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How to be Resilient

during the New Normal

At this time of writing over 22 million people across the globe have been diagnosed with the
respiratory virus known as Covid-19, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
The actual numbers are, however, believed to be much higher. And 800,000 people world-wide
have died. In Malaysia, we have over 9,000 infected cases and 125 people have died.

As the Covid-19 pandemic devastates lives and economies globally, including Malaysia, where
between 1.5 million and 2.4 million jobs may be lost in 2020, fears and anxieties are becoming
increasingly common. But it looks like Covid-19 is here to stay. So how can we live with ease in the
New Normal?

A key Buddhist practice is to cultivate resilience (paṭikuñcana). Resilience is the ability to cope
with adversity or stressful life events such as trauma, tragedy, or threats. To cultivate resilience,
we need to have a correct view of the world. This means seeing our Covid-infected world as
impermanent (anicca) and subject to change, and thus by nature unsatisfactory (dukkha). Then
letting go of our self-centeredness, we cultivate a positive attitude – both to ourselves and others,
by being more compassionate, loving and kind, patient, equanimous, and having a sense of humor.

The Buddha explained that we are the cause of our own dissatisfaction which lies in our
attachment to our desires to have and not to have. We assume things will remain the same but
in reality it is otherwise. Despite our best efforts, we don’t always get what we want, and we
sometimes get what we don’t want. For instance, we don’t want the virus but it is here to stay. We
want to be able to travel to different countries during the holidays but the virus is not allowing us
to do so. But the problem isn’t the “wanting”, per se, but our attachment and clinging to the idea of
what we could do in the past, and what we want to do in the future.

So instead of attachment, the Buddha tells us to practice non-attachment. We can continue to try
our best to get what we want but we should be wise enough to know that there will be times when
we will not be successful in our attempts. When things don’t go according to plan, we should learn
to be equanimous and not be disappointed. By practicing non-attachment, we learn to live a calm
and peaceful life so that when things do not go our way, we aren’t unhappy or devastated. Non-
attachment, therefore, reminds us that outcomes cannot be guaranteed no matter how hard we
work or how much we prepare for it. But this, of course, should not stop us from doing what we
want. It is through understanding the Buddhist teachings of impermanence and non-attachment
that help us to deal with life’s uncertainties with greater resilience so that we can live life with
ease even in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. This is the Buddha’s wisdom that we can all
apply in this New Normal.

August 22, 2020