The Buddha was clear that in order to be happy, we need to adjust our goals so that we are traveling a spiritual path rather than seeking happiness from material wealth alone.
This advice can sometimes be misinterpreted to mean that we do not need material supports but that is not what the Buddha meant. His advice was that when we are traveling a spiritual path, material support comes naturally and with a lot less effort than otherwise. Our material success also goes a lot further when we don’t have unwholesome activities acting as a drain on our satisfaction.
There are many activities that we can do to earn a living that do not cause harm to others. Such activities include those that do not require us to kill, steal, commit adultery, tell lies or use drugs and alcohol. Profiting from these activities even though we don’t engage in them ourselves would also be excluded from right livelihood.
All other types of livelihood are conducive to the practice of meditation because they give us material support without causing us to experience regret. From this position, the next step is for us to decide to put mindfulness in the present moment at the centre of our lives. A life filled with unconditional happiness will soon flow from there.