Buddhists do not labor to support themselves. Work, like all activity, is a way of refining awareness, smoothing the rough edges of the ego, and loosening the source of suffering: attachment to identity.
Of course, we need to sustain our bodies while we are here on Earth, but just satisfying material wants and desires leads to greater desires, which leads to deeper bonding. We may look at individuals who have achieved great success and see how fulfillment of all desires ultimately leaves one with a terrible want. Many people who have a lot of money and power attempt to remedy this difficult to explain sensation of misery by working harder to get even more money and power. Greed distorts their attention, and illusion takes hold, propelling people to accumulate even more material objects in a never-ending cycle of terror and satiation. Some turn to drugs and other forms of sensory diversion to avoid seeing their true selves. Even individuals who have not achieved substantial financial success are susceptible to these temptations.
A few people get involved in social issues, dedicating their time and money to assisting the less fortunate. They have the capacity to tap into selfless giving, which always leads to delight, if they reject the temptation to perceive themselves as a rescuer.
We view action as a chance to learn and extend our awareness when we take a Buddhist perspective to employment. If at all feasible, we will seek out employment that challenges us and causes our minds to expand. We assess the job to be done and consider the most efficient techniques, even when it is easy or repetitive. Over time, this brain stretching exercise makes it simpler to focus and retain apparently dissimilar things in mind. We allow our awareness to grow so that everything we do becomes a chance to connect with the surroundings and the duties as an extension of ourselves, to the point where we eventually become the job.
We also get into what I like to call the rock polisher, a mechanism that tumbles rough and dull stones against one other until they are smooth and shining. We are conditioned to perceive the world in a specific manner in any civilization. We are born with some personality features as well. This combination of upbringing and personality qualities results in sharp edges on the ego: the part of us that digs our heels in and insists we are correct. This need to be right manifests itself in a variety of ways, including irritation, wounded emotions, rage, frustration, and depression. We pay attention to when our feathers become ruffled during our encounters with others, particularly at work when there isn't always the choice to walk away without serious repercussions. Instead of responding, we observe as various emotions and ideas come to the surface and educate us about our flaws. The sharp edges begin to wear down just by observing and being aware of what is going on inside ourselves. Things that used to annoy us no longer seem so essential.
This perspective on labor as a process with no regard for the end result loosens the basis of suffering: the connection to identity. We all believe we are important. The distinction between the Enlightened and the typical person is that the Enlightened do not believe the idea, whilst the ordinary person does. Work provides us with the amazing chance to become what others want of us and to perform whatever is required at the time. Most individuals approach an activity with the mindset of "I want to do this" or "I don't want to do this," and depending on which word is missing from that phrase, they either love or dislike the activity. Buddhist practice helps us to let go of the "I" and focus on the job. If we lack the necessary abilities, we either acquire them or delegate the duty to someone who does. If we find the work unpleasant, we take advantage of the chance to learn more about the attachment that snagged us. It vanishes, like all attachments, if we look at it honestly, without attraction or aversion.
We work even if we have won the lottery or have a trust fund. We may not call it work, but the body is compelled to perform. Unless we are immersed in the solitude of meditation, we are constantly engaged in some activity. According to Buddhism, we may utilize these times of effort to liberate the mind from suffering.