With the whole world suffering the consequences of the coronavirus, I would like to take the time to reflect on two important subjects from my book The Way to Self-Development.
Breathing
We have seen that people with stronger immune systems are less vulnerable to catching the coronavirus disease. Therefore, there is a lot of discussion about how to make our immune systems stronger and keep such viruses at bay. According to scientists, deep, controlled breathing can boost our immune system. Indeed, as I explain in my book, today we do not breathe properly, and there follows tension, stress and numerous diseases, especially the flu. I recall in my early age I used to catch the flu two or three times a year. But after I started doing physical work to regulate my breathing almost 40 years ago, I never caught it again, except once while travelling in an aeroplane.
The reason we do not breathe properly is that from an early age we cease to be in touch with our conscience and therefore do not ‘remember ourselves’. And that is why we must do physical work to regulate our breathing and gain attention. In Chapter 8 of my book, I describe in detail the voluntary labour that I undertook in my garden for this aim.
So, we can now look at the flu in another way. When we keep catching the flu, it is because we are not breathing properly. And the same applies to the coronavirus. Deep and regulated breathing, which comes naturally when we are in touch with our conscience, boosts our immune system and prepares it to fight the virus.
When we are not in touch with our conscience, we are not breathing properly. Conscience is God’s gift to us. When conscience is absent, we have all the wars, conflicts and the like, and this has been going on for thousands of years.
God gave us conscience to reconcile with one another because conscience is the same to everyone. We can look at the coronavirus as God’s way to make us see how bad it is to destroy each other’s existence. There could be no other way.
To keep the virus at bay, use my method: exercise (by digging the soil) to regulate your breathing, observe yourself … and connect with your conscience.
Putting our neighbour first
The German leader Angela Merkel said the coronavirus is a common challenge for all countries that requires joint efforts. I say the virus is a challenge for us all to put our neighbour first.
It is teaching us to work together for the sake of our global wellbeing. It is an opportunity to see the need to change and a good time to reflect on one of the subjects of my book, the idea of ‘putting our neighbour first’. ‘Put your neighbour first’ means that in anything you say or do, you consider your neighbour’s position first, and “I” must come second. By putting our neighbour first, we understand others, we see our neighbour’s perspective, we become intelligent and feel joy. Do that which is good and you will feel the same.
And it follows that he who is second shall then become first. I am good to others for me, so I feel the joy of my good actions. And now the Commandment becomes clear: Love your neighbour the way you should love yourself.