How to Cope with Loneliness during the COVID-19 Pandemic? Perspectives of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism

The sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has changed people’s long-standing group life, and “less gathering” become a popular slogan during this period. People will probably feel lonely when they are physically, socially, or mentally distanced isolated excluded, usually perceive deficiency in quality quantity their social relationships. Although loneliness is easily conflated with solitude, as an emotion generally regarded negative while solitude can be positive. There various causes effects pandemic, been found to have significant impacts on poorer physical mental health. Religiosity spirituality specifically proven great impact handling pandemic. When regarding belongingness opposite isolation, religious belonging means feeling being “at home” “connected”. In paper, from comparative approach, we attempt investigate how three most prominent traditions East Asia, i.e., Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, help manage loneliness. Due different understandings loneliness, coping strategies for also vary. Through preliminary study “benevolence rites,” “wu-wei freedom,” “mindfulness spiritual realization,” learn ancient wisdom about reduce promote well-being