Hari Aum.
In the past couple of weeks, like many people, I have been closely following the current coronavirus pandemic (causing the illness, Covid 19)-- as it has now made its way in a major way into the country where I live. The healthcare system will soon be overwhelmed and the government is already putting out an SOS call for even retired doctors and nurses to return to work (and many of them are doing so).
I am currently on maternity leave and was intending to return to work in late-June when my daughter will be almost a year old. If the crisis deepens and more doctors are desperately needed, I will have to try and find a way of returning to work sooner. Since there will be no childcare for my daughter before June (my local nurseries with spaces only accept children who are twelve months or older), I will have to consider working evenings/weekends in the emergency services (normal working hours will be difficult as my husband works full-time and I will need to look after my daughter when he is working). The entire healthcare set-up here is changing day-by-day to deal with this Covid crisis; my doctor friends are advising me to wait until the working arrangements are clearer before returning to work. Let us see. I need to find a way to balance my responsibilities towards my daughter and towards the public.
There is so much uncertainty-- it is extraordinary. Doctors and nurses here and around the world are getting the Covid 19 infection and ending up on ventilators themselves, fighting for their lives. Some are dying. A dead doctor cannot help anyone-- yet the local politicians have not yet bothered to arrange proper protective gear for us. Even with the protective gear, medics have a much higher risk of infection as we are exposed to hundreds of patients with Covid 19 every day. I feel saddened and angry hearing of my colleagues in the healthcare service who are dying due to the lack of planning by politicians. This is a war on a virus. Doctors and nurses are key soldiers in the army. Would we send soldiers to a war without bullet-proof vests? Weapons (vaccinations and drugs) are yet to be found--though research is underway. But protective gear exists (even though it is not perfect); why can't politicians and businesses work quickly together to provide this gear to medics who are risking their lives to help others? Every day this is delayed is costing lives. It is appalling.
In the middle of this, some people are in denial. They wander hither and thither spreading the infection. Such selfish behaviour at such a time is mind-boggling.
We should all take steps to reduce the chances of catching and spreading the infection. We must act responsibly. A war requires the whole country and every person to act rightly.
As spiritual aspirants, we have one further duty. That duty is to pray. To pray for the welfare of those who are suffering, for those who are on ventilators, for those who are dying alone in hospitals (relatives are often not allowed near Covid 19 patients dying in intensive care due to safety concerns and government restrictions). We have a duty to pray for the relatives who are weeping after their loved ones have died, for the children without parents, for everyone who is suffering. Many tears are being shed already, and many more will be shed in the coming months. Perhaps we will ourselves weep for our loved ones, perhaps our loved ones will weep for us. Who knows? Only God knows what will happen here.
The name of God is a powerful tool. My Guru, Sivananda, lived through the last pandemic, that was called the Spanish flu (mistakenly called this, as it did not start in Spain and affected the whole world, not just Spain). At least fifty million people died in that pandemic (of all ages) which lasted from 1918-1920. (By the way, the current pandemic is leading to lots of younger people even in their 20s and 30s ending up on ventilators fighting for their lives, not just older ones-- everyone needs to be careful).
My Guru was working as a doctor in Malaysia at the time (this is before he became a monk and attained realisation). He would have had to watch helplessly as countless patients around him died. Right now, doctors in Italy and around the world are experiencing great stress due to this pandemic. We are not robots. We feel the pain of our patients and their weeping relatives. It is not easy to decide who to give the ventilator to and who not to give a chance-- these choices have to be made due to limited resources, but they are very difficult and painful. My Guru would also have shed many tears seeing his patients die in great numbers.
Some of his disciples said he was living as a householder at the time, and that his own wife and child died in the pandemic--I don't know if this is true as apparently he never discussed anything with his disciples that was not directly relevant to their spiritual lives (and discussing his past would probably not have been relevant). In any case, three years after the pandemic was over, my Guru gave up his medical career and took up monastic life. After attaining realisation through mantra japa and selfless service for over a decade, he again took up his stethoscope (when he established the charitable hospital at his ashram in Rishikesh).
My Guru understood the need for the stethoscope (modern medicine) but he also understood the healing power of the name of God. He advised 'Divine Namapathy' as he called it for health problems. He said the name of God is the most powerful healer and gives people the strength to bear the most difficult of conditions.
He used both the japa mala (the name of God) and the stethoscope (modern medicine) to help people. Just because we cannot immediately see the effect of chanting the mantra of God does not mean it does not have an effect. Everything has an effect. When people take an antibiotic tablet to cure their tonsillitis, they usually do not know how it works-- but it works. Same thing with japa-- we do not know how it works, but it works.
Let us take every practical step to protect ourselves and others during this pandemic by following medical and government advice. At the same time, let us commit to daily recitation of any mantra of God that we like for the welfare of all. This is an important thing that we can do. Every one of us who does japa for the welfare of humanity today is helpful. Each one of us can be of help here, even if we do not have a medical degree, or if we have not yet attained realisation.
Let us do it together. Whatever we can commit, let us do it.
On a different note, I had stopped my Devi sadhana when I started the fifth purascharana this month earlier than intended (the Devi sadhana was supposed to have been done before starting this purascharana). Anyway, last night I had a dream of Devi in the form of a young girl-- I remember feeling joyful after She appeared in the dream; I had the feeling that this was auspicious.
Chaitra navaratri starts in two days on March 25. This is a good time to worship the Divine Mother. After seeing Her in the dream, I feel that I would like to do some worship of Her during this time-- will recite the Saptasloki Durga, listen to the Mahishasura Mardini stothram and chant Devi mantras.
Let us invoke our favourite form of the Divine during the coming navaratri and every day to ask God to bless every human being with true devotion to the Divine, with dharma, with peace. Let us also request healing where possible; if not possible due to karma, may God bless those people with a peaceful departure from Earth and give their relatives the strength to bear the loss.
May all beings be blessed by God. Let us pray daily for this.
Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya
Om Sri Durgayai Namah
Om Namo Narayanaya.
Hari Aum Tat Sat
In the past couple of weeks, like many people, I have been closely following the current coronavirus pandemic (causing the illness, Covid 19)-- as it has now made its way in a major way into the country where I live. The healthcare system will soon be overwhelmed and the government is already putting out an SOS call for even retired doctors and nurses to return to work (and many of them are doing so).
I am currently on maternity leave and was intending to return to work in late-June when my daughter will be almost a year old. If the crisis deepens and more doctors are desperately needed, I will have to try and find a way of returning to work sooner. Since there will be no childcare for my daughter before June (my local nurseries with spaces only accept children who are twelve months or older), I will have to consider working evenings/weekends in the emergency services (normal working hours will be difficult as my husband works full-time and I will need to look after my daughter when he is working). The entire healthcare set-up here is changing day-by-day to deal with this Covid crisis; my doctor friends are advising me to wait until the working arrangements are clearer before returning to work. Let us see. I need to find a way to balance my responsibilities towards my daughter and towards the public.
There is so much uncertainty-- it is extraordinary. Doctors and nurses here and around the world are getting the Covid 19 infection and ending up on ventilators themselves, fighting for their lives. Some are dying. A dead doctor cannot help anyone-- yet the local politicians have not yet bothered to arrange proper protective gear for us. Even with the protective gear, medics have a much higher risk of infection as we are exposed to hundreds of patients with Covid 19 every day. I feel saddened and angry hearing of my colleagues in the healthcare service who are dying due to the lack of planning by politicians. This is a war on a virus. Doctors and nurses are key soldiers in the army. Would we send soldiers to a war without bullet-proof vests? Weapons (vaccinations and drugs) are yet to be found--though research is underway. But protective gear exists (even though it is not perfect); why can't politicians and businesses work quickly together to provide this gear to medics who are risking their lives to help others? Every day this is delayed is costing lives. It is appalling.
In the middle of this, some people are in denial. They wander hither and thither spreading the infection. Such selfish behaviour at such a time is mind-boggling.
We should all take steps to reduce the chances of catching and spreading the infection. We must act responsibly. A war requires the whole country and every person to act rightly.
As spiritual aspirants, we have one further duty. That duty is to pray. To pray for the welfare of those who are suffering, for those who are on ventilators, for those who are dying alone in hospitals (relatives are often not allowed near Covid 19 patients dying in intensive care due to safety concerns and government restrictions). We have a duty to pray for the relatives who are weeping after their loved ones have died, for the children without parents, for everyone who is suffering. Many tears are being shed already, and many more will be shed in the coming months. Perhaps we will ourselves weep for our loved ones, perhaps our loved ones will weep for us. Who knows? Only God knows what will happen here.
The name of God is a powerful tool. My Guru, Sivananda, lived through the last pandemic, that was called the Spanish flu (mistakenly called this, as it did not start in Spain and affected the whole world, not just Spain). At least fifty million people died in that pandemic (of all ages) which lasted from 1918-1920. (By the way, the current pandemic is leading to lots of younger people even in their 20s and 30s ending up on ventilators fighting for their lives, not just older ones-- everyone needs to be careful).
My Guru was working as a doctor in Malaysia at the time (this is before he became a monk and attained realisation). He would have had to watch helplessly as countless patients around him died. Right now, doctors in Italy and around the world are experiencing great stress due to this pandemic. We are not robots. We feel the pain of our patients and their weeping relatives. It is not easy to decide who to give the ventilator to and who not to give a chance-- these choices have to be made due to limited resources, but they are very difficult and painful. My Guru would also have shed many tears seeing his patients die in great numbers.
Some of his disciples said he was living as a householder at the time, and that his own wife and child died in the pandemic--I don't know if this is true as apparently he never discussed anything with his disciples that was not directly relevant to their spiritual lives (and discussing his past would probably not have been relevant). In any case, three years after the pandemic was over, my Guru gave up his medical career and took up monastic life. After attaining realisation through mantra japa and selfless service for over a decade, he again took up his stethoscope (when he established the charitable hospital at his ashram in Rishikesh).
My Guru understood the need for the stethoscope (modern medicine) but he also understood the healing power of the name of God. He advised 'Divine Namapathy' as he called it for health problems. He said the name of God is the most powerful healer and gives people the strength to bear the most difficult of conditions.
He used both the japa mala (the name of God) and the stethoscope (modern medicine) to help people. Just because we cannot immediately see the effect of chanting the mantra of God does not mean it does not have an effect. Everything has an effect. When people take an antibiotic tablet to cure their tonsillitis, they usually do not know how it works-- but it works. Same thing with japa-- we do not know how it works, but it works.
Let us take every practical step to protect ourselves and others during this pandemic by following medical and government advice. At the same time, let us commit to daily recitation of any mantra of God that we like for the welfare of all. This is an important thing that we can do. Every one of us who does japa for the welfare of humanity today is helpful. Each one of us can be of help here, even if we do not have a medical degree, or if we have not yet attained realisation.
Let us do it together. Whatever we can commit, let us do it.
On a different note, I had stopped my Devi sadhana when I started the fifth purascharana this month earlier than intended (the Devi sadhana was supposed to have been done before starting this purascharana). Anyway, last night I had a dream of Devi in the form of a young girl-- I remember feeling joyful after She appeared in the dream; I had the feeling that this was auspicious.
Chaitra navaratri starts in two days on March 25. This is a good time to worship the Divine Mother. After seeing Her in the dream, I feel that I would like to do some worship of Her during this time-- will recite the Saptasloki Durga, listen to the Mahishasura Mardini stothram and chant Devi mantras.
Let us invoke our favourite form of the Divine during the coming navaratri and every day to ask God to bless every human being with true devotion to the Divine, with dharma, with peace. Let us also request healing where possible; if not possible due to karma, may God bless those people with a peaceful departure from Earth and give their relatives the strength to bear the loss.
May all beings be blessed by God. Let us pray daily for this.
Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya
Om Sri Durgayai Namah
Om Namo Narayanaya.
Hari Aum Tat Sat
Beautifully written.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words.
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