The problem with that is, like much Eastern spiritual thought, it doesn't scale. Sure, we could all be Zen practitioners, but we'd have no fast computers, cool phones, or footprints on the Moon to show for it.

IMO Paul's essay is well-crafted because it shows that Protestantism isn't a requirement for a Protestant work ethic. He comes close to the truth, but never actually comes out and states it: as long as you're competing with people who love what they do, you don't stand a chance of succeeding unless you share that passion. And unless your job is to pick up garbage, you're always competing with people who love what they do. Faking it, as the Zen school of thought advocates, isn't going to cut it.