Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic

by Venerable Dr Chuan Sheng

Job loss. Financial distress. Domestic tension. Like a tornado that wreaks havoc and leaves irreversible destruction in its trail, the COVID-19 pandemic has upended the lives of all Singaporeans in one way or another.

After almost nine months now, the dust is just beginning to settle. Restrictions are being eased and the economy attempts to sputter to life. The number of cases is relatively stable. However, many are still reeling from the social, health and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, uncertainty over the future continues to surround us like a pall of grey smoke.

One thing is for sure, however. Even as we start to see some semblance of stability, no one can resume the pre-COVID-19 way of life. Similar to the victims of the tornado, we are all picking up the pieces and adjusting to a new normal.

Whether you are a student, a senior, a worker or a parent, you are likely navigating this new phase with some degree of disquiet and anxiety. To support you in this journey, Awaken asked Venerable Dr Chuan Sheng, Vice-Rector of the Buddhist College of Singapore, for broad strategies on how we can reframe our thoughts and emerge from this calamity with more resilience and strength.

Awaken: The current COVID-19 pandemic is shaking the world up. What are the positive aspects and opportunities that we can glean from it?

Venerable: There is much we can learn in facing the myriad challenges brought about by the pandemic. At the individual level, we can recognise better our strengths and weaknesses, and do what we can to grow our strengths and overcome our weaknesses. At the family level, we can more fully appreciate the importance of family ties and do what we can to nurture a loving home. At the level of friends and colleagues, we can see more clearly the value of friendship and collegiality, and do what we can to foster them. At the level of community, society and nation, we can more acutely realise that unity is strength, and do what we can to help and support one another. At the global level, we can more deeply understand the interdependence of all phenomena — people, animals and all living beings, the workings of nature, the activities of people — and do what we can to ensure sustainable development, ecological balance and harmonious living with all phenomena (living and non-living).

Awaken: What Buddhist teachings and values can we draw on for strength and resilience as we adjust to the new normal?

Venerable: We should learn and practise the Buddhist teaching: “Avoid evil, do good and purify the mind.” When we move away from unwholesome thoughts, speech and deeds and engage in wholesome thoughts, speech and deeds, we build a strong moral foundation. This will free us from guilt and protect us from danger. We will experience a “blameless happiness”, peace, ease, security and strength, which will fortify us and help us to cultivate good relationships with others. We will feel“like a king, duly crowned and with his enemies subdued.” All these will give us strength and resilience to adjust to the new normal.

Together with building a strong moral foundation by avoiding evil and doing good, we should also purify our minds through the practice of meditation. In the Buddhist context, to meditate means to develop wholesome mental states such as generosity, love, compassion, joy, equanimity and wisdom because what we put into our mind, we become.

The more wholesome and purified our mind is, the greater is our strength and resilience to adjust to the new normal because we will be able to more deeply understand and appreciate that all phenomena in life, nature and our universe are constantly changing, that there is nothing permanent, and that craving for and clinging on to the notion of permanence will bring us unhappiness and suffering. Such ever-changing and impermanent aspects of all phenomena are so vividly presented in the endless disruptions brought about by the pandemic. 

To purify our mind, we can practise meditation in two ways: by calming our mind through tranquillity meditation and by understanding the nature of our mind and all phenomena through mindfulness practice. We can practise tranquillity meditation by gently placing our mind’s attention on an object of meditation, which can be our breath, a Buddha image, or a sound (for instance, chanting the name of Amituofo/Amitabha Buddha).

When we find our mind wandering, we bring our attention back to the object of meditation. We can also practise tranquillity meditation while we are standing, lying down, or walking (by focusing on our steps). With practice, our mind learns to subdue distractions, restlessness, worries and fear, it becomes calm, collected and stable, allowing us to function more efficiently and effectively in the various aspects of our life.

To be mindful means:

(1) to be aware (remember/keep in mind) and attentive; and

(2) to watch our body and mind and know what we are doing at all times. 

No matter what we are doing, we can practise mindfulness — by focusing our mind precisely on that very moment, whether we are going to school, cleaning the house, or chatting with a friend. Mindfulness practice can train us to be less impulsive in reacting to our roller coaster train of thoughts, feelings and emotions throughout the day, and prevent our unwholesome states of mind such as greed, anger, anxiety, paranoia, jealousy and delusion from upsetting our lives. In this process of learning to experience the power of now, we enhance our physical, mental and spiritual well-being.

Awaken: Different people are experiencing different challenges brought about by the pandemic. Some have lost their jobs and are facing stress to sustain their families; others feel strained from having to juggle working from home, parenting and family commitments. There are reports of rising family violence worldwide since countries were put under lockdown. Some have to deal with the grief from a loved one’s death due to the pandemic; others are worried and nervous about a second wave of the virus outbreak. Some adult children of elderly parents are anxious about their parents' health, they may also feel fearful about allowing their parents to resume their normal activities. On the other hand, some seniors underestimate the impact of the pandemic and go about their everyday activities with minimal attention to adhering to the safety measures meant for their own safety as well as that of others. What principles should those who are affected in these ways bear in mind?

Venerable: We should learn to accept, embrace (investigate the causes and nature of changes), transform (problems to solutions, unwholesomeness to wholesomeness, self-centeredness to selflessness), and let go. 

We begin by learning to accept all the changes or developments, pleasant and unpleasant, that come into our life. We learn to be grateful to all the people and happenings that we encounter, for it is only through them, through such a diversity of people and circumstances, that we can grow and blossom to our fullest potential. If we accept only pleasant events and deny unpleasant truths, we will not be able to mature in our life journey or address the issues effectively.

After acceptance, we should find out the causes and nature of the developments in order to have a good understanding, just like a mother embracing her baby to more intimately understand and satisfy the baby’s needs. When we have a good understanding, we are more able to think of solutions to the problems we face. If we can resolve the issues on our own, we proceed to do so. If we cannot and need the advice, guidance and help of others, we seek out those whose advice we trust.

For problems that can be resolved immediately, we go ahead. For problems that require more time, effort and resources, we should learn to be patient and work on them step-by-step. In the process of resolution, we should be guided by the principles of transforming unwholesomeness to wholesomeness, and self-centeredness to selflessness for it is often our ego that constitutes the biggest obstacle in our attempt to successfully meet challenges. For every issue that has been addressed, we should learn to let go and not let it fester and perturb us further.

If we can think and act in these ways — accept, embrace, transform and let go — we will be able to flow with the ever-changing rhythms of life and be protected by the power of good, as well as the teachings and blessings of the Buddha.

Awaken: Some people have become acutely aware of mortality in this climate. Consequently, they experience bouts of distress over the thought of dying and losing their families, realising they have become too attached to this world for their own good. What should they do or what principle should they embrace more than ever to overcome their distress? 

Venerable: Besides massive global disruptions, the pandemic has resulted in over 23 million infections and 800,000 deaths so far. The dreadful pictures of coffins and burials, sprawling across continents, offer a grim reminder of how death can be so sudden and fearsome. This spectre can easily give rise to distress and worries over questions of mortality — our own and those whom we love.

A good way to overcome such suffering is to remind ourselves of the Buddhist teaching of impermanence. Since everything is changing ceaselessly every moment, we can never know for sure when death will befall us. Life, every breath that we have, therefore becomes even more precious Profile and we should live every moment as fully as possible, guided by the Buddhist teachings on morality, compassion and wisdom. We should be clear about our purpose and meaning in life and set out to fulfil them. We should wholeheartedly do the things we care about, cherish every moment we have with our loved ones and do what we can to also benefit the larger community and society. When we face setbacks and difficulties like we do in this pandemic, we should see them as part of the ever-changing ups and downs of life and muster our courage to overcome them and adapt to new ways of doing things. 

When we can learn from impermanence to live every moment fully and meaningfully for ourselves, for our loved ones, and for our community and society, we will have no regrets. We will no longer fear death when it comes to us or our loved ones because we will have done all we can to treasure and nourish ourselves and them.

We will be able to have peace and calm in our or the last days of a loved one, cherishing the final moments with gratitude, love, compassion and wisdom.

 

Awaken: Can Buddhists look to talismans, rituals and prayers for added protection?

Venerable: When we follow the teachings of the Buddha, we will be protected by the power of pure goodness and the blessings of the Buddha. If talismans, rituals and prayers can strengthen our faith and remind us to follow the Buddha’s teachings, they can provide added protection. With the right understanding, they can also offer us solace and structured ways of dealing with the stress, worries, fears and uncertainties of daily life.