Today, almost everyone may have aversion to the word, "lockdown,"
simply because we associate it with the loss of our freedom as we are enclosed within our own four walls. But purely from a Buddhist perspective, as long as we are internally free from negative emotions, then the environment in which we find ourselves makes little difference. On the other hand, if we fall under the control of negative emotions, then even if we lived in a castle, we would still find things to be dissatisfied about. Therefore, our mind is the main factor when it comes to our happiness and suffering, and if we face the current situation rationally and accept that we may be here for some time, then we will be able to relax and settle happily. It is an important skill to learn to go with the flow, rather than fighting what is or resisting each new thing we encounter in life. As the Kadampa masters advised, we should regard ourselves as guests stopping over in the guesthouse of this body. We only have this precious human life for a short time, so we should make the most of it by cultivating positive mental qualities, happiness, and most importantly, sharing happiness with others. This is where the purpose of life lies.