Synopses & Reviews
A guide to developing and maintaining a spiritual life on the job, drawn from the teachings and practices of Buddhist tradition.
Most people associate Buddhism with developing calm, kindness, and compassion through meditation. Lewis Richmond's Work as a Spiritual Practice shows us another aspect of Buddhism: the active, engaged side that allows us to find creativity, inspiration, and accomplishment in our work lives.
With over forty spiritual exercises that can be practiced in the middle of a busy workday, Work as a Spiritual Practice is based on the principle that "regardless of your rank and title at work, you are always the chief executive of your inner life." Its core message is one of spiritual empowerment, where every workplace situation, no matter how challenging, can become an opportunity for spiritual growth.
Drawn from the author's diverse professional experience as a Buddhist meditation teacher, business executive, musician, and high-tech entrepreneur as well as from his "Workplace Spirituality" workshops, Work as a Spiritual Practice addresses a wide variety of on-the-job problems. It adapts traditional Buddhist psychology to divide common workplace situations into four main categories conflict, stagnation, inspiration, and accomplishment and offers a variety of practices appropriate for each. Here you'll learn how to:
- Turn ordinary worry into a form of concentrated spiritual inquiry
- Meditate while sitting, walking, or standing a minute at a time
- Perform spiritual practices while commuting to and from work
- Manage stress by learning to cultivate an awareness of the body
- Understand ambition, money, and power from a spiritual perspective
- Deal with boredom, discouragement, and failure
Each chapter is liberally illustrated with real-life stories of people from many walks of life nurses, plumbers, receptionists, taxi drivers, executives, office managers, musicians, and home office workers each of whom has found ways to apply the practices described in the book. Some of these stories are told by people who attended the author's workshops; others are told by people he has met in the workplace. These experiences join with the author's own to provide a rich and diverse offering of teaching, practical advice, and inspiration.
Work as a Spiritual Practice is an essential guide for anyone who wants to bring his or her spiritual life and work life together. A fascinating combination of traditional Buddhist teachings, illustrative anecdotes, and practical business savvy, this innovative spiritual guidebook teaches us that finding joy in our work is the best definition of success.
Review
"This book on utilizing the workplace as a place for spiritual growth comes straight from the workshop of the heart and stirs both our timeless Buddha-mind and postmodern Judeo-Christian soul. I read this fascinating book avidly and with delight." Lama Surya Das, author of Awakening the Buddha Within
Review
"This timely book is the one the workaday world has been waiting for. Lewis Richmond is the ideal person to explore the application of Buddhist practices to the workplace. [This is] an accessible, personal, witty, and poetic book that will be helpful, even transformative, for anyone who works for a living." Sylvia Boorstein, author of It's Easier Than You Think: The Buddhist Way to Happiness
Review
"Work as a Spiritual Practice is full of excellent, wise, simple advice to transform work into awakening. Lewis Richmond really shows how Right Livelihood is possible in almost any job. Bravo!" Jack Kornfield, author of Buddha's Little Instruction Book
About the Author
Lewis Richmond is a Buddhist teacher, workshop leader, software entrepreneur, and musician/composer. Formerly Executive Vice President of Smith & Hawken, Ltd., he is the founder and owner of Forerunner Systems, Inc., the leading provider of inventory management software to the catalog industry. Lake of No Shore, his debut solo piano album, was released by Artifex Records in February 1999. An ordained disciple of Buddhist master Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, Mr. Richmond co-leads Dharma Friends, a meditation group in Mill Valley, California, where he lives.