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Dear Covid19 Buddy!
I know you have no name, no age. One month after you were born, people have been still arguing over what your name is. Whether you are called Covid19, CoVy, Corona, Wuhan virus, Chinese virus or whatsoever, it is just a forged name, a moniker temporarily put on you to easily address each other.
Someone says you were born from a snake porridge bowl, from a stewed bat hotpot dish, some say your hometown is a seafood market, and another theory says you were born from a scientific laboratory. Wherever you are born, I am sure that your parents are human consciousness. You appear to make mankind wobble; people keep saying that it is a natural disaster. But, due to the your representing human-born feature, I say this is the human born disaster. If you say you are tiny, it is true that your body is just 1/900 of the end of the hair, but if you say you are big, it is true – you can be as big as a car, a plane, a hospital, a city, even by a nation or even more by the whole planet. It is not wrong to call you a “Creature” and to address you as “Sir”. You are in a bat, a snake, a person, so you are a “living creature”. But if you are in a prime minister, parliamentarian or royal robe, you are automatically addressed as “Sir, your Excellency”. That is, from the lowly regarded sentient beings to the virtuous and noble classes, from the public transport to the special chartered plane of the head of state, from the inn to the palace, you are present everywhere.
What are you here for?
For just about three months up to now, you’ve made your decision for more than 43,000 human lives go to the death realm and nearly 900,000 people are in a coma (The number will not stop growing).
For a long time up to now people thought “This Earth is ours”. So people want to go wherever they want to go, if they want to do anything the Earth they will definitely do it. But you appear, humans only have four options of lodging: at home, in isolation, at the hospital or in the coffin. Man has been always in the name of the leader of life, the ruler of the world, he should control all things in heaven and on earth. And now the ruler of the world, controlling all things on earth, in heaven is you. Upon hearing where you are, people run like a rat race, running away from the enemy, seeking shelter to hide like hiding an earthquake, a tsunami. You can force people to sit down and you can disperse the crowd. People resent you for making the world panicky, there are prosperous cities, which look like death prone land. You push lives into mass graves; even relatives don’t dare to go to mourning. You have made a world economy recession, trade stall, stocks plummet, airports, ship closures, bankruptcy for companies, enterprises, industrial parks, services, tourism stand down, millions of unemployed, children out of school … It is your callous cruelty.
But …
Through practicing the practice of listening to the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara with attention and sincerity, sitting and listening with the mind without prejudice, without judgment, without reaction, sitting and listening to understand – comprehend what is told and what is untold. Thanks to that listening, I have seen you; know who you are, what your clan, what you are here for.
For decades now, your brother, sister, sibling, relative, lineage; hot-tempered “types” such as earthquakes, tsunamis, wildfires, salinity, drought and even smoldering “human type” like SARS, HIV, cholera, plague, flu, smallpox, measles, tuberculosis, leprosy, etc. appear many times to awaken humanity. I know those earthquakes, tsunamis, wildfires, salinity or drought are the wraths and pains of mother earth, climate change, global warming are the moaning of nature; SARS, HIV, cholera, plague, flu, smallpox, measles, tuberculosis, leprosy … are ecological imbalances that directly affect people, making people tired and feverish with many conditions with pain which even leads to death. Yet, humans do not mind. The earth is the only home for humans to live in; the environment and space is the only atmosphere for humans to breathe. Nonetheless, humans think that the earth does not know pain, so they are free to bump on earth; natural resources are never exhausted, so they are fully exposed for exploitation and suppression. Achieving some certain breakthroughs, humans are proud of their “intellect”, with “success”. If a person is proud to have cut down his own house support pole, gouged out the roof that is protecting him, then where he is going into the future, one may ask. Not to mention mother earth or nature, humans have been unkind to themselves.
For last recent months, in invisible, you have quietly adjusted people gradually to the order of the universe, to nature, gradually returned to what is most necessary for the natural life of all species, including humans.
People gradually become aware of the two words “Stop”. Stop transporting with aircraft, ships, trains, cars and transit of goods; stop production, trade, business and tourism; stop gathering, meeting in any form. It indirectly reminds people to stop exploiting natural resources, stop destroying nature, stop racing for arms, stop producing weapons, stop killing, stop developing economy, stop selfish lifestyles, stop the greed for materials and self demand indulgence… All the so-called “successes” of mankind must “Stop”, because it more or less has the shadow of cruelty to nature.
Dear Covid19 Buddy!
Since your appearance, the word “stop” has been well articulated by humankind. Some slogans are shouted, such as hand sanitizer, wearing a mask, 2 meter social distancing. It is almost a mantra for people to practice every hour.
So, people need to “Stop” what?
People have been lying on mounds of materials and living with the habit of enjoying. The words “stop” sounds so strange to humans, it is so hard to accept. Economic development is in fact rushing production and business, taking all measures to seduce and stimulate users. The result that man created and enjoyed after all is the corpse of nature. If man is the mother of nature, all species and things are also children of nature, but man only wants the priority bestowed to him. Man gives himself the entitled right to dug, dig, drill into the depths of his mother’s heart – the riverbed, the bed of the sea, the bed of the mountains, the underground. And yet, the fish in the water, the bird in the sky, the beast in the forest to the roots, the grass are all. . . food to feed man.
Humans take the essence of nature too much, but return only poisons to nature. Currently, the deadly phrases such as environmental pollution, air pollution, soil pollution, water pollution, and noise pollution … accustomed to our ears. Even food and drink are full of toxins. All this pollution comes from mind pollution.
People are protected by her mother nature, surrounded by great love. Is it because “a spoiled child is often an indulged child”? Ironically, when the bitter fruit comes, people can no longer recollect what is artificial but they just utter… natural disasters.
Covid19 Buddy, people have gradually perceived that the greatest asset is health, life, not lavish material; True happiness is human love, not power or authorized force. Knowing that, but when it is to change the habit – the karma – is never known. I believe people will change and you will certainly change. That is, instead of forcing you to disappear, the most appropriate solution is that people should change themselves.
Since the “Wuhan incident”, people have found something to “stop”. Even if only for a short time, the magical vitality of nature seems to be revived. The atmosphere has gradually less deadly, the black and stinking river had begun to get purer and the aquatic species are jerking; big cities – darkened in images taken from satellites – are now seen with the gradually brightened color of life.
Thanks to “Stop”, not leaving the house, the children begin to find love in the arms of their mothers; the women find happiness with their husbands. As people are accustomed to living outside, with the material civilization, so their inner spiritual energy is exhausted. Hence, it ignites all the insecurity, fear, confusion, and panic. Thanks to “Stop”, people have the opportunity to rest both body and mind, to look back on the meaningless struggles with successes, to be lost, to be miserable, possession and no possession … then choose for oneself something new, it is lasting happiness, which is the asset of true value.
In the past, the Buddha was on his way to beg for alms, and the bandit Angulimāla chased in hopes of obtaining his life. Chasing forever but he failed, the bandit ordered: ” Shakyamuni please stop”. The Buddha deliberately replied: “I have already stopped, Angulimāla. And you should stop! ”. The robber shouted: “You’re still walking but why did you say stop”. The Buddha explained: “On the path of wicked intention carrying the Caduceus staff, with the sword and bow, I stopped long ago. You should also stop it”. After listening, the bandit dropped, released the sword.
The wisdom light of the Blessed One broke the vicious sword and the evil had to stop and bow. Does everyone have the “Angulimāla” nature in confronting the eternal almighty nature?
Antiseptic hand wash: Reminds of washing hands, as if it was only for babies up to 3 years old. Yet, it has become a command not only at the national level but also globally.
Why to wash your hands? Because your hands are dirty, for fear of getting Covid19. People disgust you that much? Because of high alert, when it comes to you, people rush to kill viruses, which means they have to kill you Buddy. If only people had been cautious from childhood … snake porridge, bat hotpot, seafood or sitting in the laboratory, the story would have been different. But the overwhelming majority of people would scream at me not to eat snake porridge, bat hotpot, seafood, not to sit in the lab. How come Mrs. Covid19 damage my life?
Let’s reply to humans, Buddy Covid19. Hands do not touch the bowl of snake porridge, bat hotpot and seafood but do they touch pangolin, civet, buffalo, cow, pig, dog, chicken …? Is it for fostering body with Panthera tigris , tiger bones, monkey bones, horse bones, ivory, rhino horn, fish fin …? Using handbags, wearing buffalo leather, crocodile skin, python skin …? Have a warm face, dressed as sheep, a duck, a goose …? Not sitting in the lab, but sitting in air-conditioned rooms, cars, airplanes, or factories are the “hosts” that release the “Covid19 family” into the environment every day? So which hand is “clean” before nature? Who are not the sinners of the mother land?
Humans – the pollution creators are yet always proud of having clean hands? Meeting, people always shake hands, signify the act of “solidarity” and greet each other with the “cordial” words but in that hand he has Covid19 or not, whether the other words spit out whether or not there is a Covid19 in it, only you know it.
There is a woman accused of being a sinner. Many people came to execute this woman by stoning her. Jesus raised his voice : “Those of you who reach for a clean hand, take the stone and throw it first.”
The Mask:
I imagine the mask is used to cover the nose and mouth to protect the wearer from breathing in smoke, dust, bad unpleasant odors … The cooks wear a mask to avoid talking to spit saliva in the food. Those who work in the medical and chemical environment wear masks to prevent bacteria and epidemics.
We take it for granted that a mask helps prevent, protect the nose when breathing, but its name is “mouth cover piece”. Its main purpose is to equip the mouth with a cover. The mouth is for eating, talking, spitting, spewing too much, but all the disposal stuff, which may take people to isolation, to the hospital. Does the mask remind people of being more moderate in eating and drinking, careful when speaking, or more valuable in everything, that is to live a quiet life. Humans flatter from the cradle and then blandish with noisy injustice in adulthood, until hiccups are heard about to disappear from the coffin. Humans talk for a lifetime, never know how to be silent.
Two-meter distancing in social contact
Behold Covid19 Buddy!
It is too paradox, isn’t it? Whoever lives, in human love, far away from me is the one who loves me. The one at distance less than 2 meters from us is the bad guy. Are you Covid19 Buddy dirty, toxic or the humans are so dirty, poisonous that we treat each other that much? Well, you’re poisoned, you’re dirty, and you’re deliberately crawling into humans’ mouth, into human nose. But that is the first case you hide in a snake noodle bowl, a hot pot of bat. Then people just spray on each other so you have a global presence. How “good” is the “other environment” for you to reproduce so well?
Now, the handshake has become a fear, opening the mouth for speaking needs the mask to cover, meeting each other should be kept at a distance of 2 meters away from each other, what time is this civilization? Where is the symbol of belief between people and humans now?
The existence of Covid19, people call this an incident, an economic paralysis, a global pandemic, a human crisis or whatsoever, the message you send to humanity is:
1 / Come back home:
Come back to stay with your own house. Please light up the stove to warm your family happiness; do not hang out or play, or indulge in the pleasures of prostitutes. Do not gather in crowded places, connectible to “get married” with Covid19. Please change the habit of “more guys more fun”. Behind the “more guys more fun” there is a rhythm of “more blind more die”. (Blindness and Death).
Undisturbed body is not enough; there must be a Peace of mind. Come back to the home for meditation, observation, to clean up the “outbreak” within. Please perform self-sterilization of purity for a serene heart.
2 / Wash your hands:
Living with clean hands – acting beautifully – doing work of kindness, being grateful, respecting nature, people and all beings.
3 / The mask:
Be moderate in eating and drinking, be careful when speaking; If possible, practice the virtuous lifestyle of the saints: live quietly.
4 / Live with pauses and stops:
Stop moving with this body, with all means of transport is not enough; we must stop the “knowledge that devastates the nature”, stop “invention of destructive science”, and stop “economic achievement of pleasure”.
5 / Everyone has a mission:
Covid19 Buddy, You are so tiny. Very tiny. The naked eye cannot see. But you can also transform unpredictably. In the invisible you have taken control of all that is visible. Unfortunately, due to being born from the mind of the three poisons (greed, hatred and delusion), you become rebellious. If you were born from the four immeasurable minds (words, compassion, joy, equanimity) you will surely be honored as heavenly beings and saints.
In any case, everyone who appears in the world has a certain mission. You came here to receive a life of plaintive life, but many people also voice to exculpate.
6 / Living together happily:
“This earth is ours” must be understood that this earth belongs to heaven, people, animals, birds, rivers, seas, mountains, forests, grasses, trees, flowers, leaves, solids, liquids, hot substances, gases; all sentient beings, unintentionally, tangible, invisible, species born by the fetus, by the egg, by the transformation and birth in a humid place … Man is just one of countless lives. In nature, there is no position of “ruler of the world” but only sociable and peaceful living.
7 / Nature harmonizes itself:
You don’t appear but you make the world manifest. You are invisible but you exert a strong impact on the tangible world on both domains of composing and disposing. In the fear of sickness and death of humankind, there is a sprout of rebirth of millions kinds in nature. This is a spectacularly harmonious balance, restructuring the life of all species.
8 / The fragile:
A human life is fragile, fragile like the life of Covid19. Swimming in the air, you Buddy can live for 3 hours, 4 hours if sticking on copper metal, 24-hour life on carton, and 3 days on plastic and stainless steel, and longer up to 9 days on the surface household appliances. Humans sticking on this earth for lifetime are counted by decades, but once names are called by Covid19, the human life is not much more longer than Covid19’s life span.
9 / One in all:
The breath of one being from the Yangtze River can affect more than seven billion people around the world. So, it can be seen that an arising imbrued creature could interact with the whole mankind. So, it is advised to keep the goodness of mind for the beautiful world.
Adieu Buddy!
Author: Thích Trí Chơn
Translator: An Nhiên Sakya group
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