Transforming Pandemic Panic

We live in precarious and painful times. The Covid19 outbreak called for us to look within. Our mental health at this time is paramount. Whilst we pay our respects to those working hard for our survival there is a tremendous amount the ordinary individual like you and I can do to transform our mindset into calm and loving equanimity, which will leave a karmic footprint on oneself and on the planet.

Transcript

This is the first in a multi-part meditation which seeks to reflect on the global pandemic.

The first part is more of a talk and a reflection on fear and panic and specifically how we might consider transforming our mindset during a very difficult and uncertain time.

You are welcome to listen to this talk as if in meditation,

So taking up a posture of lotus position or sitting comfortably on a chair or lying comfortably on a surface.

You might wish to close your eyes as you quietly contemplate as if in meditation or you may simply wish to listen as though you were listening to a podcast.

I leave the choice entirely up to you but I will say that in subsequent parts there will be meditative practice which will explore how to deal with discomfort in very uncomfortable times and also how to build a more positive mindset in a very precarious and uncertain period in our history.

The choice is entirely yours as to how you absorb the messages in this talk but I do hope that in this very difficult period for humanity that it provides some sense of perspective and some sense of hope in terms of how we as individuals might try and transform the sense of collective panic that most of us are feeling right now.

There's a lot to say in this time of a global pandemic.

It strikes me that there's an overwhelming sense of collective panic and fear and that must be wreaking havoc within our own internal mindsets as well as our overall sense of safety and wellbeing.

Very often we look outwardly to get some sign or sense or reassurance of how well and healthy we are but right now with no immunity and no vaccine and no cure in sight we are being asked to look within to find some sense of salvation and calm.

We've been thrown into a very real fight or flight narrative where survival instinct is kicking in.

This is not something the so-called civilised world has witnessed in modern times but this is not the first time there's been a natural evolutionary culling of people.

Nature has been and always will be a great leveller for the trauma the planet has witnessed and nonetheless this feels like ripe ground to call for a paradigm shift in the collective mind.

I've been trying to think of a way to communicate what's on my mind in terms of our perspective,

Our coping strategies and our mental resilience as this door of unknown pain opens to us.

We are indeed being called to action for the preservation of humanity as we know it.

And whilst we must place a great deal of trust in those trained and qualified to preserve life,

Cure the sick and protect societies,

There's an immense amount the individual can do to transform panic in tumultuous times.

The fact that there is no immunity and no vaccine to protect us against this scourge is the key that has opened our vulnerability and laid it bare.

I want to draw on Buddhism to guide us through this exploratory session.

There is a lot that it can offer us to reflect on,

Practice and guide us through this transformative period of time.

This situation is what it is and we do have to let it play out.

That's not fatalism or nihilism.

That's an honest assessment and acceptance of where we are today.

An acceptance of difficulty can be a very hard thing to do,

But if we can make that very humbling assessment,

We are helping ourselves to avoid further suffering in the form of unnecessary aversion,

Panic and fear.

People have died and are dying needlessly.

Not all of us will get the care we need.

A great many of us will face long periods of time alone in isolation.

Financial hardship looms.

We will experience pain and discomfort beyond measure.

There are many natural forces at play here,

Far greater than we are capable of quashing despite our efforts.

Absolutely we must continue to use our expertise and skill to find ways to protect life,

But to the ordinary individual,

You and I,

This is a unique opportunity to go within,

To cultivate mindful awareness,

To affirm that we will maintain presence and perspective at all times,

To train the mind to work in our favour,

To use this painful time as a time to wish all of humanity well without exception.

And that can be a difficult task for most of us,

But we are all in the same boat without exception.

The rich,

The famous,

The privileged,

The poor,

The old,

The young,

The sick,

The healthy,

We are all on a level playing field here.

A rare reminder in the form of this strain of coronavirus reminds us of this fact.

We cannot overcome this adversity by playing solo.

We cannot use money or privilege to buy our way out of pain.

We cannot wish for only ourselves and our loved ones to be saved.

We are all as vulnerable and as exposed as everyone else,

So we must come together physically,

Mentally,

Emotionally and spiritually,

Because where there is life right now,

There is grave danger.

But human pain is real,

And whilst there has been sentient life on this planet,

There has been pain.

That is not a new phenomenon.

We might be more removed from it in our modern way of life,

And we might have numerous ways of escaping that pain through distraction,

But pain is always there in some form,

Somewhere in the world.

People die every day without the coronavirus.

People are suffering every day without the coronavirus.

It may not be in our conscious awareness or within our reach,

But it's there.

We are panicked because we are facing an unprecedented attack on the modern world,

Which we don't yet know how to resolve.

But we must not allow ourselves to lose perspective here.

We must remind ourselves that in a situation which seems beyond our control,

We can cultivate the right mental conditions to support us in this difficult time.

And that can start with a mindful curation of the extent to which we are exposed to news,

And the type of news we use to keep ourselves suitably informed.

Perhaps we can consider observing this situation with equanimity.

That is with calmness and composure and with a balanced perspective in mind.

That despite our exposure to painful and scary circumstances,

That our mind's perspective of it remains stable and able to accept both the good and the bad without any strong aversion or craving for one or the other.

That equanimity could be the difference between staying informed and creating more internal struggle within oneself.

Witnessing pain and suffering on a mass scale in a very 24-7 way at the tip of our fingertips,

At the flick of a switch or the press of a button any time day or night can undoubtedly cause anxiety,

Fear and panic.

We can easily get caught up in the pandemonium before we've even been exposed to the virus ourselves.

This is an unhealthy frame of reference,

Causing ourselves suffering over and above any actual pain.

Similarly,

If we get caught up in trying to preserve good health to an obsessive degree out of fear of falling ill,

That too can cause more suffering as we battle to keep ourselves separate to everyone else,

Stock up on countless supplies and attach to keeping ourselves well and healthy at all costs.

And that too is an unhealthy frame of reference causing us to act selfishly out of fear.

Equanimity might demand of us that we cultivate through our meditation practice a quiet observation of things as they are,

Neither clinging unrealistically to preserving perfect health,

Nor panicking in fear at the prospect of getting ill.

We might instead accept the reality of this situation as it is and cultivate presence as we practice good hygiene,

Sensible diligence and caution,

Whilst still living our lives as fully as we possibly can.

Also accepting that as time goes on,

Our circumstances and lives will evolve and change,

But that we can maintain full presence at any particular point in that trajectory.

We can also think about cultivating a more healthy frame of reference right now by choosing to pay attention to the immense acts of kindness and care taking place all over the world right now.

The kindness and care that we won't necessarily see in the news headlines,

But is nonetheless happening.

We can pay attention to all the doctors and nurses and other healthcare professionals,

Risking their own lives to care for the sick and dying.

We can also pay attention right now to the community efforts to help the elderly and infirm,

Those running errands and doing shopping for neighbours.

And of course to all the friends and families lovingly caring for each other,

Even those in isolation.

This kind of mindful reframing can help to tip the mental scale more to the side of love,

Compassion and acceptance of positive acts of kindness.

It doesn't matter that these acts of kindness may not be extended to you directly,

It's simply recognition that kindness is being extended the world over.

And that's a healthy reference point.

And finally I want to finish this reflection by drawing your attention to the idea of gratitude.

We have brought to mind all those caring and acting in kindness,

So we can now cultivate some gratitude towards them.

To those saving lives on the front line,

To those supporting each other in communities,

To those working tirelessly to find a cure and salvation for us.

We can express our thanks and extend loving kindness meta to these people,

But also to those people who are suffering and facing death.

And we can wish for their safe,

Pain-free and speedy transition.

We can extend compassion and loving kindness by affirming the following statements which put us on an equal and shared footing with all living beings,

But also recognises the importance of compassion towards oneself.

Because without compassion towards oneself,

It's hard to extend compassion towards others.

A bit like someone trying to save a drowning person without being able to swim themselves.

So you may take a couple of minutes just to repeat after me.

May I be well.

May I be happy.

May I be free from suffering.

May all living beings be well.

May all living beings be happy.

May all living beings be free from suffering.

Reviews

Excellent! Thank you

Thoughtful and helpful talk. The only additional point I think needs to be made is that the virus does affect BIPOC disproportionately, making it not quite a level playing field. 🙏🏼

Good for the soul

May we all be well and happy and free from suffering 💟 Namaste 🕉

Thank you for this mindful perspective.🙏

That was clear calming and very helpful to me. Thank you.

That was so deep and beautiful loved it 🙏❤️

Transformative, thank you. Namaste 🙏✨💙

So very needed to hear this. Immense gratitude for your spoken words. Thank you 🙏

Peaceful and calming. I especially appreciated we should show kindness even if it is not retuned to us simply because everyone we know can not show kindness. Namaste. Stay well. 💜

Peaceful and reassuring, thank you xxx

Dear Janaki, thank you for this focusing guidance. Sending good wishes.