How To Do a Job You Hate

[@goatsplitter]

"you have the life that you have, and you have the crappy job that you have; and in some strange way, you wanted this life! And the same goes for me." To paraphrase and add on a bit from a previous video. Great subject, sir!

[@tanneraustin7436]

I've been doing a job I definitely haven't wanted to be doing for at least six years. My attitude has always been that by coming in and being miserable and doing shitty work, I'm just making life more difficult for everyone else around me. Therefore, I choose to come in with at least a decent attitude everyday and still give 100%. In all these years despite not wanting to be there, I've helped my company in significant ways and have made a lot of positive changes. I'll be leaving this job in the next few months, hopefully for something better, and am proud of what I've been able to do despite not liking my job.

[@barence321]

From Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: "When you do something, you should burn yourself completely, leaving no trace." (From memory, so it might be a bit wrong.)

[@houseson]

My Italian uncles were complaining to Grandpa about their jobs, and he stood up, pounded the table and said: This is the business you are in! Except it was thees ees the beesiness you are een! They got the point.

[@kendallpigg5097]

When my son was born nearly 20 years ago, I had to get focused on bringing home the bacon, and put my artsy aspirations on the back burner. As a result, I am a much happier person (and a better carpenter!) because I'm much more grounded and less resentful. BTW, I recently read your latest book, and absolutely loved it! That, and Robert Wyatt's biography, have been my summer go to's.

[@Spudcore]

I really liked the way you sang the word "explode"!

[@HardcoreZen]

Thank you!

[@InnerRevolutionProject]

thank you soooo much for your honesty. I am sitting Zazen for over 8 years now daily and just today I was doubting again if I am doing it right, since I am just sitting there with all my mundane suffering most of the time, while others (that's what my mind told me) have this awesome experiences. It's really good to know that it's kinda normal to have this experience and it doesn't mean I am doing something wrong.

[@ForeverMasterless]

This has always been my mentality. If I'm stuck somewhere for eight hours anyway I might as well do my best. Led to me going from min wage to production supervisor making more than double min wage in less than three years at my current company.

[@BluebottleB4]

BOOM! you beautifully summarized about 30+ years of my conversations with family, friends, wife & son in one eloquent talk. well done!

[@CaptMang]

This video couldn’t have come at a better time… the problem I have is that some work environments are super competitive (between co-workers) and focused on gains and optimization. Very un-Zen. And so if I approach a job with a zen mind/attitude it actually works against me. And if I comply with the work atmosphere, it eats away at my mind-body. The best jobs I ever had was being a dishwasher and mowing lawns, but that type of effort doesn’t transfer over to a “toxic” office environment. Effort in a “toxic” office environment isn’t really conducive to zen principles. I feel like a vegan working in a meat plant

[@HardcoreZen]

Yeah. Some jobs are like that. I found that I was able to quietly opt out of the competitiveness at Tsuburaya Productions. It wasn’t extremely competitive there like at some jobs, but that was a factor. I did my job competently and got along with my coworkers, so nobody minded my non-competitive attitude. They just zoomed past me up the corporate ladder like I was someone driving the speed limit while everyone else wanted to go fast.

[@CaptMang]

@@HardcoreZen Yeah, I think that's what it comes down to. Making connections with people. goofin around in the face of suffering and whatnot.

[@rafaelecattonar1506]

​@@HardcoreZenI have a question. Do Zen Buddhists practitioners usually have a Buddha statue at home? Is it important for the practice?

[@HardcoreZen]

@@rafaelecattonar1506 It's not necessary to have a Buddha statue at home. Nor is it necessary for Zen practice. I suppose most Zen Buddhists probably do have one for decoration. But some don't.

[@rafaelecattonar1506]

@@HardcoreZen thank you

[@michigandersea3485]

"If you're going to sweep the floor, give it everything you've got" -- Ajahn Chah

[@dooley3238]

You were waving your stick around.

[@TrevK0]

always appreciate your honesty, thank you. great video.

[@BobCarsonsMMA]

I don’t like my job or my line of work. I’m paid quite well. Many of my coworkers are young, insecure, Type A. The culture is absolutely cutthroat and toxic.

[@austinhill5825]

Work with RIGHT INTENTION

[@saralawlor780]

Absolutely brilliant! 👏

[@Antonio_Egea]

That's was incredibly helpful, thank you!!!

[@hoogreg]

I feel so lucky that I'm not usually bored by zazen. Instead I get sleepy, but whatever.

[@ldydyk]

Thank you.

[@ronjohnson4566]

get into your life... great advice.

[@houseson]

Reference Gibran's poem On Work. It is how I got through work life.

[@jesuisravi]

as the great man one said: "The only good job is a dead job"...well, actually he didn't exactly say that and he wasn't such a great man anyway but if he had said that he would have said something a lot of folks can heartily endorse. Come to think of it, Buddha actually did say something like that. I think he called it: The First Noble Truth.

[@tegeuscromis8947]

It's always hilarious when you're dissing on that ACZC guy!

[@photomukund]

What a providence! I was just wondering whether my life is getting wasted doing a job which I no more believe in and only in it for the money.

[@michigandersea3485]

A waste of a life is making yourself suffer unnecessarily by second-guessing whether you are wasting your life

[@timotheus_the_magician3599]

Your pronounciation of the books title was quite correct. :-)

[@edflorence3255]

Ha ha ...Sometimes I really enjoy zazen for the chance to think about anything I want...never boring! Like galloping a horse or snowboarding. Then, after a while, it's back to work.

[@Tritamer]

Dude, some things we have to do, but there is no problem exercising preferences in a non-attached way (means make a change if you can). I’m sorry to hear that zazen is practiced by so many for hours on end leading to boredom. I follow Ch’an teachings from early China and in my tradition, meditation is not about the length, but the depth. If you could only spend 20-30 minutes meditating and that’s all you got, you’d make it count and you will look forward to the next time. Sorry if this offends, but sitting zazen for hours is really evidence of waiting for something to happen. Well, what we’re all looking for is not in time, so that ain’t it, brother! Those who are trying to focus Mind with concentration exercises are also missing the boat. That ain’t it, either! Neither is trancing out (another version of sleep). Mind is already as focused or concentrated as it needs to be, regardless if you are or not, noticing it is already so, is wonderful. Since A) It’s about meaningful DEPTH, and B) seeing what is ALREADY SO, with a mind that is already fully present, you can leave off managing mind and all these austere practices that make it dreary. It will make you want to show up for those 20-30 minutes of delight. From one brother to another, you should reconsider it. How many times have we all had to go back to beginner’s mind to see clearly again? I just felt compelled after watching the video. Take it or leave it, friend.

[@MrStrocube]

Very well said Brad. Yes, like so many others, I hate my damn job. I work as a Spanish language interpreter for the LA County Superior Court. It is a toxic AF hell-world; a racist meat grinder that gorges itself on the bodies of the most vulnerable to keep itself going. There are criminal gangs of sheriffs in the jails and police gangs in the various police departments. In Compton, the criminal police gang is called The Executioners. There are others all over LA. I’m not saying that there are no real criminals among the people we interpret for, there certainly are. But mostly, they’re just hapless, ignorant, and dirt poor rubes. I kid you not, we’re talking about adults who do not even know the names of their own body parts. They will point to their shoulder and say hand or their knee and say foot. Anyway, it’s a never ending parade of human misery. I have a hard time being in that environment day after day. Yes, when I’m actually interpreting, I always do the very best I can to the best of my abilities. It’s just that I find myself suffering from compassion fatigue. I’ll occasionally lose my patience with and judge the people I interpret for and then I feel bad for doing that. It’s a constant struggle.

[@HardcoreZen]

My gosh. That sounds awful! When I was complaining about my job to Nishijima Roshi one time, he said, "You can make a little difference." The problems I was up against were too big and too deeply entrenched for me to solve by myself. But by doing my own job with care and attention I was able to make small changes. So I forgot about trying to fix the big problems with the company and with the Japanese film/TV industry in general, and worked on making small differences.

[@HeikkiLiitoksia]

Was that zazen?!!! Yeah. BrotherInexeptional

[@yakrider6402]

Good video brother 👍

[@HardcoreZen]

Thanks 👍

[@ceeemm1901]

Ich liebe dich!.....Einstürzende Neubauten!

[@HeikkiLiitoksia]

It was just depression . Dear Lord -yoga Nerd

[@maciejgoralski1744]

cooooool

[@phantasticflox]

Ziggy glamour shot!

[@blackbird5634]

It's challenging with translations, the pedantic nature of zen practitioners creates misunderstanding and friction. Even as I write this I know there's a busy swarm linguistic termites gnawing at each word, eroding the meaning.

[@sea_squirt]

Asking how to take it off the cushion and into real life is like asking how to take your weight training into real life.

[@HardcoreZen]

Good analogy.

[@wladddkn1517]

Suppose you are working in an organization which appears to be a part of criminal syndicate, would this advice still rings in?

[@michigandersea3485]

Sometimes you should leave your job.

[@sawtoothiandi]

sounds like dream jobs have much in common with dream marriages in this regard lol

[@fhoniemcphonsen8987]

BEST OF THE WORST!😊

[@HardcoreZen]

I should advertise myself that way.

[@HeikkiLiitoksia]

Wait. I did And I met a person. Or should I say a mahatma

[@papillon7319]

Does Anette practice at ryumon ji?

[@benhorner8430]

Are you resentful of being forced out of your Zen center? It seems like it wouldn't have happened if you didn't want it to...

[@HardcoreZen]

Yes. But that doesn't change the fact that it's a very, very f-ed up thing to force your Zen teacher out of the center he established.

[@benhorner8430]

@@HardcoreZen I definitely agree. But it confuses me when you say it bothers you, because then I don't understand why you let it happen. I thought you must have wanted out.

[@HardcoreZen]

I did.@@benhorner8430

[@benhorner8430]

@@HardcoreZen ok, do you regret that decision?

[@HardcoreZen]

@@benhorner8430 No. When something is broken beyond repair, you have to abandon it.

[@joeg3950]

That was me today for my morning zazen. “When is that bell going to ring?” I actually needed to be reminded of this. Viva Ziggy!