2020 Spring Term Monastic Retreat – Ending the Epidemic with Chan Practice

There are too many disasters, suffering, and turmoil in this world. This is the result of hurting one another. So, we must cultivate virtuous deeds, conduct, and intentions. May every karmic memory drive connects with others with virtue. That way, a network of positivity is formed. Every individual, matter, and things that we encounter in life would be very kind and harmonious. We'd get to discover, learn, and to tame our mind. By eradicating our delusions and attachments, we'd uncover our original face.

Life is as transient as bubbles. They are formed and gone in a blink of an eye. We have the energy to grow starting from childhood and begin to decline at around the sixties. How short this physical body lasts from birth to death! If we don't find the essence of spirituality, we are just coming and going in haste. Then, we rush into another unknown lifetime. Therefore, we must cherish this life. We are very fortunate to have the awareness to pursue something unchanging.

In our course of the pursuit, we'd encounter lots of challenges. Take the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-2019) as an example, sickness and death can be imminent to deprive our opportunity to pursue. Hence, we should pray more to make more connections with spirituality. Many disasters can be prevented.

Chan practice leads us to a stable spirituality. It is free from phenomena and compounds. By returning to the state of spirituality, we can fully experience it. In the perception of emptiness and clarity, we'd find the stability of life.

For sitting meditation, we need to open up our minds. If we are closed-minded and selfish, we can't experience the joy of relief of Chan practice. Our minds shouldn't be selfish. Instead, we should offer people a sense of stability, comfort, and an intuition that could resolve all kinds of disasters and obstacles. Especially in a difficult time like this, we must be empathetic and loving. Us, human beings and friends of the same or different kinds are our partners in life. We have to set them free from suffering and pray for the epidemic to come to an end.

May the merit and virtues generated from the sitting meditation be dedicated to the Coronavirus (COVID-2019), so it’d come to a swift end. May people find peace.