Buddhism in the Workplace: What Should I Do If My Boss Is a Bully?

[AsahinaKimi]

Many people look to Siddhartha Gautama as an example of someone who attained nirvana, a buddha. Every other week in this column we look at what it might be like if Siddhartha were on his spiritual journey today. How would he combine Buddhism and dating? How would he handle stress in the workplace? "What Would Sid Do?" is devoted to taking an honest look at what we as meditators face in the modern world.

Every other week I'll take on a new question and give some advice based on what I think Sid, a fictional Siddhartha, would do. Here Sid is not yet a buddha; he's just someone struggling to maintain an open heart on a spiritual path while facing numerous distractions along the way. Because let's face it: you and I are Sid.

This week's question comes from Michaela: "I am working as a researcher for a pharmaceutical company and I am being severely bullied by my boss. He steals credit from me, tells lies about me to co-workers and belittles me in front of clients. Since my immigration status is tied to this employer for now, I have to stick it out for probably another 6 months. Honestly, I do harbor revenge fantasies for all the psychological stress I have to endure right now. I can't wait for the day, when I am free and I can tell him what a dirty little jerk he is. In rare moments I do feel compassion for him, since he is a tormented soul and I know he must suffer greatly in order to abuse other people. How would Sid handle this?"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lodro-rinzler/buddhism-in-the-workplace_b_710989.html

[hlthe2b]

1. I appreciate the tenets of Buddhism...

but the writer of this column strikes me as trading in mere platitudes. Perhaps if he/she had given an example of how to respond/interact in that case. :shrug: