In the times of a Pandemic
This is certainly the Ides of March.
Is it apocalypse?
A pandemic has swept across the
globe, and afflicted people in every corner. The number of those succumbing to
the pestilence is climbing.
In a globalised world, humans have now to resort to social distancing; isn’t this the ultimate irony? This is the price humanity pays as COVID - 19 has assumed monstrous proportions.
In a globalised world, humans have now to resort to social distancing; isn’t this the ultimate irony? This is the price humanity pays as COVID - 19 has assumed monstrous proportions.
Indians are bracing for a total shut
down today. Shops, work centres, malls, educational institutions,
transportation services will come to a virtual standstill. At 5pm, Indians
would applaud those working in the field of essential services and medicare by
clapping, playing cymbals or banging plates and other crockery.
The deafening crescendo should serve to ward off malefic forces and salute those who brace the risk of contacting COVID-19 at great personal risk so that the rest of us may be safe.
This technique of involving the masses was first employed by the Mahatma during the Civil Disobedience movement. It was an absolute shut down across swathes of the land when Satyagraha, prayer, non-violence and non-cooperation were deployed against fiendish forces represented by the British. The novel method shook the very foundations of the British suzerainty.
These were political stratagems to combat the demonic powers of foreign occupation. Today humans through self imposed home-exile and social-distancing have chanced upon techniques to grapple with this vicious virus which has assumed an octopus-like grip over humanity, even as no vaccine is visible on the horizon.
Wuhan in China is the epicentre of this global pandemic, and the pathogen has spread at lightning speed across the globe.
Interestingly, iconic personalities like Stephen Hawking and Steve Jobs made prognostications that on account of man's rapacious nature, environmental degradation, climate change, nuclear warfare and biological warfare humans would need another planet to inhabit.
Plagues and other epidemics have struck humanity with ferocity in the past as well; the Great Plague in Europe and parts of Central Asia in the 14th century and the small pox epidemic in Mexico in 1520 being two well-known examples.
Man through scientific achievement and advancement overcame the dreaded smallpox which had slayed millions of people.
In these times of adverse conditions for us human beings, nature is finally breathing freely. Reports say that streams in Venice see a large population of dolphins, fish and swans, which had all but vanished. The airport at Tel Aviv witnessed Egyptian birds walk across like airhostesses, baboons in Singapore have been found straddling the streets and seem to obeying the regimented laws of the city state. This ought to teach us to live in a harmony with other species. But this is possible only if humans are not caught in the vortex of self-aggrandisement and acquisition.
The silk-stocking and upmarket individuals necessarily need to eschew their habit of avarice and contribute towards sharing, caring and expressing unalloyed love. The USA may have reduced funding to the WHO, but the super rich across the globe can contribute towards poverty alleviation, medical services, protecting the environment and reducing pollution levels through tempering their wants and desires.
As we slowly begin to operate from the sanctuary of our dwelling places, humans need to differentiate between loneliness and solitude.
Loneliness will make us mental wrecks. We will not be joyous and loving but grumble, and develop antagonistic attitudes.
This loneliness needs to be transfigured and metamorphosed into solitude.
Solitude is a state of becoming antarmukhi; a state of being in harmony with the outer world while looking deep within, in order to suffuse the mind with efficacious thoughts and draw on our inner reservoirs of energy.
Spending time at home, we also need to develop our immune system; this must be given immediate priority. There are solutions aplenty. Eschew white sugar totally. Apparently even one table spoon reduces immunity levels by half. To remain fit one can tend to the greenery in our balconies or garden, do plenty of yoga (what about 108 sets of Suryanamaskars), spot jogging etc. This is the time not to grieve but to pray, fast and meditate. Pranayama and deep breathing techniques help expel toxins from the body and act as immunity boosters.
It is an ideal time to acquire new skills like reading, writing, learning music to elevate our consciousness.
When Sakya Muni Buddha attained enlightenment, he maintained complete silence as he had experienced the quintessential truth. After a week of silence, the angels implored him to share his experiences. “Those who know, they know even without my saying, and those who do not know would not know even if I impart this reality,” was the refrain of Buddha.
However the angels beseeched Buddha to utter a few pearls of wisdom and …
all that Buddha said was to silence the tormented mind.
When the country shuts down today, let us all do some yoga, pranayama and observe the silence. In that silence we will discover the sound of the Universe, the Soham Swarup of this majestic creation and slip into deep meditation and a state of ‘thoughtlessness’.
“Mind without agitation is meditation. Mind in the present moment is meditation. Mind that has no hesitation, no anticipation is meditation. Mind that has come back home, to the source is meditation. Mind that becomes ‘no mind’ is meditation,” says H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
So in the times of this pandemic savour the solitude. Take deep breaths and clear your mind of the shroud of cacophonous fear.
Wherever you are in India, just relax, relax, relax … and discover YOU in the silence.
The deafening crescendo should serve to ward off malefic forces and salute those who brace the risk of contacting COVID-19 at great personal risk so that the rest of us may be safe.
This technique of involving the masses was first employed by the Mahatma during the Civil Disobedience movement. It was an absolute shut down across swathes of the land when Satyagraha, prayer, non-violence and non-cooperation were deployed against fiendish forces represented by the British. The novel method shook the very foundations of the British suzerainty.
These were political stratagems to combat the demonic powers of foreign occupation. Today humans through self imposed home-exile and social-distancing have chanced upon techniques to grapple with this vicious virus which has assumed an octopus-like grip over humanity, even as no vaccine is visible on the horizon.
Wuhan in China is the epicentre of this global pandemic, and the pathogen has spread at lightning speed across the globe.
Interestingly, iconic personalities like Stephen Hawking and Steve Jobs made prognostications that on account of man's rapacious nature, environmental degradation, climate change, nuclear warfare and biological warfare humans would need another planet to inhabit.
Plagues and other epidemics have struck humanity with ferocity in the past as well; the Great Plague in Europe and parts of Central Asia in the 14th century and the small pox epidemic in Mexico in 1520 being two well-known examples.
Man through scientific achievement and advancement overcame the dreaded smallpox which had slayed millions of people.
In these times of adverse conditions for us human beings, nature is finally breathing freely. Reports say that streams in Venice see a large population of dolphins, fish and swans, which had all but vanished. The airport at Tel Aviv witnessed Egyptian birds walk across like airhostesses, baboons in Singapore have been found straddling the streets and seem to obeying the regimented laws of the city state. This ought to teach us to live in a harmony with other species. But this is possible only if humans are not caught in the vortex of self-aggrandisement and acquisition.
The silk-stocking and upmarket individuals necessarily need to eschew their habit of avarice and contribute towards sharing, caring and expressing unalloyed love. The USA may have reduced funding to the WHO, but the super rich across the globe can contribute towards poverty alleviation, medical services, protecting the environment and reducing pollution levels through tempering their wants and desires.
As we slowly begin to operate from the sanctuary of our dwelling places, humans need to differentiate between loneliness and solitude.
Loneliness will make us mental wrecks. We will not be joyous and loving but grumble, and develop antagonistic attitudes.
This loneliness needs to be transfigured and metamorphosed into solitude.
Solitude is a state of becoming antarmukhi; a state of being in harmony with the outer world while looking deep within, in order to suffuse the mind with efficacious thoughts and draw on our inner reservoirs of energy.
Spending time at home, we also need to develop our immune system; this must be given immediate priority. There are solutions aplenty. Eschew white sugar totally. Apparently even one table spoon reduces immunity levels by half. To remain fit one can tend to the greenery in our balconies or garden, do plenty of yoga (what about 108 sets of Suryanamaskars), spot jogging etc. This is the time not to grieve but to pray, fast and meditate. Pranayama and deep breathing techniques help expel toxins from the body and act as immunity boosters.
It is an ideal time to acquire new skills like reading, writing, learning music to elevate our consciousness.
When Sakya Muni Buddha attained enlightenment, he maintained complete silence as he had experienced the quintessential truth. After a week of silence, the angels implored him to share his experiences. “Those who know, they know even without my saying, and those who do not know would not know even if I impart this reality,” was the refrain of Buddha.
However the angels beseeched Buddha to utter a few pearls of wisdom and …
all that Buddha said was to silence the tormented mind.
When the country shuts down today, let us all do some yoga, pranayama and observe the silence. In that silence we will discover the sound of the Universe, the Soham Swarup of this majestic creation and slip into deep meditation and a state of ‘thoughtlessness’.
“Mind without agitation is meditation. Mind in the present moment is meditation. Mind that has no hesitation, no anticipation is meditation. Mind that has come back home, to the source is meditation. Mind that becomes ‘no mind’ is meditation,” says H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
So in the times of this pandemic savour the solitude. Take deep breaths and clear your mind of the shroud of cacophonous fear.
Wherever you are in India, just relax, relax, relax … and discover YOU in the silence.
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