The True Virus is Fear
I recently heard an old Buddhist tale:
Once upon a time, a wise Buddhist monk was sitting under a tree. Nergal, the god of death, pestilence and plague, flew down from the sky and hovered in the air next to the monk.
The monk asked him, “Where are you going?” And the god of pestilence said, “I’m going into town, and there I will kill one hundred people.”
When he returned, the god of pestilence again passed the wise monk. The monk said to Nergal, “You told me that you would kill only one hundred people. But travellers have passed by and told me that thousands have died.”
The god of pestilence said, “I only killed a hundred. The others were killed by their own fear.”
No Turning Back
Humanity is coming to a major crossroads. In a way, we knew we were headed there, but we just didn’t know when. Until it hit us smack in the face and the sky fell. And now we have two choices before us-to live in fear, or to have faith in the future and make it so.
No matter where you look, fear is gripping our world. Emotions are viral, particularly anger and fear. And right now, it doesn’t matter from which side we look, all scenarios can appear equally frightening.
The mass media has done a brilliant job of whipping us up into a panicked frenzy. We already know the storyline: People are dying from a never-seen-before virus that, at its worst, can ravage the lungs and leave our oldest and weakest on life support or dead. We don’t really know how infectious it is and just how long or how fast it will spread through the population. To make matters worse, we are fearful of being in the presence of others and terrified of touching any object outside our home.
Therefore, we’ve got to stay locked away from each other under house arrest until the exponential waves of sickness and death passover us and until a (miracle) vaccine can be found. We don’t know how long this situation will last, six months, a year, whatever it takes to keep us as ‘safe’ as possible. For the good of everyone, we’ve got to stop seeing family and friends, stop hugging, stop kissing, and stop being essentially…human.
The view from the other side isn’t much better. Commentators say that this virus is part of a planned operation, a secret ‘ War on Humanity.’ Its goal is to scare us senseless, so we’ll do whatever we are told, including eventually submitting to obligatory mass-vaccinations which may be equipped with nano-tracking technology (thanks to Bill Gates and his allies). That way, they can keep track of who has been vaccinated and who hasn’t. Those who refuse will have their movements tracked and may be forbidden to travel, go to school, work in an office, or attend public events. Perhaps they will even be imprisoned until they submit to the ‘ greater good.’
What’s more, they say, during the lockdown, the widespread installation of 5G towers is happening unopposed-a technology that has never been tested for its impacts on specific areas of human health. Some critics have gone so far as to say that 5G is a form of “bioweapon” capable of manipulating not only human cell structure, but of controlling human emotions and behaviour, weakening our immune systems, and opening the door to other “novel” viruses.
And more than just a little bit frightening is that anyone who dares question the virus, its potential vaccine, or 5G is being censored and their posts suppressed by Google, Facebook, and YouTube.
No matter which way we turn, we seem to be fast-tracking toward some kind of Orwellian nightmare.
But all is not lost.
Our Beliefs Shape Our Reality
Whatever we believe, and however justified we feel in those beliefs, if we let fear rule the day, we really are doomed.
But there is another way.
Sandwiched between the dark scenarios described above, however, is a seed of hope. A tiny beacon of light that calls us to embrace it. This inner flame is the source of existence that bathes in absolute joy. It exists in all human beings and is our birthright. Our inherent connection to All That Is beckons us to see and experience the world in a way that leads us to a happy life, full of love and free from fear.
Instead of seeing the world as a place full of threats, things we need to control, and ‘wars’ that need to be waged, can we allow ourselves to believe, even for a few moments, that everything in nature is there to support and guide us?
Holistic doctors and alternative health practitioners tell us that viruses are not evil. They are our allies, friends, and even our protectors. We have trillions of viruses and bacteria constantly mutating and evolving inside of us already. They are in our blood, our gut, and our lungs.
They are an indivisible and essential part of life. Many native traditions welcome dis-ease and sickness as an opportunity for the body to strengthen itself, to reset, and develop more robust immunity for the future.
Is it possible that dis-ease is simply a process of self-healing, an alarm bell for us to change something in our ways of living? Medical authorities say that 80% of all cardiovascular disease is preventable.
Only a couple of generations ago, the measles among children was often celebrated by family and friends alike as a coming of age. They knew that measles would ultimately boost the child’s immune system and help them grow as a person. Many parents will tell you after watching their child experience and overcome several days of fever, that they come out emotionally stronger, and more mature than before. For many, to war against nature by attempting to eradicate viruses is like cutting off your head to spite your face. It makes no sense, and according to thinkers like Charles Eisenstein, is at the heart of the Age of Separation and Control (which is now coming to an end).
Could sickness and dis-ease possibly play a critical role in nature to help us evolve as a species? The 19th-century French chemist, Antoine Bechamp, understood this better than anyone. Bechamp argued that microbes become dangerous when the health of the host-its “terrain” or environment-deteriorate or become compromised due to poor health, which is itself affected by adverse environmental conditions, low-quality food and water, and detrimental lifestyle habits.
Our current orthodox belief in germs and infectious disease is driving fear deep into the hearts of many human beings, rendering them powerless, suspicious of one another, and easy to control. The coronavirus feeds on fear. Fear (and stress) weaken the integrity of our bodies and our immune systems, opening the door to the manifestation of disease. Fear is contagious, and the proof is all too plain to see.
The Source of Existence is Joy
At this pivotal juncture for humanity, can we transcend the fear all around us? Can we move forward together, despite our different beliefs and views, so that no one is left behind? Can we respect the rights and freedoms of everyone so we can heal together from this crisis and create the bright future for the planet we all dream of?
Mahayana Buddhism teaches that one existence includes all others and that all existences include each other. Each moment dies and is reborn in the next moment. Only our consciousness continues within a continuous cycle of birth and death.
When the coronavirus crisis has passed, and it will pass, we will still need to contend with fear. Despite all the fear swirling around us, can we root ourselves into the bedrock of trust, faith, and love? Can we let go of the old, orthodox paradigms of a hostile world that we must conquer, and instead fall back into our deep connection between the Earth, the cosmos, and all life? Can we wish the best for each other and realize that we all have the same wish for the world? Can we trust that this common dream will be realized no matter how far apart our views may seem?
Yes, we need to be vigilant of people and policies that would exploit us, subvert our rights and freedoms in the name of dogma or blind belief. We need to stand up to injustice. The key is to do it from a place of trust and love for all fellow beings rather than from a place of fear.
Originally published at https://taosangha-na.com on April 17, 2020.
