Hari Aum.
Most of us have probably had a rather rough eighteen months or so since Covid appeared on the planet. I've had my share of challenges to put it mildly. And, based on my work as a doctor, I know that many others are in the same difficult boat. The impact of Covid on our personal, professional and spiritual lives is enormous.
We are restricted in terms of our freedoms. Our ability to meet people, to travel, to live in a carefree manner is affected in one way or another. Despite the fortunate development of vaccinations, new Covid variants have emerged and these are posing a challenge. We are at a critical time in this pandemic. Our maturity and fortitude is being tested as never before. We may already have lost much and the challenges continue.
In terms of our spiritual lives, we cannot easily go on pilgrimage or visit temples and ashrams. We may find ourselves bogged down with worldly problems and duties. Yet, the sages say that times like this are an ideal opportunity to discover ourselves, show our true character, demonstrate our mettle and develop virtues that are necessary for successful spiritual seeker. We can either sink or swim, and swim we must.
Seeing the tragic pictures of numerous cremation fires burning in India (the visuals of the terrible second wave were broadcast all over the world), I was reflecting that the body burns upon death, but the mind burns during life. Many people's minds are burning as it were, with different sorts of pain. We experience the fire of bereavement, of loss, of physical or mental pain, of so many different things. During our lifetimes, most of us are almost constantly in a state of mental burning-- a terrible state indeed. It is unsurprising, therefore, that Krishna calls this world a 'dukhalaya', the home of sorrow. The only thing that can heal the burning mind is spiritual practice, sadhana. The positive bit about living in this world is that it is the gateway to the eternal peace and bliss of liberation, the discovery of our true spiritual nature. And burning pain, the yogis say, is often the key to that gateway.
Sometimes a particular event burns us so badly that we can feel reduced to ashes mentally. Burnt out. Exhausted. Numb. Wiped out. And after times like that, we regenerate. We emerge. But different. Like the mythical bird, the phoenix, rises again after it burns itself and is reduced to ashes, so do we, emerge again after our burning by our life events.
The pandemic is something like this-- a burning pain. It has caused, and continues to cause, so much pain to so many in a variety of ways. However, we are like the phoenix. We may get burnt, but we will not be wiped out. We emerge again, stronger and wiser, more resilient and tougher, and perhaps more beautiful within because of what we have endured.
Let us remind ourselves of this as we continue to experience this extraordinary time. Let us take inspiration from the phoenix and remind ourselves that we too can rise again. It is our nature-- this phoenix element within us is undefeatable, it is in a sense a divine energy that does not accept defeat no matter what the circumstances.
Doing spiritual practice during this time may be tough for many reasons, but we are still doing it, we are doing whatever we can. Let us keep our spirits up and trust in our phoenix within-- that element which always rises.
Om Namo Narayanaya. May He protect us all.
Hari Aum Tat Sat.
