'Lock Down' and 'Stay In'

   Once the authorities issued instructions to 'lock down' areas and advised people to 'stay in', the activities of the people were stop, come to a stand still, in all public places like the market, theatres, hotels, parks and the like. Schools and offices were closed. This created another serious problem. What to do during the idle times? How to 'stay indoors' and spend time. Children who are by nature playful and active cannot sit quiet, get sick locked within four walls! They cannot go out! The college youth, too, find the same, difficult to spend time. But, what to say, if the old people also behave like these children? In fact, the old people need not grudge staying in and welcome this? What better opportunity can be there than this to 'stay in', lock down their senses and turn their mind towards the higher spiritual life. In fact they should be glad. But they also grumble? They have proved to be the worst lot who rebelled, shown indifference and indiscipline an wandered everywhere despite severe warnings.   

   'Stay in' means 'mind control'. Stay within yourself, establish within the Self. Be an Atmatishtha, Atmasthita. Chapter II of the Bhagavad-Gita explicitly states how to control the Mind and the qualities of a person who is established in one's self. A stithaprajnya is one who is established in Him self and looks everything  with equanimity. there will be total peace within!
   But, this question of establishing oneself in one's 'Self' seems to be almost an impossibility. It is an eternal problem even for the adepts, yogi. It seems almost impossible for us to 'stay in', 'lock down' all our external wanderings and establish in our self. Even yoga may not help since one is to come back to the worldly state, sooner or later! Then, what is the solution? Bhagavan says, "always think of Me, always worship Me, always be established in Me, I shall redeem you! manmana,madbhava, madhyaaji namsakuru… | There are many other verses of easy solution to our redemption in the Gita. The Bhagavad-Gita is a panacea for all. It is the guide for a happy, peaceful life. It teaches us to maintain a tranquil mind.