Making a living in the modern world is no different than making a living in the ancient world, perhaps it is a little harder now. We need to earn a living without transgressing the ideals of love and compassion. The way that we make money and support ourselves and our family can be either the expression of our deepest self or a source of suffering for ourselves and all that come to know us.
Many of the ways people make a living in the modern world are harmful to people and the planet. We have to consider the impacts in our own community but also in the places far away that either supply what we need to do our jobs here or are impacted by the actions we take. These impacts can be far from where we live or even remote into the future.
There are direct impacts like working in the arms trade where killing is the explicit purpose of what is bought and sold but so are the indirect impacts of supporting the transportation infrastructure that moves those arms or even the 'safety' needed to vacation in places that need to be made 'safe' so that we can enjoy the beaches and scenery. Even the consumption of products that require people in other nations be treated in unethical ways to make the products available to us as consumers at the best price. When costs of a product or service are externalized to either the environment or the future we all pay the price eventually.
[Photo comment: Who ever thought we would have to protest or bring legal action to insist that our government use the best available science in decision making and for that information to be objectively reviewed? (left)The impact of not having a livelihood that support love and compassion lead to the direct impact on lives like the young men and women who's names are memorialized on the Wall in Washington DC.(right)]
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