“You can’t escape from getting sick or escape from death.”
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Question: During this coronavirus period, anyone could get the virus anytime. How could a layperson mentally prepared for death?
Than Ajahn: The best way is to accept that you’re probably going to get it. Once you accept it, then you don’t have to worry about it anymore. If you’re still betting on that you aren’t going to get it, then you will always worry whether you are going to get it or not. So, mentally you have to choose the right alternative. The right alternative to make your mind peaceful and calm is to accept it, ‘Ok, I’m going to get it; Ok, I might die.’ If you can accept this, then your mind will not be fighting against it. Your mind will be peaceful and calm. It prepares for the eventuality.
But if you are still betting on not getting sick, then you will be constantly worrying. You always worry. You worry when you are near other people, whether these people have the virus or not. You worry when you touch something. You become worry all the time to the point that you can become crazy before you die. This is not worth it. It’s better to have a peaceful, calm and rational mind by accepting the reality. Because if you don’t get this virus, there are going to be some other things waiting for you around the corner. You can’t escape from getting sick or escape from death.
So, this is basically training your mind to accept the reality. Training your mind to learn how to face reality. And the way to face this reality is to meditate to the point where your mind becomes neutral (equanimity). If you have equanimity, your mind will not react to anything. It merely acknowledges the reality. It will not suffer when you get sick or when you face death. So, it’s better to prepare your mind to face the eventuality than trying to figure out ways to avoid getting sick or death. Because it isn’t possible. In the end, you’re going to get sick and die.
If you try to find ways to avoid getting sick and death, you’re going to suffer mentally, because your mind will always be stressful and worry. But if you take the other alternative, ‘Ok, I know, this is how things work – I’ll get sick and I’ll die, if it isn’t caused by this virus, it will be by something else like heart disease, diabetes, or hypertension,’ you can prepare the mind to accept the reality.
There are so many other diseases waiting for us. No one can escape it. So it’s better to accept this reality. It’s better to prepare the mind to accept it. The way to do it is to keep ourselves calm and by not being reactive. Now we react to things. Usually, we react with cravings or desires which cause suffering in the mind. But if you can somehow tame the mind, train the mind not to react to anything but merely acknowledge the truth, then the mind will not be hurt. The mind will be peaceful and calm until the time when death comes.
Dhamma in English, May 3, 2020.
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Question: How do we practise during this pandemic situation?
Than Ajahn: You just follow the health advice from the health experts. But as far as your mind is concerned, you should be prepared for it, ‘Should I get sick, let it be. If I couldn’t prevent it and if it’s going to happen to me, let it happen.’ Let’s not react to it. Accept it as it comes. If it should cost me my life, well, this is the time for me to die. Because we are all going to die one day, sooner or later. If you can have this attitude, your mind will be peaceful and calm. You won’t be unhappy with the situation.
But if you cling to life, regardless of any situation that is happening, it will cost yourself misery. It’ll cost you suffering. So, you have to be realistic. Try to do your best to prevent the disease infecting you. If after you’ve tried your best, yet you still couldn’t prevent it from happening to you, and when it happens to you, you just say, ’This is the way it is.’ Then, you try to treat it as best as you can. If you succeed, it means you can overcome the sickness. But if you don’t succeed, you might say, ‘Goodbye!’ But you can be happy. You don’t have to be sad. You don’t have to worry or become anxious because it doesn’t help. Worrying or becoming anxious will only cause you to be unhappy.
“Dhamma in English, Jan 31, 2020.”
By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
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