Develop inner strength and equanimity to uphold yourself in difficult conditions, combined with an open, compassionate heart that cares for all beings equally.
Engage in meditation and use everyday experiences to break down the sense of a separate self, realizing profound interconnectedness with all beings and things.
Understand that everything is transient and that attempts to create absolute security lead to suffering. Instead, care for, respect, and appreciate the present moment, even when it is difficult.
Use times of forced withdrawal or crisis as an opportunity to look inwardly, examine your mind, heart, values, and integrity, and reflect on life’s true purpose.
Become aware of the nonstop ‘inner voice’ and use meditation as an antidote to systematically observe powerful emotions, random thoughts, and unhelpful urges, thereby gaining freedom from being controlled by them.
Develop ’love’ as an evolutionarily wired capacity to care, similar to mindfulness, and integrate both for an upward spiral of personal growth.
Engage in the cultivation of loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity through meditation phrases to foster unselfish motivation and open up to the world with greater kindness.
Recognize that when systems break down (like during a pandemic), learning from these breakdowns can lead to a reorganization process at a much higher order for society.
Develop hope by acknowledging the truth of uncertainty and the possibility that anything, including the best, could happen, which motivates action.
Practice seeing individuals who have been objectified or polarized (e.g., politicians, criminals) as human beings, separating the person from their harmful actions or suffering.
Change your perspective from judging things as ‘good and evil’ to understanding them in terms of ‘suffering and not suffering’ to foster deeper understanding and compassion.
If in a position of privilege, make the most of a crisis to explore inwardly and be generous outwardly, recognizing the expectation to give back proportionally.
For those able to shelter safely, engage in intimate acts of service such as cooking for the homeless, creating cards for isolated elderly, and practicing good hygiene for others’ safety.
Acknowledge and actively address visible societal injustices (racism, classism, ageism, sexism) at both individual and systemic levels, viewing this as a call for revolutionary change.
When experiencing discomfort (e.g., from uncertainty), lean into it, investigate it with openness, and use the recognition of shared discomfort as an opportunity to be useful to others.
During times of forced pause, embrace both physical and mental ‘stopping’ (cessation), using this perspective to engage in acts of compassion and service, and to live less externally.
Reflect deeply on lessons learned during the crisis to inform future actions regarding the economy, environment, gender parity, child abuse, race, and poverty, aiming to end structural violence.
Wake up amidst difficult conditions and commit to values that prevent repeating past mistakes, actively working to bring grace, kindness, and justice into the world during the ‘return’ phase.
Use available resources to actively support voter registration and education.
Actively engage with and appreciate neighbors and local community connections, especially during times of isolation, to foster stronger bonds.
Avoid stigmatizing entire groups of people (e.g., all white males, all politicians); instead, view each individual in their totality, beyond group labels.
If identifying as a privileged white male, recognize the need to work twice as hard to rectify the damage caused by patriarchy.
When introducing meditation or similar practices, focus on immediate, tangible benefits like calmness and focus as an accessible entry point.
Maintain a meditation practice, even for short durations, to observe how motivations evolve, leading to a natural desire to act kindly and reduce self-preoccupation.
Consult experts like epidemiologists and clinicians for guidance on safety measures during a crisis, and be prepared to implement strict isolation if risks are high.
Consistently practice basic hygiene, such as hand washing and using hand sanitizer, viewing these actions as acts of care for oneself and the wider community.
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