Itna toh Karo Na

A close friend called me up and said "Why have you been silent about what is happening today? What is your 'God' doing to us and why?" She was obviously letting out her frustration about being homebound. I had a long chat with her about the lessons the virus has come to teach mankind who has refused to listen otherwise to all sane and saintly suggestions for course correction. May I share a few points of that call in brief. 

1. It seems that the virus originated from a human who ate a bat. So lesson one was that we have wrongly interpreted that the entire life on the earth is just for our consumption and joy. We have abused the concept of co-existence and 'live and let live' to a point of fault. 

2. Mankind (should we really use the word kind with a man) was under an illusion that it can conquer nature (Prakruti) and then abuse it for his own insatiable thirst for materialism in which there was a mad race in all fields of life and living. The virus made us realise that all our scientific, technological advancement, nuclear powers enough to destroy the entire world in a few seconds could be brought to their knees by a microscopic being. We are like a small ant carrying a little grain and followed by hundreds of ants running blindly not realizing that just a small step of a person walking is enough to crush many of them in an instant. 

3. We refused to listen to all pleads to slow down, chill, de-stress on our own. The virus compelled us to do just that helplessly through social distancing. All our joys were sourced in 'touch'. We were told now to keep a safe distance of atleast 6 feet while talking and meeting. Remaining active all the time is not the solution. Sometimes doing nothing and spending some quality time with ourselves was necessary. Sit at home (go within, not outside) was something we never thought of doing, not ever realizing that all our solutions were within us only, not running blindly outside. Instead of feeling fearful, anxious, helpless, bound, frustrated which only lowers our consciousness and vibrational frequency making us more susceptible, we need to sit with ourself and realize the truth that nothing is really in our control beyond a point, but it is totally in control of the Lord, God, Divinity, Consciousness, Supreme Power, Ordainer, or by whatever name we choose to recognise it, which resides right within us and everywhere else too in every cell of the universe, including in the virus. The Lord will lose His "omnipresence" if we can't see it in the virus, and the Lord will lose His "competence" if we feel that He cannot control the vitality of the virus. All we need to do is to surrender in humility, have unwavering faith (to dispel the fear), pray for the wellbeing of all beings, say sorry for all our trespasses, and seek His grace. Our Savitri and yoga teacher Ms. Sanjana often tells us quoting the Mother of Pondicherry, "If we take everything that happens as Her Grace, it will indeed become Her Grace." The virus has come to teach us some bitter Truths which will lead to our ultimate growth. Once its purpose is served, it will vanish surely. We must learn, be humble, take precautions, and surrender, saying just 1 potent line of Hanuman Chalisa, "Tum Rakshak Phir Kaheko Darrna." The corona seems to tell us - 'Itna toh Koro Na."

My friend kept the phone suddenly, and confessed later how she sobbed profusely for some time that night... Take Care.