Having covered the four cardinal directions (N, S, E, and W), we come now to the nadir, or lower direction. In this case the Buddha describes a wholesome relationship between people who are not equally powerful in a particular situation. Very few of us have servants, but most of us interact with others from both sides of this relationship. We may be full-time wage-earners, part time household help, Uber drivers, or other casual workers. At the same time, we can be the “employer” either in the formal sense or as a consumer of services.

There are five ways in which a master should minister to his servants and workers as the nadir: by arranging their work according to their strength, by supplying them with food and wages, by looking after them when they are ill, by sharing special delicacies with them, and by letting them off work at the right time. And there are five ways in which servants and workers, thus ministered to by their master as the nadir, will reciprocate: they will get up before him, go to bed after him, take only what they are given, do their work properly, and be bearers of his praise and good repute. In this way the nadir is covered, making it secure and free from peril. (from DN 31, translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi)

In every worker-employer or worker-consumer relationship, there are guidelines. For employers, the duties are to pay a fair wage, to not make unreasonable demands, and generally to consider the welfare of the employees in all decision-making. Any extra benefits that come to the enterprise should be shared in some way. And employees should show up on time, not take advantage, either by pilfering or doing shoddy work, and avoid denigrating the employer. One hopes there is an open relationship and that all parties feel they are being fairly treated. If not, then communication is best handled directly between the disagreeing parties.

Expectations may not be so clear in other situations. Services of all kinds are continually evolving, self-service has become more common in many industries, and some percentage of interactions that used to be in-person are now handled electronically. The same guidelines of transparency and fairness apply, though they may be harder to measure when business is not done face-to-face. The system of customers rating services (e.g. airbnb, restaurants, driver services) provides helpful feedback in most cases, but is also vulnerable to our tendency to exaggerate when the humans involved are not in our presence. How different is our electronic communication to our in-person communication?

We can always look for a measure of reciprocity in our dealings. What are reasonable expectations? Can we put ourselves in another’s shoes and imagine what their expectations are? Can we bring an attitude of fairness, kindness, and generosity to our most mundane interactions?