By Cyrus Ryan
The Hidden Meaning of the COVID-19 Pandemic As seen through the Eyes of a Disciple
The pandemic of Covid-19 (2020-21) is a World Event.
Because it is a world event, it is not just some mishap caused in a wet market or lab in Wuhan, China. This pandemic is a catalyst for world change and evolution. Where the past World Wars accelerated scientific and technical evolution, bringing about the modern age as we know it, this pandemic is more focused on psychological change within humanity. Let us look at it from two perspectives:
In one sense, this pandemic has caused a great deal of suffering on many different levels. Worldwide, more than two million individuals lost their lives, while millions more were infected by this virus. People lost family members, relatives and friends to a virus we have very little understanding of. This caused a great deal of pain. Thousands lost their jobs, businesses and livelihood. Millions felt they lost their freedom to enjoy their lives because of the social lockdowns and restrictions to personal gatherings, including religious observances, concerts, clubs, and sporting events. All were curtailed or cancelled.
People were forced by government lockdown orders to stay home, self-quarantine where required, only venturing out for essential jobs or to purchase food.
Additionally, government mandates based on scientific directions required everyone to wear masks, particularly in indoor venues such as supermarkets, hospitals, banks, schools, etc. and to add social distancing. All this was seen as excessive by many people all over the world. Many refused to wear masks or social distance from others. Then, to make matters worse, misleading information or controversy was created, generating doubts as to the veracity of the pandemic, and the idea that it was just a means for the governments to gain a greater control of the masses was spread.
As the pandemic wore on, week after week, until one year had passed, there were many psychological issues that soon began to be observed by the authorities in communities all over the world. Suicides rates were up, altercations between family members were spiking and more and more people became depressed. People in many countries defied public orders and staged rallies to protest all the new government measures, which were established to contain the spread of the highly infectious Covid-19 virus and variant strains, and the reduction of the burden on medical facilities. Now, not only were people rebelling against various governments, but also against the advice of science, medical professionals and even common sense.
So, what is going on in our world? People are suffering, governments and medical facilities are stressed, plus the world economy is being shaken up. Events of this magnitude are not accidents. They have a purpose. It is determining and understanding this purpose that is the real challenge.
First, why do I say this pandemic is no accident?
Because it is a World Event and not some outbreak that is isolated to a small territory. Also, nothing happens by accident, all is governed by inexorable laws and karma. There are higher forces, spiritual hierarchies that watch over humanity to help reduce the impact of greater evils on this planet, as the Master DK pointed out in Externalization of the Hierarchy (pg.439). He explains that certain forces were permitted to impact on humanity that materialized as world wars to effect many changes. Note that the world wars impacted humanity, the environment and both the animal, vegetable and mineral kingdoms. This pandemic on the other hand, impacted primarily humanity, with a secondary effect on the environment as we have seen cleaner air, ozone being repaired and animals returning to old areas they have long since abandoned. The main focus of this pandemic is humanity.
The Covid pandemic is a catalyst for spiritual growth for humanity.
Remember, through this pandemic, it is the personality that suffers, not one’s inner self. Suffering is the means the invisible higher forces test humanity, awakening those who are ready to enter the probationary path, and even in some cases, passing the first initiation.
How does this work?
There are two Soul qualities that are at the heart of everyone:
- Expression of Compassion – Karuna (Sanskrit)
- True Sacrifice – Maitri (Sanskrit)
As I mentioned, through the eyes of a disciple, this means that the interpretation that I’m about to give comes not from the personality, rather it is based on soul insights that came to me over a long period of time. When Covid-19 was approaching Canada, my country of residence, I could feel a dark, heavy, elemental laden cloud approaching. Once the outbreak took hold, I could no longer sense this elemental force that brought Covid. For many months I was in the dark as to the purpose of this world event. Was this just a catastrophe? My wife is a medical professional at a major hospital and a couple of years before Covid, I told her that there would be a viral outbreak that would affect humanity. This created interesting discussions regarding possibilities. Unfortunately, I feel this is just the beginning of some major changes that will beset humanity in the next few years.
There are front-line workers, especially in the medical profession who are in daily contact with critically ill patients who have contracted Covid. There are many instances where doctors, nurses and other health-care workers with inadequate PPE (personal protection equipment) continue to work tirelessly to administer aid and comfort to these patients and they, in turn contract this virus, ending up in critical care where many succumb to the disease. This effort on the part of such health care professionals is an example of ‘maitri’ or sacrifice. Sacrifice (maitri) is an act of love at its highest degree.
Love sustains unity, the feeling of oneness for all that lives. Sacrifice is a soul quality; as a soul effort, actively working through the personality, where the cares and concerns of the personality are lost sight of, through an innate love for the care of others. This is a great effort and the result is that such individuals make great spiritual progress through these efforts, because they choose to ‘serve’ relinquishing the concern for the personal self. This is very clear and easier to see, while the idea of compassion in this pandemic is more subtle.
There is a divide happening within humanity and nowhere is it more evident than in the approach that individuals will take regarding public safety mandates and specifically those who adhere to them and those who resist them. Those who wear masks as prescribed by health officials in public locations and maintain social distancing are acting through a subtle inner urge that lies deep in the soul to be compassionate (karuna). They are not worried about the government taking away individual freedoms or how they look; nor do they come up with other excuses, as so many who refuse to wear masks do.
Why is wearing a mask an act of compassion?
- Wearing a mask means you are thinking of the welfare of others by reducing the spread of droplets discharged through your own breath.
- Wearing a mask and social distancing means that by protecting yourself, you are less likely to bring the virus home and risk infecting others in your family, or your colleagues in a work environment; thus you are thinking of the welfare of others.
- Wearing a mask is an act of ‘service’ to all of humanity.
Those who refuse to wear masks or social distance, illustrate a stronger inner self-centered interest; they place their desires first and are inconsiderate of the welfare of others. No matter what arguments such individuals formulate, the bottom line is that it is selfishness and separateness.
The subtlety of this mental state of separateness is that such individuals see themselves surrounded by a bubble of pride, as though they were exempt from the needs of humanity. With the world changing so significantly, and as it gets smaller, separateness is not the way of the future. We all have to see ourselves as one family, and thus care for all.
With these ideas in mind, many people who do not considered themselves as spiritual, will, through their inner compassion for their fellow man/woman, enter upon the Path of Probation. We are told by the Master DK that the planetary Logos is undergoing a cosmic initiation. Initiation is a point of great tension and crisis, that creates disruptions of the natural mechanical pace of ordinary activity in order to reach a higher level of realization. The endeavors on the higher planes are mysteriously reflected on the lower planes.
Thus, for humanity, this Covid-19 pandemic is a momentous spiritual event with the possibility of accelerating its spiritual evolution.
