Words From Dharma Master Cheng Yen—What We Can Do to Help During the Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic that has spread across the world has caused much fear and alarm, even more so because no one knows where it came from and when it might run its course. During such a challenging time and faced with such uncertainty, what can we do to mitigate the impact and help the world? I believe everyone can help by doing the following.

First, practice sincere piety. We can all help by praying piously for the disaster to end as soon as possible and for everyone who has been affected by the pandemic. COVID-19 might have created physical distances between us, but we shouldn’t use that as an excuse to grow indifferent towards others or to withhold our love. At the Jing Si Abode, we have prayed every afternoon at 1:30 since 2008 for blessings for the world. Many Tzu Chi volunteers around the globe have joined us in the prayer. Now with the coronavirus impacting the entire world, we sincerely hope everyone will join us in this daily event. You can tune in to Da Ai TV or participate online. Let’s pray together for the purification of everyone’s heart and mind, for peace and harmony in society, and for a world without disasters. We hope that with everyone’s sincere piety, our prayers will reach the buddhas and bodhisattvas and be answered.

Second, reach out to help others. The coronavirus outbreak has halted industries and shut down businesses around the world, leaving many people struggling to make ends meet. Even though these people haven’t fallen victim to the virus, they still need help to make it through this difficult time. Whether you give your money, time, or strength, you can create blessings and help the force of love grow stronger in the world. If we can all contribute our bit, our trickles of love will converge into a force powerful enough to help many people.

Take our volunteers in the Philippines for example. Since the outbreak, they have worked together and distributed rice to tens of thousands of families to prevent them from going hungry. One local resident makes a living by working as a driver. Getting by was already a struggle for him, but the pandemic made it even more difficult for him to scrape by. After he received rice from Tzu Chi, enough to last his family for a month, he could finally breathe easier.

Third, respect and love life. If we want to dispel or stave off disasters, we must abstain from killing to avoid creating bad karma. That’s why eating vegetarian helps us sow blessings. As we put our love into action by doing good deeds and giving to others, we must also endeavor to inspire in everyone a love for animals and help them see the importance of a meatless diet. Loving just our fellow human beings is not enough—we must extend our love to include all other living creatures as well. I’ve seen many children choosing a vegetarian diet and urging others to refrain from meat to prevent animals from being slaughtered for food. If even little kids can do this, I hope more adults can overcome their craving for meat and show their love and respect for life by switching to vegetarianism.

Fourth, rein in your unwholesome thoughts, greed, or desires. A bad or unwholesome thought can lead to wrongdoing and cause harm. Our incorrect thinking and practices have resulted in irreversible damage to the environment and caused harm to many living creatures. We should all repent for our mistakes and try to make amends. Not long ago, a volunteer in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan, stopped selling meat in his three restaurants. He says that his businesses have done just as well since the switch. What’s even better, he is more at peace now because no lives are being sacrificed for his sake. A change of mindset and thinking has resulted in a new and better life.

Just like this volunteer, we can all attain peace of heart by a simple shift of mindset. This COVID-19 pandemic is like a “grand lesson” for all of us. Let’s all awaken to the message it is bringing us and use this opportunity to reflect on ourselves and aspire toward the good. Let’s head in the direction for the common good of the world and work together with love to dispel and mitigate all disasters.