Advice from Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso Rinpoche
on Living with the Coronavirus

Oh my dear brothers and sisters of the world. Now it is time to work together to do what we can do to fight this coronavirus as it is affecting people globally. Looking into world history, this pandemic is not the first. There was the plague in 1720, a cholera pandemic in 1820, the flu pandemic in 1920, and SARS in 2003. With this past experience, we need to be more aware and try to correct ourselves now, because this is a result of the collective negative deeds of humankind. We have to remind ourselves what we have done in the past to each other, including the killing and torturing of animals, thereby emotionally creating problems in the world. This pandemic is the result of our negative actions.

Whatever negative or positive actions we do, definitely they have their consequences. According to the law of nature—whether based on the scientific method or technological research or philosophical explanations or religion or even any belief system—any causes and conditions that are assembled by one person or by a group will have their outcomes, whether they are material things or living beings.

For example, see how much the creation of chemical weapons, drugs, and even various foods and drinks affects our lives. So we need to be more wise and smart.

On behalf of all mankind, I appeal to all countries’ leaders to guide our great doctors and scientists to work hard enough to find a wonderful remedy for this virus instead of developing more smartphones or blaming others or causing more problems. We all are social animals that depend on each other, as you all know.

We all were concerned about global warming, which is far away, but this virus is already here, causing so much suffering and emotional worry, besides killing many people. All religious masters and followers: do prayers or worship, whatever you can to receive blessings to protect us, and we will do our prayers and practices to prevent the virus’s attacks on any beings. We need to develop our inner strength of courage with compassion, love, and kindness, to care for each other with the wisdom of our divine nature.

I do believe this virus will end soon if we follow all the methods and every country’s members isolate those who have the virus and try to give maximum care to control it. We all have equal responsibility to cooperate to fight this outbreak of crazy coronavirus without further delay. Now it is time to respect each other sincerely and work together in whatever way we can to help each other without any other concerns or thoughts. We can fight this virus with the weapons of compassion and kindness, and with loving care to all equally, country to country, nation to nation, and also person to person. I think this is the truth. You will realize it also if you look into your heart or mind in a peaceful way. All are the same as your own family. I really appreciate it if anyone ever reads this just one time and thinks about it.

Thanks all. Bless you all. Khen