The beauty of covid-19

[Micheal]

I have seen media and read stories about how the human reaction to covid-19 has cleared the skies of smog in heavily polluted cities such as Wuhan and New York. I could only imagine the positive effect on the ecosystems across the world although I have no empirical studies or any kind of information to show it.

A big, nice park I come too in my town was recently closed to all automobiles and the effects were clear. I was able to just pee in the middle of the park with only the friendly sun, intimate wind, willful ants, some relaxing geese and foraging squirrel as witness. As I sat against a tree cross legged listening to nobuo uematsu sound tracks I felt peace that I have never felt before at this park due to the lack of human traffick. There was no obnoxiously insulting loud music, no ignorant children harrassing the geese, no people overfeeding the geese or arrogantly and ignorantly sicking their dogs on the animals. The geese were free to roam and chill at places unusual. They seemed more relaxed, their usual confused, stressed bickering quelled.

Everything was so peaceful and natural until a lawn cutting machine invaded the scene, causing stress to every natural creature in the near enviorment. The squirrels skurried into their burrows, the geese were awoken from their naps making distressed calls, some flying this way, others running that way, and I finished my song albeit with much added interference from the loud and violent machine which took away the concentration on the intricasies of the joyful melody. Then I walked away from the violent machine.

The media, the government, the financiers and businessmen aswell as the common citizens are focusing on the negatives of covid-19. I made this thread for us to tell stories and talk of the positive effects of covid -19. Because there are positive effects and that is a fact. Anything is welcome from personal stories, to scientific articles.

And you can call me Micheal. Go ahead and check out my introductory thread in the introduction section. Good day

[boda]

Admittedly, I'm grateful it will keep my mother-in-law out of town for months longer than planned.

Less selfishly, I glad she has a safe place to stay until this blows over.

[well wisher]

https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-co ... -a-quarter

Analysis: Coronavirus temporarily reduced China’s CO2 emissions by a quarter

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmaho ... e800a5764d

"Coronavirus Lockdown May Save More Lives By Preventing Pollution Than By Preventing Infection"

https://globalnews.ca/news/6683226/clim ... ronavirus/

"Coronavirus lockdown eases pollution, Venice canal runs clear"

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00965-x

"Coronavirus lockdowns have changed the way Earth moves. A reduction in seismic noise because of changes in human activity is a boon for geoscientists."

https://www.thetelegram.com/news/world/ ... en-428199/

"Coronavirus provides unexpected boost for Kenyan fishermen"

I suppose this Coronavirus epidemic event has been very effective at highlighting the horrible destructive pollution & waste generated from modern day human "capitalistic" & "monetary-wealth" obsessed cultures and societies? This Saha-World Earth Nature does seem to have its own coping mechanisms. Truly, more greed = more waste & destructions & deaths.

[kusulu]

Wait 9 months then welcome the latest new "sentient beings" being born

[Grigoris]

I suppose this Coronavirus epidemic event has been very effective at highlighting the horrible destructive pollution & waste generated from modern day human "capitalistic" & "monetary-wealth" obsessed cultures and societies?

Don't worry, we will forget the lessons soon enough.

A colleague of mine was working in Sierra Leone as a nurse during the Ebola outbreak. She went back again years later to visit. Everything had returned to "business as usual", which in Sierra Leone is pretty bloody horrible. Like nothing happened. We are talking here about an outbreak of a disease that had an, at least, 50% fatality rate.

[pemachophel]

And this is what has me worried. If this is a wake-up call by the Mamos, I don't think it's being heard. If it's not heard, I can only assume the Mamos will send us an even louder message. Covid-19 may pale in comparison. Shudder the thought.

[Johnny Dangerous]

I suppose this Coronavirus epidemic event has been very effective at highlighting the horrible destructive pollution & waste generated from modern day human "capitalistic" & "monetary-wealth" obsessed cultures and societies?

Don't worry, we will forget the lessons soon enough.

A colleague of mine was working in Sierra Leone as a nurse during the Ebola outbreak. She went back again years later to visit. Everything had returned to "business as usual", which in Sierra Leone is pretty bloody horrible. Like nothing happened. We are talking here about an outbreak of a disease that had an, at least, 50% fatality rate.

This. Watch how quickly everyone goes back to the same old dump crap once this begins to subside.

[Johnny Dangerous]

And this is what has me worried. If this is a wake-up call by the Mamos, I don't think it's being heard. If it's not heard, I can only assume the Mamos will send us an even louder message. Covid-19 may pale in comparison. Shudder the thought.

Most of human history is riddled with diseases that are on the whole, far, far worse on populations than this one. That isn't to deny the current suffering - which is huge and growing, but it is simply fact. We are not far removed from the time where people had a bunch o kids simply because they knew that a portion of them wouldn't make it.

The modern age has been uniquely free from disease. If those diseases of the past didn't effect people's practice of the ten non-virtues, there is no real reason to think that this will, unfortunately.

Of course there will still be extraordinary acts of virtue and awareness in the midst of all of this, and IMO as practitioners it's worth our time to focus on energies and aspirations on those.

Other than that, one of my teachers recently said that for Dharma practitioners, one "upside" of this situation is that it is much harder to be complacent, awareness is increased almost by default- if we can practice with the anxiety, grief etc. I've found this to be true, but I have to admit that once this all ends I will probably go back to "normal" just like everyone else.

Maybe a good Dharma aspiration is to not let that happen to us...not to return to complacency about our practice, our ethics, etc...we cannot change what other people will do.

[tkp67]

The modern age has been uniquely free from disease. If those diseases of the past didn't effect people's practice of the ten non-virtues, there is no real reason to think that this will, unfortunately.

Of course there will still be extraordinary acts of virtue and awareness in the midst of all of this, and IMO as practitioners it's worth our time to focus on energies and aspirations on those.

Other than that, one of my teachers recently said that for Dharma practitioners, one "upside" of this situation is that it is much harder to be complacent, awareness is increased almost by default- if we can practice with the anxiety, grief etc. I've found this to be true, but I have to admit that once this all ends I will probably go back to "normal" just like everyone else.

Maybe a good Dharma aspiration is to not let that happen to us...not to return to complacency about our practice, our ethics, etc...we cannot change what other people will do.

The buddha did not become discouraged because of the nature of sentient beings. Instead he used his knowledge of that very nature to aid in the liberation from suffering. I think this is one of those times where teachings can be "quickened" in the manifestation of wisdom.

Personally I try not to doubt human capacity for change. I do believe is has subtle underpinnings in our consciousness that limits our own ability to invest in others. I think it is easy to rationalize "hedging" one's bet when selflessly investing in the well being of others. The buddha was not that stingy. He dedicated his existence to liberation. The Lotus asks us to eliminate doubt so In order to pay that debt in this existence I have abandoned doubt in regards to the limits of others.