Corona virus is raging in the USA, and the death rate is skyrocketing. At the moment of writing this message (on April 4th at 4:30 pm), total infections in the USA have passed 300,000 and the deaths 8,000. Each of the last two days, daily deaths exceeded 1000, and today by this time it is already 946, which means that today seems to be worse than yesterday.Comparatively, infections in Houston area are less, and thankfully, no known infections are there in our community so far, but we all have to be extremely cautious. I do believe and insist and implore that you take the situation seriously and follow the guidelines strictly. I am glad that our community has already taken the situation very seriously.
Extreme Fragility of the Human Being
Nothing has exposed the fragility, stupidity, and meaningless of arrogance of the human being more than what the present infections have done. We adamantly believe that we are the best and the most privileged living being on earth. Based on that belief, we manipulate everything–nature and all other forms of life–at will, just for our own comfort, easiness, and indulgence. Global devastation caused by coronaviral infections has humiliated us and brought us to the enormously embarrassing realization that our attitudes and actions are profoundly erroneous. We have to eat a humble fie.
When we blatantly abuse other living beings and nature, we believe that to do so is our right, and that they can do nothing against us. However, we have now been disillusioned. We have been mercilessly counterattacked, and when it rains, it pours.
Of course, an angry herd of lions, tigers, or elephants does not have the ability to take revenge against us—simply because we have destructive weapons, but the enemy is more innovative and tactful. It is an invisible living being that has launched this enormously effective counterattack. We are pathetically helpless.
Preparation towards Near Future: One Specific Practice
This endemic has opened our eyes and drawn us towards two practices that Americans have long forgotten: home cooking and home gardening. For most of them, eating means going to restaurants so that home cooking and home gardening are not a part of their life. Most of you, of course, do home cooking and home gardening, and this is the time to take both of the practices more seriously than ever before.
Spending time on gardening during these at-home days will not only help you beguile the tedium of your daily existence but also save your hard-earned money throughout summer and fall. Early this week, when I visited an Indian grocery store—with all precautions, of course—to buy groceries for the Vihara, I was surprised by the enormously inflated prices of vegetables. One pound of Karavila was $3:99, Vatakolu $3:99, and all vegetable prices were up by over 50%.
There is no sign that this trend will come back to normal. If farmers cannot grow now, you will experience a scarcity of your popular vegetables. Nobody can predict what will happen next, and you can grow now to face that uncertainty.
We have many gardening specialists in our community, and you may communicate with them to learn and share the most effective methods of gardening. In fact, we can grow most of our vegetables, including kale, collard green, varieties of eggplants, many kinds of peppers, tomatoes, okra, spinach, leeks, cucumber, Karawila, Pathola, vatakolu, beans, long beans, gotukola, pumpkins, and many others. We can grow even potatoes, onion, ginger, garlic, and many spices. Self-sufficiency in vegetables not only saves your money but also make you feel proud about yourself and give you clean vegetable without harsh chemicals.
Separately, here are some interesting links that will be helpful to you:
