Acharya Prashant responds to a questioner who found the coronavirus lockdown liberating and wishes for it to be permanent. He begins by explaining that every situation in life, no matter how small or ordinary, comes to teach something and make a person better. If one has the intention to improve and learn, they will not remain the same after any situation as they were before. Every situation presents an opportunity to learn, understand, and improve. The current global pandemic is an extraordinary situation. Those who remain unchanged even after this disaster are very inert and stubborn, as if they have decided not to learn anything from life. Their ego is so dense that they are unwilling to change or melt. There are two types of people reacting to this pandemic. The first, comprising 90-95% of people, are those who constantly wish for the old circumstances to return. They are like a drunkard who has fallen into a gutter and, instead of realizing that the wine led him there, complains about the dirty water and prays for the bad days to end so he can have wine again. They fail to understand that the punishment is a result of their own actions. The second type, a small minority, are those who have gained some insight. They have had the opportunity to observe their lives in peace and solitude and have realized how hellish, corrupt, and worthless their previous life was. This forced solitude has given them a taste of stillness and the experience of light. The speaker likens the lockdown to a historical siege where an enemy surrounds a fort. The people inside feel safe for a while but eventually run out of supplies and patience and must come out. Similarly, the virus is waiting, and people will have to emerge from their homes. The lifting of the lockdown does not mean things are normal; it means your patience has run out, and the enemy has taken a step closer to victory. This disaster is fundamentally spiritual, a result of our hedonism and a flawed philosophy of life that equates life with the body and its purpose with enjoyment. This 'religion of hedonism' has separated us from true religion (Dharma). When you are cut off from Dharma, you are cut off from compassion, understanding, love, and wisdom. This is the state of our rootless, plastic-like life. This disaster is an opportunity to return to your roots, to your core. It is a chance to reconsider and change all aspects of your lifeтАФyour beliefs, relationships, thoughts, hopes, and plansтАФthat are based on a wrong and destructive philosophy.
