I've been wondering why this pandemic has created so much fear all over the world. It's natural for our survival instinct to kick in when we are threatened but many of us aren't really being threatened in the here and now. SARS and MERS passed me by - I was serenely ignorant of what was going on in some parts of the world. Maybe it's the idea of the pandemic that is the problem. But isn't it always? The idea of anything?
I've been obsessed with death since I was a teenager. It's pretty normal for teenagers to be obsessed with death but I never grew out of it. I've learnt not to talk about it with most people because they accuse me of being 'negative' or expressing suicidal ideation. And God forbid that we should speak about the darkness, the thing that hangs over us all and which most don't want to acknowledge. Instead we are told we should strive to be happy in every moment and that there is something very wrong with us if we aren't.
Although it tends to kill the old and the already sick, the general perception is that this virus has no borders and can kill anyone. This is why there is such solidarity in our society right now - we are all in this together (except we aren't because as usual it strikes down the poor more than the rich). But the perception is that we are at war with a virus, which really means we are at war with nature and with ourselves. This is what happens when you see yourself as being separate from nature, from existence. This is the real enemy and the reason we are destroying the world - because we don't think we are a part of it. And this is why so many people are now terrified - the enemy is at their door, an enemy they have created.
I'll leave you with a quote from my old guru:
'Death is the most misunderstood phenomenon. People have thought of death as the end of life. That is the first, basic misunderstanding.'
Image: 'Waalitja', digital drawing by author.
https://www.osho.com/highlights-of-oshos-world/osho-on-death-quotes
The amount of fear is way out of proportion with the actual deaths and yes, we have created this situation but are we prepared to do the work to change things?
ReplyDeleteYou're right Kylie. And that's the billion dollar question. Looking at the track record of humanity - our history - I don't think we are prepared to do the work. Many haven't even acknowledged there is a problem.
DeleteI think I'd have more fear if I were in a vulnerable situation, such as losing my job and/or housing. As it is, I'm secure that way and so, while it is lonely and inconvenient, I can shelter in place without too much angst. Too many are not able to say that. I'm concerned, because I have multiple underlying conditions, but this is why I shelter at home. I don't take unnecessary risks.
ReplyDeleteI have had to confront my mortality up close and personal a couple of times in my adult life, and so I'm not so terribly afraid of it. Too many people deny that reality and then suffer because they cannot face it. It's beautiful that we are all connected intimately with all living organisms on the planet -- and perhaps beyond.
Tara I wonder if people of 'faith' - whatever brand they have chosen - are able to be more accepting of death. I've always said I'm less afraid of death than the actual process of dying. As you say, if we are all connected there should be nothing to fear. From my understanding it is the 'ego' that fears. Perhaps if we can get to a position beyond ego we can get beyond the fear.
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