EXPLORATIONS -- Right Work

Explorations are intersections...deeper conversations on spiritual matters. They aren't designed to answer questions as much as spark some thought about the union of digital and spiritual technologies. 

In Buddhism as well as the Tao there is this fundamental idea of not making waves in the water, a sort of stillness. You are always where you are are supposed to be and thus to fight to try to be somewhere else is counterproductive to "The Way." This mindfulness...living in the moment...is no easier than becoming a professional body builder or a marathon runner. This sort of peaceful existence...being present for the presents in this present  - and that could be why they call this a practice. IJS

The Buddha warns against careers that harm other beings and suggests that we avoid any occupation that would violate the principles of right speech and right action. He says, “The master of the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his education and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which; he simply pursues his vision of excellence in whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he is always doing both.”

Entering the Chaos of Free Software

In my search for Dharma on the command line I am regularly confronted with matters far beyond my control. The choice to step outside of the noise and enter the stillness brings with it a constant confrontation with the unknown. In that space is where creativity happens, out of the chaos comes the peace.

Free software doesn't come without it's share of chaos. Releases don't always address your needs. New features you may like may go unsupported. There's constant troubleshooting to do and often things you'll just leave broken until someone in the world of developers fixes it or find a work around until you can fix it yourself. Yes, you are sometimes confronted with the unknown on this road to FreeDome. This is perhaps why business and desktop users have stayed away from Linux. Perhaps this is also why the road to enlightenment is the path less traveled.

I wonder how much of my life as a Systems Administrator is spent running from the chaos? 

Designing, building, maintaining and running systems  that you must keep working at optimum capacity, securely...in a live production environment is full of chaos. It is the very reason there is an imperative need for Systems Administrators. System Administrators ... well, good ones, strive to work smarter and not harder. The ultimate goal is to create an environment that is secure, ready and reliable. When I think of what that right work looks like I think of M. O'Brien. When faced with the reality of the unknown I am reminded my former boss at Bloomberg LP. He was the picture of a steady captain.

He embodied the presence of a Bodhisatfa as he kept vigil over thousands of servers and hundreds of thousands of users scattered around the world. He was kind and gentle but firm and resolved. He was aware of what was happening around him but he was not moved by it. His is what I call "good work." He sat in the center of the chaos with a level head and a clear sense of presence.

Being is more important than doing and that concept alone can take a lifetime to understand. Ancient Khametic people would go one further and ask not what is being done but who is doing it?

Buddhism 051 - Fundamentals

4 Pillars of Buddhism

1. Life consists of suffering.
2. We suffer because we cling.
3. There is a way out of this suffering.
4. It’s called the Noble Eightfold Path.

Noble Eightfold Path

• Right View
• Right Intention
• Right Speech
• Right Action
• Right Livelihood
• Right Effort
• Right Mindfulness
• Right Concentration

*Nobile Eightfold Path - Well, they are actually not linear steps at all, but rather eight aspects of your being that should be cultivated on the path toward full liberation. The Eightfold Path is an unfolding process as opposed to a destination.

*Some opt for the adjective “wise,” which can be used interchangeably with “right” by Dharma teachers.