Hare Krishna. What is the Bhagavad Gita’s perspective in response to the Omicron variant of the coronavirus? It has recently made headlines. This new variant of Omicron is spreading COVID further, and for many people, it is just exasperating.

Is there no end to this? Will our normal lives ever be restored? Another disruption – flights are being canceled, people are being forced to stay at home, and schools are being closed. This is happening especially in America and Europe, as well as in other parts of the world.

There is a wide range of reactions: irritation, exasperation, apprehension, fear, and panic. So, let’s try to make sense of what is happening from the perspective of the Bhagavad Gita, especially in terms of how we can respond effectively. The Gita explains that our perception is not just a function of our situation or even our decisions. It is influenced by subtle factors that affect how we interact with the world. These factors are known as the “modes.”

The modes are subtle forces that shape the interaction between us and the world around us. Depending on the most prominent mode we are in, these three modes—sattva, rajas, and tamas—are called goodness, passion, and ignorance. So, depending on which particular mode we are in at a specific time, we will be influenced accordingly. Tamas (ignorance) makes us underestimate our capacity.

These three modes shape how we look at the world. In the mode of tamas (ignorance), we think, “Oh, nothing is in my control. Very little is in my control,” and we sink into negativity. In the mode of rajas (passion), we overestimate our capacity, thinking, “I can deal with any problem,” but we may take on more than we can handle. For example, if someone has to lift a heavy weight, a person in rajas might think, “I can do it,” and in trying to lift it, they may even injure themselves. In the mode of sattva (goodness), we estimate our capacity accurately and can function effectively thereafter.

Now, we may go through different modes at different times, and different people may be in different modes at different times as well. The perspective from one mode can be very different from another.

For example, regarding the current COVID situation, we can look at it through different perspectives. If we are in the mode of tamas, we might go to one extreme and think, “There’s hardly anything I can do about it. My life is ruined. Is my life ever going to return to normal? Is the world doomed?” This is underestimation of our capacity.

In the mode of rajas, the passion mode, we may overestimate our capacity. We could be complacent, denying the problem entirely, thinking, “This is just media hype. This is a conspiracy by big pharma or politicians wanting to control us.” This is trivializing the problem and not acknowledging its seriousness.

However, in the mode of sattva, we would be cautious. We would observe, “Okay, the new variant has just emerged. How serious is it? We don’t know for sure. We do know it’s more transmissible than previous variants, but does that mean it’s more severe or more lethal? There have been many infections and hospitalizations, but the mortality rate hasn’t been as high.” Researchers suggest that, over time, viruses tend to become less deadly while remaining more transmissible, which could be the case here. But we don’t know for certain. So, caution would involve no panic, but also no complacency. We continue with our lives but remain cautious.

While the sattvic response makes sense, it is not always easy to apply in our lives. Why? Because the modes can sweep us like waves. When a particular mode sweeps us away, it’s hard to resist. How much can we fight against a giant wave? That’s why we need to connect to the anchor of Krishna through the practice of Bhakti Yoga. Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita, “If you become conscious of Me, you will pass over all obstacles by My grace.”

Through our practices, we can pray to Krishna and direct our consciousness toward Him. This doesn’t mean denying the problem. It doesn’t mean neglecting or rejecting the problem. It simply means that we have a connection beyond this problem-filled world. We don’t know what the future holds, but we can connect with the one who knows and holds the future. Krishna knows the past, present, and future. He is the Lord of all three phases of time. And when we connect with Him, even amid all the uncertainty, we can experience certainty. We can experience calmness, just as Arjuna did after hearing Krishna’s message in the Bhagavad Gita.

So, to summarize, how should we respond broadly? I’ll talk about two D’s not to do and two C’s to do. Avoid the D’s of denial and despair, which are compelled by the lower modes of passion and ignorance. And adopt the C’s of caution (based on wait and watch) and connection (through prayer, faith, and diligent practice of Bhakti Yoga).

In this way, we can maturely face whatever this new variant of COVID brings us and pass through it with intelligence, arising from goodness and Krishna’s grace.

Thank you.