Corona... be NOT my Last Sting!

(Picture courtesy: Jean-Marc Arakelian)

To listen to the audio please click here

The politics around the second wave of the Corona pandemic is intriguing. Along with the nasty news that we hear every day of the effects and destruction of Covid -19, in all of the print and digital media, personally, we are angry not only with the coronavirus itself but also with the government and those who exercise authority upon us.  Yes, both the central and state governments have been stupid and imbecile and we are ruled by an emperor who walks in his own shadow! In the words of Mahua Moitra, he is an emperor who is wearing transparent clothing, while others see him naked and still he doesn’t notice it. We did study about such a personality in our primary school day textbooks. Strangely, now we have the reality of that emperor in the person of our country's PM.

Along with the blame game, however, we should not fall short of our own intelligence and precautions as the current variant coronavirus is deadlier. The mutant variant of this Indian virus seems to be so powerful that it influences our whole organism, and nothing seems to be stopping it including our robust immunity. Everything is put to test with this killer virus in addition to immunity. In this context, could we look deeper into the reality of this virus and save ourselves at least for this moment and allow our death to come at a later stage of our life when it is the right time to go?

1. Let's focus on ourselves and increase the sense of awareness.

Perhaps there is a sense of recklessness in the way we behave in our digital world. With the mobiles and constant messaging on apps of various social media, we have left for ourselves very little time to think about. With the constant hanging of news and views, there is a dramatic shift in our attention. In any spiritual practice, focusing our attention is very important to know what is happening to oneself. Either it is for prayer, or participating in sacraments, Holy Mass or puja, attention and focus are a must. This principle applies even to learning or study. Without concentrating on a particular thing we cannot grasp it fully, extensively and intimately. The parable of the weeds among the wheat in the Bible is apt here: "But while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat" (Matt13:25). The enemy attacks when you are vulnerable. Rule 14 of St. Ignatius’ Discernment of Spirits states that the enemy lays seize at the weakest side.

Coronavirus does not infect you out of blue. This intelligent virus infects through a carrier or infected person. Here it is through others. The virus attacks you when you are in close proximity of the infected person or thing that you touched from the infected person. The logic is simple and straightforward. Now at this time, you must put in your head this important idea that the person next to you is a carrier of Coronavirus. This very thought itself will help you to become careful and cautious.

2. Being sensitive to oneself and others

St Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), the founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and the author of Spiritual Exercises paid much of his attention in his quest for God by focusing on his interior and exterior movements. He gazed and tried to understand various movements (things) that were going on in his senses. This helped the saint to know the feelings and thoughts whether they come from God or from Satan. The application of senses has become an important component of prayer and spiritual life in distinguishing between consolation and desolation. I am certain that if a “person is of the spiritual exercises” a term commonly used among the Jesuits then a person must be able to see what is happening to oneself and others.

Coronavirus does not come and catch hold of you like a honey bee or red ant. According to the current scientific data, we know certain things clear, however, probably after few years, we may still get better clarity on this COVID-19.  Coronavirus is a micro orgasm that makes its home first in the cavity of the nostrils and the throat and from there begins to germinate and multiply and finally making its home in one’s lungs. Once lungs get infected, which means get inflamed or swollen, they lose their capacity to expand and contract, resulting in difficulty in breathing. That is why people are gasping for breath. Life continues to thrive in a physical body because of breath. Infection in one part of the body influences other vital organs of the body.  This is not rocket science to understand. If a person who knows to focus on one’s senses then early symptoms of Covid-19 that one demonstrates like, cough, throat irritation and infection, diarrhea, body ache, dizziness, headache, fatigue, lack of taste etc, should help the person to quickly remedy the situation.

3. Solution is available for a problem 

Any negligence on one’s part cannot be blamed on someone else. The book of Proverbs in the Bible says, "The prudent see danger and take cover, but the simple keep going and suffer the consequences" (22:3). As corona infection is ravaging everywhere, one has to be cautious, take care of oneself and remedy the situation. Unfortunately, a good number of people are still on denial mode. However, it is not a solution to the problem. As experience shows that a number of people denied or neglected illness at the early stage, thus leading to complications and finally to death. A stitch in time saves nine, indeed. 

St. John Chrysostom  (d. 407AD) is of the opinion that humans have both an animal nature and also a spiritual nature. He says that "a person is a human being, someone may say, but a human being often in name only, not a human being in his way of thinking." For Chrysostom, the body is not disjoined from the spirit, for then would it not be a body. In other words, we cannot live without realizing the coherence that each must have between one's body and the things that happen around him or her. Moreover, listening to the body and the counsel of the others is a must to find an adequate answer.  

4. God is in control of us.

Often we have a tendency among us to substantiate our problems with invalid reasons. As often bad Charismatics would love to say that illness or sufferings in someone’s life is because God has cursed him or her, because a person has not forgiven someone or is not praying enough etc. The list is endless. There are others who like to say someone has done black magic on him/her or evil eye has fallen upon him/her, etc. The truth of the matter is that the person has not realised that God is in control of us. Let not our anger, frustration, timidity, slothfulness, negativity, deny us and others our quest for healthy life during this time.

The problem of today is that we have become so stubborn and so proud that a notion has stuck in our head, a feeling that “nothing will happen to me”, “I have a strong immune system”, etc. This pride and stubbornness have intoxicated in the minds of our ruling political class as well as religious leaders as well. God has blessed us with intelligence and scientific temper to see what is right and wrong, good and bad; either it is Kumb Mela or celebration of jubilees, marriages, religious profession and inaugurations are all of same tale. I hear even now some priests are blessing the marriages! We have to blame ourselves when we knew already that at the end of March corona infections were rising still political, bureaucratic machinery, as well as religious leaders, believed in themselves and their intuition than the scientific data that was emerging.

5. Let's listen to our human body and be aware

Corona infection occurs in our body and not somewhere else. Notice what is happening to your body. Don't forget to feel your body which is made of flesh and blood. There is a tendency to look at our body as if it is made out of metal and not of living cells. That is why we seem to be less focused when unusual things are happening within our bodies. I have a post dedicated over this issue. Listening to Your Body - A Way of Mindfulness on this blog.  Corona infection brings in a lot of uneasiness and uncomfortableness. When you have an illness or imbalance in your body, it cannot go unnoticed. Especially during this corona pandemic, most of the diagnosis of ill health is connected with Covid-19. So why not quickly swing into action to contain it? 

St Augustine wrote already in the 5th century that the human body, (corpus) comes from God who is the author of all harmony (VR 11, 21). For Augustine, therefore the reality is permeated with ideas of harmony, order and proportion (LA 2, 16, 41-3).  Therefore, in order to have that harmony, order and proportion, we must be on our guard in caring for our human body. Even this principle is prevalent very much in Ayurveda where harmony and balance are a must for a healthy and happy life.  Let our resolve be today that each one takes care of oneself and the other. Thus one is truly able to give glory, praise and reverence to God our Lord in all things and in all ways as our faith teaches us. "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13).

- Olvin Veigas, SJ

18 May 2021

The above reflections are based on my theo-philosophical faith journey as well as my own struggle with Ulcerative Colitis illness at my prime age which almost destroyed me and finally took away almost half of my digestive tract.

PS: I have written a blogpost on Kahaya/Concoction, a remedy that helps to keep our throat clean and disinfected during this corona pandemic, which I have been doing since August 2020. Please read it on this link