How to understand a Cruel Monk's Anger and Purpose?

About the Cruel Monk

Cruel Monk is my way of imagining about the Corona virus. Except for the proverbial "goodness",the little creature has the characteristics of a monk. In that, the Corona virus is calm and invisible, but has visible and fearsome effects on humans. Just like monk, who sits in meditation, and is focussed on the commune with the Divine, the virus also is strongly focussed on achieving its purpose! Yes the illness, with its huge infectiveness and also other teachings!

Read on to know more!

Brief information about The Cruel Monk- The Corona Virus !

Firstly, the highly infectious strain of Corona virus supposedly originated in the wet markets of Wuhan in China. 

A shrimp seller became the first to be infected and was responsible for the large scale infections in Wuhan, China, though she surfaced into headlines much later. People travelled and the virus went world-wide, destroying lives and livelihoods of thousands of people. The world came to a grinding halt. Offices, schools, government offices, parliaments closed doors to check the spread, malls, theaters, parks, religious places, beaches were closed, railways and air-traffic became lesser. Roads became haven for animals and birds to freely move….Many people became sick ,were quarantined and many recovered and many died.

The phenomenon called the Corona Virus

On a close watch, I guess the COVID-19 virus was not just an automatic phenomenon! By observing what is going on around, some very unbelievable and interesting reasons emerge for its appearance.

It emerges that human- environment interaction problems are the main reason. We supposed, we have rights and dominion over everything and started destroying nature in many and numerous ways just to satisfy our greed, selfishness and arrogance! As per the dictates of commonsense, anyone having power and control should also be someone who protects the voiceless. But we disobeyed and twisted the law and started suffocating our environment. And came up with laws to classify and prove what kind of (damaging)acts were legitimate. But deep within us, our soul screamed and we calmly ignored the scream and went about planning the deluge- The pandemic of immense scope and destructibility!

The resultant pollution was just an ally to the functions of the virus, aiding in the rapid and super fast spread of the illness. Most cases were very critical of whom many died and the rest did recover. Fatalities, is what I am curious to learn about, first thing in the morning! Cases are mounting without any good and hopeful news from anywhere. Countries which showed recoveries and zero new cases are witnessing resurgence, which is scary! So what about the efficacy of vaccines if the pandemic resurfaces and people who recovered show relapses?

Studies are on to understand this deadly virus, but its only a matter of hope that they are not biased or masterminded from any quarters!

Clearly an agent of change was required to bring things to clarity and acceptance,without a choice!

The agent came in form of COVID-19, a virus belonging to the family of Corona Virus.

This so-called sneaky and vicious virus has KPAs, a strong focus and an unflinching purpose. ...Hence I named it,the Cruel Monk! It has been tasked with setting things in order anyway which! That’s why its progress is, un-relentless, unapologetic and highly destructive.

 Key Performance points for COVID-19.

Crocodile...A good example of Corona Virus KPAs

•        Cause problems with physical closeness.
•        Teach about change of habits e.g. methods to catch your sneeze or cough, hand- washing, gargling, cleaning and disinfecting surfaces.
•        Make people fall in line, without any compromise. Be an equaliser!
•         You can design any threat depending on situation on ground.
•        Reduce pollution of all kinds. Make people experience what a clean environment is.
•         Reduce overcrowding.
•         Bring about lock downs, curfews and emergencies ,if people are in denial and don’t yield.
•         Re-introduce age old healthy manners of showing hospitality.
•         Make businesses and governments re-think better ways of working.
•         Ultimately, don’t hesitate to kill, destroy, if things get complicated.
•         No relaxing-If they(humans) relax, cause more infections.
•        Ensure levels of infection and become virulent without compassion.
•        Compassion, patience and forgiveness should not feature in your agenda.
•         You will not worry about consequences. It’s not your business! Let them mind it, and use their creativity.
•        Ensure understanding that nature is above man and his powers.
•        Your only purpose is to bring order and discipline across the globe!
•        Be cruel to ensure no human gets away playing games! The purposes above have to be achieved to make mankind understand the ultimate gain!

Everything Halted for Fear of Infection

Could anyone even have thought that a non-human (a representative of Mother Nature, ailing, dying!) has so much power as to wield control over this world and bring the world to a halt, literally?

Offices schools and businesses closed. People disappeared from roads, tourist spots, malls, religious places… a no-unnecessary outings orders coupled with warnings of punishments ensued. Further, children disappeared from street corners. Slowly and gradually, as the fear sank into collective minds of people, even shops shut shutters, businesses closed for indefinite periods, government offices and parliaments closed.

The festivals which came in the intervening period were snuffed out for fear of people passing on virus and causing mass infections. People were all at home, with families, or by themselves, with a lot of time in hand to study, upgrade, work from home. Even parliamentarians had been working from home! Meanwhile governments and businesses realised that a change of approach is required, that the manner of doing business has to change, that priorities have to change, understood and enshrined in company rules, that disaster preparedness is a must-include clause in corporate guidelines documents.

Many businesses are at verge of closure and struggle to find ways to keep afloat. Small businesses are panting for breath and may lose the battle irrecoverably. Big time companies are also thinking of downsizing. So obviously jobs would be lost, another miserable casualty as it was a near pandemic, before the Monk set foot into the world and minds of people!

There is a rush for new vaccines. Newspapers and other social media carry stories of dark secrets regarding the virus, the reason of outbreaks and then the vaccines are all under study and research. End of the day, we understand that this virus is not a natural fall-out of global warming or climate change, though these factors have helped maintain the severe virulence.

The Unmasking

The country behind the fallout, China, has been unmasked and so are its proponents and allies.

The whole game played thus far has over-turned as dark secrets spill out …. Many countries pulled out their companies from China and Japan is strongly leading a way with world’s biggest stimulus package for its companies to leave immediately.

Now many more interesting changes in rankings of countries with respect to becoming the manufacture and supply chain hubs in near future look bright. India and Vietnam are the hot cakes and are readying to fight for the pie!!

Phew! Just within months so many things have changed and will surely the change will remain.

Repurcussions of Change….Monk is successful ,for a bit!

Now coming to habits and customs, they are also finally changing. Suddenly, there is buzz about South Asian customs being the cleanest and the safest!

Fears of being infected by the COVID-19, has made us re-think formal customs and practices. Take for e.g. the handshakes, the hugs, high fives, etc., ranging from formal to friendly and informal gestures of expressing welcome and warmth in official and casual contexts. Presently the South Asian practice of Namaste, is being hailed as most appropriate and safe to convey the same feelings as handshakes. Kudos to homely Indian film heroines who return a request to shake hands with a Namaste! Namaste is done by bringing the palms together, fingers pointed upwards and bring hands before the chest and bowing slightly and smiling. Wow, no touch! Pass!! Indians mostly love this namaste and vouch for the humility, hospitality and the warmth it conveys! Namaste derives from two Sanskrit words, Namah , meaning to bow and Te ,meaning you, conveying "I bow to(the Divine in) you!"                          

Take the Japanese Ojigi… traditional bow and eye contact! No touch, pleasant and graceful way to welcome people!

Social distancing was emphasized so people don't give each other viral pies. People were asked to keep away from each other and to not stand too close. Hence social distancing or staying away from people at crowd level to individual level was encouraged. Its good? Its bad? Both? Yes, both!

Social distancing has also had its flip sides. Many elderly people staying alone, are sad that their kids, friends and relatives do not visit them. Nay, that not visiting a lonely parent, neighbour or friend is an act of love. Change of paradigm…. spearheaded by a virus! But not acceptable!

On other hand, social distancing has really not sunk in in certain places where ignorance garbed as traditions hover, no matter what! Also due to big and fat egos, some foolish people argue about Indians being more immune to illnesses than rest of the world, and so need not heed any announcements for safety and well-being.

Disobey these rules and there is a threat of the lurking virus catching up with you by its deathly embrace! BEWARE!!

Nature merits where humans lost!

Finally, the natural environment? The stray and companion animals? What about them? The Virus has spared them…. reason, they are nature! No animal cross infection has been reported.

The rare instances which have indeed been reported are due to the owner of the animal carrying the infection and passing it on. And even if these animals get infected, they do not cross infect humans. So, animals and humans have to be safe. During such long time home, having pets is a real stress buster as pets express happiness in being around their humans!

On the other hand, stray animals are losers as they depend on mercy and compassion of people and shopkeepers. With shops closed and feeders gone, animal rescuers realized that  hunger would cause aggression in dogs ! So through social media activities, they got the attention of governments and made feeding stray animals a rule, with the policemen being sensitised and asked to allow people to feed dogs.

There are also reports of animals being abandoned in many places for fear of transmitting the virus! Sad!

Outdoors, nature has started reclaiming its place. Trees are bright and green, whatsay with small tender leaves coming out, the air feels fresh and lighter and safe to breath. The pollution has lifted, revealing surprises! Dolphins, cranes, sparrows and even simians have returned to their respective homes, turtles turn out on beaches for laying eggs and hatching. Wild animals stray without fear on roads and highways.

Elsewhere distant Himalayas has been spotted from a place it was not seen from for several years.

People learnt, practically about pollution and have decided to keep nature always clean. More nature protecting initiatives may finally emerge. NATURE TAKING ITS PLACE, can we say? Thanks to the little virus!

 Buzz about importance of plant based diets.

Looking around, there has been buzz about wet markets closing down as the Corona virus was born in a wet market. China also called for people to go vegetarian. Elsewhere in the US, animal activists and vegan proponents are urging governments to close wet markets and slaughterhouses and adopt veganism. People are asking if any illnesses have ever been caused by potatoes, carrots and onions??

This virus is really a blessing, if seen with a positive frame of mind! Many changes which have taken place are positive!

The resurgence of virus in recovered patients in China is a cause of concern. I would only say, they have gone back to wrong ways- the wet markets have apparently re-opened causing anger and backlash from netizens and the world at large! Hence the unforgiving virus has again proved its might!!

Remember:

Nature is more powerful, than we can imagine.

Nature is not a helpless,silent spectator.

She has been warning in many ways each year, resulting in loss of lives and property.

If she is pushed to the edge, she can retaliate in a much more fierce and unforgiving manner to get back what mankind snatched from her.

She is reminding us this fact by the resurgences and relapses in people who recovered.

Bio.

I am a professional Japanese Interpreter and Translator. I have been working with automotive industry.I have also been a psychologist working with many NGOs and small and big hospitals in Chennai.

Though writing has been my passion, I have only recently started writing seriously. I love writing about any topic about which I feel strongly about! I love Japan and so plan to show my respect and awe of the wonders in Japan by writing about them.

I also write about psychological well-being at times.

I read a lot and my favourite topics are veganism, climate change, womens' &child right issues and about elderly engagement, therapy and care.

Hobbies include writing, reading, going for long walks, spending time gardening and with pets.