Mental Stress Coping in Pandemic Situation: Perspectives of Samkhya-Yoga Philosophy of Education

Abstract

This paper deals with the crucial question that how to cope up with our increasing mental stress in this pandemic situation due to the outbreak of COVID-19 across the globe. The main objective of this paper is to discuss, how we can trounce our mental stress in the Samkhya-Yoga perspective. Samkhya-Yoga is a very noteworthy school of Indian Philosophy. The core goal of the Indian Philosophy is to achieve ‘Mokṣa’, i.e., liberation from pain, sorrow, sufferings, etc. All of these belong to diverse mental states. The indispensable aim of the said school of philosophy is to liberate ourselves from every painful states of mind. Mind is here equivalent to ‘Citta’. According to their vision, this liberation is achievable only through Yoga. Yoga is nothing but the ‘Cittavṛtti- nirodhaḥ’. This paper have discussed the nature of Citta, Cittavṛtti or Mind fluctuations, different states of Citta and the educational process by which we withdraw the transformed Citta from external world. If we are able to withdraw Citta from everything, our mind or Citta can feel the ‘Ēkātmatā’ or Oneness with the self and then only there will be Sat-Chit-Ānanda or Existence-Consciousness-Bliss which ultimately show the avenue to surmount our mental stress.