Earlier this week, The Washington Post reported that a third of Americans now show signs of clinical anxiety or depression, according to Census Bureau data. “The findings,” they write, “suggest a huge jump from before the pandemic,” and “provide a real-time window into the country’s collective mental health after three months of fear, isolation, soaring unemployment and continuing uncertainty.” The numbers are worrisome. I’m sure said feelings of fear, isolation, and uncertainty are now intimately familiar to us all. Right now, people all over the world are lonely, restless, frustrated, and grieving. Many this week, too, are experiencing anger mixing with their grief, in response to the wrongful loss of life of George Floyd, a black man killed by police in Minneapolis, and so many others before him. If you’re feeling heavy-hearted, the world is with you. Recently on LionsRoar.com, four Buddhist chaplains shared their experiences working on the front lines of the pandemic. Each of them shared accounts of the fear, sadness, and loneliness they and the people they serve are feeling at this time. “It’s critical that we take care of ourselves so that we can take care of others,” Jamie Kimmel wrote, “I know that I could not do this work otherwise.” And so, I offer you this small care package of Buddhist wisdom that invites you to take care of yourself so you can, by extension, take care of others. The teachers below each invite us to attend to the emotions we’re feeling, so we may use them as a catalyst for positive change and awakening — both personal and collective. —Lilly Greenblatt, digital editor, LionsRoar.com |
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