Coronavirus & The Support Of The Dharma - Part 1 Of 2

We are living through an unusual period. As coronavirus spreads, much of what we take for granted is being shaken.

There is uncertainty and fear around us and also within us.
How can Dharma teachings and practices support us?
How can we deepen understanding and compassion in the midst of it all?
This talk offers reflections on possibilities that are available to us, including practices that we can engage with, lean into, and cultivate.

Transcript

We are living through really unusual period these days.

Coronavirus is spreading,

And governments are taking action in attempts to slow down its progress.

And it feels like much of what we take for granted is being questioned,

Is being put into question.

And we're experiencing,

As societies,

As individuals,

Both around us and within us,

There's quite a bit of uncertainty and fear.

A question that might be coming up for you,

I think it's certainly coming up for me and for many other Dharma practitioners that I'm in contact with,

Is how can Dharma teachings and practices support us in this situation that we're in?

How can we deepen understanding and compassion in the midst of all of it?

In the midst of all of it?

So I'd like to offer some reflections on possibilities that are available to us.

When I was reflecting on this earlier today,

It felt like reflecting on some handholds of practice that we can engage with,

That we can lean into for support,

And also that we can cultivate,

Have that sense of cultivation of development and growth.

Before we dive in to these reflections on the teachings,

Let's take a few moments to actually establish an attitude of kindness,

Of steadiness,

And of curiosity.

And these three,

They are really something we've been cultivating in our practice up till now.

And they continue to be a support and nourishment,

A ground for us as we engage in any area of life.

Kindness,

Steadiness,

Curiosity.

And we can do that right now through grounding our awareness in the body.

So if you're sitting down,

Or standing,

Or lying down,

Or walking,

Grounding the awareness in the body can be really helpful to do that through grounding the awareness in the sensations of contact.

The body with the seat,

The body with the ground.

Feeling those sensations and anchoring in those sensations.

We can also use the breath.

So particularly if there's a sense of agitation or anxiety,

Centering on the breath and seeing if we can invite the out-breath in particular to be longer.

So we're going to go through these three.

So we're not manipulating it too much.

We're inviting it gently to lengthen.

And then holding the whole process in an intention of compassion.

So we're doing this.

We're doing this exploration.

We're doing the practice from and towards an intention of compassion.

And this is a boundless compassion.

So at times it will be more compassion towards ourselves because we might be feeling overwhelmed.

Generally,

It's a boundless compassion,

Compassion for those that we love so that we can support them,

Compassion for all beings.

Just that intention of care,

Compassion,

Kindness.

And we can come back to all of this whenever we feel any sense of overwhelm,

Any sense of confusion,

Of getting lost.

Just come back to that basic attitude of kindness,

Steadiness,

And curiosity,

Interest in our experience.

Using the body to ground,

Using the breath to calm,

Aligning with an intention of compassion.

This is an act of compassion right here,

This intention.

Just this intention.

So I mentioned reflecting on some handholds of teachings of practice that we can engage with,

Cultivate,

And lean back into,

Be supported by.

The first one is discernment.

It's so valuable.

So exploring,

Looking gently at what is going on right now internally.

Just being interested to discern,

What am I identified with right now?

What is it that I'm identified with?

And then offering the gentle question,

What are my possibilities of alignment?

What else could I align with?

So it's not just one possibility.

There's usually a range that opens up for us.

I think what's been really striking for me,

And both seeing what's happening externally around me,

On the level of government decision-makers,

And also on the level of individual people,

Including myself,

Is to see that we can really simplify it to say we have a choice between fear and love,

Which is really our human condition in a couple of words.

We have a choice between fear and love.

And we can look at this,

So we can simplify it to that choice without it being simplistic,

Now without having too narrow a definition of what fear is and what love is.

So there's a lot of fear around us,

Because that is the mechanism through which decision-makers,

Government are choosing to mobilize us,

A sense of if people aren't afraid,

They may not take this seriously enough.

So we can see in that situation,

There may be that the actual motivation is love and fear is being used,

Like a parent who instills fear in their child from things that are dangerous to them,

Like fire.

So it can be interesting to see,

OK,

What is here?

There's fear here.

There's love here.

It's being expressed in this way.

It might be hyped in a certain way.

How does it affect me?

How does it affect others?

And a question that I find very valuable here is,

And if I look at fear and I look at love,

What do they look like?

What does fear look like in a particular situation?

What does love look like?

And they may lead to the same actions or manifestations in the world.

So for example,

I am now in self-isolation,

Because I arrived in Israel four days ago.

And the day before,

The government had made a policy that anyone arriving from outside of the country needed to go into self-isolation for two weeks.

So that's where I am right now,

Four days in.

And I can feel in myself,

I can keep choosing what my motivation,

What I align with,

And be interested in the impact that it has.

So I might choose to respect the government's policy,

Because I'm afraid of disobedience,

For example,

Or I'm afraid of infecting others with a virus that I may be carrying.

But I can also choose to see it as an act of love.

I can also be motivated and aligned by love.

I feel that this is an act of love,

And of compassion,

And of care for others.

Just doing this,

Just staying indoors for two weeks as an act of love.

And how does that impact the experience?

Beautiful practice.

So we can discern there.

The action can be the same,

But the intention may have different threads to it.

And it is,

And it can be,

Such a valuable aspect of our practice to discern and understand more deeply the importance of intention,

How it impacts the experience.

So this is the first handhold,

The discernment.

What am I identified with?

What are my possibilities of alignment and of intention?

And what impact do they have?

And just that there is enough of a practice for a lifetime.

But it's only one possibility that I'd like to offer.

The second possibility I'd like to offer is the practice of having a long view,

Or of having equanimity,

Both over time and over being.

So this can be,

For some of us,

This really resonates.

It's playing with the present and expanding it over time and over different beings,

Reflecting on the totality of the history of life on Earth,

Over 3 and 1 half billion years of life forms existing on the Earth.

And here we are in this particular time,

In this particular crisis.

And we can just use that,

Not as a way of downplaying or suppressing,

But just as a way of just playing with expansion of our experience.

So we can play with this and take in all the beings that are alive on the planet right now,

And this disease,

As far as we know,

Affecting primarily human beings in this way,

In this destructive way.

But just thinking overall,

Overall,

Of all the beings,

The human beings are just a part of that totality of life.

So seeing what happens when we open out the space in these ways.

And these are all just ways of playing with our experience,

Of bringing that curiosity,

Remembering the kindness and the steadiness in the practice as we do that.

And we're just interested to see what happens when we open out the space of our experience from me,

Myself,

My loved ones,

To a bigger picture over time and over the totality of life forms on this Earth that we share.

And again,

Just seeing what that does.

Sometimes it can be a real surge of love that arises,

Gratitude,

Appreciation.

If anything like that arises,

A sense of spaciousness,

Just let yourself dwell there.

Let yourself dwell in that.

And the equanimity here is kind of coming through the practice,

Through the sense of opening out.

And I keep making this movement with my hands as if I'm playing with some plasticine or some bubbles.

Just kind of expanding out and playing with this sense that we can have of the individual,

But also of something much wider.

And the equanimity that comes when we have a sense of a bigger picture and a longer view over time,

Over species,

Over beings.

The third handhold that I'd like to offer to reflect on is that this particular crisis that we're in reveals something that is underlying,

Underlying in this life,

Whether we're human or also for non-human beings.

It reveals to us something that we know intellectually,

But is much more potent right now.

That life is in constant and unreliable.

That life is in constant and unreliable.

And that we are subject to ill health,

To death.

And so is everyone else.

And so the question here for us is,

How do we hold that with wisdom?

And how do we hold that with compassion?

Again,

How do we approach,

Come closer to this and open with kindness,

With compassion,

With curiosity to whatever the responses may be?

So there may be denial,

There may be contraction,

There may be turning away.

That's all part of it too.

So just dropping in that question,

How do I open to this?

How do I hold this?

Life is in constant,

Unreliable.

We are subject to ill health,

To death,

To aging,

To loss.

All these things that are now being brought really close in front of our eyes.

How do I hold that with wisdom and compassion?

How do I hold this in tenderness?

So letting yourself sit there for a bit with that question.

So much of what we really take for granted,

And I think this is something that's coming,

That's really being revealed.

The fact that we live,

Perhaps,

In a country where there's good health care.

The fact that we have a steady income.

The fact that we think of ourselves or others as healthy.

All of these very basic things are being questioned right now.

Can we open to that,

This in constant unreliability that is part of being alive?

And the fourth hand hold is this is true for all beings everywhere,

Not just for me.

It's true for all beings everywhere.

And it's not just mine.

It's actually ours.

What happens when I open out the space of my experience,

Whatever it is I'm feeling right now,

Being overwhelmed,

Confused,

Scared,

Loving,

Grateful.

Whatever it is that I'm feeling right now,

What happens if I open out the space and feel that this is true for all of us?

This is the experience of all of us,

Not just me,

But us.

All of us,

All the beings sharing this planet.

And the fifth hand hold that I'd like to offer is goes back to that attitude of curiosity and interest that I mentioned before as a kind of baseline attitude that we can bring.

And it's really interest.

Can I bring in some interest in growth and what I can learn from this experience and how I can attend to what is arising both in myself and in others?

And to be interested also in what happens when we bring curiosity and interest into the experience.

What's possible?

What happens just with that,

Just with being interested in how I can grow in this situation and what brings growth right now?

So I'll just repeat these five hand holds.

And then I'd like to just also touch on basic practices of well-being that can really come into play right now.

And so to repeat,

The first hand hold was discernment.

What am I identified with?

And what are my possibilities of alignment and intention?

The second was having a long view which supports equanimity,

Both over time and over beings.

The third was seeing the underlying inconstancy and unreliability of being alive.

And the fourth is seeing that this is true for all beings everywhere.

It's not just true for me.

It's true for all of us.

And the fifth is this interest in growth,

In deepening understanding and compassion,

In seeing what can I learn from this experience and how can I attend to what is arising?

And we're interested with all of these and how they impact experience.

So as you can probably tell,

They're not distinct from each other.

They're mutually supportive.

They weave into each other like a tapestry.

And so do these basic practices of well-being that I want to touch on that are already in what I've said.

But I really want to pull them out and highlight them.

The first one is the practice of gratitude and appreciation.

And I want to talk about this in a little bit.

Gratitude and appreciation.

And I just can't stress,

Emphasize enough what a treasure this is.

Being grateful for whatever it is in our lives which is supportive,

Which is good right now.

So for example,

I'm grateful that I'm in self-isolation with my partner.

I'm grateful that I'm in self-isolation,

But I'm healthy.

There's nothing actually wrong with me.

I'm grateful that as far as I know,

I haven't contracted the disease and I certainly haven't passed it on to anyone else.

There's so many things that we can just be grateful for.

So bringing that to mind really can be really supportive of the moment,

Whether we're already feeling good or we're feeling a bit overwhelmed or anxious.

The second basic practice of well-being is generosity.

I always remember a friend who sometimes suffers from depression sharing with me how they realized that if they notice that they're starting to go down in their mood and they go and do something for someone else,

It always shifts that.

So of course,

It's not true for everyone all the time,

But generosity connects us to others.

It opens out this long view and connects us to a conimity in the ways that I spoke of.

Makes us feel good.

So really having that as a practice,

What act of generosity can I engage in?

How can I support others?

The third basic practice of well-being,

Ethics,

And particularly the non-harming that includes the ethical conduct,

Ethical intentions,

Really aligning with what does it mean to not harm right now,

To be aligned with that intention not to harm,

And feeling the beauty of that.

Yeah,

Often spoken of as giving the gift of fearlessness to ourselves and others,

Creating a world of safety.

So as much as possible aligning with that intention of non-harming and exploring what that is,

Letting it sink in deeply to our core,

What would that be?

The fourth practice of well-being is opening our eyes to see the beauty that is here.

Yeah,

Seeing the beauty that is still here,

Still present in so many different ways.

So it might be the beauty of nature,

The sky,

Storms,

Sunshine.

Anything in the natural world.

It might be the beauty that's coming through humanity at this time,

The sense of care.

I was reading a couple of days ago that China,

Who is coming out of the coronavirus crisis,

Is sending medical teams and equipment to Italy.

And I think that's a very important thing.

To send medical teams and equipment to Italy to support them.

And I was just so moved by that.

Not stopping to rest,

But OK,

Let's more generosity,

More compassion.

So the care that's there in the world,

I find it very moving and very supportive to reflect on all the medical teams that are in places like Italy,

Certainly it was true of China,

I think now in Spain as well.

Working around the clock,

Trying to save lives,

Having to make really hard decisions.

Just the heart goes out and breaks with that beauty.

And that breaking of the heart is also a form of growth,

If we can allow it and hold it in compassion.

People singing together.

I don't know if you've seen any of these videos that are going around of places in Italy,

Or I think there's also been some in Korea and other places where there's been a complete shutdown.

People haven't been able to leave their homes.

And they stand at the windows and they sing together a whole street,

Singing together.

You don't see them,

You just hear them.

That's something so beautiful,

So precious,

That we can attune to,

That we can see,

That we can look at and be nourished by deeply.

All the forms of support that are here,

Poems that are being written,

Humor,

Art,

That's being created right now in this crisis as a way of supporting,

As a way,

An act of generosity,

Of connection,

Gratitude.

So all of this is here.

You can say the renunciation that people are opening to on a global scale.

Actually really thinking,

What is it that I need to be happy?

What is it that I need?

And suddenly that being simplified and understanding it's not that.

It's not going out to a restaurant.

It's not shopping.

It's not all these things that I thought I needed.

Knowing that I and my loved ones are safe,

Appreciating being able to go to work.

So this renunciation on a global scale and just this feeling of,

OK,

The wisdom that's coming through right now,

Right now on the Earth,

This is happening for many,

Many of us.

So as we do this,

These basic practices of well-being and the handholds that are there of practice of teachings,

Remembering the gratitude,

The equanimity,

The generosity,

Seeing the beauty,

The alignment with the intention not to harm,

The beauty of renunciation.

Remembering also the skillful means that we have as practitioners,

That we can calm the system of our body and our mind if it's overwhelmed and anxious.

We can use the out-breath to calm.

We can use the sensations of contact of the body.

We can open out our awareness to sound and just widen the container,

Increase it,

Enlarge it.

We can use metta practice,

Goodwill,

And kindness practice,

Or compassion for ourselves and for others,

Those that are affected,

Those that are at the front lines.

These are all things we can do.

We have some really useful,

Skillful means at hand available to us.

And equanimity practice,

Opening the awareness,

Opening across time,

Opening across species,

Opening across beings,

Opening to see the coming and going of events arising and passing in this field of being alive on this earth at this time.

So I hope these reflections that I just put together today are a real wish to put something out there,

To support our community of the earth.

And I feel like we as practitioners,

We have a role to play through doing our own practice,

Through the way we embody what we know.

We can offer something to others.

We can be sanctuaries,

Refuges of generosity,

Of gratitude,

And kindness,

And discernment within this world of uncertainty and unreliability.

We can offer that gift to ourselves and to others.

So I'm going to offer also a guided practice separately to this.

I think it'll be called part two or guided practice.

And if you wish,

You're welcome to make use of that at any time.

And if you want any contact,

If you have any questions,

You're also welcome to contact me via my website,

Zoharlavi.

Org.

And I'm really wanting to be here for all of us.

So feel free.

So may our practice be a support and a refuge for all beings through all time.

And may whatever unfolds in the next weeks and months be an opportunity for all beings to deepen in wisdom,

To deepen in compassion,

And in love.

Thank you for listening.

Reviews

You’re awesome! I wish I had found this sooner, but still grateful to have found it now. 🙏✨💙
Thank you so much.

Thank you so much for these beautiful insights and loving expressions of grounding and centering during this difficult time for our planet and all humanity 🙏💞🙏

Excellent talk, articulate speaker, lots of valuable information offered. Thankyou!

Reassuring and clear 🙏

Thank you for a very inspiring reflexion. You helped me to reorient my perspective regarding the pandemia. I am eager now to pass the same attitude to my students. Gracias

Very helpful to listen to this morning! Thank you for sharing this gift ❤️🙏❤️

Wise words for tough times. Well worth a listen, esp if you’re in lockdown or self-isolation.

Clear-eyed and true. This was comforting and helpful without any saccharine clichés. Thank you!

Thank you for this, I feel more connected and hopeful. Will be listening to it a few more times. Blessings to all.

Thank you for this lovely, thoughtful talk. This was wonderful ✨

Excellent!!!THANK YOU!!!! Yes

Lovely. Thank you for your generosity.

This was wonderful. Thank you so much for doing it. Namaste! 🙏

Thank you for sharing such a supportive and insightful practice 🙏🏼. Sending lots of good karma your way and throughout our world. Be well. Namaste.

Thank you so much for this beautiful talk. My prayers are with you. This is hard enough being at home I can’t imagine being in a strange land and not with family. Please be safe and know someone is thinking and praying for your safety.

Thank you so much ❤️. Looking forward to the guided practice ✨

So powerful and much needed. Should be required listening in hard times!

Thank you for this thoughtful and thorough guidance during these times. Beautifully offered-- I look forward to your guided practice in part 2!

Beautiful practice