Depression's Truth

[C T]

We are normally charmed by the world, under the spell of samsaric entertainment. But it’s when we’re depressed, says Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche, that we can see through that.

 

Depression is something we all experience. For some people depression is mild, while for others it is very intense and debilitating. For some people it lasts for a short time and then disappears, while for others it may persist over many years, or even an entire lifetime. We generally think of depression as a terrible state to be in: it is something we think we have to overcome, and we go to great lengths to hide it from others. This is probably because when we suffer from depression, our energy levels and motivation go down and we become withdrawn, uncommunicative, irritable, resentful and basically very difficult to be with. There is also often a lot of anger, jealousy or envy mixed with depression, because seeing someone who is happy only makes our depression worse. The point is that depression, in terms of its symptoms, can be debilitating and paralyzing because of what the Buddhists call the “conflicting emotions” associated with it. When we are depressed, our self-esteem and self-confidence plummet. We begin to doubt ourselves. We begin to think that we have become a failure at everything.

 

Western psychotherapists say that you can learn a person’s reasons for experiencing depression if you look into their biographical or biological history. From the Buddhist point of view, though, the fundamental understanding is that depression is based on our interpretations of our life situations, our circumstances, our self-conceptions. We get depressed for not being the person we want to be. We get depressed when we think we have not been able to achieve the things that we want to achieve in life.

 

But depression is not necessarily a bad state to be in. When we are depressed, we may actually be able to see through the falsity and deceptive nature of the samsaric world. In other words, we should not think, “When I am depressed my mind is distorted and messed up, while when I am not depressed I am seeing everything clearly.”

 

According to Buddhism, the world that we perceive—the world we interact with and live in—is insubstantial. Through the experience of depression and despair we can begin to see things more clearly rather than less clearly. It is said that we are normally charmed or bedazzled by the world, like a spell has been put on us by the allure of samsaric excitements and entertainment. When we get depressed, though, we begin to see through that—we are able to cut through the illusions of samsara. Depression, when we work with it, can be like a signal, something that puts a brake on our excesses and reminds us of the banality of the samsaric condition, so that we will not be duped into sliding back into the old habits again. It reminds us of the futility, insignificance and non-substantiality of the samsaric condition.

 

That is extremely important, according to Buddhism, because if we are not convinced of the illusory nature of the samsaric condition, we will always be two-minded. We will have one foot in the spiritual realm and the other in the samsaric realm, never being fully able to make that extra effort.

 

We are not talking, though, about chronic or clinical depression here, depression that has got way out of hand. We are talking about the kind of depression that makes us stop and think and re-evaluate our lives. This kind of depression can aid us in terms of our spiritual growth, because it makes us begin to question ourselves. For all these years we may have been thinking, “I’m this kind of person,” “I’m that kind of person,” “I’m a mother,” “I’m an engineer,” or whatever. Then suddenly that familiar world crumbles. The rug is pulled out from under our feet. We have to have experiences like that for our spiritual journey to be meaningful; otherwise we will not be convinced of the non-substantial nature of the samsaric world. Instead, we will take the world of everyday life to be real.

 

With a genuinely constructive form of depression, we become nakedly in touch with our emotions and feelings. We feel a need to make sense of everything, but in new ways. Now, making sense of everything from the samsaric point of view does not work. All the old beliefs, attitudes and ways of dealing with things have not worked. One has to evaluate, say and do things differently, experience things differently. That comes from using depression in a constructive fashion.

 

Depression can be used to curb our natural urges to lose control, to become distracted and outwardly directed, dispersing our energy in all directions. The feeling of depression always reminds us of ourselves; it stops us from becoming lost in our activities, in our experiences of this and that. A genuinely constructive form of depression keeps us vividly in touch with our feelings. In that sense, a modest form of depression is like a state of mental equilibrium.

 

Everything we experience is normally experienced from an egoistic or narcissistic point of view. But a constructive form of depression takes away the brashness, the security and the illusory forms of self-confidence that we have. When we are depressed, instead of thinking with such confidence, “I know what is going on, I know where things are at,” we are forced to be more observant and to question our assumptions, attitudes and behavior. That is what we have to do if we are to make progress on the spiritual path.

 

The individual is then open to new ways of doing things, new and creative ways of thinking. As the Buddhist teachings say, we have to ride with life, we have to evolve. Life itself is a learning process and we can only evolve and learn when we are open. We are open when we question things, and we only question things when we are aware of our inadequacies as much as of our abilities. Being aware of what we do not know is more important than being aware of what we do know: if we concentrate on what we do not know, we will always be inquisitive and want to learn. And we want to learn if there is that slight experience of depression, which in Tibetan is called yid tang skyo pa, which has the connotation of being tired of all that is unreal, of all that is sham and illusory. The mood of depression can, in fact, propel us forward.

 

Even though many people who experience depression say that they feel stuck, the feeling of depression can be a motivating force. The Christian mystics used the expression, “dark night of the soul,” which means that you have to experience the darkness in order to go forward. You cannot just embark on the mystical journey and expect everything to be hunky-dory. You have to have the experience of the carpet being pulled out from under your feet and you have to experience yourself dangling and questioning, filled with doubts and uncertainties, not knowing what the hell is going on. As Lao Tzu says, “Those who say they know, don’t know, and those who say they don’t know, know.” I suppose he is making a similar kind of point, in that the true intuitive knowledge necessary on the spiritual path comes from doubt, uncertainty and not knowing. The arrogance of knowing is expiated.

 

In other words, the spiritual path does not just consist of things that massage the ego or make the ego feel good and comfortable. The ego has to be continuously and repeatedly challenged in order for us to grow spiritually. One of the first things that the ego has to learn is that nothing in this world is stable or absolutely true.

 

In order to deal with depression effectively, we must cultivate five qualities in our meditation: courage, awareness, joy, love and compassion. Cultivating courage means that we have to have the willingness to allow ourselves to be in a depressed state. If depression is the state that we find ourselves in, we should not become alarmed and regard it as a sign of something terrible. We have to have the courage not to recoil from our experience but simply allow it to arise. It is not helpful to indulge in negative internal dialogues like, “How long is this depression going to last? Is it going to get worse? How am I going to be able to cope with myself? What will people think of me?” Approaching everything that we experience courageously will result in those experiences having no effect on us: on the contrary, we will become empowered by them.

 

This sort of courage is based on a fundamental conviction that we are capable of dealing with whatever it is that arises, rather than thinking that somehow or other what arises is going to have an adverse effect on us. When we start to think that our experience is going to affect us adversely, then fear, anxiety and all of those things come up. But when we are able to say, “Whatever arises is O.K.,” we do not have to be so self-protective. By allowing the depressive mood to be there—if that is what comes up—we are showing courage. If we have that kind of courage we are not harmed. More damage is done by hiding behind our illusions and delusions; when we do that, the conflicting emotions become insidious.

 

Most damage takes place due to lack of courage. This lack of courage is almost like a pathological need to protect ourselves. We think, “I won’t be able to handle this, it will be too much. I will be destroyed. I will go crazy.” We indulge in all kinds of negative monologues. This is the reason our minds get disturbed, not because we have had such-and-such experience. It is not our experiences but our reactions to them that cause damage. We have to forget about our fear that we will somehow be harmed by our negative experiences. If we concentrate more on the courageous mental act of being able to accommodate and accept, we will provide room for the depressive state of mind to be there and we will no longer react to it with alarm.

 

Having courage in meditation practice means that there automatically will be awareness there. Awareness means being able to see what is going on. If we do not show courage in our meditation there will be no awareness either, because we will instinctively recoil from our meditative experiences. As soon as something disturbing or unpleasant arises, such as a depressive mood, we will recoil. We have to practice awareness in relation to things that we think of as harmful, as well as the things we regard as innocuous. Through showing courage, we can be aware of what we have allowed ourselves to experience.

 

Awareness is not a state, but a process: an “aware-ing.” All the mental states that arise in the mind are also processes. This is an important thing to notice. Even if you are in a depressed mood, you see that the mood changes—if you are aware. If you are not aware, there is no change, no transmutation, no movement. But if you are aware, you will notice that subtle permutations of change are continuously taking place: you will see that the experience of the depressed mood itself fluctuates. Normally we assume that it is the same depression, but it is never the same. It is always presenting itself differently.

 

This kind of attention is one of the things that Buddhism encourages us to exercise through the practice of meditation, because not noticing things is what leads us to solidify our experiences. When that solidification takes place, our minds become fixated on things and awareness is instantly dissipated. We are no longer in touch with our own mental state. When we are directly in touch with our mental state, we can see the changing hues of our depressive mood.

 

One sign of depression is a person’s posture. In meditation, we pay attention to our posture. We do not sit with our shoulders slouched, looking defeated and forlorn. It is said that the shoulders should be extended and the chest out, showing some kind of majesty and royal bearing. That has to be included in the practice of awareness.

 

The way to stay in touch with our mental state is simply by paying attention to what we are experiencing in the moment. But when Buddhists talk about “being in the now,” they often think that the “now” has no relevance to the past or the future. That is not true. The way to experience the present moment is not by ignoring the relationship between our present experience and where that experience has come from or where it might be going. The past and the present are embodied in the experiences that we have as human beings. Whatever experiences we have, we have them because of the past; we cannot have an experience that is totally disconnected from our past.

 

The reason why a particular experience arose in the first place is because of our past. That is the reality of karma. Our present mental state is the product of previous mental states and previous life experiences. In other words, what we are experiencing now is the fruit of what we have experienced in the past. When we pay attention to what we are experiencing now, through awareness, we are able to determine our future karma by making it take a different course. If we do not pay attention, our future karma will not be altered.

 

Besides courage and awareness, we need to cultivate joy in order to work with depression. Joy here does not mean elation, which is always a bad sign. When we are feeling really high, we crash really hard. In this context, joy means a sense of physical and mental wellbeing. That is, if we have good experiences in meditation, we do not feel too excited, and if we have bad experiences, we do not feel too down and hopeless. Joy in Tibetan is called dga’ ba; it means not being like a yo-yo, basically. In either elation or depression, according to the Buddhist teachings, there is no real joy—we are just being swept along by our emotional currents. When we are happy we are so happy—and we become completely overwhelmed by that—and when we are unhappy the emotion is so strong that we cannot bear it.

 

Joy is more about being on an even keel. This does not mean that we cannot sometimes feel really uplifted and joyous. But if we have a joyful disposition—an underlying mental attitude of joy—then we do not completely break down when things do not go our way, or lose it to the other extreme when things go well. Instead there is a sense of equilibrium. The fact is, we do not know what to expect: sometimes things will be wonderful, and other times things will be terrible. But having practiced meditation—having dealt with our depression and other states of mind—there can be that underlying sense of joy.

 

So dealing with our present situation is the most important thing, according to Buddhism. We should not always be thinking that things should be different, that something else should be happening based on our own wishes. If we stop doing that, we will experience joy.

 

Along with courage, awareness and joy, we need love and compassion in order to work with our depression. In Buddhism, love and compassion are related to how we view ourselves and others. When we are depressed, we do not feel worthy of receiving love, let alone giving love. We do not feel worthy of receiving the gift of compassion from others, let alone capable of giving the gift of compassion. But through the practice of meditation on love and compassion—called “mind training” in Buddhism—we begin to realize that we have something to give and that we can give it. When that feeling returns, we feel more connected to other beings.

 

The gift of love or compassion is in the act of giving itself. We do not have to receive something in return to make these gifts worthwhile. The simple existence of others is what makes them worthwhile, because without others we would be solitary, lonely, cut-off and miserable people. Life would be far less rich if other people were not part of our world. It is said in the teachings that even people who cause us difficulties help us to grow if we are able to deal with them properly.

 

Practicing love and compassion—along with courage, awareness and joy—will keep what Winston Churchill referred to as his “black dog” at bay. That does not mean we will get rid of our depression overnight, but we do not have to. The negative effects of depression will gradually decrease and our ability to make use of depression in a constructive fashion will increase.

 

If we are able to meditate and learn to develop courage, awareness, joy, love and compassion, we will grow and depression will dissipate. We do not have to get rid of it—depression will get worn out by itself. That is important. Thinking of depression as an enemy and trying to conquer or overcome it, at least from the Buddhist point of view, is a self-defeating task. Our task in meditation is not to do that, but rather to learn the skills necessary to deal with whatever it is that we are experiencing.

~~ Ven. Traleg Rinpoche

Edited January 10, 2015 by C T

[Marblehead]

Wait a minute!!! I'm not depressed. Don't you go getting me depressed just so I need to be liberated from my suffering.

[C T]

Wait a minute!!! I'm not depressed. Don't you go getting me depressed just so I need to be liberated from my suffering.

No, i dont think you are, MH. But this article could come in handy with points for those who might struggle with self-doubt from time to time.

[Marblehead]

No, i dont think you are, MH. But this article could come in handy with points for those who might struggle with self-doubt from time to time.

Yes, it is a very good article and thanks for posting it. I hit on it because it was about to go off the screen of "New post since my last visit".

[Seeker of Wisdom]

I think with any discussion of this sort it's worth bearing in mind:

...

 

 

...

Dukkha ... is often translated as suffering. But obviously not all phenomena cause suffering by their very nature. The 1st noble truth is waaay too pessimistic with this phrasing.

 

Actually there are three levels of dukkha:

*Suffering. It happens sometimes.

*Change - pleasure won't last, and we are vulnerable to suffering.

*Conditioned existence. We are deluded about the nature of reality, it is fundamentally unsatisfactory to be grasping onto stuff with these unenlightened minds of ours.

 

It is the deepest form of dukkha that is most important in practising Buddhism....

...

Often people will say 'suffering' but mean 'dukkha' just because this is unfortunately a widespread convention. This means that in discussion between people who know about this, most can get what's actually being spoken about, without having to be that guy who uses Pali or Sanskrit at every opportunity. The disadvantage is that newcomers to these ideas are likely to get a very wrong impression...

 

I think the first two levels of dukkha are easily acceptable - nobody sane would claim that stubbing your toe is pleasant or neutral, or that we could count on pleasant things to last permanently and unpleasant things to never arise.

 

The third level is a bit trickier, but cultivators should be able to get the gist of the idea. It's that subtle tension/friction from living against wu wei, projecting concepts on reality as though they are reality, basically gripping hard on to all the nonsense of our stories.

...

Buddhism teaches non-attachment to pleasant, neutral and unpleasant feelings alike (so don't become a jhana junkie), but pleasure is not only acknowledged as a thing that very much exists, skilful forms of it ... are a fundamental part of the path to awakening...

I think understanding this is key to getting what Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche is really talking about in his great article (thanks for posting it, CT!) and hopefully applying it.

 

There is no value in trying to be depressed as though depression is a spiritual virtue, and you don't have to feel sad in any way to recognise dukkha or seek freedom from it anyway.

 

Us cultivators are into our practice because we're seeking *something* we won't get from all the experience available from wealth, being respected, sex, telly, etc. Even though all these things are sources of pleasure! To some extent, we're all aware of dukkha - without needing to be depressed.

 

However, many are largely desensitised to dukkha by ordinary pleasures, and those of us who do cultivate can still be more perceptive. Feeling mild depression can be a gateway to recognising more clearly that even pleasant conditioned experiences can't be grasped. If mild depression does happen, it's a good idea to use it to start or deepen a path to true liberation.

Edited January 10, 2015 by Seeker of Wisdom

[C T]

Thanks for the additional clarification, Seeker of Wisdom. Much appreciated. _/\_

[thewhitetiger]

I have been challenged by Chronic depression for almost all of my life.

I am able to maintain a more balanced state through chi kung.

Chronic depression is truly like living in hell. It has paralyzed me in many ways for a long long time.

I am grateful that I am in a different place, but it is amazing what tiny events can do to set one off into a deep spiral.

 

My experience with it has shown me how it is seen as a major weakness in western society and even more-so in the martial arts community. If you suffer from deep chronic depression it is seen as "Your Fault".

This of course can add even a greater burden to those afflicted. I have a major trigger towards those who would blame me for having this challenge. I do find I just no longer communicate with many people as I can not take their perception of me and still work on being at peace. Add to this the fact I have chronic pain syndromes that even further devalue me in our society of masks and material. I will not lie, I feel bitterness and resentment in many ways at times, yet I believe I will let these things go as well.

I find the greatest insult is those who offer cliche advice. Such as "The body is an illusion, as is your pain...just let it go..."

Yes yes yes...brilliant Guru advice...thank you. I know that since I did not instantly become one with the universe, nor see past the illusion of the body by the end of the day that I am not enlightened or awakened. Perhaps we can simply not talk down to one another...and believe me...all that truly is is ego spiritualism. Do not be helpful to someone with things like that.

(CT I am NOT referring to you....just one of many "Helpful" spiritual healers that offer their unasked advice.)

Though I may be weak in the eyes of others, I feel I have done very well to keep moving forward, despite these challenges.

I am actually experiencing a LOT of body pain today...so I'm a bit grouchy...so...just pat me on the head and move along...

[C T]

Thank you for sharing, whitetiger. Your directness, resolve, and courage is very much appreciated.

 

It is most inappropriate to say that the body is an illusion and that whatever one is experiencing is therefore non-existent, or simply a figment of one's imagination. Such utterances are careless and ignorant, and do not reflect the (Buddhist) teachings correctly.

[liminal_luke]

We are not talking, though, about chronic or clinical depression here, depression that has got way out of hand.

 

There´s certainly value in seeing the silver linings in adversity but the message of this article is a dangerous one for people who suffer from depression and their loved ones. Saying you can have a constructive depression is like saying you have a touch of constructive lung cancer.

 

Well, maybe it can be constructive. Maybe it wakes people up to the true meaning of their lives, and so on. But this glorifying of disease--and, make no mistake, true depression is a disease--is dangerous.

 

Perhaps what the author really means is not depression at all but a constructive sadness? That would make more sense. If it´s depression, by definition it´s "got way out of hand."

 

Liminal

Edited January 10, 2015 by liminal_luke

[3bob]

"When we are depressed, we may actually be able to see through the falsity and deceptive nature of the samsaric world". (from op post)

 

Well what "samsaric world" when taking into account the following: "In Root Verses on the Middle Way, Nagarjuna says, “Samsara has nothing that distinguishes itself from Nirvana; Nirvana has nothing that distinguishes itself from Samsara. The limit of Nirvana is the limit of Samsara, there is not the slightest difference between the two.”

Edited January 10, 2015 by 3bob

[C T]

There´s certainly value in seeing the silver linings in adversity but the message of this article is a dangerous one for people who suffer from depression and their loved ones. Saying you can have a constructive depression is like saying you have a touch of constructive lung cancer.

 

Well, maybe it can be constructive. Maybe it wakes people up to the true meaning of their lives, and so on. But this glorifying of disease--and, make no mistake, true depression is a disease--is dangerous.

 

Perhaps what the author really means is not depression at all but a constructive sadness? That would make more sense. If it´s depression, by definition it´s "got way out of hand."

 

Liminal

Hi Liminal,

 

Im assuming the article was written comparatively, in the sense that what the West calls dangerous, the East would call it differently, and being Asian myself, i assure you the contrast in views between East and West in regards to depression is quiet an interesting one.

 

Generally speaking, in most Asian societies, there is more of an acceptance and less discrimination of those who happen to be mentally and physically challenged, and this is especially apparent in smaller communities, where it is common for families to band together and offer support to one another in the face of things like depression, for example. Seldom would a person in the community who happen to be different, or who experiences things differently than the rest, be ostracised and belittled, much to the contrary actually. Not saying this applies in all Asian societies - nonetheless, the base attitudes in this regard is quite stark, and i'm assuming it is from this place that the writer had emphasised his view, making clear references to how (Tibetan) Buddhism (as per his understanding) would approach the subject of depression.

 

Having said this, it is also good to bear in mind that much of Asia has changed dramatically over the last 30 years or so, and certain values which were held dear by past generations have gradually been eroded as a result of this new wave of modern Asians - not all, yet, but noticeable enough to a dinosaur like me who come from the 60s era.

[Cookie Monster]

.

Edited May 4, 2021 by Ocean Form

[liminal_luke]

Hi CT,

 

Hope I didn´t come across too stridently. I actually do think there´s value in the ideas the article presented. Just that there´s a historical tendency to romanticize depression in a way that I think leads people not to receive necessary treatment.

 

Liminal

[C T]

I think the word disillusioned is interesting... that people use it for when you're really depressed, on the point of killing yourself.

Reframe that word... "She didn't have her illusions so she became suicidal."

Really...

 

Anywayz. I had some issues with the article as well.

Where it wants to go reads too much like an equation with a fixed outcome for me.

Depression -> + 2/5 -x = cultivate compassion x joy -> buddhism

 

I agree that "depression" (or any disease) can wake you up but I wonder if the author posits a theory or speaks from experience in saying that you should basically cultivate buddhism as the answer.

 

+ the article opts out about talking about real depression, so it really doesn't say anything about depression, but that if you're mildly dissatisfied about your life it helps to become a buddhist

This is not an accurate assessment, imo. The writer, in this case a learned Buddhist master, merely presented a comparison to how (his) form of Buddhist practice would approach the subject of everyday depression (as in, feeling overwhelmed by everyday stuff, or even not-so-everyday stuff), and gave general advice on seeing things from different angles, which undeniably would be helpful if someone happens to resonate with the contents of the article - was there any indication anywhere which says the way to tackle mildly depressive episodes is to convert to Buddhism? I must have missed it if thats the case, unless of course its simply your personal opinion here, which you are perfectly entitled to voice.

[C T]

Hi CT,

 

Hope I didn´t come across too stridently. I actually do think there´s value in the ideas the article presented. Just that there´s a historical tendency to romanticize depression in a way that I think leads people not to receive necessary treatment.

 

Liminal

Hey, no worries, dear friend. I know you meant well. If you are keen to explore this subject a little bit more, here's another interesting article for you to peruse (if you want)..

 

http://tinybuddha.com/blog/let-it-be-using-mindfulness-to-overcome-anxiety-depression/

[carbonbreath]

I have been challenged by Chronic depression for almost all of my life. 

 I am able to maintain a more balanced state through chi kung. 

Chronic depression is truly like living in hell. It has paralyzed me in many ways for a long long time.

I am grateful that I am in a different place, but it is amazing what tiny events can do to set one off into a deep spiral.

 

My experience with it has shown me how it is seen as a major weakness in western society and even more-so in the martial arts community. If you suffer from deep chronic depression it is seen as "Your Fault". 

 This of course can add even a greater burden to those afflicted. I have a major trigger towards those who would blame me for having this challenge. I do find I just no longer communicate with many people as I can not take their perception of me and still work on being at peace. Add to this the fact I have chronic pain syndromes that even further devalue me in our society of masks and material. I will not lie, I feel bitterness and resentment in many ways at times, yet I believe I will let these things go as well.

 I find the greatest insult is those who offer cliche advice. Such as "The body is an illusion, as is your pain...just let it go..." 

Yes yes yes...brilliant Guru advice...thank you. I know that since I did not instantly become one with the universe, nor see past the illusion of the body by the end of the day that I am not enlightened or awakened. Perhaps we can simply not talk down to one another...and believe me...all that truly is is ego spiritualism. Do not be helpful to someone with things like that.

 (CT I am NOT referring to you....just one of many "Helpful" spiritual healers that offer their unasked advice.)

 Though I may be weak in the eyes of others, I feel I have done very well to keep moving forward, despite these challenges. 

I am actually experiencing a LOT of body pain today...so I'm a bit grouchy...so...just pat me on the head and move along...

Never give up. 

Edited February 24, 2015 by carbonbreath

[C T]

I feel you, brother (or sister). Not to add gasoline to the blues jam burn, but I have lived several episodes of such darkness we call major clinical depression in the DSM, perhaps 3 years or so in total.

 

These are states of consciousness that defy any definition of hell or physical torture. This is when the pain of your own thoughts are so great and heavy that you would wish nothing more than to cease being conscious altogether. What's worse is that there is so little available life-force and so much inertia, paranoia and confusion that you can't even begin to work on getting yourself out of it without exacerbating the pain, so you just sleep all day, hoping to God that you'll one day wake up feeling OK, but you know it's going to be a while.

 

Then you hear/read ad-nauseum that you create your own reality, you control your own thoughts and experiences, and yes, you know perfectly well all of that. You know it all too, well, perhaps having used the power of thought and manifestation to your advantage in some states past, when feeling like walking lottery, a well greased engine, perhaps the feeling you had the last time you were in love. You know how this all works, but you can't for the life of you do anything about it in your current state. Not in this kind of funk- there's no leverag- all the buttons are gone and the lights on the control panel are as dim as can be. Much rather take a nap then pilot this flesh vehicle! Brain! What are you doing, man? Starship, activate, common- You know the drill!

 

I think it would lighten the burden in our society to have a wider acceptance of states of consciousness, even those we deem weak or "sick". I would imagine that if all the schizophrenics, manic-depressives and everything in-between had full permission to live out their experiences in our culture without the worry of social stigma and financial ruin that they could become uniquely useful and perceptive, and also save themselves so much needless suffering. Perhaps dare I say, it is society's collective perception of mental illness that induces so much suffering onto the people that are afflicted with it- making them think they are somehow "sick" or "abnormal".

 

Alas, as I myself am typing this inside the abyss of a Dark Night, hopelessly inert, ranting, paranoid, sad and headed in no particular direction and nowhere fast, I have to remind myself that there is at least some tranquility even in the states that seem most void of life. May all those suffering soon see the light on the other side- hang in there. Cheers.

Nicely said - thank you too, for sharing so courageously!

[thewhitetiger]

I feel you, brother (or sister). Not to add gasoline to the blues jam burn, but I have lived several episodes of such darkness we call major clinical depression in the DSM, perhaps 3 years or so in total.

 

These are states of consciousness that defy any definition of hell or physical torture. This is when the pain of your own thoughts are so great and heavy that you would wish nothing more than to cease being conscious altogether. What's worse is that there is so little available life-force and so much inertia, paranoia and confusion that you can't even begin to work on getting yourself out of it without exacerbating the pain, so you just sleep all day, hoping to God that you'll one day wake up feeling OK, but you know it's going to be a while.

 

Then you hear/read ad-nauseum that you create your own reality, you control your own thoughts and experiences, and yes, you know perfectly well all of that. You know it all too, well, perhaps having used the power of thought and manifestation to your advantage in some states past, when feeling like walking lottery, a well greased engine, perhaps the feeling you had the last time you were in love. You know how this all works, but you can't for the life of you do anything about it in your current state. Not in this kind of funk- there's no leverag- all the buttons are gone and the lights on the control panel are as dim as can be. Much rather take a nap then pilot this flesh vehicle! Brain! What are you doing, man? Starship, activate, common- You know the drill!

 

I think it would lighten the burden in our society to have a wider acceptance of states of consciousness, even those we deem weak or "sick". I would imagine that if all the schizophrenics, manic-depressives and everything in-between had full permission to live out their experiences in our culture without the worry of social stigma and financial ruin that they could become uniquely useful and perceptive, and also save themselves so much needless suffering. Perhaps dare I say, it is society's collective perception of mental illness that induces so much suffering onto the people that are afflicted with it- making them think they are somehow "sick" or "abnormal".

 

Alas, as I myself am typing this inside the abyss of a Dark Night, hopelessly inert, ranting, paranoid, sad and headed in no particular direction and nowhere fast, I have to remind myself that there is at least some tranquility even in the states that seem most void of life. May all those suffering soon see the light on the other side- hang in there. Cheers.

 

Very nicely written and I can tell you truly have experienced the challenges of not just the elements of mental paralysis but also the stigmas that can go with it. Cheers to you as well.

[Marblehead]

I agree that "depression" (or any disease) can wake you up but I wonder if the author posits a theory or speaks from experience in saying that you should basically cultivate buddhism as the answer.

Thanks for pointing this out. Many forms of depression are results of chemical imbalance in the brain. Neither philosophy nor religion will help. But there are a number of medical treatments that can help.

[C T]

Thanks for pointing this out. Many forms of depression are results of chemical imbalance in the brain. Neither philosophy nor religion will help. But there are a number of medical treatments that can help.

Philosophy, religion and spirituality can oftentimes act as reliable supports. How the practices and mental trainings are integrated into the healing process would largely depend on the individual, its believed. I'd say very little separates the development of inner strength, which is quite crucial for cultivators, more so for those who happen to have depression, and authentic spiritual depth.

[Marblehead]

I'm glad someone reminded me of holistic healing.

 

But yeah, what you said C T.

[Cookie Monster]

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Edited May 4, 2021 by Ocean Form

[Marblehead]

Ooh wait. Depends what you mean by medical treatment here for us to talk about the same thing.

I won't even attempt to define what works and what doesn't. All I know is that some people have been helped.

 

 

--But I don't mean to say that buddhism has no weapons against depression. I have high hopes for a certain buddhist practice (bön derived) here....

I hope you don't have me confused as being a Buddhist. I would be disappointed by that.

 

Different strokes for different folks.

[dust]

Excellent article. Thanks CT.

 

Being in this mildly depressed state myself for a number of months now (and many times in the past), I have already started to discover that this particular state of mind has been helpful in deconstructing my belief system and being quite honest with myself about myself and the world around me. I wasn't sure if I was just imagining things (looking for a positive aspect to the situation even if there wasn't one in reality) but this article makes some very good points, and I'm going to take some of it on board and see if I can't find even more equilibrium.

 

 

 

To Liminal and others wary of confusing "true depression" with what's mentioned in the article, I can only suggest that we don't get too caught up in definitions. Clearly Traleg has understood a certain mindset, as he's written an article that does resonate with some (like me). And he very clearly asks the reader not to confuse what he's talking about with the extreme depression that some experience. The reader should be able to make a distinction, right?

[C T]

Glad it helped clarify some aspect of your present being, Dustyb. Made posting it more meaningful now.