By Team Ayurved Sutra
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10 Sutras by Sadhguru to follow during Lock-down, Learn to Be, Read the Death Book
We are the carriers for the virus. Well, this is the problem, but it is also a great advantage because we are human beings. Right now, we have to make up our minds, are we human beings or are we human creatures? Sadhguru of Isha Foundation has given 10 Sutras to follow during Lock down.
#1 Strong Thought to Show Gratitude
As a nation, I think we lack the ability to acknowledge people when they deserve it. Unfortunately, we think everything can be fixed by criticism. This has to go. We have to acknowledge the wonderful things that many human beings do.
When taking a bus, how many people even look at the driver and the conductor and say, “Thank you,” or at least do Namaskaram? This is simply missing in most people. In the past, we were a culture where for every small thing that we received, we always bowed down to each other, but unfortunately this has gone away. Right now, medical professionals, security agencies and various other people who manage essential services are risking their own lives and the lives of their families. Because they work in a hospital and they go home, they may be taking death home. When they are doing such a service, it is terrible if we do not acknowledge them.
Every day in the morning when you get up, at least for the next six months till this passes, generate one thought in your mind that we are truly grateful for all these people who are risking their own lives.
#2 Do the Simha Kriya
Simha Kriya is a simple practice. For those of you who do not know any other powerful process like Shakti Chalana Kriya, this will help. It will enhance your lung capacity and enhance your immunity. Above all, if you can do it for the next five days and suddenly one day you are not able to do it, this means that definitely you have gotten some respiratory problem. It could be anything, not necessarily this coronavirus. It does not matter what it is; you must have yourself checked if you suddenly find that you are not able to do it. Particularly medical personnel, police or those in some other service where you are exposed to infected people, please make sure you do this. It will make a lot of difference for you.
#3 Read the Death Book
In many ways today, the entire world’s population is being strongly reminded of their mortal nature. But mortality is our constant companion always. So this is a book for all those who shall die – to bring an unadulterated understanding of this very important dimension of our life. Normally, when somebody dies, people tell you they went to their heavenly abode – this is adulteration. You should die consciously, accepting death as a part of life – not welcoming it thinking you are going to heaven. If you think you are going to heaven, you may become passionate about death, which is not good. Passion is for life. Dispassion is the way you must handle death.
The book is structured in such a way that it looks at death, in its many dimensions, simply the way it is. By the time people come to the last page, to some extent, they should be a little more dispassionate about death.
This is that sort of book where if you read bits and pieces over thirty days, you may not feel what it is. You must read as much as possible in one sitting so that it goes into you and sits in you like a lump; then you slowly digest it. When else would you get 2-3 weeks uninterrupted, just to sit and read? This is a very good time to do it. Mortality is staring us in our face.
#4 Use Social Media Responsibly
During this period of lockdown, we can learn to use social media more responsibly, without spewing venom against each other. That is one thing you can do because the virus is giving us death right now; you do not have to go about throwing daggers at people all the time. These fifteen days, whatever means we have to be in touch with people – apart from physically being in touch with them – let us use it to express our love, compassion, gentleness and our humanity. As a nation, I see many people are busy finding loopholes in our medical system, government and administration. Yes, all these things are important, but this is not the time to do that. This is a time to appreciate and celebrate what is being done.
#5 Keep Distance Even At Home
This is the time for human societies to behave responsibly and maintain distance between individuals. This does not mean we have social distance with the world outside, but have a party in our room or in our home. We must maintain physical distance from people. Particularly the vulnerable populations in our society and in our homes and families – our parents and grandparents – we must ensure that no one comes anywhere within two meters of them. If you do this, we will go through this situation with minimum losses.
#6 Strengthen Your Immune System
Right now, it is important to somehow give a little boost for the immune system because that is what determines whether this virus will become fatal, cause serious damage to you, or pass through you with mild symptoms. To strengthen the immune system, there are various things you can do.
#7 Learn to Be
We are the carriers for the virus. Well, this is the problem, but it is also a great advantage because we are human beings. Right now, we have to make up our minds, are we human beings or are we human creatures? If we are human beings, we should know how to be. If we know how to be, following the simple rules of not passing it onto the next person and the next person is very much possible. If you know how to be then social interaction is only by choice. If it is not necessary you can keep yourself to yourself. By not doing anything you can feel hugely satisfied that you have done something wonderful for the world.
One of the limbs of Yoga is pratyahara, which means taking away your sensory engagement with the world and turning it inward. This is a good time for you to experiment with this. You do not need any training. Just sit with eyes closed. Do not engage with the outside world, for whatever number of hours that you can. Initially your mind may go all over the place. It is okay, do not try to control it; let it go wherever it wants. Just keep your eyes closed, not looking at anything. Start with an hour, push it to six to twelve hours a day. You will see, you will have the necessary energy to hit the peaks.
#8 Improve Yourself a Little Bit Every Day
Physically, just set up small goals for yourself for the next few weeks. When you were eighteen years of age, if you bent down, how far would you go? At that time, maybe your hands went all the way to the floor, but today, maybe it is only till the knees. Just see if you can go down six inches more.
When you were eighteen years of age, how quickly you went up a staircase and today how you are plodding up the staircase. See if you can improve it by ten to twenty percent in the next two weeks.
Just check your picture when you were eighteen or below, how straight your posture was, and now if you are slouching, straighten yourself up a little bit.
Look further back – what kind of smile you had when you were six, eight or ten years of age. See if you can get fifty percent of that back on your face all the time. Not by simply grinning a plastic smile but by bringing that magic back into you.
If you cannot do anything fantastic, at least you must be a pleasant piece of life on this planet. This is something that you owe to yourself and to everyone who lives around you. You can set up your own kind of goals. It is not difficult, it just needs a little attention.
#9 Support At Least Two Underprivileged People
One of the main concerns of this virus in India is about the poorest of the poor, the daily wage workers. Fortunately, the Union Government has come out with an elaborate package to support the farmers, workers, and construction workers for three months. At least it means that this segment of the population need not be driven towards starvation.
Still there could be people who will fall through the cracks. It is only the community that can step in to help them. I urge everyone, wherever you are: we must take a commitment that we will not allow starvation to be the basis of suffering and deaths. If we see someone moving in that direction, we must see how to reach out, either by our own capabilities or bring someone else’s attention to it. I would urge every volunteer to take care of at least two people if such situations happen. For the first two weeks, it may be okay, but towards the third week, people may really start suffering. We need to take care of them.
#10 Staying Exuberant Not Depressed
Corona is making it very clear to you how fragile human life is – that an invisible micro-organism can end our life and disturb everything that we have built. There is already enough trouble outside, let us not make our lives miserable. Let us not become the source of trouble. To be joyful, exuberant and a support for everyone around us is most important right now.
*Jaggi Vasudev, generally referred to as Sadhguru, is an Indian yogi and author. In 1992, Vasudev established Isha Foundation, which has been involved in various activities in the field of spirituality, education, and environment. His thoughts are available on isha.sadhguru.org.
