Spiritual advice on pandemics.VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THICH CHAN TANH.

 By now, I know that no one is not affected more or less by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. As a Buddhist monk and also in public psychoscience, I have advised many people over the past weeks. They are worried because family members are infected with the virus. It is completely understandable; I also feel worried and scared.

Fear is a natural reaction to a real (and very real) threat of death. But the people I interact with, in addition to fear, feel helpless, bewildered, and desperately searching for a place to stand before facing a catastrophic disaster. I believe that feelings associated with impotence, bewilderment can be more painful than fear.

In times like these, I feel very grateful for having practiced Buddhism for so many years. Myself after the initial anxiety about the virus (and also contributed to the stressful shopping - yes, I also bought dry food and canned food), I started to get more practical, hopefully more - or at least, give up - about the situation in the world. So, I want to share with you some things that helped me to let go.

During the pandemic, I felt very grateful for having practiced Buddhism for so many years - 

Old, sick and dead are inevitable

Buddhist wisdom shows that suffering is a part of life ... We often hide in psychological castles, where we think we can avoid things like illnesses and accidents. However, that suffering cannot be avoided. We will all, everyone will, face old age, illness and death. However, we can choose to respond to this misery.

One of the most disturbing things that the outbreak of Covid-19 brought to me was the feeling that "the event was not supposed to be like that". In reality, however, it was and always was. Although there may be many other things such as the bad health insurance system, the greed of corporations, the lack of government acumen, etc., accompanying Covid-19, but suffering from disease and the death created is nothing new.

According to the Buddhist doctrine, a woman came to Buddha after her son died. Distraught with suffering, she begged Buddha for medicine to save her son from living again. The Buddha answered that he would give her medicine if she could bring him some cauliflower from the family home where no one had ever died. The suffering mother knocked on the door of each house, in the hope of finding a family that had never lost a loved one. Of course, she could never find such a family. She suddenly realized that death did not give up on anyone. And when she realized that suffering and death were universal, her pain eased.

This story shows us the feeling that "things that are not supposed to be" are an extra, unnecessary suffering on the inevitable suffering. We cannot avoid getting old, getting sick and dying, but we can remove the unnecessary assumption that the facts should be different, and the psychological suffering that this assumption brings to us.

Recognize mutual support

Another important detail of wisdom, though not only present in the Buddhist tradition, is the realization of the interrelatedness of everyone. Nothing shows a clearer correlation than a global pandemic. People rely on each other to survive, and we influence others in one way or another.

For example, now hand-washing advice to avoid transmission of Covid-19 is ubiquitous. First, washing your hands is an act of protecting yourself. Regular handwashing protects individuals from viruses. But it is also an action to protect the community; we protect others, and at the same time protect ourselves. The same goes for advice at home when sick. Although not everyone can easily quit their jobs, it is clear that we must protect our community by avoiding infection. In these simple ways of protecting health, the understanding of "I" and "person" begins to break.

When does "I" end and "you" begin? We breathe the same atmosphere. My survival and happiness are based on your happiness and survival. As His Holiness the Dalai Lama teaches: “Mutuality is a natural fundamental law. Even tiny insects survive by working together, based on their reciprocal nature. It is because the very existence of mankind is so dependent on the help of others that the need for love lies within our being. Therefore we need to know our true responsibility and sincere concern for the safety of others. "

Turn fear into action

Do not want to tragedy the problem, but I think we should imagine a reality in the future, when the government did not respond promptly enough to the outbreak of Covid-19, and the health care system became should be overloaded with sick children. That is the time when community feedback becomes essential. In fact, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) advised that you should talk to your neighbors about planning when the community is in turmoil. But I think we shouldn't be so desperate. People always know how to help each other, especially in times of need ...

The coming days will surely bring much pain and fear. My wish to you, dear readers, is to realize that "this is the case". This is the luggage of human existence. It is beautiful, it hurts and it is life. In addition, please open your heart to the community, to all around us. This is the time to become closer to our neighbors, to our neighbors, appreciate, share resources, and connect with each other.

If we can convert our individual's pain and fear into caring for others, we will reduce suffering. That's because you and I are not separate. We breathe along the air, reaching the same roads. When Covid-19 spread into an epidemic, fear and pain may be unavoidable, but so was connection and concern. We are all these things.END=NAM MO SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).GOLDEN AMITABHA MONASTERY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THICH CHAN TANH.AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.20/6/2020.