Coronavirus - A chance to redeem ourselves

Coronavirus epidemic has given us several opportunities. They are - 1) we should be grateful for being alive everyday. Its a fact that we forget that we should be grateful everyday for seeing a new day. Only in times of crisis we remember that we can too die - just as Yudhisthira said - "ahani ahani bhutani gacchanti yamamandiram...sesha sthirantam icchanti kimaschryam mata param" - everyday people die and yet they think that somebody else will die, not me. 2) We should learn to curb our desires and live on what is minimum, essential for our sustenance - Mother earth will be much lighter if we learn to live on less and do not hoard unnecessary staff, try to become less selfish and more concerned with the larger community 3) Lead a peaceful life, not hectic mad rush after money, power, name, fame and recognition 4) Do what is better for us in the long run and not necessarily what seems to be pleasant and entertaining - like meditation in place of movies, prayer and fasting in place of eating out, healthy lifestyle in place of TV gazing and internet surfing 5) Spend time with the family members, laugh and share jokes, call up friends not for getting some favours but for a delightful conversation 6) do something that you do not find time to do, like tending to the kitchen garden, writing, reading, star gazing, painting, cycling, engaging in sports, and playing with your children

I am myself guilty of not doing any of them, but now I am seriously rethinking the whole purpose of this greed and selfishness driven materialistic world that gets extremely afraid of tiny microbes and yet boasts of its achievements and flaunts its wealth, prosperity and other symbols of progress. We are on a fundamentally wrong trajectory and this is one in a hundred year's chance to redeem ourselves. We got the chance after first and second world wars but squandered them. Now this may well be our last opportunity. Lets stay at home and think. Also think how we can help the millions out there who live on their daily wages and do not have the means of surviving a lockdown. Our resources are not our own, we need to share and contribute to the well being of everybody, else we'll end up on the pyre like everybody else and there is no distinction in death - our money, name and fame will not come to rescue us - nor will our knowledge of advanced technology and science.