user19578: According to the theory of karma,an individual receives the punishment for one's past deeds.
Now my question is the whole world is going through a massive unprecedented time,not only corona but severe issues already took place this year,which clearly bore the same effect on every person,does that mean the whole mankind is being punished for their past deeds?
If so why don't these pandemics persist eventually?
Why only after a certain period of time?

user151: There isn't any punishment or reward there is just cause and effect. There is no society and there is no pandemic in a karmic sense. Reality doesn't admit of those things at a moment by moment experiential level where karma works. Remember, this moment by moment experiential reality stuff is really important.

user16635: We shouldn't really think of karma as 'punishment' or 'retribution'; karma isn't a moral force. If a man throws a boomerang and the boomerang swings back around and hits him, he isn't being punished for throwing the boomerang. Getting hit and feeling pain was just a natural consequence of the way he threw the boomerang. If he is practicing dharma, he will either not throw the boomerang or throw it more judiciously; if he is not, then karma will occassionaly wing it back at him.
When we think about large-scale disasters (pandemics, plagues, earthquakes, wildfires, monsoons, climate change...) the karmic view on this isn't that we are being collectively punished for some wrongdoing, but that we are feeling the consequences of our lack of attention and perspective. If we build a city in an earthquake zone, we should build buildings that withstand earthquakes. If we build a global economy with quick and easy movement around the globe, we should concern ourselves with the health and welfare of everyone. If we don't act with (dharmic) conscious awareness, then the natural (karmic) order of the world will assert itself.
Illness and death are an aspect of being alive, but we want to find that middle path between obstinately rejecting their existence and cynically shrugging our shoulders.

user13709: Pandemics are enabled by random genetic mutation and opportunities for infection. People like to be close and travel. Viruses like new hosts nearby. People are yummy. COVID is hungry.
Punishment implies "suffering from past deeds". There really isn't a "Punisher" passing judgement over us in Buddhism. In Buddhism the consequences of a deed relate to intention. The intention itself generates suffering. If one intends to walk while looking at a phone, one may soon encounter suffering. Suffering arises from unskillful deeds. In Buddhism, ethics are a guide for skillful qualities. Ethics lead us away from unskillful qualities bound to greed, hate and delusion.
So another way to rephrase your question might be, "What unskillful qualities would create pandemic suffering?"  The Buddha doesn't mention anything about travel or closeness in the forty-four ethical considerations of MN8. However, we do see that:
Denying the existence of the virus falls under:

MN8:12.41: ‘Others will be uneducated, but here we will be well educated.’


MN8:12.9: ‘Others will talk nonsense, but here we will not talk nonsense.’


MN8:12.45: ‘Others will be attached to their own views, holding them tight, and refusing to let go, but here we will not be attached to our own views, not holding them tight, but will let them go easily.’

And that going to crowded places such as bars falls under:

MN8:12.37: ‘Others will be negligent, but here we will be diligent.’


MN8:12.40: ‘Others will be imprudent, but here we will be prudent.’

And that coughing on others without a mask for COVID falls under:

MN8:12.39: ‘Others will be conscienceless, but here we will have a sense of conscience.’


MN8:12.43: ‘Others will be unmindful, but here we will be mindful.’


MN8:12.44: ‘Others will be witless, but here we will be accomplished in wisdom.’

Disease affects all beings. Indeed, bananas are also being threatened by their own virus. Are bananas being punished for their deeds? I find it hard to think that way. It makes little sense to me. So it would be odd to think of the pandemic as the punishment for "past evil deeds".
But the difference between people and bananas is that people can choose to be ethical. And in that skillful choice, suffering will decrease.

19578: <p>According to the theory of karma,an individual receives the punishment for one's past deeds.</p>
<p>Now my question is the whole world is going through a massive unprecedented time,not only corona but severe issues already took place this year,which clearly bore the same effect on every person,does that mean the whole mankind is being punished for their past deeds?</p>
<p>If so why don't these pandemics persist eventually?<br />
Why only after a certain period of time?</p>
 151: <p>There isn't any punishment or reward there is just cause and effect. There is no society and there is no pandemic in a karmic sense. Reality doesn't admit of those things at a moment by moment experiential level where karma works. Remember, this moment by moment experiential reality stuff is really important.</p>
 16635: <p>We shouldn't really think of karma as 'punishment' or 'retribution'; karma isn't a moral force. If a man throws a boomerang and the boomerang swings back around and hits him, he isn't being <em>punished</em> for throwing the boomerang. Getting hit and feeling pain was just a natural consequence of the way he threw the boomerang. If he is practicing dharma, he will either not throw the boomerang or throw it more judiciously; if he is not, then karma will occassionaly wing it back at him.</p>
<p>When we think about large-scale disasters (pandemics, plagues, earthquakes, wildfires, monsoons, climate change...) the karmic view on this isn't that we are being collectively punished for some wrongdoing, but that we are feeling the consequences of our lack of attention and perspective. If we build a city in an earthquake zone, we should build buildings that withstand earthquakes. If we build a global economy with quick and easy movement around the globe, we should concern ourselves with the health and welfare of everyone. If we don't act with (dharmic) conscious awareness, then the natural (karmic) order of the world will assert itself.</p>
<p>Illness and death are an aspect of being alive, but we want to find that middle path between obstinately rejecting their existence and cynically shrugging our shoulders.</p>
 13709: <p>Pandemics are enabled by random genetic mutation and opportunities for infection. People like to be close and travel. Viruses like new hosts nearby. People are yummy. COVID is hungry.</p>
<p>Punishment implies &quot;suffering from past deeds&quot;. There really isn't a &quot;Punisher&quot; passing judgement over us in Buddhism. In Buddhism the consequences of a deed relate to <em>intention</em>. The intention itself generates suffering. If one intends to walk while looking at a phone, one may soon encounter suffering. Suffering arises from unskillful deeds. In Buddhism, ethics are a guide for skillful qualities. Ethics lead us away from unskillful qualities bound to greed, hate and delusion.</p>
<p>So another way to rephrase your question might be, &quot;What unskillful qualities would create pandemic suffering?&quot;  The Buddha doesn't mention anything about travel or closeness in the forty-four ethical considerations of MN8. However, we do see that:</p>
<p>Denying the existence of the virus falls under:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://suttacentral.net/mn8/en/sujato#mn8:12.41" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MN8:12.41</a>: ‘Others will be uneducated, but here we will be well educated.’</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://suttacentral.net/mn8/en/sujato#mn8:12.9" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MN8:12.9</a>: ‘Others will talk nonsense, but here we will not talk nonsense.’</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://suttacentral.net/mn8/en/sujato#mn8:12.45" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MN8:12.45</a>: ‘Others will be attached to their own views, holding them tight, and refusing to let go, but here we will not be attached to our own views, not holding them tight, but will let them go easily.’</p>
</blockquote>
<p>And that going to crowded places such as bars falls under:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://suttacentral.net/mn8/en/sujato#mn8:12.37" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MN8:12.37</a>: ‘Others will be negligent, but here we will be diligent.’</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://suttacentral.net/mn8/en/sujato#mn8:12.40" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MN8:12.40</a>: ‘Others will be imprudent, but here we will be prudent.’</p>
</blockquote>
<p>And that coughing on others without a mask for COVID falls under:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://suttacentral.net/mn8/en/sujato#mn8:12.39" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MN8:12.39</a>: ‘Others will be conscienceless, but here we will have a sense of conscience.’</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://suttacentral.net/mn8/en/sujato#mn8:12.43" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MN8:12.43</a>: ‘Others will be unmindful, but here we will be mindful.’</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://suttacentral.net/mn8/en/sujato#mn8:12.44" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MN8:12.44</a>: ‘Others will be witless, but here we will be accomplished in wisdom.’</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Disease affects all beings. Indeed, bananas are also being threatened by <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1005197" rel="nofollow noreferrer">their own virus</a>. Are bananas being punished for their deeds? I find it hard to think that way. It makes little sense to me. So it would be odd to think of the pandemic as the punishment for &quot;past evil deeds&quot;.</p>
<p>But the difference between people and bananas is that people can choose to be ethical. And in that skillful choice, suffering will decrease.</p>
