We are faced with unbelievable instability and suffering as the upheaval of the unstable societal ground we thought we could stand on shifts, creating fissures, and shakes us to the core. We attempt to keep some sense of normalcy, seeking ways to cope, or just pretend that we are okay and build walls of stoicism. The pandemic forces us to social distance and its effect can be feeling alienated and alone, limited in our ability to communicate intimately.
What can we do?
Buddha taught that life is suffering, dis-ease. The ground is always shifting under our feet, there is no escaping old age, sickness, and death. Everything is always changing, where is the stable ground? He taught that our dis-ease is caused by the three poisons, ignorance, greed, and anger. There is a way to end the dis-ease. To touch the correct unshakeable ground means to open our eyes to the pain and suffering and let compassion be our ground. Move through this ever-changing world with an open heart. We really are not alone, we are in this together and connected in ways we can not begin to understand from our deluded view of ourselves and the world. With an awakened heart-mind, the dis-ease is ended.