Developing the right mindset to handle COVID-19

We are all going through a very stressful time due to COVID-19.  And with the daily news of the catastrophic effects of the virus, we become more anxious and scared.  Since there is no immediate solution to this pandemic at this time, fear and frustration enter the mind and can overpower us.  Quarantine makes it even more difficult as each day unfolds.

In this situation, we might find ourselves worrying about our own death, our loved ones, relatives, and friends, at the least.  At this time, it would seem absurd or insensitive if I tell you “do not worry.” At this time, suggestions of one-liners such as “do not worry”, “this too shall pass”, “there is a silver lining over every cloud”, “God will give you the strength”, etc., may not have the desired effect.  But for some people these one-liners might help, even temporarily.

Then what should we do?  While writing this, I keep in the background of my mind that the same suggestion does not work for everyone.  The same advice will not work for everyone. And the same solution does not help everyone. This is not a ”one size fits all” problem nor solution.

Over the years, I’ve come to understand that people receive the same information differently.  Some people get it immediately, some people get it much later, some people don’t get it or understand it at all, and some people misinterpret it, while others might object to it.  Their reception is based on their perception. And their perception is based on their ability to understand objectively rather than subjectively. 

You might have heard these sayings throughout your life: “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”, “A tiger never loses its stripes” or “A dry bamboo does not bend”, and if you try to make it bend, it will break instead.  These are great one-liners to convey a specific message. However, let's go beyond old dogs, dried bamboo, and tiger stripes. People receive information and interpret it based on “where they are” at the moment. They interpret new information based on their preparedness, their point of view, or current conclusion.  Whether you’re standing at the bottom of the mountain, the middle of the mountain, or the top of the mountain, your view and conclusion of the city nearby will be different from each position. 

Another way to look at this is to recognize the obstacles to understanding new information.  Whenever and whatever we hear, we filter it through our perspective and our current conclusions.  I teach a special technique in meditation and Vedanta to observe what is happening in our mind and intellect as we receive information through the five senses (seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching).  This technique gives you the ability to receive information or stimuli objectively rather than subjectively. This is a very valuable skill to handle situations in life objectively, while reducing stress and staying calm, especially in trying times like right now.

At this moment, you might be more worried about your health and survival instead of where to go for enjoyment.  You might be more concerned about not getting sick rather than how to make more money. So, what should we do? This situation reminds me of the scenario in the Bhagavad Gita.  Arjuna was in a somewhat similar situation. He was faced with a threat to his survival and the death of his relatives and other loved ones. Today, you are like Arjuna.   

Arjuna was in the battlefield before the war started and the situation overwhelmed him.  He could not handle it. He was not equipped to handle the impending death of his loved ones.  Realizing this, he gave up and sat down in frustration. He accepted that he needed help to solve this dilemma.  Fortunately for him, help was right there standing next to him, in the form of a teacher. He asked Sri Krishna to help him and teach him.  The course of that teaching unfolded into 18 chapters of 700 verses. 

The Gita has influenced many thinkers, including Swami Vivekanand, Mohandas K. Gandhi, Sri Aurobindo, President Narendra Modi, Sunita Williams, Albert Einstein, Arthur Schopenhaur, Lord Warren Hastings, Aldous Huxley, Henry David Thoreau, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Carl Jung, Bulent Ecevit, Hermann Hesse, Heinrich Himmler, Wilhelm von Humboldt, Hermann Graf Keyserling, Rudolf Steiner, and other noteworthy people.

This same Bhagavad Gita is the source of my strength and wisdom.  I was also taught the Bhagavad Gita by my Guru. However, the Gita is not an ordinary text.  It is difficult for many to understand by themselves. Different people walk away with different interpretations, and their interpretation is influenced by their current views and conclusions.  The result is heavily influenced by their preparedness to receive this information.      

Likewise, your ability to handle this current crisis is based on your preparedness.  I will offer suggestions that will prepare you to handle this new way of life. Let’s approach this as if we are in a classroom, and I am the teacher.  “How may I help you?” And most importantly, I can only help and this can only work if you accept that you need assistance. A minimum amount of acceptance and humility is necessary for any suggestion to help.  For instance, imagine that you go to the doctor and he gives you a prescription. However, you refuse to fill the prescription because you don’t think that it will help. How will you know unless you try it?

If you are ready, I will attempt to prepare you to handle this pandemic with the mental strength you need in the next blog.  Please watch this video in the meantime to learn more. Until next week, breathe calmly.

Om ShantiH ShantiH ShantiH.                      

-Sri Rajaji