Against Covid-19: The Six Paramitas or ‘Phar-chyin Dru’ Approach

Pic: David Lazar

Here is a set of practices in Buddhism the so called Six Paramitas which may liberate Bhutan from the threat of coronavirus. These practices are: Giving, Discipline, Tolerance, Perseverance, Concentration and Knowledge. (སྦྱིན་པ།  ཚུལ་ཁྲིམས། བཟོད་པ། བརྩོན་འགྲུས། བསམ་གཏན།  ཤེས་རབ།). Forgive me if I couldn't tailor the current situation appropriately with the paramitas. Take it as a layman's interpretation and not preaching. 

སྦྱིན་པ། GIVING

When the world is hit hard by this virus, we are as vulnerable as any other countries. Perhaps more vulnerable than others considering our population and economy. In this critical juncture, we must foresee that if we are hit, probably it may take decades to regain public health and the economy. For us, prevention is the best measure and not the cure. But preventative measures come with exorbitant costs. Therefore, those who can afford to - this is the time to practice ‘giving’. Give as much as we can to the Contingency Fund. Ask what we can do for our country now and not otherwise. Help our neighbours who need support. Be kind. We don't lose by giving.

ཚུལ་ཁྲིམས། DISCIPLINE / ETHIC

When the virus is looming around, it is one’s ‘discipline or human ethic’ that can help self and others to prevent the disease from coming. By chance if we get infected, our discipline is the only way out for self to recuperate and prevent others from getting infected. Therefore, follow reliable official health advocacies such as: washing hands with soap or sanitizing with spirit, putting masks on, avoiding gatherings, surrendering ourselves willfully to the designated quarantine facilities, and reporting flu symptoms immediately to the nearest hospitals and so on. Be disciplined and don't be the one to create or spread false news. Stay calm. 

བཟོད་པ། TOLERANCE/PATIENCE

In such a crisis, we become inpatient. The Government will and should come up with multiple emergency plans that will put us through uncomfortable situations. Our movements will be restricted. Businesses will be shut down and people will only lose and not gain. Families will be barred from meeting each other by way of quarantine and other requirements. There will be more DONTs than DOs to follow every day. Schools, religious gatherings, sports and all sorts of gatherings will be put on halt. We will find no fun time and place unless we create one at home. In such a time, it is the practice of ‘tolerance’ that can overcome impatience. If you lose patience and get infected, it will be you and your family who will pay the heaviest price beside putting others’ lives in danger. Be tolerant.

བརྩོན་འགྲུས། PERSEVERANCE

At this point in time, it is the Government and the people’s ‘perseverance’ or ‘never giving up attitude’ that will prevent the disease from coming. In case if the virus makes its way in, it's again the collective perseverance that will conquer the virus and avert it from spreading within. Neither the infected nor the families or the nation will ever lose hope until we win the battle against this deadly pandemic. Keep ‘panicking’ at bay, embrace ‘perseverance’.

བསམ་གཏན། CONCENTRATION/FOCUS

Guided by His Majesty the King, the Government’s position is not that critical at this point. However, can't be complacent. It is not just the disease that the Government has to deal with. While the disease is one thing that the Government should focus on, there are other issues - most importantly feeding the people in a worst-case scenario. Therefore, not even for a second, should we try to divert the Government's concentration for individual interest. Rather institutions, Corporate Bodies, Private Entities and individuals come in solidarity and focus on the disease first. If we are alive and healthy, we have all the more time to do everything including profit making and fun moments in the near future. Stay focused on what is important now. Parents should focus on their children and guide them at home, if possible academically as well. If not, give our children the best parental guidance and time. Don't forget to focus our time on the elderly people, mainly our parents above 60s and with certain medical conditions. They are more susceptible to this viral infection due to immunity issues. 

ཤེས་རབ། KNOWLEDGE

Only knowledge and skills can cease this virus from taking huge tolls on human lives. Virologists, Epidemiologists and treating doctors are working day and night to find the vaccine. In our country, our doctors and health professionals stay on alert working day in day out bearing all occupational health risks to fight this evil. We have our Monastic Bodies led by His Holiness the Je Khenpo invoking Palden Lhamo to safeguard our people from this disease. Our monks are selfless and staying up long nights so that no sooner or later the vaccine may be found to put an end to this pandemic. Spiritual and scientific knowledge working hand in hand only in Bhutan. Most importantly, it is the preventative knowledge that plays the crucial role to keep ourselves from harm's way. Be knowledgeable about the disease.