I'd like to begin with one or two reflections on the political situation that we’re in at this stage of the unfolding of the pandemic.
Right now the big news is, is it possible for society to “open up,” as they call it - the economy to open up - and how and when can that happen? In a lot of the discussion, most of the focus of the discussion, is really on the question of “when.” And this is quite understandable. It has to do with “when it will be safe?” given the prevalence of the virus in our society. But what really needs some attention is also the “how.” How is the opening up of the economy, of the society, whenever it happens, how is that going to be? What form is that going to take? There's a kind of implicit assumption around that it takes the form of trying to get back to how things were before the pandemic as quickly as possible and to the greatest possible extent while recognizing that the full extent probably won't be achieved because some irreparable damage will have been done.
This surely is not the right attitude. In a certain sense the position we're in at the moment is an opportunity. At this point the various governments around the world are in a position of power and influence. They are going to bail out, they are going to subsidise, they are going to give grants to a vast range of organizations and individuals in order to make it possible for them to do certain things. And it matters what those things are.
This is a time when there could be a real shift in the way that the world economy works. That could be inspired by important principles. We could perhaps move towards a much more green economy. Before the pandemic everyone was becoming concerned about the ecological situation. This is a time when we could do something about it. The way that the government grants are given and chosen and selected could be shaped by a positive view of the future, a constructive sense of where we need to go. Whether this will happen or not I don't know but it also has a parallel in how we think about our own lives.
Buddhism is very much concerned with karma, and the Buddhist sense of karma is that what you do has consequences and so it is possible to shape the future. Buddhism is not just about resting in the here and now, Buddhism is about constructive positive action that brings about a better future. Buddha sees beings rising and falling according to their deeds. So their deeds matter. And what matters about the deeds is the intention behind the deeds.
However as we see with governments, the same with individuals. At the time when you have the power to make a difference this is often the time when it becomes, for various reasons, very difficult to muster the right principles, the right thinking, the right view, right speech, right action, and so on. It becomes difficult to get on the path at such a time because one is under pressure of circumstance. One is under pressure of, in this case, fear of the disease, and people’s anxiety which tends to cause them to regress rather than progress.
At times like that, that’s when the possibilities exist, and that’s when it's really important to grasp the nettle. But we only do it if we are already prepared before such a crisis comes along.
If governments really intended, have got themselves together before this crisis, with the real intention to bring about a greener world for instance, now they can do it. But it's so easy, in the midst of the crisis, to lose track of your greater purpose, your greater intention, and to go astray.
Buddhism is about establishing that sense of direction, that sense of purpose, sense of meaning, good values, right directions, before a crisis happens so that when a crisis happens one is in a position to act in a skillful, wise, and compassionate way.
Thank you very much
Namo Amida Bu
Dharmavidya
David
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