Depression

Directives

"Do not let raging emotions or deep depression cast a shadow upon your practice, for your practice is greater than your emotional states, which change like the winds and the clouds but cannot mask the universe above them."

Excerpts

“Depression, cynicism, ambivalence—these are all the result of not taking action around things that one recognizes to be important. The awareness was not fulfilled, and, as a result, it becomes dark. It becomes clouded, and the inspiration is lost.”

"What is Hell? Hell is separation. Hell is being disconnected from God. And this disconnection can lead to deeper and deeper states of fear, anger and depression."

"Here the tragedies of the rich become apparent, for though they may appear to have everything, though they may appear even to have the luxury of free time, though they can own anything and go anywhere, and have so much social power, if they are unrecognized and unknown, they are desolate. And despite their wealth or privilege, depression will overtake them. They will find that their life is empty. And without real meaning or purpose."

"Their happiness is intermittent and short-lived and easily threatened by life around them. Even if they have adopted a happy face, a happy behavior, within themselves there is roiling frustration. They are fighting depression. They are fighting inner conflict to put on a happy face to the world because they have not really connected with who they are and why they are here in the world, and the deeper direction that their life is meant to go in and was always meant to go in."

"[Finding and following your purpose in life when your foundation is weak] proves to be hard, and you really do not have the strength to undertake it. So you settle for something much less in life. You tell yourself, “Oh, well. This relationship will be good enough for me,” or “This job will be good enough for me.” And you compromise yourself, and you give your life to things that really have no promise. You give your life to people who are really not going anywhere. Though you might feel more secure or relieved of the challenge, in your heart there is a great depression, a great misgiving."

"Building the Four Pillars of your life is the perfect antidote to eccentricity and self-obsession. It is the perfect foundation for building a life of real meaning and purpose. It is an antidote to depression and low self-esteem."

"For people who have attained wealth and seeming security, often depression sets in because they have satisfied the desires of the mind, but their need is still unmet. The deeper need of the soul remains unfulfilled. Their greater purpose and calling for coming into the world have not really been answered."

"Look at nature and all of its details. Look at a rose bush and all of its details and you cannot be depressed. People who look at the details of nature rarely are depressed because they are marveling at life, life on a very small scale. You could look at a plant in a pot on your windowsill and be amazed at its shape and its evolution."

"Often the cost of pursuing a pleasure cannot be accounted for at the outset because when the pursuit robs you of your awareness of yourself, of your interaction with life and of your appreciation of your own existence, such a great price goes unnoticed.Yet, people pay it because they are depressed and angry and lack value and meaning in their lives.They are paying the price all the time.They often associate their suffering with other things, so they seek greater pleasures, which exact great prices, and their dilemma and depression become deeper. In fact, their depression can become so deep that it is like a dark cell with no windows where no light can penetrate."

"Indeed, many of your depressing moods have nothing to do with you at all. Many of them are the result of you engaging with something in the mental environment that you are not aware of."

"Anger, depression, chronic confusion, self-denial and self-abuse--all these are the result of not responding to a call for work in the world and not fulfilling that response."

"All problems that face you individually have a very simple answer. How will you find this answer? Will you find it by struggling with yourself? Will you find it by trying every possible resolution that you can think of? Will you find it by worrying about it and fretting over it? Will you find it by denying it and seeking pleasurable stimulation instead? Will you find it by sinking into depression and thinking that life is so hard for you that you cannot meet the demands of your own circumstances?

"In your past you have been afraid of the world, intimidated by the world, angered by the world and depressed by the world.Therefore, your past contribution to the world has been limited by these reactions."

"If you make your life too easy, you will not apply yourself and will become depressed."

"Do you want to know why you are really sad and depressed and why those emotions come to you? It is because you miss God.That is the reason for all unhappiness and it is also the seed of all joy."

"When you engage in sexuality with another, you are engaging your physical life force. If this life force is not shared within a meaningful relationship, it will be wasted. If it is wasted, you will lose energy and vitality. Physically, you will experience a loss of power, vitality and health. Mentally, you will experience discouragement, depression, a loss of vision and your sense of direction and a loss of your sense of purpose and meaning."