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A Guide to Livelihood for a New Generation The Buddha Walks into the Office (Paperback) - Common
From the author of the best-selling Buddha Walks into a Bar . . ., wisdom for "Generation Next" on how to make your work meaningful, satisfying, and of benefit to others. The question "What do I want to do with my life?" is more difficult to answer for today's twenty-somethings than it was for their parents--not only do today's jobs look different, but career paths are altogether less of a sure thing. It's in this modern context that Lodro Rinzler provides Generation Y with wisdom for approaching the whole issue of livelihood--not only how to find work, but how to bring compassion and meaning into the job once you've got it. It's wisdom from the Buddhist tradition that works for anyone, presented with the clever humor that made Lodro's first book so popular. The book is divided into three Part One focuses on deciding what you want to do with your life, job-wise and otherwise; Part Two explores how to be beneficial to others, beginning with those at your office and moving out to the world at large; and Part Three shows how to turn even the most difficult work situations into opportunities for awakening. Lodro has a gift for presenting the Buddhist teachings in a way that's practical, funny, and entertaining, but the book is ultimately quite it's about using your livelihood to wake up.
Unknown Binding
First published September 9, 2014
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About the author
Lodro Rinzler
27 books193 followersLodro is a practitioner and teacher in the Shambhala Buddhist lineage. He began meditating as a child and sat retreats as a teenager, even going as far as attending a silent month-long retreat during which he shaved his head and took monastic robes and vows.
When he left for college he received two heirlooms from his parents. From his father, a mala which he had used to recite mantras. From his mother, her father’s flask. He utilized both greatly in the four years ahead. During that time Lodro became a Vajrayana student of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. He also established Buddhist House, an eighteen person dorm at Wesleyan University which hosts a large meditation room. He began teaching meditation at that time.
After leaving college he was recruited to the position of the Executive Director of the Boston Shambhala Center. He began leading numerous workshops at meditation centers and college campuses throughout the United States. Lodro served as the Head of Development for Shambhala internationally before founding the Institute for Compassionate Leadership.
His column, What Would Sid Do, appears regularly on the Huffington Post and the Interdependence Project and his writing has appeared in Shape Magazine, Real Simple Magazine, the Shambhala Sun, Buddhadharma, and the Good Men Project.
When he left for college he received two heirlooms from his parents. From his father, a mala which he had used to recite mantras. From his mother, her father’s flask. He utilized both greatly in the four years ahead. During that time Lodro became a Vajrayana student of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. He also established Buddhist House, an eighteen person dorm at Wesleyan University which hosts a large meditation room. He began teaching meditation at that time.
After leaving college he was recruited to the position of the Executive Director of the Boston Shambhala Center. He began leading numerous workshops at meditation centers and college campuses throughout the United States. Lodro served as the Head of Development for Shambhala internationally before founding the Institute for Compassionate Leadership.
His column, What Would Sid Do, appears regularly on the Huffington Post and the Interdependence Project and his writing has appeared in Shape Magazine, Real Simple Magazine, the Shambhala Sun, Buddhadharma, and the Good Men Project.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
December 4, 2017
My official job title is “executive administrative assistant to the CEO”. Those are fancy words for glorified executive baby-sitter (this entails secretarial work, technological troubleshooting, supplying coffee, water and sandwiches, event planning and keeping tabs on a very busy dude who changes his mind constantly). Don’t get me wrong: I love my boss, he’s a really great and hard-working guy; but we work in the financial services industry (insurance, specifically), so there’s a lot of ruthlessness and greed - in the overall organization and industry in general. There are massive egos, thoughtlessness by the truckload and good old-fashioned shitty behaviors on the regular. I imagine many other industries have the same problems.
Practicing compassion and mindfulness in the corporate world can be a pretty massive challenge, and my boss and I have actually discussed it during employee evaluation season (he is aware of my interest in Buddhism). It’s especially important in my role, as I am sort of the gatekeeper to the Big Boss: if I’m rude and unhelpful, people project my attitude onto their perception of him, which is hugely damaging on so many levels. On the other hand, if I am a doormat, people also assume they can walk all over me and that my boss will be equality pliable and easy to control. It’s a weird balancing act.
I’ve read Rinzler’s book “The Buddha Walks Into a Bar” (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) and thought it was a good book, despite trying a bit too hard to be hip. He writes from the Shambhala tradition’s perspective, and for a mostly millennial audience, so I am not exactly his target demographic, but I’m always curious to read more about the idea of “right livelihood”. It is something I have tended to interpret as “whatever it is you do for a living, do it in the absolute best way you can”. Even if Buddhism isn’t your thing, it’s still good advice.
I loved that Rinzler starts out by emphasizing that your job is not who you are: many people fall in the trap of making their career a huge part of their personal identity, something that can cause so much stress and misery when the slightest change is required. I also appreciate his optimism (even when it is not really realistic - I mean, the dude works mostly with fellow Buddhists and for non-profit orgs and I'm not sure how he'd manage in a greed-driven work environment), and the emphasis he puts on meditation. Even just 10 minutes a day can make a huge difference in every sphere of life and it can be of great benefit to bring that into the office. I also think its great that he gives example of how the Six Realms can be psychological states (for those of us who are not really banking on reincarnation).
His advice, while occasionally bordering on the New-Age-y tone, is sensible and practical. He doesn't offer very specific solutions, but emphasizes the importance of perspective, honesty, kindness and compassionate leadership in the workplace. His examples are very relatable and down to earth. He especially stresses that leading by example is a good way to bring about changes (though that also depends on whether or not the people around you are open to that sort of thing) and that celebrating work well-done is crucial to the process.
Having worked in disability management in the past, I think one important point that’s not emphasized as much as it should in this book is the idea of self-compassion. I understand that not everyone has that luxury, but establishing boundaries and demanding respect in the workplace should not be considered an unreasonable demand. No job is worth one’s (physical and/or mental) health, and decent employers are aware of that. So sure, be patient with difficult colleagues and practice empathy and develop good listening habits, but don’t force yourself to remain in toxic or abusive environment for the sake of others. Standing up for yourself is just as important as extending your hand, and people tend to forget that, to their own detriment.
Overall, this book suffers from the same problems as Rinzler’s previous work: it means well and is cleverly structured, but it can be very repetitive, superficial, in a pop-spirituality/self-help-y sort of way, which I found rather grating at times. But no matter how initially annoyed I was with his almost desperate attempt to be cool, I still must admit that a lot of the stuff he put in this book is really useful. As Rinzler points out, we spend a considerable amount of our waking time at work, and we can't separate it from meditation practice if we are making an honest effort at it. This book can wield a lot of food for thoughts, and could also be a very useful little conversation starter in the office.
Practicing compassion and mindfulness in the corporate world can be a pretty massive challenge, and my boss and I have actually discussed it during employee evaluation season (he is aware of my interest in Buddhism). It’s especially important in my role, as I am sort of the gatekeeper to the Big Boss: if I’m rude and unhelpful, people project my attitude onto their perception of him, which is hugely damaging on so many levels. On the other hand, if I am a doormat, people also assume they can walk all over me and that my boss will be equality pliable and easy to control. It’s a weird balancing act.
I’ve read Rinzler’s book “The Buddha Walks Into a Bar” (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) and thought it was a good book, despite trying a bit too hard to be hip. He writes from the Shambhala tradition’s perspective, and for a mostly millennial audience, so I am not exactly his target demographic, but I’m always curious to read more about the idea of “right livelihood”. It is something I have tended to interpret as “whatever it is you do for a living, do it in the absolute best way you can”. Even if Buddhism isn’t your thing, it’s still good advice.
I loved that Rinzler starts out by emphasizing that your job is not who you are: many people fall in the trap of making their career a huge part of their personal identity, something that can cause so much stress and misery when the slightest change is required. I also appreciate his optimism (even when it is not really realistic - I mean, the dude works mostly with fellow Buddhists and for non-profit orgs and I'm not sure how he'd manage in a greed-driven work environment), and the emphasis he puts on meditation. Even just 10 minutes a day can make a huge difference in every sphere of life and it can be of great benefit to bring that into the office. I also think its great that he gives example of how the Six Realms can be psychological states (for those of us who are not really banking on reincarnation).
His advice, while occasionally bordering on the New-Age-y tone, is sensible and practical. He doesn't offer very specific solutions, but emphasizes the importance of perspective, honesty, kindness and compassionate leadership in the workplace. His examples are very relatable and down to earth. He especially stresses that leading by example is a good way to bring about changes (though that also depends on whether or not the people around you are open to that sort of thing) and that celebrating work well-done is crucial to the process.
Having worked in disability management in the past, I think one important point that’s not emphasized as much as it should in this book is the idea of self-compassion. I understand that not everyone has that luxury, but establishing boundaries and demanding respect in the workplace should not be considered an unreasonable demand. No job is worth one’s (physical and/or mental) health, and decent employers are aware of that. So sure, be patient with difficult colleagues and practice empathy and develop good listening habits, but don’t force yourself to remain in toxic or abusive environment for the sake of others. Standing up for yourself is just as important as extending your hand, and people tend to forget that, to their own detriment.
Overall, this book suffers from the same problems as Rinzler’s previous work: it means well and is cleverly structured, but it can be very repetitive, superficial, in a pop-spirituality/self-help-y sort of way, which I found rather grating at times. But no matter how initially annoyed I was with his almost desperate attempt to be cool, I still must admit that a lot of the stuff he put in this book is really useful. As Rinzler points out, we spend a considerable amount of our waking time at work, and we can't separate it from meditation practice if we are making an honest effort at it. This book can wield a lot of food for thoughts, and could also be a very useful little conversation starter in the office.
July 29, 2015
As a Buddhism-inclined person and a practicing Vipassana meditator, I understand that the workplace is often the most difficult place to practice all these perfections: patience, openness, compassion, etc. I get it. I've been working for 30 years. Here's where it's not clear for me: I understand that patience with difficult people in the workplace goes a long way to improving the relationships and connecting to humanity. Where does one draw the line between being patient and just deciding to NOT take any crap from someone? ('Cause there is NO end of crap being dealt out there.) I find that being "patient" gets me treated badly. Life has changed since I rolled back on the "patience" and established firm boundaries with some people and eliminated relationships with some altogether--quit jobs, unfriended people, pushed back on the bullies--in order to be compassionate to myself. Shouldn't it start there--to be compassionate with oneself as a gauge for negotiating the rest of the world? Even the Dalai Lama has said to hit back when someone is really out to hurt you--defend yourself.
February 8, 2021
I was reccomended this book by my high school librarian years ago. Being a high schooler, I never really got around to it. Very recently I entered the military and throughout basic training further engaged my interest in Buddhism.
Needless to say, this book was an amazing stepping stone for pursuing Buddhism and applying the dharma in the modern world. The concept of basic goodness aligns very well with my attitude towards interacting with new people. Part III was exceptionally helpful towards setting my intentions as a leader within both the junior enlisted ranks I'm currently in and the NCO ranks I'll later achieve.
Tl;dr Amazing book for applying buddhism in the modern world and as a leader.
Highly recommend.
Needless to say, this book was an amazing stepping stone for pursuing Buddhism and applying the dharma in the modern world. The concept of basic goodness aligns very well with my attitude towards interacting with new people. Part III was exceptionally helpful towards setting my intentions as a leader within both the junior enlisted ranks I'm currently in and the NCO ranks I'll later achieve.
Tl;dr Amazing book for applying buddhism in the modern world and as a leader.
Highly recommend.
September 6, 2024
Recientemente he leído Siéntate como un buda, del mismo autor, y pensé que este título me aportaría alguna idea interesante (he de admitir que, en verdad, alguna he rescatado, razón por la que no le asigno dos estrellas, como he llegado a pensar en algún momento; por eso y porque también, fríamente, creo que el esfuerzo de Lodro Rinzler no las merece tampoco). Sin embargo, el grado de esoterismo, de hermetismo, supera con creces el libro anteriormente mencionado, de forma que lo hace bastante obtuso para el lector poco avezado en la tradición budista, a lo que hay que añadir que, en comparación con el anterior, tan claro, resulta bastante desordenado y poco creíble. Una pena.
March 25, 2019
Lodro clearly knows Buddhism in its different traditions, but I think this book tried to encompass so many teachings that it ended up only glossing over them. For a beginner it would be too vague, for an advanced practitioner too superficial. Nevertheless, I commend the author for writing on spirituality on the workplace, it is still an area that is taboo, it is difficult to apply the teachings in an arena that is highly competitive.
July 7, 2019
Tak příjemně a nenásilně psané principy buddhismu nenajdete jinde než v podáni od Lodra Rinzlera. Vtipné, zajímavé a naučné příběhy mi zase o kousek zpřístupnily myšlenky, které mě každý den pomáhají házet hlavu i život do větší pohody.
Jsem zvědavý na jeho první knihu “Buddha vchází do baru” — jestli mi dá něco, co neznám 😂
Jsem zvědavý na jeho první knihu “Buddha vchází do baru” — jestli mi dá něco, co neznám 😂
October 11, 2023
Kniha se snaží člověka donutit se zamyslet nad sebou a svým chováním a ve výsledku není špatná.. Pro někoho jiného.. Pro mě bylo celkem utrpení to číst kdesi už po 80 stránce.. A opravdu je to pro ty, kteří pracují v kanceláři. V ostatních pracovních pozicích to není moc reálné ty rady. Sem tam některá ano, ale už ne všechny.
February 3, 2019
A great read to educate you on different methods to bring your meditation practice into your every day life. Especially into the sometimes challenging work lives we have. Enjoyed this even more than his first book, Buddha Walks Into a Bar.
July 20, 2019
Me encantó su practicidad y la unión entre conceptos budistas y cosas de la vida diaria. Muy recomendado si te gustan los lineamientos budistas y quieres darle a tu trabajo ese toque espiritual para que te sientas mucho mejor.
October 25, 2020
Relatable and gives practical advice on how to be a kind-hearted, fearless leader. A great book for anyone who longs to be helpful to the people they work with. 4 stars because towards the end of the book I had a hard time keeping my interest in the chapters.
December 2, 2023
good introduction to Buddhist concepts
Author explains some of the basic Buddhism concepts well, however relating it to work/office feels a bit contrived. Parts of the book do resonate but then other parts do not fit to real world.
Author explains some of the basic Buddhism concepts well, however relating it to work/office feels a bit contrived. Parts of the book do resonate but then other parts do not fit to real world.
February 5, 2018
I've got a lot of work to do...
May 28, 2018
I can see how this could be helpful for folks, but the base of the book is real to notbe a jerk. And we go over that point, and how to, quite a lot.
May 10, 2018
Too much extra mystical crap compared to the previous books. To be clear, I’m talking about the added mythology, not the actionable Buddhist teachings.
December 10, 2019
I enjoyed it. Would I read it again? Maybe. Would I buy it again if I hadn't yet read it? Yes.
February 5, 2017
Great book for quick techniques to help handle stress at work.
July 16, 2024
I enjoyed the style and tone of this author’s writing. It resonated.
January 19, 2018
Enjoyable read. Will likely read the other books he has written.
April 2, 2015
A little too general of a guide for me. When I first heard about this book, I thought it was going to be about a how to deal with difficult people at work. Luckily I've never really had to deal with truly awful or mean people for the most part (or at least it was usually limited in contact), but sometimes it can be handy to know how to manage people like this.
Unfortunately, it's not quite what I thought it would be. Instead, it's more of a general guide about how to integrate mindfulness and applying aspects of Buddhism in the entire career arc: deciding what you want to be, how to handle yourself at work, being a good boss, and general career advice. While this isn't a bad thing, this wasn't particularly helpful for me, especially as I am no expert or have a lot of knowledge on Buddhism. The text isn't unapproachable, but I felt that I had a knowledge deficiency.
And I also felt that he shifted to a new topic too soon. The book is relatively short, so it would have been great if say he had a volume on job searching/finding your career, and then what it is like to integrate the same principles while on the job to being a manager or supervisor, etc. But that's just me.
It's not really a bad book by any means. But I don't think it's quite what the blurbs says it is and I think this is one I'll have to come back to at a later time.
Unfortunately, it's not quite what I thought it would be. Instead, it's more of a general guide about how to integrate mindfulness and applying aspects of Buddhism in the entire career arc: deciding what you want to be, how to handle yourself at work, being a good boss, and general career advice. While this isn't a bad thing, this wasn't particularly helpful for me, especially as I am no expert or have a lot of knowledge on Buddhism. The text isn't unapproachable, but I felt that I had a knowledge deficiency.
And I also felt that he shifted to a new topic too soon. The book is relatively short, so it would have been great if say he had a volume on job searching/finding your career, and then what it is like to integrate the same principles while on the job to being a manager or supervisor, etc. But that's just me.
It's not really a bad book by any means. But I don't think it's quite what the blurbs says it is and I think this is one I'll have to come back to at a later time.
March 20, 2016
If Tonianne and I were to just sell our products and not listen to people - we'd have no customers. Our entire way of working is based on deeply listening to what the teams we are working with have to say and then helping them find not only solutions, but solutions that help them learn to solve other things in the future without having to turn to consultants.
This only works by hearing what they are saying and what they wish they could say, then helping them explore the differences.
I like to think we are successful. Indeed our clients are happy.
In Lodro's The Buddha Walks into the Office, it quickly becomes clear that we are doing a good thing and, like everyone else, need constant internal oversight to make sure we are maintaining appropriate humility, reverence, compassion, and curiosity.
This is a short book - Only 200 pages. But my copy is smashed full of notes to myself. Sometimes taking joy in what we at Modus are doing and other times taking joy in noting that improvement is needed. I often tell my students or clients that learning for adults is difficult - we already know everything. Any new thought or idea has to displace something that is already there. That either makes us laugh, makes us angry, or both.
This book made me do all three.
Highly recommended. This is an easy read, gently worded, and powerfully messaged.
This only works by hearing what they are saying and what they wish they could say, then helping them explore the differences.
I like to think we are successful. Indeed our clients are happy.
In Lodro's The Buddha Walks into the Office, it quickly becomes clear that we are doing a good thing and, like everyone else, need constant internal oversight to make sure we are maintaining appropriate humility, reverence, compassion, and curiosity.
This is a short book - Only 200 pages. But my copy is smashed full of notes to myself. Sometimes taking joy in what we at Modus are doing and other times taking joy in noting that improvement is needed. I often tell my students or clients that learning for adults is difficult - we already know everything. Any new thought or idea has to displace something that is already there. That either makes us laugh, makes us angry, or both.
This book made me do all three.
Highly recommended. This is an easy read, gently worded, and powerfully messaged.
November 16, 2014
I'm not at all a spiritual or religious person, but I had never read a book on Buddhism before so decided to give it a whirl. What I liked about this book is that it teaches you to control your own thoughts and presence to develop a kinder, happier you. It's not about trying to control or judge what anyone else is thinking or saying or doing or changing your behavior to fit a prescribed code of morality. It's strictly about you giving up your neuroses and negative thoughts and becoming the most authentic version of yourself possible. Other than an occasional example or anecdote, I didn't find that the practices presented in the book were specifically designed around office life or a younger generation as the title suggests, but could be applied by anyone in any situation or stage of life.
February 27, 2015
I liked Lodro's playful and modern approach to such an ancient set of teachings. Unfortunately, I felt that it turned into lists of attributes or practices too often to really be interesting. If he had written most of this a story, rather than resorting to breaking down lists, I would have found this to be more powerful.
However, style aside, there are a lot of solid ideas in this and exercises to help you integrate your meditation practice with your work life. Recommended for readers who are looking to do just that. Fans of Pema Chodron may really enjoy The Buddha Walks into the Office.
However, style aside, there are a lot of solid ideas in this and exercises to help you integrate your meditation practice with your work life. Recommended for readers who are looking to do just that. Fans of Pema Chodron may really enjoy The Buddha Walks into the Office.
January 16, 2015
it's good to read something counter-cultural once in a while. having grown in a catholic country, reading up on buddhism refreshes the mind and the same time challenges preconceived notions on life and humanity. a book where 'awake' is a not an adjective but a noun. a book which uplifts faith on everyone's basic goodness. a book with all the purest and sincerest intentions. i will have to lift this book up again for sure.
February 5, 2015
While some of the Buddhist principles can be applied to making yourself a better person, which will in turn help you with your career, this book was not deep into helping with your life at work. Many of the examples were overly generic. I also found that the author seemed to repeat his thoughts many times over. The book could have been much shorter if he was more concise. Overall, I found the principles useful but did find some flaws with the way they were presented.
April 3, 2015
Wonderfully tightly written book about how to take Buddhist practices and that life into the workplace and really just about anywhere. Rinzler writes with humour but never loses touch with the main goal of explaining the basic nature of Buddhism and it's applications into dealing with people, society and oneself. Although he has written a few books before this, this one is a huge step forward in focus and delivery of his message.
June 16, 2015
Absolutely one of the best books to read to help cope with work! Even if you are not interested in the actual Buddhist practices associated with the author's basic frame of reference, the insight and suggestions on how to get through day-to-day work 'stuffs' is great! A truly helpful piece of work. Highly recommended for anyone and everyone!
April 1, 2016
Kinda pointless si leyeron el anterior (Buddha Walks into a Bar) ya que algunas cosas se repiten y/o se les hace referencia.
Como stand alone tendría 4 estrellas al igual que dicho libro. Como continuación 2.6/5
De las pocas cosas que tiene de nuevo es el uso de referencias pop y algo que personalmente me gustó: el uso adecuado de la mala.
Como stand alone tendría 4 estrellas al igual que dicho libro. Como continuación 2.6/5
De las pocas cosas que tiene de nuevo es el uso de referencias pop y algo que personalmente me gustó: el uso adecuado de la mala.
March 27, 2016
Amazing! This is the best book! The Buddha Walks Into The Office was written just for me. Actually, it is for everyone that works, or has worked. This is a must read and top on my list. Certainly my favorite! Thank you Lodro!
August 11, 2015
Not as good as the other two books by this author. Some worthwhile suggestions but mostly more of the same from other books. I do enjoy his voice though, and will continue to read any books by him that I come across.
Read
January 22, 2015Did not finish- just didn't hold my interest.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews