your all, and getting alot back as a result.
How can you make a cut off time when you are happy and others are happy because of you? Think deeply about that. We are being paid to bring others happiness. How can that be work? Bringing happiness to others will bring happiness to ourselves. Of course having said that, we would like to meet with friends, go karaoke, walk in the park, pujas, retreats, a drive, shopping after ‘work’ sometimes and THAT IS FINE. The point here is that if you have the good affinity to work in a organization/job that benefits others, don’t treat it as work. Don’t treat it as a job. It is much much much more than a career. It is better than any career you can ever have. Careers give us money and a sense of purpose hoping that will bring happiness. But money and false self purpose doesn’t ever bring happiness. Check it out. A job that brings purpose and satisfaction is something that enriches the lives of others SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM. Having a job like that is not a job. We should never view it as so. We should think our job is actually happy time or enjoyable time.
8. Are we lucky enough to work with people that give to us, share, generous, supportive, loving, kind, and always there to talk to us? Then why is being with these people considered being at work? It looks like enjoyment to me. Sometimes people at ‘work’ turn out to be better than people we have at home, our partners, even long time friends. Why do we label people at work, just work mates? They can turn out to be super-duper, loyal, loving friends. Even better than people we have labelled our partner or friends. Many instances of that.
We have to change our perspective. Sometimes we bring all our problems from our friends, relationships and home to work. We make our work mates listen to us, console us, be there for us, but we give nothing back. When it’s 6pm, it’s quitting time and we are gone!! People outside of work bring us problems, and people at work solve it for us. It sounds like the people at work ARE OUR REAL FRIENDS sometimes. Check it out. Sometimes we feel happier with the people at work than outside of work. True? It can be true. We have to ask ourselves, why don’t we do more for our work mates? Why do we do more for people outside of work? Because one is labelled for fun and the other is for work? That is wrong perception if we examine it closely. What do we do for others at work? How much do we share or give or do we just take. People at work give us the livelihood to spend it on ourselves and friends. And if your workmates are wonderful group of people on top of livelihood, they also give you friendship, love, understanding, an ear at times, advice, support and care. Don’t we have a ethical and humanistic attitude to return that? Of course we do.
9. Just because we didn’t go to school with them when younger, or have intimate relations with people at work does not mean they are not worth our time, energy, evenings and weekends. Remember, when we see it as ’sacrifice’ of our evenings or weekends with these people at the office is when we label it work. But how come when we go with friends/partners, it is not a sacrifice of our free time? Because our view is wrong. Whether the people that support us and care for us are at work or outside work is NOT THE CRITERIA. The criteria is that these people HELP ME..and it just so happens they are from work. So when I hang out with these people in the office or outside beyond my ‘working hours’, it is not work, but it is with friends and enjoyable… THAT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER.
If we want to get ahead, we have make our priorities more important. If we have a passion for painting, but we don’t set time aside for it, then how to be recognized for it or accomplish it. If we are into relationships that get us nowhere, movies, food, gossip, dancing, or very protective of our attachments and not willing to let go of anything to accomplish a bigger goal, then a bigger goal cannot be achieved. Being in some sort of job or work and not going all the way will lead to disappointment. We have to go all the way in whatever job we are in. We have to think that whatever we do, must be the best we have done.
10. It ‘s important to not always expect support in the office. The office may have some project or whatever going on, we must make sure we attend. It gives the whole office a feeling of solidarity, support and loyalty. Whether at home or at the job, we should go all the way. Don’t treat others according to our own labels. We should treat them for who they are without being judgemental but with discernment. Judging and discerning seems similar but differentiated by motivation.
If work and free time is made into such a distinction like the ex-berlin wall, then you will not treat the people at work as they deserve especially if they are good people. This is not always the case, but it can be. You treat the people at work as work and subtly you send a message that they are not worth you maybe. Just a thought… In general look carefully and see who is with you…
Work and workmates should not always be viewed as having a cutting off time. When the whistle blows..bye bye! Remember, see where your friends really are. Who is there for you and give you words of wisdom. Remember their kindness whether it is at work or home.
Tsem Tulku
Yet another insightful post. Indeed work should not be “work” as it sounds like a chore. From a secular standpoint, we should always love doing our jobs because we spend so much physical and mental time on it. If we do not, we will become bitter as more than half our lives are wasted on something we do not enjoy but is seen purely as a financial means of security. That as we all know does not equate happiness.
As an employer, the happiness and welfare of our staff is of utmost importance. Most employers do not see or want to acknowledge that it is the very staff/employee that makes up the company. Whom without them, the company is nothing! I could not have a company without the support of my staff and as such I give them as much respect, support and gratitude back. They are really like an extended family and Thierry and I will help them whenever we can.
This similar feeling we have in Kechara and its various departments especially Tsem Ladrang. There is often the underlying genuine care and concern on a much larger scale of course! Perhaps that is why both Thierry and I always feel right at home whenever we contribute in our small way and are exposed to just that culture.
Thank you all at Kechara for making us feel at home and thank you Rinpoche for welcoming us home! With much love
Thank you Rinpoche for this post.
It made me reflect on how to improve on my relationship with those that I work with and that I take sometimes for “granted.”
The points to reflect on and act upon are real step stones for us to create a better human environment.
I anticipate that this post will indeed help many people as they can relate to it directly and very personally.
Also,it is applicable immediately and with immediate positive results!
This is about caring for others and creating causes for peace, first around us directly, then indirectly by inspiring others to become better people.
World peace is achievable!
Thank you so much Rinpoche for this post as it matched the working attitude that i currently have (although not completely) and an interesting way of following up with that. This is a very important teaching for so many of us out here working and dont have the merit to work in the organization yet on how to make our lives much more meaningful than just doing ‘a job’ and getting on with it. This is a brilliant way of injecting some meaning into the lives of so many people out there…
This should be a mandatory read for everyone and I do mean, everyone.
In fact, it’d be great for all the Human Resource Departments in every company to send this out to all their employees. They should even print it out and have it posted into their Bulletin Board in places like the pantry and drink dispenser where people normally congregate and chat.
No one really enjoys their work. We see it as a necessary evil. Necessary because it feeds the lifestyle we want to maintain.
Only a select few can actually say that they love their work. This is, sadly, only a minority.
In this post, Rinpoche has spelt out very clearly that it only takes a shift in our perspectives. Change our thought patterns and we will start enjoying our work as much as our playtime.
At the end of the day, the reason why so many people are stressed at work and seeking pyschiatric treatement even, is because they are so unhappy at work.
Imagine a change of mind set changes everything.
I like this article very much. Thank you Rinpoche.
It is amazing how much time we spend at the workplace and with our workmates. Yet, many of us hate our work and do not appreciate our workmates. For many of us, unless you work in a family business with family members, we spend more time with our workmates than our family!
This article gives deep perspective how we can appreciate and make our workplace a more meaningful place with the purpose to benefit people. Being happy and creating happiness are key in my career now as CEO of KMP. I am truly blessed to have this in my life.
For many you may not be in an organization which you think benefits people, do not think that. Just be kind and nice to people around you. IF you want to do more, check us out in Kechara.
Thank you Rinpoche for opening our mind to a new take on our working environment and the people we share our office with.We are so stupid to limit our capacity to enjoy happiness by assuming it has to be within a family structure.I agree that many of my friends have given me support, help and shared happy moments which my own family members cannot.In fact, during my active career before retirement, I spent more time with my friends and workmates than my family. We hear people talking about spending quality time during the weekends with family.It would be unfair and biased if we say we did not spend quality time with our friends and workmates too.
Unfortunately, we do not respond with same love and care to them as we do to our family, just because of the labelling and blood ties.
All it takes is adopting a fresh view and consider its many benefits to others and ourselves. As Rinpoche said, we cannot control how long we will live, but we certainly can control our mind and determination to make our environment a friendlier and more caring place at home and at work.
I ‘ve often heard youngsters whine that “I have no life at work”. To them “life” means holidays and clubbing….activities they perceive that can bring them happiness.
Rinpoche teaches us how to make all situations, every minute of our life meaningful and rewarding by changing our view.
The saying that ” all good things must come to an end” is proven wrong because if we can change our view, we can make our whole life into a never ending happy time. How logical!
We should all enjoy what we do. Most people work to sustain their lifestyles and worldly commitments and ended up all stressed up and not contented. Others are happy and considered their workplace as home surrounded by workmates they called their families.
Employers must treat their staffs well and with respect. Do not take them for granted as without them there will be no company. Employees must be thankful that they are not jobless. They must be loyal and dedicated to their company for giving them a chance to work.
If both parties can work and get along in harmony by compromising with each other, then work is not work but something we like and look forward to do irrespective of the working hours.
We are blessed if we can work in or be part of Kechara Organization and that we may serve to benefit others. Kechara Organization, is one big happy family where we work hard and play hard which sets a good example for other companies to follow.
What a stunning post, and I wish I had read this when I was in my previous job, which I used to dread and find meaningless. Actually, I met some fantastic people there who became my best friends in KL – I never thought of how I could take advantage of that time at “work” to nurture those friendships more but only ever thought of how much longer I had to go before 5pm when I would leave on the dot.
What Li Kim said is so true – that we probably spend more time in a week with our work mates than with our families, partners and social friends. So why don’t we try to value that time with them more? I’m extremely lucky to be able to work in KMP (as well as with the liaisons council and various other departments). There are times in Kechara we have 12 hour meetings, but every single person is happy to be there, throughout the 12 hours – because it’s really like being with family. We don’t think of it as work, but as something that we want to do, with people we cherish.
It’s funny how, because we are so close now, we feel sad if we don’t see each other for even a few days, if one of us travels abroad for example. It is extremely comforting and beautiful to know that these people are there with you during work, outside of work – any time, anywhere. You go through real shitty times together, but you also celebrate the amazing, successful, fun times – and with that, you grow, become closer and really appreciate each other more. Work really does become just as fun as play with if you develop relationships with the people around you in the right way.
This advice couldn´t be more timely for me. Thank you so much Rinpoche!
Thankyou Rinpoche, very good post for me at this time, has given me much to think on and work at putting into practice.
Working for dharma is the best one can get. Why? Below are some of the reasons I can think of, imagining if the dharma center is a company/corporation:-
a) We are working for best CEO in the world – LORD BUDDHA.
Yes. If we work for dharma, our ultimate boss would be Lord Buddha. Don’t you think Lord Buddha is the most ideal boss? Don’t you think it is cool when somebody asked you “Hey, who are you working for?” “I am working for LORD BUDDHA”… hehe. Lord Buddha embodies all the qualities that inspire us to become like him. Buddha has laid the path showing us that it is not impossible for one to be liberated from samsara. The only obstacle that stands between the path to enlightenment and us is our own ignorant mind.
b) The performance assessment of one’s dharma work – KARMA.
Don’t we agree that the most impartial, the most unbiased performance assessment one can ever get is the karma we collect from doing any type of work? In our society, most of the time we are unsatisfied with the performance assessment graded by our bosses – the normal bosses that are trapped in samsara like us, always thinking that either the bosses are bias, or we are being underappreciated by the company. But in terms of Karma, we are responsible for our own actions. We have no one to blame but ourselves because we are the ones who sew the seeds, either the good or the bad, and in time we would be rewarded accordingly. The best thing is the karma is impermanent. Karma is meant to show us what we have done wrong and thus we learn how to FIX our lives better, just like any other performance assessment methods available in the corporate world.
c) Our Directors would be the compassionate ENLIGHTENED BEINGS who are free from sufferings, who have been liberated from samsara (e.g.Taras, Chenrezig / Avalokiteshvara, Mother Vajrayogini, Lord Tsongkhapa, Guru Rinpoche, etc). Don’t you think is super COOL to have these deities as our “Directors”. We would be dying to see and worship these “Directors” and we would do just ANYTHING to get their blessings.
d) Our “Senior Managers” and “Managers” would be our LIVING BUDDHAS, e.g. H.H. The fourteenth Dalai Lama – “Senior Manager”, H.H. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche – “Manager”, etc. These high lams who are “old school” in practising dharma, who are well verse in liberating their minds to attain enlightenment, who despite having mastered their own death and rebirth, yet they vow to be reborn again and again in samsara with only one supreme objective – to show and guide all sentient beings to the path of enlightenment in any way possible. Don’t you think it is a blessing that Kechara House has a dedicated, compassionate “Manager” – H.E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche, who has sacrificed his entire life for dharma, who has resided in Malaysia for the past 18 years, who has worked relentlessly in pursuit to teach, guide and support all of us all the way to the attainment of enlightenment?
e) The “Assistant Managers” would be the ordained beings (i.e. monks and nuns), who have taken the vows and devoted their lives to the well being of all sentient beings.
f) The “senior executives” would be the liasons, who work tirelessly and relentlessly in expanding the dharma center and carrying out any dharma works assigned by the “Manager”.
g) The “executives” would be the members of the dharma center, who are fun, enthusiastic, and hardworking in helping the senior executives in any way possible to accomplish the “tasks” assisned by the “Manager”.
h) The “part time staffs” would be the volunteers who, instead of indulging in all kinds of entertainment available during their free time, CHOOSE to help in doing dharma works.
i)The “shareholders”, “suppliers”, “customers” would be all beings that aren’t liberated from the ignorant mind that still reside in samsara, who are subjected to the sufferings of endless cyclic existence, like me .. hehe..
- With all due respect, I have no intention to mock any deities or buddhas or high lamas or Rinpoches in the piece of write-ups below. Out of the blue these thoughts just pop up in my head and I think it is fun and I just thought of sharing it in this particular blog. If the write-ups are deemed to be not suitable for this blog, kindly please remove it. Sorry for any inconvenience caused -
We spend more time in the office than at home. So we should make our office environment and our work colleagues as pleasant as possible. I believe if we are happy we can work better and thats the truth. If we have any problems at home we should not bring them to the office. As it would not only affect your work performace but also your relationship with your colleagues. We should then put them aside and later solve them out of office. Change your attitude and be happy. There is a saying that goes WNHEN YOU SMILE THE WHOLE WORLD SMILES WITH YOU. Forgive your enemies you may not know they may become your best friends one day. Think of all the good things your colleagues ha
We spend more time in the office than at home. So we should make our office environment and our work colleagues as pleasant as possible. I believe if we are happy we can work better and thats the truth. If we have any problems at home we should not bring them to the office. It will affect not only your work performance but also your relationship with your colleagues. We should put them aside and solve them later out of the office.Change your attitude and be happy. For you may not see tomorrow. There is a saying which goes WHEN YOU SMILE THE WHOLE WORLD SMILES WITH YOU. Forgive your enemies you may not know they may become your best friend one day. Think of all the help and good things your colleagues have done for you. Think positive and be ever helpful.
Tonight, a friend of mine – who plays in a band – said: “We played Belladrum (music festival) last week and even though I had to get up at 6am, I felt really good, even though that’s the time I usually get up for work and dread it!”
I think perhaps our workplace is a victim of our pre-set notions and as such, we suffer for it, as do our work colleagues as a result of our mind set.
If we work 8-10 hours per day, that’s roughly 50 hours per week that we spend with coleagues: they cannot fail to have an influence in our lives and certainly, we should do what we can to cultivate positive, lasting relationships with these people. That they are “work colleagues” should really make no difference. It’s just a label. Work colleagues are just like us. No doubt we feel we deserve respect and are worthy of the time of others’, so surely we should respect our work colleagues and be generous with our time?
Kind regards,
Sandy
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for reminding us, yet again,that our suffering stems from wrong perceptions.Wrong perceptions derive from our mentally labelling everything,every environment and every person that we come across.
We label what is our sphere of comfort and fun, rest and relaxation and we label what is our sphere of work(which we equate with stress),strife and unhappiness.We label people as friends and loved ones on the one hand and strangers,nasty people and enemies on the other.We put the first into our sphere of comfort and joy and the second into our sphere of stress and pain.
We can only find true inner peace and lasting joy when we begin to dismantle all these labels and wrong projections and perceptions.
This is wise… I think the Dalai Lama is an expert on this, as I remember some of his words saying that one can do (very) hard work and still be satisfied. I only miss one thing. I mean if you give this text to people at Ketchara house everyone will know, but I for myself find that in the working world, which is really sometimes a very strange mixture of karmic influences it is kind of impossible to really swim against the stream and make a change, if there isn’t at least ONE person whio committedly doing a medtation (I tended to do them in the rest room, I got the idea from Eileen Caddy, Founder of the Findhorn Foundation in Scotland) or to repeat mantras all day long during work, e.g. Medicinebuddha, Om Mani Padme hum or for example Om Bendsa Guru Pema Siddhi Hung. Meanwhile we are at a point where nobody cares anymore where I meditate… the only rule is that it doesn’t interrupt the working process. People have to be able to meditate AND do their work BEST as POSSIBLE at the same time. (This adds a little Zen taste to it, doesn’t it?). Love.
From now on I am going to dedicate my work to Lady Vadjra Yogini. Every time on my work, when I start a new task I say to myself from the deepest place in my heart (if possible without closing my eyes):”I dedicate this important work to the Lady Vadjra Yogini (and to the happiness of all sentient beings).
So it shall be.
Or even better (I got that from visiting the Findhorn Foundation in Scotland):
At the beginning of the day all the people from one departmant hold each other by the hand in a circle, close their eyes and say: “WE dedicate our important work…”
But now it’s enough for today. I would be SO happy if these my ideas were of any help for you. Good night.
Okay, forget about my upper comments. I wasn’t at the point to understand how useful YOUR WORDS would be for my own work. I will read them repeatedly. You are a wise and well-studied man, dear Tsem-Tulku Rinpoche.
very very very wise words. It has open up my mind even more! Definitely prepares me for the working life. THANK YOU RINPOCHE!
Rinpoche ~ this is something for me to really contemplate and use as a tool of change. Thank you. I am a really, really terrible procrastinator. I have bookmarked this page as I need to read this more than one time to digest, reflect on and hopefully help me change some awful work/life habits. Thank you, with deep gratitude and love.
This should be a must read for everyone who has ever held down a job. If they did, the world would be a better place…Working in Dharma, it is much easier to implement Rinpoche’s advice. But in the secular world, where office politics are everywhere you look, it is easy to forget all about Dharma…. I guess if we were all to live, eat, breathe Dharma, we would have no distinction between our personal life and our work life. We would treat everyone, whether colleague, friend or stranger equally. It would not be about what you can do for me, but about what I can do for you. What a nice way to live.
Work gives us a lot of meaning especially work that involves in bring a sense of real happiness for others. Then that ‘work’ is not work. I suppose when we are anywhere ‘working’ that the work and the people there is not for us to use or to get something from. That we should think long term of how we can enhance our work and benefit others and ourselves in the long run.
Hi Rinpoche! After reading this and reflecting on it I regretted much not doing a good job as a friend to my colleagues I met in my secular work. Now that I think about it I have been avoiding others and sending signals to them… I think because of bitterness in myself…I have used a lot ‘hardwork and helpfulness’ to create a positive image and at the sametime to cover my bitterness while it is still remains inside me. I think I have the wrong perspective of how other people should treat me while I don’t give the due return, approach them first and have genuine concern for other first by putting aside my bitterness. Kechara people here have been kind and friendly to me… I regretted I have used them in some ways.