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Sixteen respondents emphasised that Buddhism gave them the strength to cope with difficult situations in life and pursue their work and career. Vandana talked about how living by Buddhist principles helped her get through her working day and gave her the strength to face whatever came in her way at work:

I have never been out of control – whatever comes in my way I have been able to accept it and make the best of it. In dealing with my colleagues or customers, I am

able to keep my temper at all times. I never get depressed or angry about anything.

My main motive is to live by Buddhist principles, do the right thing, make an honest living and do my duty by everybody. This thinking has helped me be happy at both work and home (Vandana, 38)

Similarly Kishani explained how Buddhist philosophy helped her cope with her parents‟

sudden deaths and carry on with her work:

For some reason I became stronger as soon as my father was diagnosed with cancer in his gall bladder (just a few weeks after my mother’s funeral). The doctors told us that he wouldn’t survive it and he didn’t want to be troubled with medicine or anything – he was glad that he was able to go to my mother. They were very close.

His only concern was me – I wasn’t married at that time. I wanted to put his mind to rest – let him know that I would be okay. I carried on with work and went through life as normal – I didn’t want him to worry in his last days. He was able to take care of himself on his own. He was in bed only during his last few days – 3 days actually.

Buddhism is what kept me together so far and gave me the strength to move forward.

This is life after all – I have nothing to be sad about. My parents were very good people and I know that they are in a very good place right now. Anyway nothing is permanent – ‘life is sorrow’ (Kishani, 31)

Here Kishani draws from the famous law of cause and effect and the notion of rebirth in Buddhism (Nyanatiloka, 2000), where she reconciles herself to her parents‟ death through her belief that her parents would be reborn in a good place since they were good people in their previous birth. Moreover she draws from Buddha‟s saying that nothing in life is permanent

(Nyanatiloka, 2000) to accept the fact that she had to part with her parents. Buddhism has indeed been a significant strength for these women to carry on with their lives and careers.

Two more women talked about their faith in Buddhism helping them cope with family members‟ illnesses and go on with their work. For example:

My husband collapsed at home - we rushed him to the hospital and he was diagnosed with a brain haemorrhage – he had to be operated immediately. This was the only time I felt completely vulnerable. They did an eight hour operation. I was at the temple from the time the operation started. I realised how grateful we should be for life – we want so many things - we don’t know how lucky we are for what we have (Devika, 46)

Rupika similarly talked about how spending time at the temple helped her deal with her son‟s long term illness and carry on with her work. Indeed women‟s Buddhist faith seemed to support their career development, since it gave them the strength to face difficult situations in life and pursue career.

A number of women explained favourable and unfavourable career outcomes in terms of Buddha‟s teachings of „fate‟ (see Payutto and Olsson, 1995) where they implied that individuals would progress in career only if their fate allowed them to do so. Kanthi explains:

I suppose whatever you do and however much you try – you should have career progress in your fate. Both my sisters were much brighter than me, hardworking than me but I had a more successful career than them (Kanthi, 52)

Kanthi who worked as a director in a public ministry in Sri Lanka didn‟t see her sisters‟

careers in teaching as successful or prestigious. In her view, the fact that she ended up as a company director while her sisters were teachers, was not a matter of preference or aptitude, but rather a matter of fate. Vandana similarly talked about how career progression should be within one‟s destiny to come through regardless of how hard she worked for it:

However much you want something and whatever you do about it - it has to be within your destiny to come through (Vandana, 38)

By placing much emphasis on fate and destiny in determining career outcomes respondents like Kanthi and Vandana were undermining the power of individual agency in shaping individuals‟ careers. Dilhari talked about how she would reconcile herself if she was not offered a much deserved directorship in her organisation since fate and luck also play a part in determining career outcomes, however hard one tried:

I don’t know whether I would ever be a director. Anyway I will accept whatever comes in my way gratefully. You can’t have everything what you want – your fate, luck everything plays a part. I am grateful for what I have got so far… that’s what Buddha said to us – ‘be happy with what you have’ (Dilhari, 46)

Dilhari identified a case of gender discrimination in her organisation which kept women away from the top. However she was not attempting to change her unfavourable situation since she attributed it to her fate. Moreover she drawing on Buddhist teachings that „one should be content with what she has‟ (see Nyanatiloka, 2000), was further restraining her in trying to change her disadvantaged status. One of the Buddha‟s key teachings is that „want‟

triggers every sort of evil in society (Nyanatiloka, 2000) and thus he has suggested that people should try not to desire so many worldly things in life. This is contradictory to advancing in career unless the desire to progress is backed by a genuine vocational calling to serve others through one‟s work (see Davidson and Caddell, 1994). Although all the women in this sample clearly aspired to develop their careers, none of them identified a religious calling as a key motivator underlying their desire for career advancement. Thus Buddhist philosophies did not seem to have influenced respondents‟ aspirations for career progression.

Nevertheless they seemed to have influenced women to be less likely to change unfavourable situations in career and accept these as part of their fate.

In contrast, several women made references to Hindu deities in describing favourable outcomes in career where they attributed success in career to their spiritual relationships with various gods (see Duffy, 2006). Hinduism was introduced to Sri Lanka in the 12^th century by early South Indian migrants. This philosophy is based on the belief that superior beings (gods) can help ordinary beings (see Deegalle, 2006). Devika who identified herself as a Buddhist explained her promotion to senior project officer in terms of Hindu gods‟ blessings:

I was made a senior officer within a year – every project I recommended loans for, went excellently with all gods’ blessings (Devika, 46)

Madhavi likewise deemed gods‟ blessings as the key resource for women to progress in their careers:

My refuge is Kali amma (a Hindu goddess). She has never once left my side. Some external power is important to make sure that children don’t get sick, parents are

healthy, and servants don’t take off suddenly. I was extremely lucky to have no problems when I started off my career (Madhavi, 48)

Given respondents‟ espoused commitment to Buddhism it was rather surprising that these women believed in Hindu gods as well. Notably, women prayed to Hindu gods to enhance their lives and careers. Indeed this is contradictory to the Buddha‟s teachings which prescribe individual responsibility for salvation rather than relying on deities (see Obeysekere, 1963).

Significantly, Buddhism imposed an array of social responsibilities on women. For instance, a number of respondents emphasised the frequency they visited temples and participated in related activities. Vandana explains:

I go to temple whenever I can. This is my therapy for everything. I enjoy cleaning the temple much better than wasting time chatting to people on weekends. The satisfaction I get – I can’t describe it (see Vandana, 38).

Gayathri similarly talked about how she spent time at her temple and decorated it regularly.

Charka explained her plans for the year in relation to the Buddhist temple:

November is the Katina month [a significant month for Buddhist monks] so I will be very busy for a couple of weeks. I can’t really think of anything else that we would do this year. We are doing the Katina [ceremony] this time, so there is so much to do.

You wouldn’t believe it but I put two weeks of leave (Charka, 36)

Five other respondents similarly emphasised that they expected to be heavily involved in their temples‟ activities. Indeed women in Sri Lanka took significant roles in sustaining Buddhism within their society.