Mindfulness: a mantra for turbulent, uncertain times
Mindfulness: a mantra for turbulent, uncertain times
As we move from an extraordinarily turbulent year to a new year of uncertainties, Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings on mindfulness gain deep relevance.
Hoang Anh Suong
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In 2020, Vietnam proved its resilience as it faced one of the most turbulent years in modern history. It has successfully contained Covid-19, retained economic growth and has been lauded as one of the world’s best pandemic challengers. The Economist ranked Vietnam as one of 16 most successful emerging economies, while the World Bank named it among the top 10 growing countries thanks to a positive 2.91 percent GDP growth that contrasts with the contractions in many major economies.
This year, Vietnam is expected to leverage its recent successes to grow and attract even more foreign investment, and boost both domestic demand and exports, even in Covid-19’s shadow.
But we should also be aware that Vietnam hasn't come out of its Covid-19 fight unscathed. Over 62 percent of the nation’s businesses have had to suspend production, while nearly 14 percent have stopped operations entirely. Around 8,500 businesses have been going off the market every month, rendering thousands of employees jobless.
In these trying times, people look to a higher existence for hope and solace. Their destinations are pagodas and temples, where they pray and complain about the wrongs in the world, blaming their problems on outside circumstances. But that is not the way.
Thich Nhat Hanh once said that our success in the coming decades hinges on our ability to be mindful, to return to the oasis that is our self. But how do we do that?
There is no other way other than constantly renewing ourselves, he says. From the steps we take to the words we talk, from the way we work to the thoughts we think, we can renew ourselves. If we let too much stress, ambition and earthly desires to overflow the dams in our souls, how can we be mindful? If we strive to be anyone else other than who we actually are, how can we make ourselves anew?
I believe that the practice of mindfulness applies to everyone, not just individuals, but also groups as a whole: families, organizations and entire nations. The way to conquer difficulties and make peace with uncertainty is to be mindful of our actions and to foster happiness and love within our communities.
Thanks to Thich Nhat Hanh, we know that the 12 months ahead give us another great opportunity to become mindful and tap the calm within.
*Hoang Anh Suong is a journalist and author with interest in Buddhism and meditation. The opinions expressed are his own.
