Employment and the Spiritual Life

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Paris, France, January 24, 1997
(Originally In English and French)

Q: We must work outside spiritually, but we cannot always choose our work and our boss; and sometimes some bosses are not honest and they force us to follow them because we work for them. They exploit us, they want money, and we have to follow. How can we consolidate this with spirituality? If I could work twenty-four hours a day for You I would do it, but I have to earn money.

M: You don't have to work twenty-four hours for me. Meditate two and a half hours for yourself and that will be enough. Regarding your question, you don't have to follow the boss; you just work for the boss. You do your duty, perfect your job, and earn the money that is assigned to you. Whether the boss is honest or not, you don't care, because you don't really know if the boss is honest or not. If you know and if you feel uncomfortable, then leave and seek another job.

To be a boss is also a very difficult position. As you have pressure from the boss and the job, he has pressure from his job, the environment, and the connecting aspects with his position and his business. He has to struggle in the world of great competition to survive. Sometimes he's forced to do things that he might not conscientiously like to do. So we do not really know. Just forgive him if he is wrong, and do your best in your job.

To be a boss is very difficult, I can tell you. If you make one mistake, you might lose millions of dollars, the whole company will be closed down, and thousands of people will be out of work. So, sometimes the responsibilities and pressures upon the boss are enormous. Maybe we should understand the boss better.