What Do Buddhas and Bodhisattvas Do When They Encounter Disasters?

When the Buddha faced King Virūḍhaka leading his army to exterminate the Śākya clan, what did He do?

This time, we Buddhists encountered the disaster of viral infection. Although we did not, like medical personnel, go out to treat the sick and save lives and kill the virus, we used the methods unique to Buddhism for delivering sentient beings—for example, dedicating the merit of reciting sutras, reciting the Buddha's name, and studying the Dharma—to help bring the pandemic to an end as soon as possible. In this way we made our due contribution to the nation and, to a certain extent, delivered sentient beings. Just how great this extent is, it is not convenient to say right now; we can only say that the effect of this dedication of merit (pariṇāmanā) is not small. Now, the merit of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas is immeasurable. When they encounter natural disasters and human calamities, do they not have many, many skillful and expedient means to resolve sentient beings' disasters—means that do not require killing living beings and forming evil karmic bonds with them—so that all disasters can be dissolved?

When sentient beings lack sufficient merit and wisdom, the only solutions to disaster they can think of are killing and hostility; they cannot conceive of a better way to resolve it. When merit and wisdom are sufficient, a single thought can dissolve a disaster. Therefore, as soon as sentient beings encounter a disaster, they naturally think of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, because the wisdom of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas is lofty and vast, and they can resolve these problems without the slightest effort.

So each of us must still diligently cultivate. Only cultivation is the true principle; without cultivation, one can never avoid creating evil karma and then suffering its evil retribution.