The BlogTalk: 8th Question: To extend the lockdown? Or save the economy?

The Master’s Guidance Continues

Acharya Mahendranath
(The Master)

As the coronavirus pandemic rages on, the entire country is in a lockdown. All students have been missing the joy of coming to the training centres, practicing in a group, interacting with the teachers, and of course meeting the Master. Everyone has also missed having our monthly “Master’s Talk Session”. But Master says that physical lockdown need not mean lockdown of our lives. We can still do the same things, but do them differently. Which is why the Master has given a schedule for daily practice of Martial Arts, Yoga and Reiki Energy Healing, and all students have responded really well. 

Our activities over Instagram and Facebook have kept us connected with each other’s energy. So why stop here? Why not have Master’s Talk Session as well, but in a different manner? So we asked students to send us questions and the Master has given His guidance through this blog. So we hope that you all read it, understand it, internalize it, apply it and make your life even better. Please share your comments at the end of each question and of course, more questions are welcome on moxshlife@gmail.com.

Q. Today we're just over one month into nationwide lockdown. It was an extremely crucial and very well-timed decision that our government took which has proved to be an ideal and a guide to the world on how to tackle Covid-19 pandemic. Today, however, we're at a very crucial stage wherein government is forced to take a difficult call, as we're caught between a rock and a hard place. If we stop the lockdown on 3rd May, we may risk losing everything that we gained during the 40-day lockdown. On the other hand, if we continue with the lockdown, there's a huge economic impact which is getting bigger every passing day. While we agree that one can rise like a phoenix even from a deep economic crisis, if it's avoidable it should be avoided. What according to you should be the government's decision to tackle this difficult situation, the ideal balanced approach to avoid both crises?

Sarang Tilak

— Sarang Tilak, Student of Keimoudo®— Moxsh® Martial Arts

Master’s Guidance: "This is a very pertinent question that is there in almost everyone’s minds.
My guidance comes to you when the Indian government has already announced its decision to extend the lockdown till 17th May, 2020. But the question still remains: What after 17th May? 

Everything you have said is true. The Indian government’s decision was timely, strict, and absolutely necessary. We have avoided a huge disaster. And we have indeed become an example for the world. I have said these things myself, and I salute our government.

You have very rightly said that the economic impact is getting bigger by the day. People are worried about losing their jobs and see a lot of uncertainty in the near future.

In order to know what to do in this situation, one needs to understand a very old Indian proverb, “Sar Salaamat, toh pagdi hazaar.” It means that if your head is okay, then you can wear a thousand different turbans.

If we are alive, then the economy means something. But if we die, then what economy is there to talk about? 

We must always keep in mind that we are dealing with a deadly virus, for which so far there is no cure. It needs a human host and spreads rapidly through contact. Lockdown and social distancing are the only proven methods to break the chain and stop its progress altogether. 

And so, there are no alternatives. We HAVE TO continue with lockdown and social distancing until the threat from the virus is completely eliminated.

But what about the economy? Analysts and experts have been screaming themselves hoarse from the beginning of this pandemic that the economy will go down, we will be set back by decades, etc. And as the lockdown continues, their voices will get louder. But if we listen to them and come out of the lockdown before time, then we will be in for a disaster, the scale of which we cannot even imagine.

Forget predictions and analysis. Just remember that WE made the economy in the first place and if it goes down, then we have the power to bring it back.

This is not the first time that large-scale natural calamities have struck the world. It has happened before and may happen again. At such times, I can think of only one country that is an example for people around the world: Japan.

Look at its size and its population. It is such a tiny country. It has been constantly ravaged by earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, floods and typhoons for thousands of years. It is the only country to have been attacked by atom bombs! As recently as the year 2018, it faced two earthquakes, severe flood, terrible heatwave, and a devastating typhoon, all within a few weeks or months of one another! If at each of those times during history, Japan had panicked and their people had thought like we are thinking now, the country would have probably ceased to exist or would have been among the world’s most wretched countries.

But we all know where Japan stands today. It is one of the most developed countries because of some amazing qualities in its citizens. Their spirit, resilience, will power, and confidence are so great that they never let any disaster bring them down. They bounce back within no time. They use each disaster to learn. They change their building construction and infrastructure to prepare for future calamities. But never do they stay down after a fall. 

They are the best source of inspiration and example right now. 

Fortunately, most of the other countries do not face such situations often, and this pandemic is probably the first calamity in recent times to have affected India in such a big way. So why worry? We need to wait it out till it is completely gone and then rebuild the economy and make it better than before.

Unlike the aftermath of disasters in Japan, we have not lost our houses, or public infrastructure. We are dealing with an invisible virus, and not large dinosaurs that are trampling our cities and homes, and killing us! We should be thankful for that. It’s true that small business owners and workers are afraid of losing business or jobs. It is obvious. But it will pass. Once we overcome this pandemic, we will be ready to go back to work in full strength! 

Look at the positive side. I always say don’t be like the person who complained to God that why is there only one day between two nights. Be like the person who thanked God for giving one night between two days.

I watch the news everyday and I keep seeing unfortunate incidents taking place in some of the most developed super-powers in the world where citizens are breaking lockdown norms and fighting with their governments to restart the economy. I am surprised at their irresponsible behavior in the name of economy. And I am very worried that if the pressure being applied on the government to come out of the lockdown becomes more severe and increases in scale, then the government might succumb and take a hasty decision and come out of the lockdown before time, leading to disastrous consequences.

Having said that, I am also sympathetic to the citizens’ concerns. Daily wage earners have had no income. People have invested in their business, houses, cars, etc. and are worried about keeping up payments and taking care of their family’s daily needs. 

This brings us to another aspect of our lifestyle that we will need to rethink after this pandemic. Until about 50 years back, we in India had a very superb culture. Out of our earnings, we gave a certain amount to charity and another percentage, we saved.

But over the years, due to unchecked migration to urban areas and our need to ‘progress’, we left this culture behind. “Having more” became our obsession, irrespective of the cost. I’ll give you a general idea of the path that most of us take in our lives and which is responsible for our fears and anxiety today.

We come to cities in search of better prospects. We struggle to find decent rented accommodation. But soon with hard work, we earn enough money to buy a small apartment on housing loan. Our happiness at that time knows no bounds. But very soon, the house feels small and we invest more, and take a bigger loan to buy a bigger house. Very soon our existence becomes all about managing EMIs on the house, car, large-screen television, international school education for our children, international trips… and the list becomes endless. Our possessions rise, just as our bank balance plunges below rock bottom.

And now in a situation such as this, we are not able to sustain ourselves even for a month without panicking! 

So, post this pandemic, my advice to any responsible individual is to save enough to be able to go on for at least 6 months during an emergency! Take a look at all the needless investments and so-called luxuries and see how you can have a sensible and comfortable lifestyle while saving for the proverbial rainy day. Just think about it: today if we had enough money in our banks, would we have been this tensed just within a few weeks into the lockdown? In fact, we could have constructively utilized and enjoyed this lockdown.

You spoke about a balanced approach. In India, the one small thing that we can do is allow economic activity within the ‘Green Zones’. But again, it would need to be a very carefully monitored situation where the government would have to seal the border in a watertight manner and the citizens within the Green Zone would have to stay within the boundaries. When both are 100% committed, then it can work. But even a minute instance of carelessness can change the Green Zone into an Orange Zone (or even a Red Zone) within no time.

In our country we have seen examples of villages taking the onus upon themselves and being very, very strict. They have sealed their borders and are not allowing outsiders, nor are they going out. The villagers are themselves manning the borders. These are very good examples. But then we have also seen people behave in the exact opposite manner.

Relaxations in green zones will work if all the people there are disciplined. Becoming disciplined is very important. Most people think discipline means obedience; obeying or following rules and regulations. But I have a good example for discipline and everyone in India will be familiar with this example.

Before lockdown, I would travel in auto-rickshaws or cabs. At the signals, the vehicles would never wait for the red signal to turn green. Either they would start mid-way into the red signal or ignore it altogether and drive past the signal! This has happened with almost every driver and when I would ask them why, all of them would have the same answer, “There is no traffic police, so don’t worry, I won’t get caught!” I would ask them why they need the police? The signal has been placed there by the government for our safety.

I call this discipline; or the lack of it! I have tried to educate every such driver. I have even said that this is the difference between animals and humans. If you train an animal to stop at a red signal, it will never, ever break the discipline in its life.

We develop discipline by using common sense. Until about 500 years back people used their common sense, and so they lived a disciplined life. And we were a very prosperous country. Which is why we built temples with unparalleled architectural design, and created beautiful art forms, music, dance, yoga, martial arts, and other arts and science. Our creativity flourished because we lived in a good society and environment.

Now we have cosmetic wealth. From inside we are very poor. We are subconsciously afraid. Unreasonable work pressures and timings have driven in fear and stress, and driven out common sense.

Coming back to your question. For now, at a national level, there is no question of having a balance. It does not matter for how long—15 days, 2 months—but we need to keep the lockdown and social distancing going. If we lose patience and give in to fears about the economy, then not only will all the hard work of the government, healthcare workers, police personnel, essential service providers, NGOs, and the citizens who stayed at home, be a huge waste, but the sacrifices of all those who lost their lives to this virus while doing their duty to protect us would also have been in vain. And we will be in for a super large-scale pandemic with unfathomably disastrous consequences."
— Acharya Mahendranath

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