Volume 33, 2026<\/p>\n
James Mark Shields
\nBucknell University<\/p>\n
This essay reexamines the Buddhist concept of Right Livelihood (samm\u0101-\u0101j\u012bva<\/em>) through a critical lens, situating it within contemporary global capitalism. Engaging both Buddhist philosophy and Marxian analysis, I argue that conventional interpretations\u2014focused on ethical employment or meaningful work\u2014overlook the systemic conditions of labor exploitation, environmental harm, and socially conditioned craving (ta\u1e47h\u0101<\/em>) that define late capitalism. Buddhism identifies suffering (dukkha<\/em>) as rooted in craving, while Marx shows how capitalism institutionalizes endless accumulation, reducing human beings to interchangeable labor power. Both diagnose structural delusion rather than individual moral failure. The essay critiques corporate mindfulness and \u201cconscious capitalism,\u201d showing how these practices domesticate Buddhist ethics, enhancing resilience and productivity while leaving harmful systems intact. Similarly, socially engaged Buddhist frameworks risk complicity when compassion is framed in service of profit rather than structural change. I propose a radical Buddhist approach to labor centered on refusal, reduction of unnecessary work, and collective reorganization of economic life. Drawing on Buddhist sources, Marxian critique, and contemporary post-work proposals\u2014including universal basic income, degrowth, and commons-based practices\u2014I argue that Right Living today entails reclaiming time for ethical cultivation, community, and political participation. Liberation extends beyond mindfulness to the transformation of labor itself, challenging the structural imperatives that reproduce suffering and craving.<\/p>\n Read article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Volume 33, 2026 Right Livelihood in an Age of Bullshit Jobs: A Radical Buddhist Critique of Labor James Mark Shields Bucknell University This essay reexamines the Buddhist concept of Right Livelihood (samm\u0101-\u0101j\u012bva) through a critical lens, situating it within contemporary global capitalism. Engaging both Buddhist philosophy and Marxian analysis, I argue that conventional interpretations\u2014focused on … Continue reading A Radical Buddhist Critique of Labor<\/span>