Sadhguru: The year 2020 will inevitably leave an indelible mark upon this generation for its ability to turn life upside down for all. Looking back at what the last century has been in terms of wars, pandemics and natural calamities, the first twenty years of 21st century have been a blessing. In the midst of disastrous ecological signs unfolding, when all our efforts should be focused upon preserving the ecosystem for future generations, the viral pandemic is throwing everything out of gear. But this pandemic, as disruptive as it is, is still a softball. With conscious and responsible action from the citizens, it can be put to rest.
Many people have compared this pandemic to World War II, because they have not seen the war! If all of us were trained in a little bit of yoga and meditation, and just closed our eyes and sat quietly in one place for fourteen days, the pandemic would have been over. The war was of a different nature; we are not seeing such horrors now. Your home is still intact, nobody has bombed you. But people have not built their psychological resilience enough to handle the situation.
Famines, wars, pandemics, natural calamities of volcanos and earthquakes have happened in every generation. We need to see how to reinforce a human being in such a way, that no matter what comes, they can go through it gracefully.
Our health and mortal nature are being challenged by the virus, but now we are creating an added problem of challenging ourselves psychologically and emotionally freaking ourselves. Now suicides are on the rise. It is extremely important that as individual human beings, as societies and as nations, we must take a vow that we will not allow a mental health or suicide pandemic to happen.
This is the time we must function in a stable, sensible, intelligent manner. You have to hunker down and make yourself into a better human being. Physically, mentally, emotionally and in terms of competence, become 10% better than what you are right now. We are offering many tools for this online for free. The virus will dance for some time. When its dance is over, you must be ready for the big dance.
In human ability to respond rather than react is the solution, not only to duck the pandemic but to create new possibilities of a more civilized and sustainable world. Of course, there is a distance between possibilities and reality. In the coming year, may all of us have the Courage, Commitment and the Consciousness to make better Humans of ourselves and, in turn, a better world.
Despair is not the way forward but Dedication to create what matters to all life is.
