How does well-being connect profit, social justice, and meaningful work?

What does mindfulness have to do with all this?

The late Zen master, Thich Nhat Hanh answers this in his book, The Art of Power (adapted below):

“We know that the bottom line of business is profit. But to profit means ‘to benefit from.’ There are many ways one can benefit from being truly present, fully alive with a compassionate heart.

“If our work brings about well-being, there’s nothing wrong with making money. It’s possible to make money in a way that is not destructive, that promotes more social justice and more understanding and lessens the suffering that exists all around us.

“If you practice mindfulness, and if you have in you a lot of compassion and a lot of insight and awakening, you practice the art of living happily in the here and now in the form of a businessperson, an athlete, a scientist, a politician, an entertainer, or a parent.

"You don’t have to wear a monk’s robe. You don’t have to have achieved enlightenment or have a certain income. You don’t have to have achieved anything. You can wear a suit and tie or a pair of jeans and still carry joy, happiness, and freedom. And when you have a lot of joy, happiness, and freedom, you can share it with other living beings.

“Looking deeply, we see that it’s possible to work in the corporate world in a way that brings a lot of happiness, both to other people and to us. When we’re doing something for the benefit of all humankind and the environment, our work has meaning. Even if it’s also making money, it has meaning, because it can bring well-being to the world.”

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