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Fear Not...

ShoshinShoshin No one in particularNowhere Special Veteran

Novel Crononavirus is from what I gather big news all around the world...Hearing how it can spread (people can be infectious for two weeks before any signs of the infection presents itself), is cause for concern...

I guess in times of crises like this, it pays to be mindful of one's thoughts and feelings...It's important to practice to maintain a level of mindfulness which will help to nip any fearful thoughts in the bud, before they get out of hand...

This article (November 2016) has some tips on how to stop the mind from becoming charmed by its own thoughts...especially the negative ones...

An ancient Buddhist strategy for overcoming paralyzing fear

May all sentient beings be well....and mindful <3

Alexmfranzdorf

Comments

  • lobsterlobster Crusty Veteran

    Fear is no fun :p

    Fear festering and indulging? No thank you mam.

    Novel Crononavirus (sounds like a fictional time travel vampire) is something to absorb for breakfast and breath out garlic and sunlight ...

    In the words of the undead daywalker Bodhi Blade:
    The world you live in is just a sugar-coated topping. There is another world beneath it. The real world.

    Did I go wrong again? Tsk, tsk ... I'll be in the naughty corner behind the Silver Blade ...

  • FoibleFullFoibleFull Canada Veteran

    Buddhists typically do not deliberately engage in fear, since fear is about the future, and no one knows what the future will hold. Yes, you prepare for possibilities, but the Buddhist focus is on what is happening NOW, in THIS second.

    lobsterAlex
  • ShoshinShoshin No one in particular Nowhere Special Veteran

    True, there's no fear in the NOW ... it comes with one's ability to remain present, however for the untrained mind, getting hooked up with fear is common place...Just look at some of the threads that have been started based upon the poster's worry, anxiety and or fear...

    The idea of this thread is to remind members (especially those new to Dharma practice) of the importance of staying present and not allowing the mind to wander off track....Hence why it is in the Mindfulness section...

    Fear (False Evidence Appearing Real) and its cousin panic can run rampant if left unattended...

    Bearing in mind that in times of crises, for some their practice may fly out the window....I'm just attempting to close the window beforehand, ...locking the practice in...so to speak :)

    Fear sees things like terror attacks, potential pandemics, anything that disrupts the bubble comfort zone one makes for oneself, as an open invitation to burst the bubble ...

    There's no time like the present to practice being present...

    lobsterDhammika
  • JeroenJeroen Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter Netherlands Veteran

    The media love to project images of fear and alarm, largely to prove their usefulness, when in fact they are not at all useful.

    Alexlobster
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator

    @Kerome said:
    The media love to project images of fear and alarm, largely to prove their usefulness, when in fact they are not at all useful.

    The Populations of every country are controlled by three factors: The Militia, Religion or Misinformation. That's it in a nutshell.

  • lobsterlobster Crusty Veteran

    I feel everyone (apart from me) has got it exactly right. However some of us are fearful, anxiety ridden or athletic style worriers (warrior worriers). How to deal with such useless thinking/feeling?

    ... returning to the present or the breath. Yep that seems a way. In the Buddhist cult I belonged to, martial arts training empowers the warrior and the worrier wimps away ...
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onna-bugeisha

    meanwhile in ancient China ...

    Alex
  • ShoshinShoshin No one in particular Nowhere Special Veteran

    @Kerome said:
    The media love to project images of fear and alarm, largely to prove their usefulness, when in fact they are not at all useful.

    Hmm which reminds me of Mind turned outwards lost in its projection AKA Samsara

  • lobsterlobster Crusty Veteran
    edited February 2020

    On Sunday quite near me, a man/terrorist/unhinged Islamist was shot shot dead by armed police. He had stabbed two people. The police had been following him. A few hours later even nearer, another stabbing occurred. Increased police presence in my area to reassure the public.

    Do I panic? Not go out? Of course not.

    Having a calm mind frame, I can sense danger and tend to move into to induce calm or stay away ...

    Buddhism is a personal calm and eventually we can project it. Sadly I do not have much of a range (shakyamuni had a legendary calm mile around him)
    http://www.bodhipath.org/226/

    FosdickShoshin
  • ShoshinShoshin No one in particular Nowhere Special Veteran

    As a precaution Plum Village has temporarily closed its doors..

    Plum Village in France will be temporarily closed from now until May 1st in response to coronavirus (COVID-19). We will review and update this decision over the coming weeks as the situation evolves.

    It would seem they are practicing what they preach by being mindful in taking precautionary measures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19...No doubt other places will follow suit...

    Alex
  • lobsterlobster Crusty Veteran

    People are already panic buying emergency foods, for example:

    Death not funny? Tsk, tsk ... started wearing my wrathful mala again ... 💀🥱🤗

    ... and now back to normality ...

    BunksShoshinAlexFosdick
  • JeroenJeroen Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter Netherlands Veteran

    Here all events with over 100 attendees are cancelled... concerts, anything of that type. Museums are shut, sports events played without crowds. The schools are still open but a lot of universities have cancelled live lectures.

    But I think it remains to be seen whether it can be stopped, I think at most it can be slowed and mitigated. We will have to see what happens, how long it all lasts.

    Certainly I don’t fear it, what’s there to fear? At worst you die and that is going to happen anyway...

    lobsterAlexShoshinBunks
  • personperson Don't believe everything you think The liminal space Veteran

    At this point its not about stopping the spread so much as what they are calling "flattening the curve" so that not everyone gets it at once and overwhelm the health systems.

    "Researchers estimated the potential growth of coronavirus in the coming weeks in two Washington counties that have been hardest hit by the virus. What they found was that if business continued on, as usual, there would be 25,000 cases and 400 deaths by April 7. With a 25% reduction in contacts among people, those numbers drop to 9,700 infections and 160 deaths. If contacts are cut in half, infections drop to 4,800 and deaths to 100. And if there were a more dramatic 75% reduction, there would be 1,700 infections and 30 deaths.”

    JeroenShoshinBunks
  • ShoshinShoshin No one in particular Nowhere Special Veteran

    Or one could simply call it a 14 day 'compassion & patience' retreat ...In times like this we all need to be compassionate and patient...

    I wonder if there are some who are already on a long retreat and are not aware of what's happening...

    Jeffreylobster
  • ShoshinShoshin No one in particular Nowhere Special Veteran

    Sadly many travelers on arrival in NZ are having to go on retreat for 14 days (self isolate)...

    @Lionduck has mentioned about lack of housing, which also presents a problem for these tourists, some accommodation places may now be reluctant to host them...leaving them stranded in a strange country with no where to stay...

    The owners of accommodation are facing the dilemma of Damned if they do (the possibility of catching the virus) and damned if they don't ( leaving the poor travelers/tourists in the lurch)

    Such a painful/unsatisfactory situation to find oneself in...

    Dukkha it would seem, is in its element ...

    Bunks
  • I’ve taken this time to reflect on things with my family. My wife is sick today( seems like a upset stomach and not so much the dreaded COVID), so i checked on her a few times. I started the task of installing insulation in my new garage so that was a perfect activity to practice mindfulness. I didn’t even think about this crazy virus until my mother called...

    BunkslobsterShoshin
  • ShoshinShoshin No one in particular Nowhere Special Veteran

    @lobster said:


    Shit happens @lobster and judging by the photo, it would seem for some it's severe ;)

    BunksAlexlobsteradamcrossley
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