Peace Amidst the Storm

Peace Amidst the Storm
By Tam Hoa – 23/03/2020

Yanchun, 52 years old, a resident of Wuhan, was among the tens of thousands infected with the novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Hubei province. At the epicenter of the pandemic—where a raging storm swept across many provinces in China—Wuhan was placed under strict lockdown. Hospitals were overwhelmed, and Yanchun could not find a single facility to admit her. In the face of such despair, she chose to self-isolate and seek ways to endure the illness on her own.

Yet, Yanchun was never truly alone. Through WeChat, she stayed connected with her Dharma companions, especially receiving encouragement and spiritual support from “Vietnamese Buddhist teachers”. Her Dharma network was vast—ranging from dozens to even hundreds of followers, including many "underground" lay Buddhists who quietly supported Vietnamese monastics studying at Wuhan University. Among them, around ten had taken refuge under Vietnamese sangha members. Yanchun herself had received the Three Refuges and Five Precepts from a Vietnamese master and was given the Dharma name Tam Giac.

Between life and death, a true Buddhist remains fearless and extends that fearless energy to others.
As a devout lay practitioner, even in the bleakest of conditions, Yanchun never forgot the Buddha’s teachings. She took refuge in the Triple Gem, both in spirit and in practice. Each day, she drank warm water, maintained inner calm, practiced sitting meditation, prostrated in reverence, and chanted the Buddha’s name. Instead of flooding her mind with news and fear, she recited the Diamond Sutra. Instead of complaining, she reached out to console her fellow practitioners and called her “Vietnamese teachers” for guidance.

Although Wuhan is one of China’s educational centers, Buddhism there had greatly declined, especially after the Cultural Revolution. Many temples existed only in form, marred by the presence of false monks and a general erosion of spiritual authenticity. As a result, many devoted lay followers established meditation halls and chanting spaces in their own homes, forming small communities of sincere spiritual practice. Yanchun did the same. Thanks to her diligence, optimism, and stable mind, her health began to improve.

In adversity, standing at the edge of death, the true Buddhist shows no fear and offers that gift of fearlessness to others—this is known as abhaya-dāna, the gift of fearlessness. When facing illness with clarity and wisdom, we come to realize how precious both physical and mental well-being truly are. Compassion and love become the most enduring threads that bind all beings together.

Therefore, even amidst days of crisis, one could still read deeply resonant words of wisdom from disciples of the Buddha:

“Sit down and calm your mind.
Do not allow your mind to spin out catastrophic end-of-the-world scenarios.
If you do, you are creating a fertile ground for all kinds of viruses to thrive.
Sit in stillness. Simply observe and feel.
In this chaos, what is the real danger, and what is fake news?
Only through inner calm can you discern the truth and find your way.”

And also:

“Do not generate negative karma by spreading misinformation or rumors.
Instead of fearing or hating the virus,
let us sincerely apologize to all the living beings we have ever harmed.
We label the virus as the enemy,
forgetting how many animals we’ve killed for our consumption.
If we consume them,
perhaps they see us as the most dangerous virus of all.”

When there is right understanding and appropriate spiritual practice, no virus or demon can shake the foundation of a tranquil heart.

According to giacngo.vn