Temple Life During #COVID-19 And Temple’s Administration Adjustment To Meet With Social Behavior Changes
Author: Nano-organic Elixir
Posted on: 1st June 2020
Keywords: #life, #pandemic, #coronavirus, #contagion, #infection, #stayhome, #savelife, #facemask, #virtual, #meditationhall
Length: 1458 words
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The #COVID-19 crisis has triggered significant changes among individuals and Buddhist temples, ranging from social distancing measures to tech tools used to flatten the curve. The virus has disrupted the strategic decision-making framework for many temples as outbreak-driven digital transformation has been adopted by temples’ administration, with rebuilding necessary for monastic survival.
Temple goers previously visited monastery to either make financial donation, join the ceremonies, practice meditation, engage in scripture studies or meet other people. After the government announcing the lockdown measure, the #StayHomeSaveLife accelerates online-and-offline integration in the temples’ ceremonies, Dhamma courses, guided meditation, including donation. Dhammakaya temple is able to facilitate them, allowing donors to make donation faster and more convenient by shifting towards digital mode to be in line with the current pandemic situation and match donors’ lifestyle, at the same time, promoting the cashless trend by encouraging supporters to use online banking for making donation to prevent virus spread through banknotes or coins.
To unlock the #lockdown traveling impossibility via GBN digital channel allows Temple’s member network stay connected with the Temple. Communicating has changed using Temple’s designed app and digital platforms to keep members and general public aware of new religious schedules and programs. Online has played a greater role than before because it serves as access points for Temple’s members without having to travel to the Temple during the #StayHomeSaveLife lockdown.
As social distancing will become a habit as the #pandemic will likely take over a year to wind down, Dhammakaya temple develops other channels that still enables Temple’s members to socialize, but in a way that aligns with social distancing.
Delivery has become the norm during the #pandemic. The Temple has expanded online and handling its Dhamma teaching deliveries to fit to the new social behavior. A new and innovative delivery Dhamma programme arrives at people’s homes via different digital platforms, Youtube, Facebooklive, Zoom, so on. Dhamma teaching pattern has adapted to these new trends and adjusted its content accordingly, being more creative, relevant, up to the point, meaning a lot changes.
During the pandemic crisis, Temple has been seeking cooperation from staff, urging them to stay within the Temple’s compound to avoid the risk of infection. The monastic ktichen catering for lay staff and monks has been separated into groups and scheduled for each group to limit crowding. Food catering is urged to find a cover for ready-made food or install a transparent plastic panel to prevent people from coughing or sneezing on it. Anyone who feels unwell, no matter how minor the symptoms are, is asked to refrain from visiting the common areas.
The Temple requests monastics, staff and visitors to wear face masks at all times while being in the monastic compounds. Consequently, all kinds of mask designs are seen worn on Temple people’s face. Among them, there is one interesting creative mix of contemporary and auspicious. It is the special-edition muslin face mask added a holy flair coming with a talisman printed on it, featuring the guardian of Thai hell and other auspicious symbols, promising full protection of any bad things. [see picture]
Some of the adopted regulations may go against traditions and habits, yet useful for preventing contagion, for instance, suggestion for not prostrating in paying homage to the Triple Gem and monks, instead holding both hands together in the lotus shape as a gesture of respect. It is obvious that monks, Temple’s staff and lay visitors, have to make considerable adjustments.
The Temple is compelled to shoulder higher costs in investing in equipment to ensure social and physical distancing and sanitization. Temple’s management has to rethink the hygiene of its venues and participants; starting from check-in, temperature screenings and hand sanitization are adopted. A distance of two metres must be kept between Temple’s visitors, even for a family sharing the Temple’s meditation hall because as long as there is a cluster or people move from one place to another, social distancing is always essential.
The Temple constructed a DIY disinfecting doorframe. [See picture] It consists of an arch wooden structure big enough for people to walk through one by one with a fogging system. As people walk through it for about five seconds, they will be gently sprayed with a disinfectant solution by foggers installed on the upper part of the doorframe. Not sure if it works but it should put the Temple goers’ minds at ease. Sadhu to this creativity.
Temple’s reception desk offers guests a welcome while keeping physical distance to ensure hygienic standards are not suffer, including preparing guidelines covering the safety of both guests and staffs. A balance is strictly observed, between restrictions to prevent an infection and freedom for people to move around and socializing while being in the Temple.
The #COVID-19 does not only produce disadvantage but there is a boon in it. While people practicing social distancing and working from home, online meditation courses, teleconferencing, and e-Buddhist-studies are gaining an upsurge of viewers’ engagement. The #StayHomeSafeLife period has habituated people to online guided meditation practice, virtual religious event, as well as virtual Dhamma classrooms, and e-meetings.
Virtual meditation hall and Buddhist courses disruption have happened in the past few years, and #COVID-19 acted as an accelerator to make them happen faster. This is a perfect storm opportunity. Dhammakaya temple developed its omnichannel platform a few years ago in response to rising IT disruption impact. It has proven they are moving in the right direction and will continue. The Temple is aware that any religious program that aligns with social distancing and a touchless society is likely to last longer. Therefore, every moral project model have been changed to be in line with people’s behavioural changes. And it is likely that after the crisis, some traditional religious services could be wiped out as they are no longer fit in with people’s changed behaviors.
Temple’s administration must consider whether existing working pattern should be revamped as a part of its digital Dhamma teaching upsurge focusing more on e-Buddhist education and enhancing online youth moral programs which previously could not target indicating that some current outreach channels are not the answer, including be it to expand the new divisions to deal with new-emerging tasks, spending on staff up-skilling and re-skilling programs.
Let’s look at the sociological aspect, after having adjusted to the #StayHomeSafeLive mode and been able to calm down from the pandemic panic, people now start talking about the new normal the whole society will face. This is hardly reassuring because the message seems to be it will be dictated by the constraints imposed by the pandemic rather than our choices and preferences. But it is the right occasion now to look more closely at what the new normal could be. How about making it a new better normal?; by starting on the task of making it happen in the way society is organized and the way people will work to be more society-centric, more justice and moral.
A new better normal is not something unrealistic. A social-caring phenomenon is happening in the society now. Community pantries of sharing with the sign wrote ‘Please feel free to take anything you need, and leave anything you can share’ are set up in many places to help virus-hit needy. It is not clear exactly when the first community pantry of sharing appeared in Thailand. The idea has been seen in other countries, including the United Kingdom, as a way to help people who have lost their income to feed their families during this difficult period. Buddhist monasteries also play a part offering help to people left in need by the #Coronavirus #pandemic.
Looking back into Thailand itself, the country is currently easing its #lockdown restrictions and appears to be on the path to recovery. The gradual opening up is likely to uplift the national mood. The task at hand for the Thai government is to address the social and economic ramifications of the pandemic, and win over the confidence of its people as the world progresses through the crisis.
Unfortunately, an anticipating new normal awaits us after #COVID-19 victory is we are heading for a faceless future as masks will become the norm and that produces a big security concern.
Meanwhile, the thought of a vaccine brings hope but now it is in the laboratory experiment, yes, finally we will found the cure but there are two facts, one, the #vaccine will not end the outbreak; two, the production capability of the vaccine is limited by raw materials used in the manufacturing process like glass tubes and syringes for injection. Syringes are the most critical supply as the #vaccine cannot be taken orally. At this moment, many nations’ governments believe a resurgence of infections is certain, so the recommendation is preparing to live with the virus like we live with other infectious diseases for the time being.
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