We exchanged some emails in the last couple of days regarding some beside-the-point matter, and in her last one, she took the time to send me the thoughts of the leader of the Buddhist Church of Hungary, László Mireisz. Plus, a youtube video of breathing exercises for children. I've been interested in Buddhism for some time, but have my reservations about official churches of any kind. Nevertheless, I opened the doc with a curious mind, and I was in for a treat.
"..the new moon reaching Aries brings the spring, but due to the mass epidemic exacerbated by the new moon, the next 2 weeks will be difficult. April 8 at 4:34 pm: Full moon, the disease is beginning to recede. In 4 weeks or so, the task will probably only be to clean up the ruins."
If only epidemiologists consulted the stars. This opening set the expectations quite high. The next thought didn't disappoint either.
"Outbreaks were always there, every 10-20-30 years, people were always touched, decimated, it is with the man, but it always wants to communicate something."
The highlight is from the author, and so is the grammar - the Google Translate engine respected the spirit of the original text.
Unfortunately, the rest of the 3-page memo is a bit of a letdown. If Mireisz is privy to what the virus wants to communicate, he doesn't tell us. Which is even grosser irresponsibility than telling people that in 4 weeks the danger is over. This obvious lack of profound insight is followed by the usual recommendations: fasting, burning incense oils, loving the loved ones, breathing exercises. Drinking a lot of water stands out as a surprisingly sound one, I will keep that in mind. The other, and last, reasonable suggestion is to follow the instructions of the authorities. Even considering that the authorities in question happen to be the Hungarian government, I concede the point.
Those who are concerned with Buddhist purity probably have been put slightly off by the very first sentence, but the ecumenical spirit shines through in its fullness only later in the middle.
"This December the constellation of the planets will be the same as it was at Jesus' birth."
Maybe there is something to the observation attributed to that pompous liar Chesterton: "When people stop believing in God, they don't believe in nothing, they believe in everything."
To the author's credit, he advises, among others, not to indulge in conspiracy theories. This, I think, goes against the wider context, but a wise suggestion considering the target audience. Speaking of the wider context, maybe there is none. Astrology, Ayurveda, the aforementioned quick nod to Christianity, some yoga nuggets of wisdom, sprinkled with the usual earth-water-fire-air symbolism, the Hungarian Buddhists are open to everything. The only thing that is conspicuously missing is Buddhism.
And I almost forget to mention one of the real pearls.
The word "corona" for the virus is unlucky because it is the aura, the perfection, the sacred symbol. The "barret" would be better.
All in all, László Mireisz made me appreciate the Catholic Church. Those moments are very rare, as my wife could attest. She, who has treasured childhood memories related to the Church and Christianity, often has to listen to my insensitive harangues on the topic.
But the guilty pleasure of making cheap jokes at the expense of gullible people eventually wears off and I still haven't figured out how I should respond to J. I appreciate her kindness and the thought she spared for us in times like this. What's the appropriate answer? Polite honesty? Or just saying thank you without commenting on the subject? Do I dare to wake the sleeping lion by asking questions?
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