COVID-19 Fallout and Indian Philosophical Approach

Abstract : COVID-19 has raised alarms on all dimensions and all nations have realised that the best available way to keep ourselves safe during this pandemic today (when a permanent cure is still not available) is prevention and individual responsibility. The pandemic is so very acute throughout the world that it is not only impacting the physical and societal well-being but also is predicted to erode into the economic safe zone of every man and every country. Each man and every state is concerned and the whole world is now interested in coming together (to cooperate with each other) in their effort to save humanity. As a student of Philosophy, I was interested to know if Philosophy can attempt to stem the tide. Philosophy is understood as ‘love of wisdom’ in the etymological sense. However, philosophy is also understood as a method of reflective thinking and reasoned inquiry that identifies problems and provides solutions to these problems. It is in this respect, I wanted to see if philosophy can help us to understand and safeguard ourselves in this situation. Hence this attempt is made on: the panis adic understanding of Brahman and Ātman, (which can be seen to position man in nature); the suggestions of Buddhism and Jainism in respect of the cosmos; the restraints (ahimsa or non-violence, asteya or non-stealing, aparigraha or non-acceptance of what is not yours etc (as found in Yoga and also in Buddhism and Jainisim) and cultivation of good practices like ant a or contentment (in Yoga); and a thematic understanding of man’s ‘personality’ from a study of Yoga text that looks into man as one with the cosmos (research area of the author of this paper). The main intention here is to focus on the seeming oneness between man and nature as the Indian philosophical approach to cosmos (representative of enlightened anthropocentricism. This is very relevant today, when India has opted for a fourth lockdown in a matter of fifty days and aims to suggest means to strengthen self-control and self-empowerment