Acharya Prashant advises that the first thing is to try not to get infected, not only for one's own sake but also for others, as one could become a super-spreader. He explains that people often seek remedies only when trouble strikes hard, but that is not the right time to take corrective action as the window of opportunity is not open. He uses the analogy of a heart attack: at the moment of the attack, there is not much the person can do except be rushed to the emergency. The time for corrective action, like a healthy diet and exercise, was before the attack occurred. Similarly, once one is affected by the COVID situation, whether through infection, job loss, or depression, the remedial measures are not very strong or effective. The speaker emphasizes that the real solution is to lead a right life before and after crises like COVID. He states that because we do not know when the next tragedy will hit, whether it's another pandemic or climate change, we must prepare from within even in relatively better times. This preparation involves living a right life, which includes reading wisdom literature, giving life a good purpose, surrounding oneself with the right people who have depth, not acting frivolously, and not being overly dependent on circumstances or the future. These are all matters of lifestyle. The one thing that keeps a person going in all situations is having a great purpose in life to live for. This keeps the life force strong within, like a fire that refuses to die out. Without this, circumstances can easily get the better of you. He refers to the Kathopanishad, where the little boy Nachiketa has an illuminating conversation with the death god. The speaker suggests that if one is in touch with such literature from an early age, death will not be such a big scare. One will realize what life means and, therefore, what death really means. Currently, we know neither life nor death and do not know what to live for. Consequently, when things are taken away, we become very anxious. This is a double whammy: we don't know why we need things, yet we spend energy accumulating them, and then become anxious when they are taken away. The advice is to know what is worthy of being earned and kept, and to live a life of depth, not a shallow one that can be swept away by the waves of crises.
