Buddhist monk Shinsui Kobayashi recently learned the hard way that what’s good for one’s soul during a pandemic may not necessarily be good for one’s body.
Upon hearing in early January that a fellow monk had tested positive for COVID-19, the head priest of Kokunji temple in Fukuoka immediately closed the temple grounds and notified his parishioners, many of whom are elderly and at higher risk of severe illness. He released a statement on Kokunji’s website, contacted the local public health center and hired a cleaning specialist to disinfect the premises. He had also been exposed, however, having chanted sutras alongside his infected colleague several days before.
