As we navigate our way through the process
of self-quarantining that COVID-19 has brought our way, we might pause
and wonder how we can make the most of these difficult times. Looking at
the global pandemic map, we see that people are suffering from this
virus in widespread and unexpected ways, and now that certain areas of
the United States are seeing a spike in the infections, and now that all
fifty states have confirmed cases, we naturally feel a more immediate
fear and uncertainty, both for ourselves and for our loved ones.
What can we do? The first thing that we might attempt is to see this
outbreak of the coronavirus as an opportunity to strengthen our
meditation practice. Many of us have more time now for meditation, and
it might be helpful if we view the coming weeks as a retreat, a period
of time when our obligations outside of the home have been reduced, and
when we might give more of our time to a contemplative practice. So how
do we begin? What follows are several meditation practices that will
allow us more effectively to face whatever hardships arrive in the
coming days and to deepen our compassion for all those currently
suffering from the virus, and ultimately, of course, for all sentient
beings.
- First of all, it is important that you maintain your basic mindfulness practice. If you have been attending Geshe la’s Sunday sessions, then you have received instruction from Ngawang, and his teachings will insure that your mindfulness rests on a firm foundation. Don’t neglect the basics. Developing simple self-awareness through brief but frequent sessions will allow you to identify the destructive emotions before they have the opportunity to develop and do real harm to your natural composure. If you haven’t been able to attend the Sunday sessions, then there are many reliable guides available that will help you maintain or begin a mindfulness practice. The New York Times, several years ago, published a very simple guide to getting started in meditation, and you can find it here: https://www.nytimes.com/guides/well/how-to-meditate. As far as books go, two of the best introductions, available on Amazon, are Bhante Gunaratana’s Mindfulness in Plain English and Matthieu Ricard’s Why Meditate? Each or both of these books provide enough fodder for a lifetime of developing a mindfulness practice. Whatever you choose to do, remember that short, frequent meditation sessions are better than long, exhausting ones.
- Geshe la has also taught the practice of lo-jong, a Tibetan phrase which means simply mind-training. Lo-jong is based on considering a series of slogans over a long period of time in the hopes that the essential truths of those slogans will seep in and alter our fundamental perceptions of the world. Pema Chödrön has been of the most effective interpreters of this tradition, and a general introduction to her work can be found in this article, from 2017: https://www.lionsroar.com/dont-give-up/. Pay special attention in that article to the practice of tonglen, which falls under the heading, “Sending and Taking Should Be Practiced Alternately.” Follow this with Chödrön’s very helpful piece on practicing tonglen, which you can find here: https://www.lionsroar.com/how-to-practice-tonglen/.
- Finally, in January, His Holiness recommended to a group of Chinese Buddhists visiting in Dharamsala that they (and we) should all begin a regular Green Tara practice, invoking her healing energies in response to the approach of the corona virus. You can find many short Green Tara sadhanas online simply by Googling the phrase. Green Tara is very popular among the Tibetans, and she is often referred to simply as Jetsun Dolma, or simply Dolma. Google an image of her as well so that your visualization might be more accurate. Notice that she is not sitting, as most deities are, in the classic lotus position. Tara sits with her right foot coming off the cushion—a gesture that she is already on the way to help us. And if you would like to hear His Holiness himself chanting Green Tara’s mantra, visit this site on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/e-dalai/7rqinxvyftcp.
Finally, a word about intention, the most important aspect to keep in
mind as we undertake these various and varied practices. Whatever chant
we do, or prayers we make, or mindfulness meditations we undertake, our
first purpose is to create within ourselves the joy, stability,
equanimity, and strength required to accomplish our second and most
important purpose: to help, to the best of our abilities, in freeing all
sentient beings from suffering.
If we keep this two-fold motivation in mind before we begin our
practice, and while we are practicing, and then finally dedicating
whatever merit our practice has generated to the welfare of all sentient
beings, then we can be certain that we have done all that we could in
this difficult situation.
And from this certainty, peace will surely arise.
Many blessings to all of you,
Geshe Dorjee