In short: right livelihood means earning a living without harming yourself or others. In the Trades discourse (AN 5.177) the Buddha names five trades to avoid for lay followers: weapons, living beings, meat, intoxicants and poison. Today people apply it by asking whether their work is honest, fair and helpful.
The five trades
- Trading in weapons.
- Trading in living beings (slavery, trafficking).
- Trading in meat (raising animals for slaughter).
- Trading in intoxicants.
- Trading in poison.
Applying it today
- Does your work cause harm directly or through its supply chain?
- Are you honest with customers and colleagues?
- Can you bring right speech and right action to the day?
More: Buddhist teachings on work and money · Noble Eightfold Path · desk meditation
Questions people ask
What is right livelihood?
The part of the Noble Eightfold Path about earning a living in a way that does not harm others or yourself.
Which jobs did the Buddha say to avoid?
Five trades: weapons, living beings (including slave-trading), meat, intoxicants and poison.
Can I practise right livelihood in an ordinary job?
Yes. Honesty, fair dealing, care for colleagues and a wish to benefit others all count, even where the work is not perfectly 'clean'.