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TEACHINGS | EASTERN HORIZON 29

crisis, though there were setbacks at the beginning. It themselves. The world is in a crisis of imbalance.
has a good health care system, efficient government
policy and management, and cooperation among The outbreak of COVID-19, whatever its actual cause is,
people. The victory of the Democratic Party (DPK) in a is a response from planet earth to the damage caused
recent election reflected the success of the government by human beings. The planet, by its natural mechanism,
in solving the problems caused by COVID-19. In South produces the coronavirus as an immune system to
Korea, the spirit of love, sharing, and cooperation defend itself from the invasion and overpopulation of
among people rooted in both Christianity and Buddhism the strange “virus” called human beings. During this
has contributed to the success in combating the outbreak with human shelter-in-place, the sky becomes
virus. People in different countries can learn from the clearer, the ocean cleaner, the level of carbon dioxide in
experiences of South Korea and Taiwan, together with the atmosphere is the lowest in decades, wild animals
advice from the World Health Organization (WHO): in the jungles and the oceans are less threatened and
testing for the virus, physical distancing, and wearing better able to survive: the planet is healing itself. Isn’t
sanitary masks in public places. this what the most radical environmentalists have
called for? Lao Tzu, the great teacher of Taoism, called
The coronavirus pandemic in a way is a crisis of it, some 2,600 years ago “reversing the movement of
globalization. People from all over the world have Tao (nature).” When we go to one extreme, nature will
suddenly stopped traveling, and aviation and other eventually swing it back to the other extreme. Human
forms of mass transportation have lost their business. beings should learn and find the “Middle Way” to
Most countries have locked down most of their live peacefully with all other sentient beings and the
cities, towns, and neighborhoods. Businesses and environment on this planet.
entertainment outlets are shut down. Education and
schooling have been put on hold and students are now Because mainstream economics dominates the
learning online. Most foreigners have returned home. world, most countries have increasingly competed for
Urban workers have returned to their farmland or “development” by using up the limited natural resources
countryside. People from all over the world are adviced to satisfy the unlimited human want (or greed). This
to stay at home. The busiest sections of most countries, imbalanced development by emphasizing the “supply
however, are hospitals and the health care system. The side” has created tension among human beings
world’s population is facing public health problems, and witnessed in the two world wars and tension between
a substantial number of people are dying. human beings and nature witnessed in the ecological
crisis. Buddhist economics would emphasize the
A history of over 400 years of capitalism and “demand” side by limiting human want so that natural
transnational capitalism, with its accelerating pace in resources will be sufficient for everyone. The concept
the last 50 years, has contributed to the world’s crises: of “minimizing cost and maximizing profit” should be
economic, political, military, ideological, social, cultural, changed to “minimizing consumption and maximizing
public health, environmental, and ecological problems. human well-being.” The goal of development should
Most countries overuse their natural resources to be shifted from Gross Domestic Products (GDP) to
“overdevelop” their nations, especially major powers Gross National Happiness (GNH). To learn from the
of the world, creating a huge income gap between the novel coronavirus crisis, human beings should find a
rich and the poor, leaving behind the non-degradable “Right Livelihood” on the middle path for maintaining
waste to the globe and excess carbon dioxide to the sustainable development and the balance of human
atmosphere. Through food agribusiness, human beings beings and nature, thus creating a mutual coexistence
create a paradise for themselves, but a hell for farm for both. EH
animals and other living species. Over-consumption
leads to the serious issue of global warming, which
in turn challenges the very survival of human beings