WHAT BUDDHIST TEACHING OR PRACTICE IS HELPING YOU THE MOST IN THIS CRISIS?
Upon witnessing the death of the Buddha, senior monks observed, “All conditioned things are impermanent.” Plagues have tormented our ancestors since long before they descended from the trees. It was ever thus. In the vast, ancient lineage of humanity (and viruses), what hubris is it to think I’m somehow exempt? Old age, illness, and death are part and parcel of life.
As a Mahayana Buddhist, I aspire as a waiter’s apron and that a sincere “How may I help you?” fulfills all of my vows. Ultimately, the coronavirus doesn’t change my fundamental practice, which is to find a need and fill it.
