COVID-19 Pandemic - A problem or an opportunity for Self reflection

Ugadi marks the first day of New year as per Lunar calendar. In Indian culture, traditionally we eat Neem balls mixed with jaggery in equal proportions every morning at least for next nine days starting today. This is a testimony to profoundness of this wise and ancient culture that we understand , Bitterness(Neem) is not always Bad, in fact Bitter contains medicinal qualities.

This is to understand that we accept different aspects of life in equal proportions. Always having sweetness in life is not good. Respecting and balancing various forces in nature, including Virus is the key to our existence.

This outlook towards life provides us the opportunity to convert Threshold into a greatest possibility.

This is an opportunity to evolve into a systems thinker that respects all forces of nature and to develop this attitude towards life that Whatever it throws at us, we will live gracefully and with responsibility.

 As of today on March 25th, there are near 5 Lacs active cases and near 20,000 deaths across the world due to COVID-19.

Within 12-28 months time most of the humans on this planet will get hit by this Virus, Only choice we have is whether we go thought it with least possible impact or we make a calamity out of it?

Most significant aspect of this is , we humans are the carriers. This time we cannot blame mosquitoes or rats or other creatures for the spread. Now, as we are the carriers , it becomes very important how we behave and act in such difficult times.

We are called as human beings and not human creatures , because it is expected from us that we should know- ‘How To Be’. Whether we fit to be called as a being or just a creature. We need to inculcate that our actions should only be by choice and not by compulsions like any other creatures.

If you know, HOW TO BE , a simple sense of basic hygiene and not becoming a carrier of this virus would automatically comes to you. At the moment social distancing is the most effective and widely adopted resolve to fight against Corona.

These are really strange and interesting times , when by not doing anything we have the privilege to feel the satisfaction of doing great service to the humanity and the world . How is that !

We must realize , At the moment world is at war of peculiar design where every one is losing and the enemy is invisible. It’s a long haul. This phase will have long term re-percussion into the annals of world History. This will impact almost every aspect of our lives. In such times, act of Inaction becomes the most significant action.

We have a choice that after a year or two as a human generation, whether we proudly say that we rode through this crisis as a responsible and graceful human being or we would be ashamed of ourselves that we didn’t behave responsible enough.

Indian Government has decided to go through this full fledged and therefore, our country is observing a complete lockdown at least for next 21 days to break the contagious chain. This resolve is necessary to make this into a successful process.

Obviously this is very expensive economically in terms of business, livelihood etc. Many problems are there but all these problems are better than being dead. Keeping yourself alive is the most important task at the moment.

This break from our daily chores, responsibilities and duties , we can use to turn inwards. Because I think it’s time to fathom that IN, IS THE ONLY WAY OUT !

This is the time We need to work on our immune system. This is the opportunity to come out of this as better human being.

Turning inwards is to realize that, everything that we have gathered is outward including the world around us, things we possess in our lives like our home, automobiles, cloths , our relationships and even our body is gathered from outside. This also includes the content of our mind that is gathered from outside.

If we can learn to distance between ourselves and what we have gathered from outside, we naturally have turned inward.

if this sense of distance comes, our ability to manage ourselves and what happens withing us will be greatly enhanced to the level to manage bacteria and viruses in accordance with human system.

When mortality is staring at our face , it is the time to realize the fragile nature of our life which is under threat because of a micro organism. This is the time to self reflect and bow down to all the species and forces of nature whether a microbe or a dinosaur and to understand that every creature in the universe is significant.

And that’s where Indian way of living including yoga and meditations and various sadhanas becomes so important.

At the most simplest level , Indian way of greeting people by Namaskaram, is very good in many senses. Not just because of virus, but science is proving that unnecessary physical contact generates loads of memory patterns and bondage within the human system and that makes little things in our lives very difficult and uneasy. Such that what could be a threshold to be a great possibility becomes an obstacle for the life time.

Human population on this planet is the main culprit. We are nice, but we are too many. We have taken deaths into our hands with advanced medical sciences , vaccinations etc. But no one thought of taking birth in our hands too. If we are postponing death, we must also postpone birth as well, this is simple sense.

Please understand , Viruses and bacteria are not new to the world, they always keep on participating in life processes on this planet. It is just that only this particular virus is new to our systems.

Corona Virus does not want to kill us, virus just want to thrive upon us. It is us who die in the process. For the Virus , we humans are their habitat and they want us to live so that they would thrive. Its just that we don’t have necessary antibodies and immune systems to cope up with the expectations of this virus and hence we die.

Virus is not against us. It is just trying to make its life well. Its similar to human activity on this planet.

How humans in search of their well being have destroyed other lives on this planet. We have threatened the life of the planet itself. Of course not with any bad intentions but for our own well being.

Virus is doing the same thing, no more , no less.

Though nature offers opportunity to learn each and every moment, but unfortunately we need a pandemic like COVID-19 to become a source of sense and awareness for us.

Situations is serious , but we do not have to be dead serious. If u become dead serious, you will be dead before u are actually dead. This does not mean to go frivolous , in fact this means to go through this joyfully, responsibly and as a sensible human being.

Let's follow WHO and our respective government’s directives and guidelines to make India and this world a better and safe place to stay.