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Reacting to lunacy (I live in the US) is making me crazy. I spent half the day yesterday walking around the house saying what? what? what? what? and then accused my wife of trying to poison me. Feeling desire for escape, refuge, control, action and making a difference all at the same time. All I can do is hug my wife. The walnut trees behind the house are still there but for some unknown reason I refuse to sit.
Experiencing multiple simultaneous mind/emotional states is good but not when it includes crazy. Healthy outlets and directions.
Any chance of walking meditation amongst the wallnuttery ... ?
3
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
My advice is to watch only essential news from a trusted source. Keep it down to a minimum, and counterbalance it with meditation, or yoga, or doing what you can in the community.
Hmm I wonder what would happen if we ALL HAD TO wear masks for a while ....starving the virus of a human food source....especially in the countries where it is running rampant...my guess is by doing so, it would bring the virus under control...
Prevention ( of spreading by wearing a mask) is better than Cure
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
All these people who claim they'll faint, starved of oxygen and unable to breathe:
Surgeons manage it perfectly well, dentists manage it perfectly well and Theatre staff manage it perfectly well.
Oh and, try being on a ventilator with a tube down your neck. Yeah, that's a whole heap of fun, too...
0
personDon't believe everything you thinkThe liminal spaceVeteran
@federica said:
All these people who claim they'll faint, starved of oxygen and unable to breathe:
Yeah, if wearing a mask for 15-30 minutes every once in a while will cause you health problems you're probably in a very high risk group and shouldn't be going out of the house at all. 😄
@federica said:
All these people who claim they'll faint, starved of oxygen and unable to breathe:
Are people really stating this?
And good reasons why one should wear a mask...
I do wonder if there are people who suffer from a genuine phobia around wearing masks. While I don't have an issue with it, I could imagine someone who is claustrophobic or similar may struggle.
I do wonder if there are people who suffer from a genuine phobia around wearing masks. While I don't have an issue with it, I could imagine someone who is claustrophobic or similar may struggle.
No doubt there are those who suffer from a form of maskaphobia, asthmatics for example may have developed a phobia about covering their nose and mouth, which is understandable...
however as @person mentioned before...high risk groups shouldn't really be going out and interacting with others...
“CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.”
And there is a section called “bandanna face covering.”
This is prompting worry, particularly among black Americans, some of whom fear that they could be mistaken for individuals involved in gang activity or otherwise treated with suspicion while they try to observe best practices in public. Bandannas have long been associated with violent gangs across America’s inner cities. Different gangs have historically worn colored bandannas to communicate their allegiance, to rival gangs as well as fellow gang members.
0
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
@federica said:
All these people who claim they'll faint, starved of oxygen and unable to breathe:
Are people really stating this?
Yes, believe it or not, they are. It is, for example, a frequent excuse cited by those in the USA when they claim being made to wear a mask violates their Human Rights, and jeopardises their well-being.
I agree with @Person's comment; If wearing a mask TRULY makes things difficult - should you even be leaving the house - ?
0
personDon't believe everything you thinkThe liminal spaceVeteran
Some useful tips for 3 common problems from wearing masks.
2
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
The fogged-up glasses' tip doesn't work. You either have to wear the top border of the mask far higher up your nose, so that it actually touches your eyes, and is quite uncomfortable (If you have a seamed, shaped mask, it's an ill-fitting solution too)
OR you have to wear your glasses a little further down your nose, which distorts your vision, particularly if you wear bi-focal or varifocal lenses. It essentially means you're looking through the wrong point of your lenses, and your vision is impaired.
The most effective solution is either to wear a layer of absorbent fabric at nose level, or buy a mask with a side valve that filters your air and breath....
When watching overseas news, I have tried to put myself into the mindset of those who refuse to wear a mask because they feel it violates their human (not humane) rights to play Russian roulette with the lives and well being of vulnerable people they come in contact with, (by breathing coughing and sneezing all over them)...
I must admit that the self centeredness of such a mindset was so suffocating I could only spend a very short period of time there before empathy had me gasping for compassion, I had to open my mind back up and air it out to the possibility of me unknowingly being asymptomatic ( due to casual interacting with other like minded Covid19 deniers ) and spreading the virus to innocent vulnerable people through my disregard of safe distancing and not wearing a mask....
Self centeredness is a killer....it can suffocate compassion & social responsibility....
Empathy which leads to compassion is the only way to combat self centeredness narrow minded shortsightedness AKA ignorance...
Even if people feel they're over Covid19 had enough of all the months of disruptions & restrictions,... They should well remember the virus is not over them and will continue to spread death & illness...
Stay safe and well people...and stay compassionate towards others, even to those Covid19 deniers who wallow in ignorance....
But I guess I'm already preaching to the converted here...
@Bunks said:
Unfortunately the mask battle is starting to begin in Australia......
Yes sadly it's part and parcel of being human which often comes with feeling entitled....
It's funny how the mind works...many of those who oppose having to wear a mask are doing so to defy their government/state/law..(not unlike the childish spoiled brat mentality of "You're not the boss of me")...When if they really stopped to think about it, the government/state laws are being enforced to 'protect' the lives of vulnerable citizens/people, who could also be some of the mask deniers/defiers themselves or their own family members...
A case of cutting off the nose to spite the face
There are right times to defy unjust laws being enforced, and this is definitely not the right time or right cause ...
What is the big deal with wearing a mask in public? The concern with the masks and control tactics are that some of the measures can be a bit ridiculous and also the media feeding the world extra large doses of panic reveals to what extent humanity has developed into a huge shopping mall -George Carlin -.
A friend told me the next step will be a micro-chip and I will be getting it because I will slowly fall into the herd mentality. Well...that would suck big time. Particularly after being 1 year -woo woo!- smartphone free.
In Germany you have the FreedomParade movement, quite strong in Berlin. I have also heard a few ex-DDR citizens complaining about the masks and seeing this as a return to those times of repression. If you are so worried about repression and "control tactics", I would recommend trying to get off the screen. You'll see how hard it is....
Youtube,porn, online shopping, instant messaging, social media, the list goes on....
And this is why Covid is slowly spreading north along the East coast of Australia:
"A criminal investigation is underway after two 19-year-old women returned to Brisbane from Melbourne, allegedly failed to self isolate and then spent eight days in the community before testing positive to COVID-19."
I went for a bike ride this afternoon. My route took me past a popular park, which includes a spray park. It was a hot day, I can see the attraction of cooling off, but oh man, that park was packed with people. Social distancing... yeah, forget about it.
Got an email this morning from my sister about the doctors pushing for treating COVID with hydroxychloroquine and how we shouldn't believe 'officials'. Yeah, she's like that.
Unless a person has been living under a rock, there's really no excuse ...everybody now knows about Cvid19, and how it can be transmitted and what could happen if vulnerable people become infected...
Because it is a death sentence for some vulnerable people, those who deliberately put other people's lives at risk should be held accountable example (This being the worst case scenario-causing death)
Involuntary manslaughter: the unintentional killing of another person through an act of recklessness that shows indifference to the lives and safety of others, or an act of negligence that could reasonably be foreseen to result in death. The act that results in death may be intentional, such as pushing somebody in anger, but their death (such as by their subsequently falling, striking their head, and suffering a lethal head injury) is not.
Another form of manslaughter in some jurisdictions is constructive manslaughter, which may be charged in the event that a person causes a death without intention, but as the result of violating an important safety law or regulation
It may come across as a somewhat harsh way to deal with these offenders, perhaps it's the only way to get the point across, get people to sit up and start paying attention...A short sharp shock to the system, so to speak...
This comes from a place of compassion ( the aim/goal is to save the lives of vulnerable people).... a form of compassion also known as Tough Love...
Yes, but humans are foolish, easily mislead. That is why one of the key teachings in Buddhism is leading/living by example, right association, and any attempts of changing people who deep down do not want to can be unproductive ... and potentially wrong.
The anti-mask hysterics _co-exist _with the mask / safety hysterics. Both extremes depend on each other. People madly becoming too aware due to the news bombardment, and the other people becoming too aware to the point of seeing a conspiracy behind everything, or simply "not giving a f...".
The middle path: consider others safety, do the minimum, don't generate more confusion and hate. This is the saddest part though. People are talking about this non-stop and labelling others according to their stance on COVID-19. I would also say if you are so worried about "officials" and "lies from above", start with other practices to reduce their dominance. Drop social media or use your phone less....
We had wars on religion, nationalism, football....and now a virus! Hooray! In Berlin it is getting pretty bad this stance. So I've opted for seclusion and ice cream.
PD: Here in Berlin it is getting ridiculous. Also it is getting also worrying how people are fearing a new lockdown yet not doing much to avoid it from happening. Please check my country's news -Spain-. We opened up after 3 months lockdown, people went crazy, virus cases went up, government asked please don't do this... cases kept going up... new lockdown is being debated now....
Stay safe @コチシカ and when it comes to the ice cream..... don't overindulge ....
3
personDon't believe everything you thinkThe liminal spaceVeteran
edited July 2020
I kind of feel like the virus isn't lethal enough that we all should be living in fear. Most people probably wouldn't want to cut the speed limits in half even though that would save 10s of thousands of lives per year. There are also real social costs to people when children aren't in school, friends and family can't turn to each other for emotional support, when businesses fail, when people are stuck inside with abusive partners. These sorts of negative impacts aren't as easily measured, their impacts are often longer term, and are far less reported on. Point being there are trade offs to quarantining and isolation that also cause suffering and even loss of life years from depression and loss of learning.
...That is a full year in which some schools see students learning less than half the math they should learn. There is every reason to believe, based on what we know from other data, that these kids will be less likely to complete high school, go to college, get good jobs and earn a living wage. They will be more likely to die sooner.
Even though Covid-19 isn't Ebola it also isn't the flu and we should still be taking precautions to protect ourselves and others while trying to live as normal a life as possible.
3
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
I think people are prone to exaggerate... the effects of people dying earlier are more likely to be because of obesity and other poor habits than anything to do with lack of education from Covid.
The virus is lethal to vulnerable people and it would seem that many vulnerable people are catching it from the not so vulnerable people... So if the not so vulnerable people respected the lives of others more, they would go out of their way to insure their safety...well in fact they really don't have to go out of their way, they just need to follow the safety guideline when it comes to social distancing, washing hands regularly, cover their mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, and wearing mask where and when appropriate.... It's not rocket science, just common sense...(which so it would seem, for some people is in short supply )
And if countries had taken heed and gone into lock down earlier instead of after the virus horse had bolted they may now have been in a better position to deal with it...
It would seem Pride & Arrogance on the part of some world leaders (no names need to be mentioned), is what has laid the foundations for chaos to reign and the unnecessary loss of many lives ...
6
personDon't believe everything you thinkThe liminal spaceVeteran
edited July 2020
I’ve heard people say that the risk of getting COVID-19 is just something we need to learn to live with, just like the risk of auto accidents. You may be surprised to learn that I agree.
But keep this in mind: We have hundreds (if not thousands) of safety measures in place to reduce the risks (and hazards) of auto accidents as much as possible. Our cars have bumpers, brakes, headlights, seat belts, and airbags. We have rules of the road including speed limits, stop lights, and one-way streets. We have laws against driving while intoxicated and otherwise driving recklessly and irresponsibly.
We have become willing to accept the risks from driving because we, as a community, have made significant efforts to reduce those risks.
If we are to accept the risks from COVID-19, then we FIRST need to reduce those risks as much as is reasonable. That includes regular hand washing, social distancing, and mask wearing when and where appropriate.
If you are going out in public without following distancing guidelines and wearing a mask when that’s not possible (especially indoors), then you are the equivalent of a reckless driver. > You are acting just as irresponsibly as a person running red lights in a car with no brakes.
Please be responsible. Thanks.
Na, not stressful. I’ve never cared much about money or material things.
As fas looking after the monastics, I’ll have to do it from afar for a while I’m afraid.
How’s things in the UK?
1
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
I heard today that the UK had the highest number of excess deaths from Covid of the whole of Europe. Perhaps something to do with the winds blowing wet weather in from the Atlantic...
0
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
edited July 2020
@Kerome said:
I heard today that the UK had the highest number of excess deaths from Covid of the whole of Europe. Perhaps something to do with the winds blowing wet weather in from the Atlantic...
Or perhaps people behaving in the most idiotic manner imaginable, ignoring Government Guidelines, which are in themselves, confusing and also falling short of the mark. Rather than Orders, we have 'helpful suggestions' or 'earnest recommendations'. And you know what people think you can do with those, right?
Yup.
Let's just ignore them...
The "It Couldn't Possibly Happen To Me" attitude, is strong in these morons....
I’m not entirely sure to be honest. I know that masks are compulsory in shops and on public transport, but the restrictions in regard to seeing people are quite lax at the moment. We shouldn’t mix more than two household groups at once, but I think we’re otherwise free to socialise.
How the country is actually faring is less obvious. In the north of England, where I live, the presence of the virus in the community is thought to be very low.
But I’m not actually so knowledgable about it. I’ve become very reclusive over the last few months. I’ve grown used to staying at home and only seeing people online. I’ve stopped reading the news and have taken up video games and some creative writing. I guess that all suggests escapism. And it’s not a very comfortable way to be. It doesn’t make me feel purposeful, in the way that I did when I was working.
Next week, we’re going camping with some of our friends from university, and that will be very good for breaking the routine and forcing me to go outside. And then in September when the schools reopen, I’ll be back at work. I’m both looking forward to and feeling nervous about that. Schools are going to be completely different places for the foreseeable future.
All this time, my connection with Buddhist practice has waxed and waned. There are days when mindfulness and meditation feel almost irrelevant. And there are other days when I feel a deep connection. I’ve started reading a book of Dhamma talks by Ajahn Chah, which has been good. I picked it up at a retreat with Ajahn Sucitto last September.
I’m sending well-wishes to everyone in our community here.
Comments
Reacting to lunacy (I live in the US) is making me crazy. I spent half the day yesterday walking around the house saying what? what? what? what? and then accused my wife of trying to poison me. Feeling desire for escape, refuge, control, action and making a difference all at the same time. All I can do is hug my wife. The walnut trees behind the house are still there but for some unknown reason I refuse to sit.
Experiencing multiple simultaneous mind/emotional states is good but not when it includes crazy. Healthy outlets and directions.
Any chance of walking meditation amongst the wallnuttery ... ?
My advice is to watch only essential news from a trusted source. Keep it down to a minimum, and counterbalance it with meditation, or yoga, or doing what you can in the community.
Take care @Gui - we are here when you need us
What, what, WTF ...
is a Covid-Buddha wrathful mantra
I do not believe it!
... try prostrating to what you CAN NOT believe
Note use of gloves ... Jain or covid masking also now available ...
Hmm I wonder what would happen if we ALL HAD TO wear masks for a while ....starving the virus of a human food source....especially in the countries where it is running rampant...my guess is by doing so, it would bring the virus under control...
Prevention ( of spreading by wearing a mask) is better than Cure
Check out Viet Nam with "0" Covid deaths?
All these people who claim they'll faint, starved of oxygen and unable to breathe:
Surgeons manage it perfectly well, dentists manage it perfectly well and Theatre staff manage it perfectly well.
Oh and, try being on a ventilator with a tube down your neck. Yeah, that's a whole heap of fun, too...
Yeah, if wearing a mask for 15-30 minutes every once in a while will cause you health problems you're probably in a very high risk group and shouldn't be going out of the house at all. 😄
Are people really stating this?
Good news here in the US, the official numbers are showing cases have plummeted.
And good reasons why one should wear a mask...
I do wonder if there are people who suffer from a genuine phobia around wearing masks. While I don't have an issue with it, I could imagine someone who is claustrophobic or similar may struggle.
No doubt there are those who suffer from a form of maskaphobia, asthmatics for example may have developed a phobia about covering their nose and mouth, which is understandable...
however as @person mentioned before...high risk groups shouldn't really be going out and interacting with others...
Therapist offer advice on how to cope with anxiety over wearing masks
This is interesting ....
Yes, believe it or not, they are. It is, for example, a frequent excuse cited by those in the USA when they claim being made to wear a mask violates their Human Rights, and jeopardises their well-being.
I agree with @Person's comment; If wearing a mask TRULY makes things difficult - should you even be leaving the house - ?
Some useful tips for 3 common problems from wearing masks.
The fogged-up glasses' tip doesn't work. You either have to wear the top border of the mask far higher up your nose, so that it actually touches your eyes, and is quite uncomfortable (If you have a seamed, shaped mask, it's an ill-fitting solution too)
The most effective solution is either to wear a layer of absorbent fabric at nose level, or buy a mask with a side valve that filters your air and breath....
Yeah @federica - I've actually stopped wearing my glasses when I have the mask on. Not ideal but I can still read things ok.
I can if I squint. But I think I need longer arms....
When watching overseas news, I have tried to put myself into the mindset of those who refuse to wear a mask because they feel it violates their human (not humane) rights to play Russian roulette with the lives and well being of vulnerable people they come in contact with, (by breathing coughing and sneezing all over them)...
I must admit that the self centeredness of such a mindset was so suffocating I could only spend a very short period of time there before empathy had me gasping for compassion, I had to open my mind back up and air it out to the possibility of me unknowingly being asymptomatic ( due to casual interacting with other like minded Covid19 deniers ) and spreading the virus to innocent vulnerable people through my disregard of safe distancing and not wearing a mask....
Self centeredness is a killer....it can suffocate compassion & social responsibility....
Empathy which leads to compassion is the only way to combat self centeredness narrow minded shortsightedness AKA ignorance...
Even if people feel they're over Covid19 had enough of all the months of disruptions & restrictions,... They should well remember the virus is not over them and will continue to spread death & illness...
Stay safe and well people...and stay compassionate towards others, even to those Covid19 deniers who wallow in ignorance....
But I guess I'm already preaching to the converted here...
Unfortunately the mask battle is starting to begin in Australia......
Latex gloves at dawn...
Yes sadly it's part and parcel of being human which often comes with feeling entitled....
It's funny how the mind works...many of those who oppose having to wear a mask are doing so to defy their government/state/law..(not unlike the childish spoiled brat mentality of "You're not the boss of me")...When if they really stopped to think about it, the government/state laws are being enforced to 'protect' the lives of vulnerable citizens/people, who could also be some of the mask deniers/defiers themselves or their own family members...
A case of cutting off the nose to spite the face
There are right times to defy unjust laws being enforced, and this is definitely not the right time or right cause ...
Extreme cabin living
As the 'stop the whirled, I want get off' reaches its end cycle, we find:
... of course I typed this on a high tech device
Room for everyone?
Kinda makes sense.....
What is the big deal with wearing a mask in public? The concern with the masks and control tactics are that some of the measures can be a bit ridiculous and also the media feeding the world extra large doses of panic reveals to what extent humanity has developed into a huge shopping mall -George Carlin
-.
A friend told me the next step will be a micro-chip and I will be getting it because I will slowly fall into the herd mentality. Well...that would suck big time. Particularly after being 1 year -woo woo!- smartphone free.
In Germany you have the FreedomParade movement, quite strong in Berlin. I have also heard a few ex-DDR citizens complaining about the masks and seeing this as a return to those times of repression. If you are so worried about repression and "control tactics", I would recommend trying to get off the screen. You'll see how hard it is....
Youtube,porn, online shopping, instant messaging, social media, the list goes on....
and the show must go on!!!
outro: heavy instrumentals
And this is why Covid is slowly spreading north along the East coast of Australia:
"A criminal investigation is underway after two 19-year-old women returned to Brisbane from Melbourne, allegedly failed to self isolate and then spent eight days in the community before testing positive to COVID-19."
Morons...
I went for a bike ride this afternoon. My route took me past a popular park, which includes a spray park. It was a hot day, I can see the attraction of cooling off, but oh man, that park was packed with people. Social distancing... yeah, forget about it.
Got an email this morning from my sister about the doctors pushing for treating COVID with hydroxychloroquine and how we shouldn't believe 'officials'. Yeah, she's like that.
Unless a person has been living under a rock, there's really no excuse ...everybody now knows about Cvid19, and how it can be transmitted and what could happen if vulnerable people become infected...
Because it is a death sentence for some vulnerable people, those who deliberately put other people's lives at risk should be held accountable example (This being the worst case scenario-causing death)
It may come across as a somewhat harsh way to deal with these offenders, perhaps it's the only way to get the point across, get people to sit up and start paying attention...A short sharp shock to the system, so to speak...
This comes from a place of compassion ( the aim/goal is to save the lives of vulnerable people).... a form of compassion also known as Tough Love...
Hmm ...
Yes, but humans are foolish, easily mislead. That is why one of the key teachings in Buddhism is leading/living by example, right association, and any attempts of changing people who deep down do not want to can be unproductive ... and potentially wrong.
The anti-mask hysterics _co-exist _with the mask / safety hysterics. Both extremes depend on each other. People madly becoming too aware due to the news bombardment, and the other people becoming too aware to the point of seeing a conspiracy behind everything, or simply "not giving a f...".
The middle path: consider others safety, do the minimum, don't generate more confusion and hate. This is the saddest part though. People are talking about this non-stop and labelling others according to their stance on COVID-19. I would also say if you are so worried about "officials" and "lies from above", start with other practices to reduce their dominance. Drop social media or use your phone less....
We had wars on religion, nationalism, football....and now a virus! Hooray! In Berlin it is getting pretty bad this stance. So I've opted for seclusion and ice cream.
PD: Here in Berlin it is getting ridiculous. Also it is getting also worrying how people are fearing a new lockdown yet not doing much to avoid it from happening. Please check my country's news -Spain-. We opened up after 3 months lockdown, people went crazy, virus cases went up, government asked please don't do this... cases kept going up... new lockdown is being debated now....
Stay safe @コチシカ and when it comes to the ice cream..... don't overindulge ....
I kind of feel like the virus isn't lethal enough that we all should be living in fear. Most people probably wouldn't want to cut the speed limits in half even though that would save 10s of thousands of lives per year. There are also real social costs to people when children aren't in school, friends and family can't turn to each other for emotional support, when businesses fail, when people are stuck inside with abusive partners. These sorts of negative impacts aren't as easily measured, their impacts are often longer term, and are far less reported on. Point being there are trade offs to quarantining and isolation that also cause suffering and even loss of life years from depression and loss of learning.
Even though Covid-19 isn't Ebola it also isn't the flu and we should still be taking precautions to protect ourselves and others while trying to live as normal a life as possible.
I think people are prone to exaggerate... the effects of people dying earlier are more likely to be because of obesity and other poor habits than anything to do with lack of education from Covid.
The virus is lethal to vulnerable people and it would seem that many vulnerable people are catching it from the not so vulnerable people... So if the not so vulnerable people respected the lives of others more, they would go out of their way to insure their safety...well in fact they really don't have to go out of their way, they just need to follow the safety guideline when it comes to social distancing, washing hands regularly, cover their mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, and wearing mask where and when appropriate.... It's not rocket science, just common sense...(which so it would seem, for some people is in short supply )
And if countries had taken heed and gone into lock down earlier instead of after the virus horse had bolted they may now have been in a better position to deal with it...
It would seem Pride & Arrogance on the part of some world leaders (no names need to be mentioned), is what has laid the foundations for chaos to reign and the unnecessary loss of many lives ...
We are now banned from having any visitors to our homes and we must wear masks everywhere when we leave our homes.
Good times
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-30/regional-victoria-new-coronavirus-rules-masks-geelong-colac/12507468
Yes it was mentioned on our local news this evening...Stay safe @Bunks ...Does this mean your children can't visit you or you them ?
Thanks @Shoshin - no, custody arrangements aren't part of the restrictions so no issues there.
That's good to hear....Has panic shopping started there ?
Not sure to be honest. I haven’t been out today. But it hasn’t been an issue recently.
Good👍🏼
I sold my house last night too.
It’s all happening!
@Bunks said:
Good for you @Bunks. Was it a stressful process?
I hope things cool off quickly in your area. Take care of them monastics if you can!
Thanks @adamcrossley .
Na, not stressful. I’ve never cared much about money or material things.
As fas looking after the monastics, I’ll have to do it from afar for a while I’m afraid.
How’s things in the UK?
I heard today that the UK had the highest number of excess deaths from Covid of the whole of Europe. Perhaps something to do with the winds blowing wet weather in from the Atlantic...
Or perhaps people behaving in the most idiotic manner imaginable, ignoring Government Guidelines, which are in themselves, confusing and also falling short of the mark. Rather than Orders, we have 'helpful suggestions' or 'earnest recommendations'. And you know what people think you can do with those, right?
Yup.
Let's just ignore them...
The "It Couldn't Possibly Happen To Me" attitude, is strong in these morons....
I’m not entirely sure to be honest. I know that masks are compulsory in shops and on public transport, but the restrictions in regard to seeing people are quite lax at the moment. We shouldn’t mix more than two household groups at once, but I think we’re otherwise free to socialise.
How the country is actually faring is less obvious. In the north of England, where I live, the presence of the virus in the community is thought to be very low.
But I’m not actually so knowledgable about it. I’ve become very reclusive over the last few months. I’ve grown used to staying at home and only seeing people online. I’ve stopped reading the news and have taken up video games and some creative writing. I guess that all suggests escapism. And it’s not a very comfortable way to be. It doesn’t make me feel purposeful, in the way that I did when I was working.
Next week, we’re going camping with some of our friends from university, and that will be very good for breaking the routine and forcing me to go outside. And then in September when the schools reopen, I’ll be back at work. I’m both looking forward to and feeling nervous about that. Schools are going to be completely different places for the foreseeable future.
All this time, my connection with Buddhist practice has waxed and waned. There are days when mindfulness and meditation feel almost irrelevant. And there are other days when I feel a deep connection. I’ve started reading a book of Dhamma talks by Ajahn Chah, which has been good. I picked it up at a retreat with Ajahn Sucitto last September.
I’m sending well-wishes to everyone in our community here.
Ah yes the great mask debate ... at least that is what I think they are saying