By   Ácárya Shambhúshivánanda Avadhúta

A dreaded specter is haunting the entire world at the moment— COVID19.  The  Global  pandemic  has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands and infected millions of humans  in over 195 countries.

The whole world has almost come to a stand still and COVID19 has posed a challenge, which is no less than the previous world wars, economic depressions, nuclear threats, tsunamis and plagues of the past. What is so special about this pandemic is that it has enveloped all people on the earth at almost the same time and spread quite rapidly, affecting rich and poor,

young and old, men and women, and created a lot of uncertainty about the future for everyone. Ppolitical leaders, scientists and researchers around the globe are busy trying to fully grasp the etiology of this pandemic and find short-term and long-term solutions to deal with its spreading and protect lives of those who are infected or waiting to be the victim. It may take many months before we fully understand the ways to insulate ourselves from such invisible creatures.

It appears that this unexpected visitor is bringing us some important messages:

Message #1– We need a global response to global challenges. We

need a greater global coordination and preparedness to face such

challenges, today and tomorrow. Perhaps the time for a world

government led by benevolent leaders is drawing nearer in order

to face this and other such challenges that do not respect national or

genetic boundaries. At the least, we need greater transparency and

stronger global governance mechanism to ensure timely response by

all concerned.

Message #2– This pandemic is forcing us to think of the basics: food

security for all and health infrastructure for entire global population.

The global economic system, which ignores the rationality of creating

economic self-sufficiency for every region is bound to remain

vulnerable in such times of crises. The sooner we learn to establish

resilience at the community level, the lesser the pain to common

people and greater the chances of human survival. Ensuring

increased purchasing power to one and all is the only way forward.

Message#3– The vast potential of digitization, use of robotics, AI and

ICT is just beginning to be recognized now. These technologies and

their future improvements are not our enemies, but a gift of the

divine to equip us to come together quickly and respond to any

calamity with the greatest human ingenuity. Education is not about

information any more. Online learning is becoming a norm now.

Home-based work is likely to become more common. The use of

technology to replace all tasks that is repetitive will become the

order of the day. The importance of “BEING A TRUE HUMAN” will

begin to get recognized too. The developed sense of ethics is as

important as the intellectual faculties that make technology possible.

Thus, an intellectual renaissance led by a cosmic vision is likely to

emerge from the ruins of this pandemic.

Message #4– Never underestimate the power of the tiny or the

little. A small hole can leak our all energy. Hence, the tiny is never

tiny. Those who are poor or at the bottom of the social ladder doing

so-called menial tasks carry the entire weight of the social body.

Their welfare is as important as the glamorous lives of the celebrities

and few super-stars or the super-rich. Let humans be recognized by

their spirit of service and sacrifice and not by the social status or

quantity of wealth that they accumulate by hook or crook. Human

happiness does not depend on material accumulation but on Spiritual

Transcendence.

Message #5– Listen to the seers who have taught humanity to treat

all as the embodiments of Divine Consciousness. Behind these viruses

lies power of the microvitum- the mysterious emanation of the

Cosmic Spirit. We must attune our will to the Divine Will through

intuitional practices, spirit of service and adherence to ethical codes

that cause least hurt to all creatures. A compassionate life style can

save us from such epidemics in future also. Let humanity follow the

universal instructions of the sages of the past free from dogma of any

kind.

 (The author is Kulapati (Chancellor), Ánanda Márga Gurukula, Ánandanagar, India)