That Unsettling Feeling

by Dr Lee Foong Ming,

Assistant Professor from the Buddhist College of Singapore

At the time of completing this article, Singapore is in the second day of “circuit breaker” mode.

In our efforts to contain COVID-19, many regulations have been introduced, from social distancing to work-from-home (WFH) orders. We may not realise it at first, but these regulations have brought about changes in our daily life, slowly building up unease in us just as the number of COVID-19 cases climbs each day. We feel anxious, frustrated and worried, as disruptions and news of deaths due to COVID-19 sweep over us, day in and day out.

Most people I have met put up a stoic front. Yet, behind their emotionless faces which more expressions used to animate, are unsettling feelings of anxiety and distress because we are losing control over what used to be our comfortable norms. Our way of life has been disrupted on so many levels, by a pandemic that is so out of our control.

All these hardheaded and rational approaches to fight COVID-19 seem to produce some negative psychological effects on some people. These negative reactions may be likened to another type of virus that can infect society, if we don’t do anything about it. At the time of writing, both the Resilience Budget (announced on 26 March 2020) and Solidarity Budget (announced on 6 April 2020) have been approved by Parliament. I salute all those involved in the planning and execution of the two Budgets and those in the multi-ministry task force on COVID-19.

Generally, we feel that we are in good hands.

As a society, Singaporeans will feel assured by the words and work of our leaders. Even if we fall, there are safety nets to catch us and break our fall.

Civil society too has been galvanised by a spirit of togetherness, evident from voluntary efforts to help the needy and vulnerable, either in cash or kind. Indeed, an enhanced community spirit and social engagement is evolving, right in front of our eyes.

However, for those of us who still feel fearful or anxious despite all these safety nets, it means we need extra help, not from outside of us, but from within.

Here are some suggestions to help ourselves from within:

1. TAKE CARE OF YOUR PHYSICAL HEALTH 

Make this your new mantra: “Protecting myself, I protect others; protecting others, I protect myself.” 

This was taught by the Buddha in SN 47.19 Sedaka Sutta, where he said:

“Protecting oneself, bhikkhus, one protects others; protecting others, one protects oneself.”  

There is an interesting little story behind this teaching: 

The Buddha told the story of an acrobat and his apprentice. When the acrobat told his apprentice to climb on his shoulders to execute an antic, he said he would protect the apprentice and the apprentice would protect him. To which the apprentice replied:

“That’s not the way to do it, teacher.

You protect yourself, teacher, and I’ll protect myself.

Thus, each self-guarded and self-protected, we’ll display our skills, collect our fee, and get down safely from the bamboo pole.”

The Buddha then applied this method to how a monk should train:

“Protecting oneself, bhikkhus, one protects others; protecting others, one protects oneself.”

The reminder to practise “social distancing” and personal hygiene, and to “stay home, stay healthy” during this COVID-19 pandemic can find support in the Buddha’s teaching in this scripture. So although it can feel confining to practise these measures, in this period of disease, the biggest act of generosity we can do is to “stay home, stay healthy”. By being mindful of our physical activities, we minimise chances of contracting the virus. This is also how we protect others, even as we protect ourselves. This is one way to allay our fear of contracting the virus. 

2. TAKE CARE OF YOUR MENTAL HEALTH  

Start your day with a short Dhamma (Dharma) practice.

Now that most of us are subjected to WFH arrangements, distractions in our home surroundings and from familial commitments compete with our jobs for our attention, time and energy. We seem to be in a guilt-trap of unfulfilled familial responsibilities and work commitments. Frustrations build up as we lose our patience and energy. Night falls, but our commitments have not been fulfilled. We struggle to fall asleep just to wake up in dread for another messy day.

If we start our day with such a cluttered mind, chances are, the day will turn out to be a mess. To help clear our mind and set the right intention for the day, we could do a short Dhamma practice like a short prayer or a five minute meditation. After this short Dhamma practice when our mind is calmer, we could survey the tasks of the day and mentally draw up a priority list. The Buddha was said to survey the world every morning after his meditation, to see which individual was ripe for Dhamma that day. We could follow our Teacher’s practice and survey our tasks for the day and see which are due for action. By doing so, we will have a clear objective for the day.

3. OVERCOME FEAR, ANXIETY AND FRUSTRATIONS WITH GENEROSITY 

When we get stuck in a situation and feel negative, our focus invariably is on how much we suffer, how others have caused us to be in a fix. We are engrossed with ourselves and our dire state, reeling from anger, fear or anxiety. Unless we have been cultivating the mind, it is really hard in these moments of negativity to tackle such unconstructive emotions head on. To take a small step away from this self-centred obsession, we shift to consider looking away from ourselves to others — what problems they are suffering from. This has the effect of giving us a bigger perspective of our problems, and to fill the mind with generosity. When we engage ourselves in acts of generosity, we will overcome our negative emotions with the positive energy of generosity. 

As we all know, in Buddhism, dāna (giving) does not only refer to monetary offerings. Looking around us now during this COVID-19 pandemic, we see people helping others through giving free food, and volunteering in various community services. We can be part of this kind of giving. But if time and energy do not allow us to be giving in this way, even a warm greeting to our friends and colleagues to help them start their day with a smile is a dāna. If we start our day with a Dhamma practice, as suggested above, we can also share the merits generated from our practice with all beings and those we want to help.

In Itivuttaka 1.26, the Buddha encouraged us to give, saying: “If beings knew, as I know, the results of giving and sharing, they would not eat without having given, nor would the stain of selfishness overcome their minds.”

The acts of generosity also make our daily grind at work worthwhile. While tending to our families and toiling away at our jobs, fighting tears and frustration, we use our hard-earned money in meaningful ways, supporting our loved ones and the less privileged among us. The joy and fulfilment when we see that even with our little means we are able to help a fellow human being is priceless. This teaching can be applied to a more mundane situation: when we next experience the urge to panic-buy, perhaps this verse “give, even if you have little” from Dhammapada will inspire us to share resources, and leave some things on the shelves for the next person.

The positive energy from generosity will help us look at our own fear, anxiety and frustration in a new light, and thus give us fresh new energy to face our challenges again.

4. SPUR OURSELVES ON BY SETTING THE RIGHT INTENTION 

In the Nibbedhika sutta (AN 6.63), the Buddha taught us that:  

“Intention, I say, is kamma (karma). Having made intention, one does kamma by way of body, speech and mind.”

Hence, what kind of actions do we intend to create in this stressful period? When all is past and gone, what do we want to remember of ourselves riding out the tsunami of a pandemic?

The diagram above titled “Who do I choose to be during COVID-19?” is making its round on Twitter and the Internet, and many find it useful. It gives us some food for thought as we align ourselves with the Buddha’s teaching above on intention and action (kamma).

Perhaps most of us are now in the “Learning Zone”, some of us even in the “Growth Zone”. But for those of us still lingering in the “Fear Zone”, perhaps we can allow ourselves to be inspired by all the wholesome attitudes and actions around us, and begin to take the courageous first step out of the “Fear Zone”? Last but not least, in the midst of all the doom and gloom, why not treat ourselves to some humour? Like this one:

“With the freedom to WFH comes great responsibility.”

Let’s test the adage “laughter is the best medicine” on our real-life situation now.

May I be well and happy; may I be positive and patient to face the flurry of changes amid the pandemic. 

May I be the firefly in the depth of darkness, emitting hope and joy to all beings around me.