Pointers from the Buddhas of Humanity
The tiny wave said it to the mighty Sea, “Can I be like you?”
The Sea replied: “It is easy…Just settle down.”
~Sri Ramana Maharshi
These are uncertain times indeed; perhaps the toughest that humanity has ever experienced before in recent memory.
A tiny virus has shook the whole world like nothing else. And brought the whole humanity to its knees. It is a humbling revelation that we are not incharge of the show.
Even more than a threat to our physical bodies, it represents a challenge to our consciousness, an attack on human psyche. So, we all have to work together with each other to combat this pandemic and stay strong-willed besides taking all the necessary precautions hygiene-wise and social-distancing-wise.
Social-distancing, yes. But not soul-distancing.
v-I-r-U-s: Remove the ‘I’ and ‘U’ from the word ‘virus,’ it breaks down. Moral: ‘I’ and ‘You’ can break the chain of the virus.
So, let’s calmly work together, albeit remotely, to break down its vicious chain.
[Taken in good stead, even the misfortunes can be seen as edifying, as something necessary and essential for our evolvement. Adversity, says Shakespeare, builds character. Misfortunes test our real strength. Seneca, the great Roman Stoic, tells us, “You are unfortunate in my judgement, for you have never been unfortunate. No one will know what you are capable of, not even yourself.”]
Additionally, this forced solitude can provide us good opportunity for soul-searching and self-reflection.
First, we owe it to ourselves, to each other and to all the beings to act calmly, rationally, and kindly. We need both passion and compassion. Passion about what we do; compassion toward each other.
During these trying times, the best we all can do is to exercise self-restraint and practice stoic calm: Do what you can, and accept what you can’t. Above all, be calm and not spread fear and fake news to weaken our will and consciousness. “Dis-ease,” says Epictetus, “is an obstruction to the body, not to the will.” It is in human will and consciousness that we need to stay the most strong.
The Taoists recommend a practice called wu wei: doing nothing — doing nothing that is unnatural, useless, and unnecessary.
Sit silently. Do nothing.
Better yet:
‘Don’t just do something; sit there,’ as a Zen adage put it.
Our hyper-active culture may have shunned these virtues as empty cliches in the past. But now, nothing seems more appropriate than these. Sages have always advised us to ‘beware of the barrenness of the busy life.’
The fast spread of COVID-19 and the impending risk have practically shut down the whole business of life all over the world. Silence looms large in the streets and on the freeways. The whole economic machinery has come to a virtual halt, as if gasping for breath. Most of us are working from the silence of our homes. It has made us reflect how much our hustle and bustle is really necessary. It has thrown us back to our own resources. It has re-introduced us to the joys of solitude–being alone without feeling lonely.
While this “lock-down” may be seen as “restrictive,” it could also be a blessing in disguise.
We may use this solitude to examine our life, assess its priorities and undertakings. If you have been looking for some extra time to try that favorite recipe of yours, you may try it now. Prepare that supreme meal of your life you have been waiting for. Now you have the leisure to do so. If you have been waiting to write your next masterpiece, start it now. Start that blog–to hone your writing skills and to bring some good news to your fellow beings. You wanted to start that e-charity to help those in need, you may do so now. Always wanted to write that note of gratitude to your parents, mentors, and friends? You may do it now.
Above all, we can read great books to fill some gaps in our education. And listen to some good music, and sing our gratitude to sun. Offer our help to our brothers and sisters and say some encouraging words to those in need. All the while sipping slowly, albeit mindfully, that nourishing chamomilla-tea.
Enrich our mind. Nourish our soul.
And be an ambassador of the Good, the True, the Beautiful.
A good-finder!
The following quote by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe beautifully underscores much of what we have been saying:
“Every day one should at least hear one little song, read one good poem, see one fine painting and—if at all possible—speak a few sensible words.”
We are told that happiness is a three-legged stool comprising good health, meaningful work and adequate leisure. This blessed solitude may grace us with all three gifts and enable us to fulfil Goethe’s homely recommendation.
We may also do some self-examination in terms of our record as humanity vis-a-vis environment. That is, how we have been treating the environment and the Mother Earth and how we have been treating other species. This virus is a warning from nature to look at our way of living.
Questions to ponder: As human beings, are we contributing to the greater whole or just consuming all and everything indiscriminately? Are we contributors or mere consumers? This planet is not meant only for humans but is designed to be a nourishing home to a million species.
We have to pause and ask: Are we treating other species with kindness?
Perhaps, “करुणा” and “करोना” are related somehow.
Ancient wisdom tells us that every individual is connected with the rest of the world, and the universe is fashioned for universal harmony.
“करुणा” or “करोना”? [The Sanskrit word for compassion “Karuna” “करुणा” and the English word “Corona” when pronounced sound very similar. So, essentially, the choice is between Compassion and Corona!!!]
This is a great opportunity to cultivate allround compassion.
Choice, as always, is ours!
One of the great lessons of evolution is that Nature tends to discard those species which cease to be good to the whole. Besides, at the cosmic scale, there are no gains or loses. Nature is a great recycler.
“Do not grieve. Anything you lose comes around in another form.” ~Rumi
Let’s now turn to some seers of humanity for some good advice–beginning with avoiding the blame-game:
The signs of person making progress [on the path of wisdom] are these: criticizing nobody, praising nobody, blaming nobody, accusing nobody, and saying nothing about oneself to indicate being someone or knowing something.
~Epictetus, Enchiridion 48, translated by A. A. Long
Epictetus goes on to say that an ordinary person blames everyone except himself/herself; a person who is beginning his/her studies about wisdom blames himself/herself; however, a sage blames no one–neither others nor himself/herself. S/he practices “Amor Fati”–love of destiny–and let’s everything come to pass as it does–exactly the way as it comes to pass.
True instruction is this:
To learn to wish that everything should
come to pass as it does.
~Epictetus, Discourses I.12, 15-16
Perfunctorily, this may be taken as naive, passive resignation to fate; however, this stance emanates from a deep and dynamic understanding of how the things really are–the Tao, the Brahman. How are the things? The way the Ruler Ordains them. How does the Ruler ordain? For the good of the Whole!
This understanding is at the root of the Bhagavad Gita’s concept of sharnagati: mām ekaṃ śaraṇaṃ vraja –‘surrender to the Divine within,‘ the concluding refrain of the Bhagavad Gita 18.66.
Endure and renounce. Bear and Forbear. ~Epictetus, Fragment 10
For, life is hard and ‘the universe is under no obligation to cater to our preferences.’ (Will Durant, Fallen Leaves, p. 40).
Flowers fall. Weeds grow.
Lotus grows in the mud.
Not fair.
That’s life!
The universe is vast and evolution proceeds with lordly abandon. “‘Nature’ obviously cared no more for Spinoza,” writes Will Durant, “than for the tubercle bacillus that killed him at the age of forty-four.” (Fallen Leaves, p. 41)
What is the message for us from the Buddhas of the humanity?
It is this: Live an examined life (Socrates); live not inattentively (Buddha), live in harmony with the whole (Epictetus).
Bear and forbear the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune with calm indifference (Shakespeare and Epictetus, with a tip of the hat to each other!).
Be kind to each other, for everyone is fighting some hard battle (Plato).
Above all, use your gifts for the good of the whole, with an attitude of humble surrender, as a yajna, यज्ञ, as an offering to the Divine, enjoins the Bhagavad Gita.
The great German composer J. S. Bach used to sign his major compositions as ‘A.M.D.G:’ short for the Latin, ad majorem die gloriam: For the Greater Glory of God.
These are not mere precepts to memorize. These are invitations to practice, to enact, what we know.
When a youth was giving himself airs in the theatre and saying, “I am wise, for I have conversed with many wise men,” Epictetus replied, “I too have conversed with many rich men, yet I am not rich!” —Golden Sayings 65
The purpose of learning is not knowledge but action (Aristotle).
Practice humility, patience, compassion, and loving-kindness.
Let’s strive to contribute more than we consume.
Be cheerful and grateful.
Blaise Pascal, the great French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer and Catholic theologian of 17th century once said,
“All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”
Perhaps this message of sitting quietly at home comes now with added urgency in the 21st century through the contrivance of a rampant virus!
Perhaps humanity has not heeded its sages too well.
So, let’s, above all, stay home and continue to honor the teachings of the sages, seers, and saints of humanity by growing in goodness.
Then our life will go well, regardless of circumstances.
Recent Comments