user2265: As a Buddhist looking for perfecting his Right Livelihood: finding a Livelihood which is so perfect and Right that it not only avoids bad-karma-making (killing, stealing, intoxication, etc.) but even furthers the level of Dharma in the world (healing, love, connectedness, self-understanding)... seeing people involved in these kinds of work truly brings me joy.
What kind of information technology careers do you think most easily contribute to the Dharma and how?
If you are involved in IT and are Buddhist, how do you connect the two (other than through donating to Buddhist causes)?

user289: From the Mahayana Avatamsaka Sutra, which encourages people-- lay and monastic-- to work towards the enlightenment of all beings, says:

"Bodhisattvas, thus engaged in the development of sentient beings ...
  practice whatever in the world would benefit sentient beings, such as
  writing, teaching, mathematics, sciences of various realms or
  elements; medical sciences; prevention of consumption, epilepsy and
  possession (schizophrenia), warding off poison, zombies (hey even the
  CDC is watching out for this one!) and witchcraft; song and dance,
  drama, music, story telling and entertainment; the construction of
  villages, cities, ..., canals, reservoirs, ponds abounding in lotuses,
  groves producing flowers, fruits and medicines; the discovery of gold,
  jewels and other precious substances; methods of pointing out the
  signs of the sun, moon, planets stars, constellations, movements of
  the earth, omens, dreams, ...; points of the cultivation of
  discipline, meditation, mystic knowledge, the immeasurable and
  formeless states-- and whatever else is not harmful or injurious, that
  which is conducive to the benefit and well-being of all creatures,
  that the enlightening beings undertake, guided by compassion, to
  establish them in the way of the buddha."

So at least in context of the Bodhisattva project, mathematics, (and programming is just applied logic and mathematics), is exactly the sort of thing we should be doing.
This is from Chapter 26, the Ten Stages, aka, Daśabhūmika.

user157: I have a slightly less orthodox view on right livelihood than others might. I think for practical purposes right livelihood is

Your means of living doesn't harm others and accords with Buddhist ethics
Your means of living leaves you with enough time and energy to practice the dharma

So I was originally a teacher which is good on point 1 but exhausted me so no Buddhist practice was possible. So it was only when I moved into IT that a practice became possible so really a programmer was more right livelihood than teaching for me with is rather counterintuitive.
That said as things go on then point 2  becomes important. My last job had a big defence contract which although I never worked on it never sat right with me. So I've moved into healthcare computing which I feel is more in keeping with both aspects of right livelihood.
Generally IT is a neutral thing. It's a tool and it is the use that that tool is put to that gives it its ethical dimension. Healthcare, education and charity IT probably good. Gambling, poronography and activities that increase peoples suffering probably not such good uses of IT.

2265: <p>As a Buddhist looking for perfecting his Right Livelihood: finding a Livelihood which is so perfect and Right that it not only avoids bad-karma-making (killing, stealing, intoxication, etc.) but even furthers the level of Dharma in the world (healing, love, connectedness, self-understanding)... seeing people involved in these kinds of work truly brings me joy.</p>

<p>What kind of information technology careers do you think most easily contribute to the Dharma and how?
If you are involved in IT and are Buddhist, how do you connect the two (other than through donating to Buddhist causes)?</p>
 289: <p>From the Mahayana Avatamsaka Sutra, which encourages people-- lay and monastic-- to work towards the enlightenment of all beings, says:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>"Bodhisattvas, thus engaged in the development of sentient beings ...
  practice whatever in the world would benefit sentient beings, such as
  writing, teaching, <strong>mathematics</strong>, sciences of various realms or
  elements; medical sciences; prevention of consumption, epilepsy and
  possession (<em>schizophrenia</em>), warding off poison, zombies (<em>hey even the
  CDC is watching out for this one!</em>) and witchcraft; song and dance,
  drama, music, story telling and entertainment; the construction of
  villages, cities, ..., canals, reservoirs, ponds abounding in lotuses,
  groves producing flowers, fruits and medicines; the discovery of gold,
  jewels and other precious substances; methods of pointing out the
  signs of the sun, moon, planets stars, constellations, movements of
  the earth, omens, dreams, ...; points of the cultivation of
  discipline, meditation, mystic knowledge, the immeasurable and
  formeless states-- and whatever else is not harmful or injurious, that
  which is conducive to the benefit and well-being of all creatures,
  that the enlightening beings undertake, guided by compassion, to
  establish them in the way of the buddha."</p>
</blockquote>

<p>So at least in context of the Bodhisattva project, mathematics, (and programming is just applied logic and mathematics), is exactly the sort of thing we should be doing.</p>

<p>This is from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Stages_Sutra" rel="nofollow">Chapter 26, the Ten Stages, aka, Daśabhūmika</a>.</p>
 157: <p>I have a slightly less orthodox view on right livelihood than others might. I think for practical purposes right livelihood is</p>

<ol>
<li>Your means of living doesn't harm others and accords with Buddhist ethics</li>
<li>Your means of living leaves you with enough time and energy to practice the dharma</li>
</ol>

<p>So I was originally a teacher which is good on point 1 but exhausted me so no Buddhist practice was possible. So it was only when I moved into IT that a practice became possible so really a programmer was more right livelihood than teaching for me with is rather counterintuitive.</p>

<p>That said as things go on then point 2  becomes important. My last job had a big defence contract which although I never worked on it never sat right with me. So I've moved into healthcare computing which I feel is more in keeping with both aspects of right livelihood.</p>

<p>Generally IT is a neutral thing. It's a tool and it is the use that that tool is put to that gives it its ethical dimension. Healthcare, education and charity IT probably good. Gambling, poronography and activities that increase peoples suffering probably not such good uses of IT.</p>
