Wise Response to Crisis

In March 2020 the world was under the grip of COVID-19 a highly infectious respiratory disease. It was caused by a newly discovered species of Corona virus. This disease was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, the capital of China's  Hubei  province.

By the end of Apr 2020, there were 3 million confirmed Corona virus cases in 180 countries resulting in over 250,000 deaths. With the increasing number of deaths all over the world, this pandemic became a cause of fear, stress and anxiety amongst the population at large. 

Main Points in the article

• COVID-19 and Fear of Death
• Spiritual Perspective on Death
• Karma and Predetermined Events
• Scriptural Examples and Teachings
• Practical Application During Pandemic
• Wise Response to Crisis
• Conclusion: Eternal Perspective

COVID-19 and Fear of Death

Our scriptures identify “fear of death” as abhinivesh one of Panchklesh that torment the living beings. The root cause of this fear is our ignorance and inability to recognize the real self. The real "I" is the jeev (soul). The jeev is given this priceless human form with the sole objective of performing actions that’ll take the soul to its rightful home – God, the personified form of bliss.

Upanishads proclaim that

आनंद एवाधस्तात् आनंद उपरिष्टात् आनंद: पुरस्तात् आनंद: पश्चात्
आनंद उत्तरतः आनंदो दक्षिणतः आनंद एवेद्ॅसर्वम्॥
छांदोग्योपनिष्द​
ānaṁda ēvādhastāt ānaṁda upariṣṭāt ānaṁda: purastāt ānaṁda: paścāt
ānaṁda uttarataḥ ānaṁdō dakṣiṇataḥ ānaṁda ēvēdॅsarvam॥
chāṁdōgyōpaniṣda​

“Bliss is above Him, below Him, in front of Him, behind Him, to His left, to His right, all around Him is bliss”

The attainment of this bliss is the ultimate aim of life of every human being. However due to ignorance, instead of knowing and realizing “I” as the soul, we consider the material body as the real “I”.

Spiritual Perspective on Death

If this misconception gets permanently removed, we will realize that “I” am eternal and unborn and being never born, I will never die. So the notion of death would become a moot point (see Overcome Fear of Death).

The body is transient and ever changing whereas the soul never changes and is immortal.

As Bhagavan-Shri Krishna says in the Gita –

वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय नवानि गृह्णाति नरोऽपराणि \|तथा शरीराणि विहाय जीर्णा न्यन्यानि संयाति नवानि देही || 2.22
vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya navāni gr̥hṇāti narō'parāṇi
tathā śarīrāṇi vihāya jīrṇā nyanyāni saṁyāti navāni dēhī 2.22

When garments become old and get torn, we discard them in lieu of new ones, but in this process we do not change ourselves in any way. Similarly, the soul remains unchanged, when it discards its worn-out body and takes birth in a new one elsewhere.”

न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचि नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूय: |अजो नित्य: शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे || 2.20
na jāyatē mriyatē vā kadāci nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūya: |ajō nitya: śāśvatō'yaṁ purāṇō na hanyatē hanyamānē śarīrē | 2.20

“The soul is neither born, nor it ever dies; nor having once existed, does it cease to be. The soul is without birth, eternal, immortal, and ageless. It exists even when the body is destroyed.” |

Shri Krishna preaching Gita to Arjun in the battle field of Kurukshetra before the Mahabharata war

These lines of Gita assert, although the body is transient yet the soul is eternal.

नैनं छिन्दन्ति शस्त्राणि नैनं दहति पावक: |
न चैनं क्लेदयन्त्यापो न शोषयति मारुत: || 2.23
nainaṁ chindanti śastrāṇi nainaṁ dahati pāvaka: |
na cainaṁ klēdayantyāpō na śōṣayati māruta: || 2.23

“Weapons cannot pierce the soul, nor can fire burn it. Water cannot wet it, nor can the wind dry it. ”

Karma and Predetermined Events

Hitopadesh says:

आयुः कर्म च वित्तं च विद्या निधनमेव च। पंचैत्यान्यपि सृज्यन्ते गर्भस्थस्यैव देहिनः ॥
हितोपदेश
āyuḥ karma ca vittaṁ ca vidyā nidhanamēva ca। paṁcaityānyapi sr̥jyantē garbhasthasyaiva dēhinaḥ ॥
hitōpadēśa

“Five things are predestined – age, profession, wealth, education and mode of dying.”

This statement says that the time of death is predetermined. So, when the time comes to leave this body nobody can save us from death and when it's not our time nothing and nobody can kill us. Even Corona virus cannot harm us!

You might have witnessed that two patients suffering from the same disease, being treated by the same doctor, being administered the same medicine react differently to the treatment, with one patient making a full recovery while the other dying. In current times too, it is seen that of all those who have been exposed to Corona virus, some die, some end up in hospitals on ventilators whereas some are just asymptomatic carriers. And many are somewhere in the middle of the spectrum.

Why is that so? 

Karma and Predetermined Events

The scripture reveals that all these health situations happen due to 3 reasons -

• health issues due to environmental conditions
• health issues caused by your own careless habits
• health issues resulting from our actions from our past lives.

Before the war of Mahabharata broke out, Shri Krishna knew who all would die during the war. He told this to Arjun before the commencement of the war. This means that the body is perishable, would die at its predetermined time and God knows when that time will come.

We, with our finite knowledge, can not ascertain the real reason behind our health issues. That is why we need to exercise precaution and also treat the diseases. In present times as per the collective opinion of the medical experts,  social-distancing is the best precaution to avoid contracting the virus. We need to follow the intent behind the rules imposed by the government and stay at home to limit exposure to others. Also, we ought to observe hygienic practices like washing hands, wearing masks and using gloves. And eating food that promotes health and enhances our immunity. By exercising these precautions we avoid bearing the consequences of carelessness (दोषज​).

Scriptural Examples and Teachings

During Mahabharata Arjuna's arrows were the cause of deaths of thousands of warriors. Lord Krishna said to Arjun,“(though they are destined to die) be ready to get the credit for killing those who are treading on the path of unrighteousness”. In the current situation Corona virus is getting to be the cause of death of those whose time has come. The inevitable is happening. 

Arjun also says in Gita 

यथा नदीनां बहवोऽम्बुवेगा: समुद्रमेवाभिमुखा द्रवन्ति |
तथा तवामी नरलोकवीरा विशन्ति वक्त्राण्यभिविज्वलन्ति || 11.28
yathā nadīnāṁ bahavō'mbuvēgā: samudramēvābhimukhā dravanti |
tathā tavāmī naralōkavīrā viśanti vaktrāṇyabhivijvalanti || 11.28

“As several rivers run into the ocean, so are all these great warriors entering into your blazing mouth.”

Practical Application During Crisis

Hence, whether it is Corona virus or anything else, a wise person ought not to be worried or scared. The apprehension about the possibility of death increases your anxiety (see Loneliness Depression Etc) which is of no benefit for us in anyway.

Rather, when we are aware of an increased possibility of death oncoming, as in the present times, we should focus of doing something which averts (or minimize ) the problem and will secure a safe future. Instead of being worried about out-of-control aspects of a situation, choose to be proactive about finding an authentic way to achieve a permanent solution.

Wouldn't that be wise?

Read Further Crisis-Part-2