Faith Time Crisis in a
of
A
Muslim neighbour, who isn’t very religious in normal times, told me she spent her time in quarantine praying five times a day and working with members of her mosque to find ways to help the less fortunate during these difficult times. “This whole ordeal brings us closer together and deepens my faith in Allah,” she said. “Spending time praying and being with Him is comforting.” A Pew Research Centre survey conducted in the summer of 2020 in the United States revealed that more Americans are saying the pandemic has bolstered their religious faith and the faith of their compatriots. Nearly three in 10 Americans (28%) reported stronger personal faith because of COVID-19, and the same survey suggested
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no.51 | sep-dec 2021
Text: Benny Liow Woon Khin
that the religious faith of Americans overall has strengthened.
Faith, contemplation and practice
Psychologists generally believe that faith can help people transcend stressful times by enabling them to see these as opportunities to grow closer to a higher power, or to improve their lives. Faith in their religion also fosters a sense of connectedness, making them part of something larger than themselves. This can happen through prayer or meditation, or through participation in religious discourses, listening to spiritual music, or even taking a walk outside to admire nature.
Dan Harris, the famous ABC News anchor who wrote 10% Happier, asked His Holiness the Dalai Lama the same question on his news programme Nightline in May 2020. The Dalai Lama offered the following advice to those who are having a difficult time dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic:
So how should Buddhists, in the same predicament, manage their anxieties of adjusting to life in the midst of a global pandemic, and respond with their faith in the Buddha’s teachings?
(a) Practise meditation — be it one minute, five minutes or 10 minutes each day, especially when we wake up. This basically involves training our mind to be positive so that we adopt a positive approach to life. Whatever type of meditation we follow, the main purpose should be to calm the mind so that we can respond to a situation mindfully, rather than reacting
