Dining Table Talk-COVID Stories

On Death

It was yet another day of break-fast time at our home. Today’s topic was COVID-19 and Death.

COVID-19  has come as a blessing in disguise for most of us to be imaginative and  creative. Every day brings out new humour, jokes, advices, suggestions, recommendation, orders, directives etc., etc. last decade saw the  wave of interest and awareness  IPL created among the young and the old about cricket, players both Indian and Foreign. Now COVID-19 has surpassed the number of people aware of this Virus game being played out by Nature where 130 crore in India alone. Thus IPL became a dwarf in front of the mosquito size Giant Killer COVID-19.

During the break-fast time, lunch time and dinner time, this is the only topic being discussed ad-nauseum in every home and media. Our home is no exception to this.

From December 2019, when it was initially reported to have started from one province called Wuhan in China, the spread of the Virus  COVID-19 and the news on COVID-19 has  galloped exponentially.

Without exception, every other Leader/ Head of State/ King of all the countries in the world has been issuing directives, advices, sermons and  loosening the government purses for meeting the needs of the starving poor, taking preventive measures to bottle down the Virus COVID-19.

Pope, the Head of Christian Community has shut the Vatican and prohibited anyone from touching him. Mecca and Medina, the holy shrines of Prophet Mohamed are closed for public. Similarly, the places of worship of the Hindus across the country such as the Kasi Viswanath, Puri Jagannath, Tirumala Venkateshwara and thousands of temples are shut. No religion is excluded in following the Protocol of the respective governments in containing COVID-19. Lock-down, Social-distancing, Hand washing for 20 Seconds before entering one’s home (whether or not you can afford another meal), Masks for covering the mouth and the nose, etc., etc., have become new terms and easily memorised by even those deprived of formal education.

Why do we fear death? In the core of every religion, the impermanence of any life has been amply explained and the people are advised to see within and look for the day of merging with  the God, the Almighty, the Lord, the Prophet and so on. To quote a few live examples, Jesus Christ was crucified and he did not feel any pain and welcomed Death with open hands. St Luke says the Bible, ‘The Kingdom of God is within man.’ The Prophet sacrificed (Qurbani) his own son. Jain Monks have lived and practised fast unto death. Hindu Saints like Acharyas (Shankaracharya) all preached inward looking for God and pray for reaching him with all reverence. In the Shiva Aparaadha Kshamaapana Strotram of Adi Sankara, he describes in 14 Slokas,  the life of a human being from the time of becoming a seed in the womb of a mother till his death and praying for forgiveness of the Lord Shiva and accept him in his abode.  Shiradi Sai Baba lived a simple life and extolled the virtue of the Almighty and advised his followers to lead a simple life and leave the body to serve the God.  Ramana Maharishi and Rama Krishna Paramahamsa, despite  fighting cancer, were eagerly waiting for the day of merging with the Almighty.

Thus, if every religion is advocating impermanence of human lives, why are we craving to live and beat the COVID and love to live longer. Can we not take it as though it is the only way to live and not craving for a day more than what is destined for us? Most of us live without any purpose. Some are growing just like a thorny bush without any purpose; some others sick and fighting to recover and live longer causing inconvenience to others. There are some of those unfortunate both mentally and physically incapacitated are in the Old-Age Homes, without any hope of returning to their kids.  The list of those desirous of living without purpose is endless. Is it the fear of death that grips the fellow human beings to act like this, to follow the ‘Social distancing,  Lock-down and whatever is attributed to the COVID-19’ with a greedy hope of living longer. Take a pause and  ask yourself as to why should we live longer if no purpose is served to the humanity.  Listen to the Video of  Carl Sagan, US Astronomer on the topic. It will make you think we are a small dot in the whole eyes of the Universe.

I look around and at the long list of leaders- political, corporate, yogis, preachers, common citizens, patients in ICU, CCU and suffering from various ailments…No….No…No. None want to die.

Then who will be prepared to die.

I just share with you a poem scripted by me soon after 9-11 Twin Tower Attack that rattled the USA and the World. Just 12 days before the incident I was in the USA and visited that great financial hub of the world before boarding my flight back home. Here it goes,

"Eleventh September 2001, born from the deathbed of a thousand lives

Memories haunting  of the darkness spread with sun  still rising

America, a heaven on earth,  raised its heat towards the East in search of dark evil hidden there

World  curious and wounded watched with awe!

Oh! God! Why did you do that to a peace loving nation?

Was the question in the lips of millions.

Offering my life if He returned one youth alive, was always my prayer.

Strangely God responded to my clarion call.

Happy  felt I that a plant will be  redeemed at the altar

God asked, "My Son, if I take your life, I may lose one good creation either"

"Shall I take the life of Osama, instead?   He countered.

"Son, no life can replace another as no life is superior", continued He.

 Evil done is the Foundation for a stronger tomorrow, ignorant don’t understand.

Your courage and  your prayer honored

I bless  America  with stronger shoulders to carry greater responsibilities-

As America has always been

God is great, I found once again".

I shared this piece with my Son-in-law who was also having his break-fast with me.

He said with a smile, ‘Appa, Nice’ and continued.

“I find one set of people would be willing to give up their lives, no matter whether they are surrounded by the  COVID-19 or Ebola or Tsunami. That is our ‘Soldier in Uniform’ – no matter which territory he is defending,  he is always prepared to sacrifice his life for the large good of all.”

How True it is!

Let us Salute the brave Soldier and give back something to the Nation before we die and not become greedy and take all the available resources with a mistaken sense of carrying the bounty to the board of hell or heaven where we may end up.

Komacha

S Santhanam

07 April 2020