Depressão na vida espiritual

by Patanga Cordeiro | Sep 12, 2024 | Autoconhecimento, Resumos

Esta página é resultado de uma pesquisa nos escritos de Sri Chinmoy sobre o tema da depressão. Você pode fazer suas próprias pesquisas no site Sri Chinmoy Library, com 1800 dos seus livros.

Eu fiz o seguinte resumo a partir da minha leitura:

Do ponto de vista espiritual (este artigo não lida com a questão médica), resumidamente, infere-se da leitura que a depressão é de dois tipos principais: psíquica (no sentido do coração espiritual, não do psicológico) e vital (emocional ou psicológico).

A depressão vital aparece por conta do orgulho, ego e vaidade. Ela vem da nossa separação da Vontade de Deus, quando nos identificamos com nossos próprios desejos. Quando eles são satisfeitos, sentimos um tipo de frustração. Quando não são satisfeitos, sentimos outro tipo de frustração.

A depressão psíquica surge quando sabemos o que deve ser feito, sem desejo pessoal e em unicidade com a Vontade de Deus, mas nossas ações e intenções são bloqueadas por outros elementos. A cura é uma entrega maior à Vontade de Deus, aspirar mais e orar mais.

A depressão (não-especificada) pode ser transformada principalmente através do entusiasmo e dinamismo ousado na mente e vital, na determinação e alegria do coração, na oração, na abertura para uma realidade maior. Deixar o passado para trás, não focar no negativo e sentir o Amor de Deus também são focos importantes. E deve-se lembrar também que quase todos passam por momentos ou épocas de depressão. Gratidão e receptividade são importantes para nos abrirmos para uma luz maior.

Sugerimos ler os textos originais abaixo para compreender o que é e como superar:

Textos de Sri Chinmoy sobre depressão, compilados de diversos livros

9558

O seeker,
Be not discouraged
By the long climb ahead of you.
Regain your enthusiasm-surge!
Lo, you have transcended
Your depression-height.

Sri Chinmoy, Twenty-Seven Thousand Aspiration-Plants, part 96, Agni Press, 1984

15171

Depression-mind is a subject
I have studied for years.
I shall now discontinue it.
From now on I shall study
Determination-heart.

Sri Chinmoy, Twenty-Seven Thousand Aspiration-Plants, part 152, Agni Press, 1991

15234

To rid yourself
Of inertia, lethargy,
Frustration and depression,
What you need is
Dynamism and speed
In your body, vital, mind
And heart.

Sri Chinmoy, Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 16, Agni Press, 1999

22352

No more depression-frustration-frowns,
No more!
I am now drinking deep
The Nectar-Delight
From the Heart
Of my Lord Beloved Supreme.

Sri Chinmoy, Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 23, Agni Press, 2001

5731. One soulful cry

One soulful cry of the heart
Can not only lighten
The weight of sad depression
But also enlighten
A God-searching mind.

Sri Chinmoy, Ten Thousand Flower-Flames, part 58, Agni Press, 1983

6682

Why do you pay so much attention
To your mind-made depression?
Can you not pay attention
To your heart-created aspiration?

Sri Chinmoy, Twenty-Seven Thousand Aspiration-Plants, part 67, Agni Press, 1984

76.

Every day I commemorate
The lucid birth of hope.
Therefore, my life and I see not
The long depression-rope.

Sri Chinmoy, Silence speaks, part 1, Agni Press, 1990

24978

There was a time when I was lost
In a world of depression.
Now that world
Is a perfect stranger to me.

Sri Chinmoy, Twenty-Seven Thousand Aspiration-Plants, part 250, Agni Press, 1998

2109

O seeker,
Do not allow depression
To come into you.
Even your yesterday’s failure-life
You must take as a remote incarnation.

Sri Chinmoy, Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 3, Agni Press, 1998

2781. The thorn-crown of depression

Even the possessors of great minds,
Let alone the common run,
Are forced to wear
The thorn-crown of wild depression.

Sri Chinmoy, Ten Thousand Flower-Flames, part 28, Agni Press, 1982

3856

O my depression-vital,
I shall prove to you
That my heart’s joy
Is infinitely stronger than you are.

Sri Chinmoy, Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 4, Agni Press, 1998

55. Depression-rope

Every day I commemorate
The lucid birth of hope.
Therefore, my life and I see not
The long depression-rope.

Sri Chinmoy, Two thirsty eyes, Agni Press, 1998

19144

O my depression-mind,
Can you not see
That every day God is planting
His own Smile-Seeds inside you?

Sri Chinmoy, Twenty-Seven Thousand Aspiration-Plants, part 192, Agni Press, 1993

10895

Do not give any other job
To your enthusiasm!
To crusade against
Your depression-enemy daily
Is more than enough.

Sri Chinmoy, Twenty-Seven Thousand Aspiration-Plants, part 109, Agni Press, 1987

13045

Quickly I came to God
With what I have:
Depression.
Quietly God gave to me
What He is:
Joy.

Sri Chinmoy, Twenty-Seven Thousand Aspiration-Plants, part 131, Agni Press, 1990

40101

The depression
Of the vital and the mind
Has to be replaced
By the dynamic enthusiasm
Of the soul.

Sri Chinmoy, Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 41, Agni Press, 2004

21217

The happiness of the heart
Does have the capacity
To put an end
To the depression of the mind.

Sri Chinmoy, Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 22, Agni Press, 2001

16502

Now that
The depression-suppression-days
Are over,
Willingness and enthusiasm
Are carrying my life
To my destined goal.

Sri Chinmoy, Twenty-Seven Thousand Aspiration-Plants, part 166, Agni Press, 1992

18076

God will change
Your mental frustration
And psychic depression
If you are ready to have
A new name:
Willingness.

Sri Chinmoy, Twenty-Seven Thousand Aspiration-Plants, part 181, Agni Press, 1993

2892. Challenge your frustration-vital

Challenge your frustration-vital.
Challenge your depression-mind.
Lo, you have all at once
Become a perfection-heart.

Sri Chinmoy, Ten Thousand Flower-Flames, part 29, Agni Press, 1982

9214. Your Cheerfulness-Shield

When they see your cheerfulness-shield,
Frustration, depression, doubt,
Anxiety and worry
Will not dare to attack you.

Sri Chinmoy, Ten Thousand Flower-Flames, part 93, Agni Press, 1983

August 29

Today
I am so excited by God’s Promise
That depression will never again
Be able to visit me.

Sri Chinmoy, Today, Agni Press, 1996

18.

Somewhere I saw the face of depression —
But my Lord commands me
to silence my stupid curiosity.

Sri Chinmoy, Something, somehow, somewhere, someday, Aum Press, 1973

9077

Do not blame anybody
For allowing your vital
To be permanently caught
In a most powerful depression-downpour.

Sri Chinmoy, Twenty-Seven Thousand Aspiration-Plants, part 91, Agni Press, 1984

21188

The depression of the mind
Finds it very easy
To make friends with
The aggression of the vital.

Sri Chinmoy, Twenty-Seven Thousand Aspiration-Plants, part 212, Agni Press, 1994

10370

Consciously and deliberately
You are craving for
Desire’s smile.
Therefore, depression
And depression’s shadow
Do not leave you.

Sri Chinmoy, Twenty-Seven Thousand Aspiration-Plants, part 104, Agni Press, 1986

6409

He is so happy that finally
He is able to dig the grave
Of his depression-vital.

Sri Chinmoy, Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 7, Agni Press, 1998

8.

No more depressing news.
There is plenty of hope
For each and every
Human being on earth.

Sri Chinmoy, The Oneness-Heart-University, Agni Press, 1992

10417

The happiness of a surrender-life
Can easily take off
The depression-pounds of the vital.

Sri Chinmoy, Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 11, Agni Press, 1999

12838

Be brave!
Do not allow your mind
To collapse
Under heavy depression-thought-weight.

Sri Chinmoy, Twenty-Seven Thousand Aspiration-Plants, part 129, Agni Press, 1990

15281

Fight with depression-intruder
And prove to God
That you are His hero-warrior.

Sri Chinmoy, Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 16, Agni Press, 1999

5730

It seems that each human life
Is a victim
To intermittent
Depression-frustration-showers.

Sri Chinmoy, Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 6, Agni Press, 1998

13885

Long for dynamism!
Your soul will bless you
With a depression-shattering smile.

Sri Chinmoy, Twenty-Seven Thousand Aspiration-Plants, part 139, Agni Press, 1991

3660

Ignore your mind’s
Depression-cloud.
Dare to expect your heart’s
Cloudless satisfaction-smile.

Sri Chinmoy, Twenty-Seven Thousand Aspiration-Plants, part 37, Agni Press, 1984

14189

If you want total liberation
From depression,
Then go beyond
Stark desire-frustration.

Sri Chinmoy, Twenty-Seven Thousand Aspiration-Plants, part 142, Agni Press, 1991

8680

Develop dynamism
Within and without.
Your age-old depression
Will nowhere be found.

Sri Chinmoy, Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 9, Agni Press, 1998

60.

O my mind,
Once more if you say
That you are depressed
And you need my sympathy,
I shall not remain silent.
I shall tell you the real reason.
The real reason for your depression
Is that you secretly and openly
Enjoy the pleasures of lethargy.

Sri Chinmoy, O my mind, Agni Press, 1988

3805

Never allow
Your depression-vital
To clip your heart’s
Enthusiasm-wings.

Sri Chinmoy, Twenty-Seven Thousand Aspiration-Plants, part 39, Agni Press, 1984

7521

An aspiration-heart
Is a sure cure
For a depression-vital.

Sri Chinmoy, Twenty-Seven Thousand Aspiration-Plants, part 76, Agni Press, 1984

20569

The weight of depression
Is heavier
Than that of ten elephants.

Sri Chinmoy, Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 21, Agni Press, 2001

20929

Genuine aspiration
Is of paramount importance
To stave off depression.

Sri Chinmoy, Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 21, Agni Press, 2001

14215

Each soulful prayer
Is an antidote
To depression-attack.

Sri Chinmoy, Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 15, Agni Press, 1999

24907

O seeker,
Do not allow depression
To possess you.

Sri Chinmoy, Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 25, Agni Press, 2002

33203

Smiling days come
To chase away
Depression-nights.

Sri Chinmoy, Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 34, Agni Press, 2003

14330

Relaxation is needed
To remove
Our vital depression.

Sri Chinmoy, Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 15, Agni Press, 1999

3417

Depression silences
The dynamism
Of the vital.

Sri Chinmoy, Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 4, Agni Press, 1998

23480

The inner cheerfulness
Is
The outer depression-antidote.

Sri Chinmoy, Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 24, Agni Press, 2002

725

Depression
In the unaspiring vital
Will never die.

Sri Chinmoy, Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 1, Agni Press, 1998

148

Depression is an ill will self-imposed.

Sri Chinmoy, Beyond Within — A collection of writings 1964-1974, Agni Press, 1975

September 15

A divided concern is depression.

Sri Chinmoy, Flame-Goal. Daily meditations, Sri Chinmoy Centre, Montreal, 1973

29428

Depression begins
When desire remains
Unfed.

Sri Chinmoy, Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 30, Agni Press, 2002

39040

Depression
Has its antidote:
God’s Smile.

Sri Chinmoy, Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 40, Agni Press, 2004

19785

Enthusiasm means
Immediate
Depression-annihilation.

Sri Chinmoy, Seventy-Seven Thousand Service-Trees, part 20, Agni Press, 2001

9722

Be cheerful!
You will get a lion’s strength.
Immediately you will be able
To throw aside the burden of your past:
The elephant of depression,
Frustration and failure.

Sri Chinmoy, Twenty-Seven Thousand Aspiration-Plants, part 98, Agni Press, 1984

16070

If you are attacked by doubt,
If you are attacked by depression,
If you are attacked by frustration,
Do not think that that is the end.
There is still God’s Concern,
There is still God’s Oneness-Heart.
Invoke them!
They will come
To your immediate rescue.

Sri Chinmoy, Twenty-Seven Thousand Aspiration-Plants, part 161, Agni Press, 1991

Psychic depression and vital depression

When we are assailed by worries and anxieties, we have to feel that there is an antidote. When a snake bites us we try to get cured. If the worries and anxieties of the thought-world want to enter into us and attack us, then we have to get the antidote. And the antidote is to feel inwardly God’s Love for us.

We love God, but we are not sure whether God loves us. We pray to God, “Oh God, grant us this, fulfil this desire.” But whether or not God loves us remains vague. But we have to start with the feeling that He loves us always infinitely more than we love ourselves. How is it possible for God to love us more than we love ourselves? The answer is that God does not doubt us as we doubt ourselves. One moment we feel that we are very strong, like a great emperor; the next moment we see a red ant and are frightened to death.

Anxiety comes when there is a gap between our existence and God’s Existence. Also it comes when we don’t claim God as our very own or don’t care to say, “I am of God; I am for God.” Worries and anxieties will go away only when we identify ourselves with something that has peace, poise, divinity and the feeling of absolute oneness. If we identify ourselves with the Inner Pilot, then we get the strength of His illumining Light. Worries come because we identify ourselves with fear. If we identify ourselves with something divine, eternal and immortal, then naturally the hidden essence and quality of that particular thing will enter into us. By worrying all the time or by thinking undivine thoughts, we will never move towards our goal. We will enter into divinity only by having positive thoughts: “I am of God. I am for God.” If we think this, then there can be no worry, no anxiety.

There is psychic depression and there is vital depression. In psychic depression the individual feels that there is so much that God has asked him to do and that God Himself is trying to manifest in and through him; but the world-ignorance is not letting him manifest God. Here you are with friends and your boss is the Supreme. This boss has asked you to do something, and you are trying and He is trying in and through you. But again, there are people around you who are resisting your efforts. They claim God as their Father and He claims them as His children, but they are not receptive to God’s Light. Psychic depression occurs when you know what is best and, at the same time, you are helpless. Some of your brothers and sisters who are around you know what is best for them, but they do not want to do it; they do not want to budge an inch. Again, there are some who do not know what is best for them. But you know what is best for you and also for them, and you want to do it; but you are blocked.

You know what the truth is and you want to manifest the truth. But you are helpless because the people around you and before you do not co-operate. The Supreme, or your Inner Pilot, puts pressure on you and you put pressure on yourself, but it does not help. When inner peace and inner light find it difficult to come to the fore the way the Supreme wants, at God’s choice Hour, then psychic depression comes.

But vital depression is different. Vital depression comes from the unfulfilled demands of pride, ego and vanity. In this depression, you wanted to do something or you wanted to fulfil some desire, but you did not succeed. You are frustrated; so immediately vital depression comes. Psychic depression is on an infinitely higher level, where your choice and God’s choice are one and the same. In vital depression your choice is your desire, and this has nothing to do with God’s Will. There is only you and your unfulfilled desire; here God is not involved. In psychic depression you have envisioned God’s Vision; God has placed His Vision in front of you, but you are unable to transform His Vision into reality. It is not for the sake of personal gain or for ego that you wanted to succeed. No. You and God have the same aspiration, the same vision, the same goal; but it is not yet manifested. Psychic depression is the result of the unfulfilled Vision of the Supreme in and through you. It is God’s Divinity that wants to manifest in and through you, but it is being delayed because the world forces, the ignorance-forces, are standing against you. God and you have become one: one aspiration, one soul, one goal. But God’s Vision is not fulfilled. so you have psychic depression.

The cure for psychic depression is to surrender openly to God’s Will. Aspire soulfully and constantly, and then surrender to God’s Will. You may soulfully cry and cry, but sometimes after psychic depression enters, you may want to take rest. You feel it is a hopeless case, so the best thing is to give up, to surrender-not to God, but to world-ignorance. Many times it has happened that the individual knows that God and he are one, but when he sees that the Supreme in him is constantly remaining unfulfilled, then he gives up. Many spiritual Masters and many seekers give up. They try together with God, but when they think that it is a hopeless case, they give up. But this is not good. One should never give up. One has to fight to the end. Sooner or later God’s Will is bound to be manifested in and through you.

Sri Chinmoy, Four intimate friends: insincerity, impurity, doubt and self-indulgence, Agni Press, 1977

Question: Sometimes when I am at work I feel a kind of mental heaviness or dissatisfaction. It is not depression, but I feel if I can invoke the quality of delight, it will be so much nicer on the job.

Sri Chinmoy: It is not actually delight that you need, it is only dynamism. What you unfortunately lack is dynamism. Your soul and your body do not receive dynamism. If you can let dynamism enter into your physical body, then you will not have a feeling of depression or heaviness. Please invoke the soul’s will physically and vitally. Then there will be no heaviness, no frustration, no depression.

Sri Chinmoy, AUM — Vol.II-6, No. 8, August 1980, Vishma Press, 1980

Question: Guru, how do we free ourselves from depressions?

Sri Chinmoy: With the light within us. When we meditate on light, light comes either from above or from within. We must bring light to the fore. Our heart is very vast. The spiritual heart, not the physical heart, is larger than the universe, and abundant light is inside that heart.

If we want to climb a mountain that is very tall, we have to know our capacity. If we are weak and we want to climb the mountain all at once, we will be doomed to disappointment. We have to climb up a little and then take rest. Then we climb up a little more and rest again before we go on. If we try to climb the mountain all at once, we may ruin our capacity.

We can either overestimate or underestimate our capacity. When we underestimate ourselves, depression comes. If we have the capacity to climb up three or four miles, but feel, “I cannot do it; I can only climb a little,” then we are depressed because we feel that we have no capacity. But when we overestimate our capacity, we also become depressed because we cannot accomplish what we expected to accomplish. It is always better to aim just an inch higher or lower than our capacity. If we expect too much or too little, depression will come.

The best way to free ourselves from depression is to bring light forward and illumine it. If that is difficult, then take depression as something quite unimportant that is a little bit dirty and throw it away. By dwelling on it, we can’t conquer it. It will come back again and again to bother us if we give it undue importance. For two days or two months we will be free, but again it will come back unless and until it is illumined.

Sri Chinmoy, Problems! Problems! Are they really problems? part 1, Agni Press, 1974

Question: Will people who are depressed ever realise God?

Sri Chinmoy: They will, but they will undoubtedly be the last group to realise God unless they conquer their depression. And when they reach God, God will not be proud of them. Out of Compassion God will allow them to drink His Nectar, but God will be pleased and will feed with pride only those who are constantly marching forward and not looking backward. God will tolerate doubt and depression, but only those who are truly cheerful inwardly and outwardly will have everything open to them.

God is Light, and those who suffer from depression are not accepting God’s Light. If they think that by being depressed, they will get more Compassion from God or from their Guru, they are mistaken. God and the Guru may show them infinite Compassion, but it will not be wholehearted Compassion. God and the Guru will know that they are being exploited by the aspirant’s constant demands for Compassion.

If they say that God does not love them enough, it is all their negative imagination and self-justification. Who loves His children more than the Father? Fortunately for them, God’s Compassion is infinite. But although those who are depressed will eventually realise God also, the path of cheerfulness is infinitely swifter.

Sri Chinmoy, Problems! Problems! Are they really problems? part 1, Agni Press, 1974

Question: Sometimes when I am very happy because I have had a very good meditation, the next day I get depressed. Why does that happen?

Sri Chinmoy: There are two reasons. One is that hostile forces, undivine forces, become very annoyed that you have made progress. They are always alert and they are alarmed to see that you have made enormous progress through your good meditation. They are afraid that tomorrow you will make the same kind of progress. The undivine forces do not want to allow that, so they attack you. Only if you fight them can you continue to make progress.

How do these forces attack us? There are various ways. One way is that when somebody has had a significant experience, they come and say, “You have done so many things wrong. You don’t deserve what Guru, out of his infinite kindness, has given You.” Then the subtle ego inside you says, “It is true. I don’t deserve that, so I won’t keep it,” and you just give it up. Although you have come to me with utmost humility and devoted qualities, these forces are so clever that they convince you that you didn’t deserve what you received. In this world nobody wants to be a beggar; nobody wants to be an object of pity. The moment you hear that you didn’t deserve it, you don’t want it. Instead, you should say, “I worked for three or four hours. I meditated and I was happy. That is why he gave me the capacity to have that experience.” The only time these hostile forces can enter is when you allow them. If you are adamant in rejecting them, then they have to leave you.

Another way the hostile forces attack you is by giving you an inferiority complex. If you think that the person who sat beside you had a better meditation than you, that feeling is very bad. In the outer world we compete. “I was defeated by so-and-so or I defeated so-and-so,” is what human beings say in the outer world. But in the inner world there is no competition, or at least competition is one-sided: with oneself alone. You will compete with your own doubt, fear, anxiety, jealousy and so forth. In the outer world, you have only two or three competitors and this competition will last for a day. But in the inner world you have many competitors. Fear, doubt, anxiety, depression, worry and many others are all ready to rob you of your joy. They come to you and say, “Yesterday we lost, but today we are here to challenge you again.” What happens then? You are not prepared, but they have challenged and with your little ego you say, “All right, I accept your challenge.” Then fear comes and runs ahead of you while doubt holds your legs, and jealousy pulls you backwards. If they were fair competitors, before the big race they would agree to run properly, but they don’t. Just before you start, anxiety will come and strangle you. So you have to be really ready to run. You must be fully prepared so that when the competition begins, they won’t have a chance.

When you have a divine experience, if you can hold on to its reality for a few days, then it becomes solid. At that time the hostile forces cannot enter. So try to hold your divine experiences very firmly, especially for the first few days. Always try to remember whenever you do something good. Forget about the bad things and do not allow the tricky hostile forces to remind you of them. They are not necessary; they are all dust. If you can remember only the good things, then you can make much progress.

Sri Chinmoy, Problems! Problems! Are they really problems? part 1, Agni Press, 1974

Question: Guru, when you see our states of mind and our moods, do you see us as a sort of composite or average of what we were during the day, or do you see us as we are at that moment?

Sri Chinmoy: It is not like an average. Thirty percent of the time you can be depressed, thirty percent of the time you can be angry, and perhaps every other undivine quality you may have at different times during the day. But for one second if you have the soul’s will, then you have to know that the strength of the soul’s will is more powerful than all your fear, doubt and other negative qualities. If you have this will-power one percent of the time, then you can conquer all your depression and other undivine qualities. You may suffer for half an hour from depression, but if even for one second you can bring forward your soul’s inner will-power, then you can easily nullify your depression.

Sri Chinmoy, Four intimate friends: insincerity, impurity, doubt and self-indulgence, Agni Press, 1977

Question: How can I prevent getting upset or depressed over small things, such as a car break-down or a screaming child?

Sri Chinmoy: In the material world, whatever we handle, we should try to keep in perfect condition. If we are using an old car, naturally this may create problems. Even new cars sometimes give trouble. But we should always try to use a perfect instrument. Since we are trying to be perfect instruments of the Supreme, the things that we handle should also have perfection in them. Just as we cry and try for perfection of our own nature, whatever is our possession should also be perfect according to our standard. So the things that we are utilising as our instruments must be kept in perfect condition. But we have to know that in spite of the fact that something appears perfect, it often is not. And if it causes problems, does depression help us in any way? Never.

We must always be wise. A wise man will take an unfortunate happening as a challenge, an opportunity to face an unpleasant reality with a cheerful smile. A fool will curse his fate and will curse others. He will feel that this kind of misfortune only happens to him. A wise person will simply say, “Here I have another opportunity to conquer my anger or my depression.” Every experience in life can be meaningful and beneficial if we accept it properly.

Now, when a child is screaming, what should we do? Immediately remember that his screaming is not stronger than your inner poise. Then try to bring forward your inner poise and let it drown out the screaming of the child. Every time you see something irritating or undivine, accept the challenge and conquer it. If you allow it to conquer you, you are bound to become upset or depressed.

Sri Chinmoy, Problems! Problems! Are they really problems? part 1, Agni Press, 1974

Vyasa becomes freed of depression⁶

Vyasa was the great sage who wrote the Mahabharata. One day he was terribly depressed. He thought, “What am I going to do with my life? I am all depression, depression, depression. I have read the Vedas. I am an authority on the Vedas. Everyone comes to me for knowledge. I am the greatest of all the sages, but today I am so depressed. What am I going to do? In the Mahabharata I have written so many stories to console people when they are depressed. And now I myself am dying of depression.”

Narada appeared before him. Narada was a great sage who sang the glories of Vishnu everywhere. He was a great seeker, the greatest singer and the greatest devotee, but sometimes he would act very undivine. He would become jealous of people who were very happy and would then create problems for them. For this reason, people called him a problem-maker.

When Narada appeared, Vyasa said, “O Narada, save me, save me! I am in trouble!”

“You are in trouble? Everybody says that I am the problem-maker,” said Narada. “I can only make more problems for you. What kind of help do you need?”

“Narada, please tell me how I can have peace of mind. I am so depressed today.”

“You are depressed? You have given consolation to thousands of people. Who will believe that you are depressed?”

“You must believe me and you must save me!”

“But you always call me the problem-maker!”

“Yes, but at the same time you are closest to Vishnu. Vishnu can console anyone. So can you not ask Vishnu to console me?”

“I cannot ask Vishnu that. He will laugh at me if I tell him that you, of all people, need consolation. He says that you are the wisest person on earth. He won’t believe that you have become a victim of depression.”

“But I am suffering. Please tell Vishnu. He will cure me.”

“I can tell Vishnu, but it is not necessary. I myself can tell you how to be cured.”

“Then please tell me. I have faith in you.”

“You have written the Mahabharata. You know everything that is in the Vedas, but are you doing the right thing?”

“What have I done wrong?”

“Have you written one book that is only about Lord Krishna?”

“Oh no.”

“Then start writing! Write the Bhagavatam, which will be all about Krishna from beginning to end. Then there will be no depression in your life. Your soul wants you to write a new book only about Krishna.”

“All right, I am starting,” he said. As soon as he started writing, his depression was transformed into delight, delight, delight.

GIM 146. 5 February 1979↩

Sri Chinmoy, Great Indian meals: divinely delicious and supremely nourishing, part 8, Agni Press, 1979

Question: What causes depression?

Sri Chinmoy: We want constant success, constant progress, constant achievement and fulfilment, but in our daily life we do not get it. Each moment is an opportunity to grow into more of God’s Light, Peace, Bliss and Power, but if we misuse that opportunity, immediately the negative forces such as doubt, fear, jealousy, worry and depression enter into us.

We have to know what we actually want. If we want light and only light, we have to know where that light is. That light is in our peace of mind, in the tranquillity of our heart. When we unveil our inner peace, we will see that our life is all achievement and fulfilment: achievement in the process of infinite achievement, fulfilment in the process of infinite fulfilment. If we don’t do that, we are bound to be the prince of depression.

What causes depression? Our acceptance of ignorance as our very own. We cannot go beyond it: we are caught; we are in the little self of ignorance, so we become depressed. But if we feel that we do not represent ignorance, we are not ignorance, we are not of ignorance and we are not for ignorance, but we are in light and we want to grow into deeper and deepest light, into all-fulfilling Light; then there can be no depression. The light which is the result of our sincere aspiration will immediately burn our depression into ashes, or it will transform our depression into constant aspiration.

We have to know that by being depressed we should not expect either God’s Grace, or God’s Love, or even sympathy from humanity. If I am depressed and a friend of mine comes to console me and sympathise with me, in that way the root of depression will not be cut. On the contrary, my depression will be nourished. Depression comes because we do not want to live in the truth; we want to live consciously or unconsciously in ignorance or, I should say, pleasure. This so-called pleasure is bound to be followed by depression. If we can identify with the soul’s inner joy, which is spontaneous, we will always have joy within us and without us. Let us try to remain in the soul’s spontaneous joy.

Sri Chinmoy, Problems! Problems! Are they really problems? part 1, Agni Press, 1974

Question: I know that frustration and feeling sorry are wrong forces; yet I feel sad quite often.

Sri Chinmoy: First of all let us deal with frustration. Frustration is undoubtedly bad. Any kind of frustration is a precursor of destruction. It is not frustration that is destroyed, but frustration that destroys. If frustration were destroyed, then we would again have the life of cheerfulness. But that is not what happens.

Now the feeling of sorrow. Suppose we think about a person in our family who has passed away. For a few hours we feel sad because we miss the person who loved us or whom we loved. We feel that in our sad, sorrowful mood we are intensifying our oneness with that particular deceased person. This feeling is not bad because first we are intensifying our oneness and then we can bring down peace, light and bliss. But again, if we can maintain our oneness with that person’s soul wherever it is, and feel its presence within us, then we need not feel sad even for one minute.

There is another way in which the spiritual Masters approach this case. When Sri Ramakrishna’s nephew passed away, Sri Ramakrishna cried bitterly. Why was he so sad? Sri Ramakrishna felt sorrow not actually for the loss of the person but for the failure of that person to accomplish what he came on earth to accomplish. This soul had something to offer but could not do it because of the intervention of wrong forces.

Very often when we help others, when we become one with others’ sorrow, we get a kind of joy. This is a very tricky thing. When somebody is sad or suffering, we try to help that person. But inwardly we may enjoy his suffering and have a glorified inner feeling that we have been of some help to him.

First we feel a little sorry; then we get joy because we feel superior. We think, “I am not suffering he is suffering. I am at the top of the tree and he is at the foot of the tree.” This wrong idea very often enters into our mind. If we identify ourselves with someone who is sad and depressed, if we are just enjoying his sadness, we are not helping him at all.

In the Pandava family, Arjuna’s mother, Kunti, knew that Lord Krishna was a great spiritual Master. She knew that Sri Krishna was God Himself. So she used to pray to him to give her sorrow and suffering all the time so that she would think only of him. She believed that only if she lived in suffering would she be inspired to think of God. This idea is not good at all. Just to think of God we need not invoke extra suffering. This is a wrong approach to the truth.

The right way to approach the truth is through joy and light. The soul is full of divine joy, and from the soul joy wants to come forward and express itself through the vital. If the vital does not want to become one with the soul’s joy, the vital consciously and deliberately resents this joy and stands in its way. At that time this unaspiring vital prefers suffering because it feels that by expressing suffering outwardly it draws the sympathy, affection and concern of the world. Despite the vital’s suffering it is actually getting a subtle Joy in a negative way.

Very often we think that if we become a victim to sadness, there will be somebody to console us. This is a wrong idea. God does not approve of this idea. Today we will be sad and our mother or father or friend or somebody will console us. This consolation and attention gives us joy, so tomorrow we will feel sad with the same idea that somebody will come and console us. But tomorrow perhaps others will be tired of consoling us and we will be disappointed. In God’s creation there are some people who are always sad because they feel that when somebody comes to console them they will get real joy. They feel that the best way to get attention and affection is to tell the world that it does not care for them or that they are totally lost. But even if they sincerely feel that they are totally lost, the world is not going to take care of them forever if it is not the Will of God. God’s Concern always runs in a positive direction.

Very often psychic joy wants to express itself directly, without the vital and even without the mind. But when it is about to express or it has expressed itself, the depression of the vital and the doubt of the mind enter into the joy of the heart and soul. Then the vital’s depression and the mind’s doubt immediately act like a devouring tiger. When they see this joy, they take it as a fruit and devour it immediately. After several times, the soul sees that its joy is being devoured by the mind and vital, and the soul becomes cautious. It does not want to express its joy quite so often. It waits for the vital to be purified and for the mind to be free from doubts.

Sri Chinmoy, Problems! Problems! Are they really problems? part 1, Agni Press, 1974

Question: What causes depression?

Sri Chinmoy: Depression comes because we do not want to live in the truth, but consciously or unconsciously we want to live in ignorance-pleasure. This pleasure is bound to be followed by depression. Depression is caused by our acceptance of ignorance. When we take ignorance as our very own, we become depressed. At that time we cannot go beyond it. We are caught; we are caught in the little self of ignorance.

We want constant success, constant progress, constant achievement and fulfilment, but in our daily life we do not get these things. Each moment is an opportunity to grow into more of God’s Light, Peace, Bliss and Power. But if we misuse our time, then immediately the negative forces will enter into us. These negative forces are doubt, fear, anxiety, worry and depression.

If we are depressed, we cannot expect more of God’s Grace and God’s Love; nor can we expect continuous sympathy from humanity. If we are depressed, then a friend of ours may come and console us or sympathise with us; but his consolation will not cut the root of our depression. The only cure for depression is light.

We have to know what we actually want. If we want only light, then we have to know where light is. Light is in our peace of mind, in the tranquillity of our heart. When we unveil our inner peace, we will see that it is all achievement, all fulfilment: infinite achievement and fulfilment in the process of growing into infinite Realisation. If we don’t unveil our inner peace, then we are bound to be princes of depression.

We have to feel that we are not ignorance, we do not represent ignorance, we are not in ignorance and we are not for ignorance. No. We are in light and we want to grow into deepest, all-fulfilling light. If we have that feeling, then there can be no depression. The light which is the result of our aspiration will immediately burn our depression into ashes, or it will transform our depression into constant aspiration. If we can identify with the soul’s inner spontaneous joy, then we will always have joy within and without. So let us try to remain in the soul’s spontaneous joy.

Sri Chinmoy, Four intimate friends: insincerity, impurity, doubt and self-indulgence, Agni Press, 1977

Question: When something in the world bothers me, I lose all my sincerity and become depressed.

Sri Chinmoy: You have to know that there is a great difference between sincerity and stupidity. If somebody has told a lie, you must try to illumine that person. If a mistake has been made by somebody, you must try to rectify that mistake inwardly or outwardly by offering your good will. In your own case, stupidity comes into the picture. If you have done something wrong, you feel that by increasing your guilt you will solve the problem. But this is not the right approach. Always think of the goal, which is perfection. You have to bring perfection into the picture.

If something wrong has been done, either by you or by somebody else, at that time you have to offer the result immediately to the Supreme. You have to say, “I was helpless, he was helpless. We were attacked by wrong forces. We know that we were attacked and we want to offer our mistake to you.” Again, you have to be conscious and wise. Once you discover that you are doing something wrong, you have to stop doing that thing.

Depression is not the answer. When you run a race, if you are disqualified, what will you do? You will wait for another day and then again try to reach the goal. Just because you have had an unfortunate experience, if you stop competing in the race, you will never reach the goal. A sad experience must not be the ultimate experience. Take it as a passing cloud. You will definitely come out of this ignorance-cloud.

Sri Chinmoy, Four intimate friends: insincerity, impurity, doubt and self-indulgence, Agni Press, 1977

Question: Does the Supreme make us depressed and do other things like that for a reason?

Sri Chinmoy: No! No, no, no! He has nothing to do with that. The Supreme does not want us to be depressed. Only we say to the Supreme that if He wants us to be depressed for a special reason, then we are ready. That is our surrender. But if we pray to the Supreme to keep us sad and miserable so that we will always think of Him, that is wrong. He is all Joy, all Love; so let us take His Joy and Love. He does not want us to have depression, but we cherish it. Again, what we call depression at a particular moment, in His Eye may not be depression at all. Only we take it as such.

Sri Chinmoy, God and the Cosmic Game, Agni Press, 1977

Question: If we are constantly going through different moods, how can we conquer depression?

Sri Chinmoy: In your case, it is not all depression. You may be thirty per cent depressed, thirty per cent angry and also have fear, doubt, jealousy and other things. But the strength of the soul’s will is far greater than the strength of these undivine forces. If you can bring forward even one per cent of your soul’s will-power, with that you will be able to conquer your depression. Although you suffer for half an hour with depression, with the power of the soul’s will, you can easily nullify your depression. If you can bring your will-power forward, your depression will be over in one second.

Sri Chinmoy, The hunger of darkness and the feast of light, part 1, Agni Press, 1974

Question: Guru, do you ever feel depressed?

Sri Chinmoy: I don’t feel depression for myself, but when I enter into you and identify myself with you, certainly I feel depression. I get all kinds of depression when I enter into you. When I meditate early in the morning, if I enter into someone and identify myself with him, I see that he is cursing me or crying for my head. If I identify myself with him, naturally I will become furious or depressed like he is. But again, if I identify myself with the person for a short time, I can transform his depression. Naturally, when I use my identification-power I get depressed, but then immediately I throw away that depression. To me personally, depression does not come. When you see me sad or depressed, you may think that it is because of my mission or my problems. But at that time what has actually happened? I have identified myself with someone. But this identification I do not keep for a long time.

Sri Chinmoy, Four intimate friends: insincerity, impurity, doubt and self-indulgence, Agni Press, 1977

Question: I want to learn from God the quickest way to get rid of my depression-hound.

Sri Chinmoy: God asks me to tell you that the quickest way to get rid of your depression-hound is to buy and tame a gratitude-lamb.

Sri Chinmoy, Soulful questions and fruitful answers, Agni Press, 1976

Question: What is the best way to get rid of depression?

Sri Chinmoy: The moment you are depressed, try to feel consciously that you have imposed a heavy burden or load on your shoulders. You have to feel that you are a runner and there is a goal for you. You have to run towards your goal. The faster you run, the sooner you will reach the goal. Now, if you deliberately and consciously place something heavy on your shoulders, then naturally your speed will be very slow. So do not be unwise; you have entered into this race. Again, this race is not competition with somebody else, it is only competition against yourself and against the undivine forces: depression, doubt, fear, jealousy and all the other negative forces.

The moment depression enters into your mind or vital, please feel that there is a heavy load on your shoulders. Then naturally you will try to get rid of it because you want to run the fastest. You will discard it, just throw it aside, and then you will run towards your destined goal as fast as you can.

Sri Chinmoy, A twentieth-century seeker, Agni Press, 1977

Restlessness

Question: I have been trying to meditate for some months, but I have had two problems. One is restlessness and the other is depression.

Sri Chinmoy: Restlessness can be in the mind, in the vital, in the gross physical and to a certain extent in the heart. In your case, restlessness is present because the mind is not consciously becoming one with the soul’s light. The soul is crying to offer light to the mind but the mind is rejecting it consciously and deliberately. The physical mind does not want to meditate to overcome restlessness. What you need is the illumined mind or the mind that has been consciously purified by the soul’s light.

In your case, depression occurs for two reasons. The first is that when you have a good, sound meditation, the ordinary vital, the vital which cries for outer satisfaction and outer achievements, feels that it is going to starve and die. The calmness you receive in meditation is like poison to the restless vital. So it invites depression because it feels that its very existence is threatened. The second reason why you are depressed is that when the heart brings the message from the soul that you have promised to reach the ultimate Goal in this life or the next life, you allow yourself to feel that the Goal is very far from where you are now. In the far distant future you see all sunshine, but when you observe your present situation you feel that it is all darkness and foul, inclement weather. Since you can see no connecting link between the possibility of the golden future and the reality of the present, naturally depression starts.

The best thing you can do right now is to meditate regularly early in the morning without expecting anything from your meditation. If you offer a child your love, concern and affection, you do not expect anything from him. Try to feel that your meditation is like a child right now. Give what you have-love and conscious concern -to this child and don’t expect anything in return. Then at the right time, when the child grows up, the wealth of meditation will flow to the fore like a gushing spring.

Sri Chinmoy, Problems! Problems! Are they really problems? part 2, Sri Chinmoy Lighthouse, New York, 1974

Question: When planets fight, is the earth affected?

Sri Chinmoy: When two planets are not on good terms, when they are fighting, the earth consciousness usually changes for the worse. The inhabitants of earth don’t know why, but they are unexpectedly unhappy or depressed or frustrated.

When the year ends, the earth usually passes through a dark tunnel. It is all depression, frustration. Then, when the new year comes, it brings a new light. Definitely the planets have something to do with it.

Some good planets want the seekers to make fast progress in the new year which is on the earthly calendar. Other planets don’t want this. Human progress in no way can threaten the planets or take away any of their glory. Still, some don’t want to become one with the earth-consciousness. They don’t want human beings to make progress and become fulfilled.

Sri Chinmoy, Conversations with the Master, Agni Press, 1977

The fearful mouse

There was a little mouse who was very sad and depressed all the time. What could he do? A magician noticed that the little mouse was living under a cloud of depression, and he felt very sad. He asked the mouse, “Why are you so sad all the time? Why are you so depressed?”

The mouse said, “I am always afraid of the cat. At any moment the cat can spring out of nowhere and devour me. My life is entirely at the mercy of the cat. What am I going to do?”

The magician said, “That is very easy. I shall turn you into a cat.”

The magician kept his promise and turned the mouse into a beautiful cat. Then the cat was very, very happy.

A few days later, the magician noticed that the cat was the picture of misery. The magician said, “Why are you so sad? You wanted to be a cat. Now what has happened to make you unhappy?”

The cat said, “I am so unhappy because there is a dog in the neighbourhood. This dog scares me to death. I never know when it will appear and chase me. The dog can easily kill me at any time. I am at the mercy of the dog constantly.”

The magician said, “All right, if that is what is happening, then I shall solve the problem by turning you into a dog.”

The cat now became a dog, and it immediately started barking and growling to show how strong and powerful it was. The dog was in the seventh Heaven of delight. A few days later, however, the magician discovered the dog sunk in depression. The magician said, “Why are you depressed? You wanted to become a dog, and I have made you a dog. You are so strong and powerful. What has gone wrong?”

The dog said, “Now I see there is a panther living nearby. This panther will surely kill me. A panther is the most ruthless of all animals. I am positive that it is planning to attack me and kill me. What am I going to do?”

So the magician said, “All right, I am turning you into a panther. Try to be happy!”

So the dog became a panther, and all the ferocious qualities of the whole world entered into him. He was so powerful and aggressive. Everybody was afraid of the panther. But in a few days’ time, the panther succumbed to depression once again. This time his depression was far worse than the previous times. The magician could not understand at all. He said, “Why are you so depressed? I have done everything possible to make you happy. What is it this time?”

The panther said, “I am now at the mercy of a hunter. At any moment the hunter may see me and then kill me. Even now he may be looking for me. What shall I do? I am terribly afraid of the hunter.”

“It is impossible to deal with you!” said the magician. “In the beginning, you were a mouse; now you are a panther. Now what am I going to do? You are always dissatisfied with your life. When I give you a promotion and transform you into something else, you find fault with your new life. It has become a habit for you to feel sad and depressed. It is too much! I am turning you back into a mouse. You deserve this fate!” The magician turned the panther back into a mouse and said, “Go your way!”

☙

I have told this story because it has some spiritual significance. Many times when we make a little spiritual progress, when we succeed in going upward or inward, we become frightened because we are afraid of the unknown. But the unknown is unknown only because today we do not know it. A child does not know tomorrow’s lesson, but will he be afraid of tomorrow’s lesson? He has the inner wisdom to go forward. But quite often when we enter into the inner life, the spiritual life, we are afraid of making progress. We want progress — we want to go infinitely higher and deeper — but the moment we make a little progress, we are uncertain. We say, “What will happen next?” This fear of the unknown is delaying the progress of many spiritual seekers.

Sri Chinmoy, The sage Bhrigu tests the cosmic gods, Agni Press, 2002

Dealing with wrong forces

Sometimes the disciples are frustrated and depressed. Wrong forces attack them, and they ask for an interview because they are suffering. Now, I have observed inwardly why they are suffering. They have done quite a few things wrong, so the forces have attacked them. They feel that if I talk to them, it will all be over. But I know that if I give them outer attention it will become worse. It has often been my experience with the wrong forces that as soon as they see love and compassion in the outer world, they attack more violently. It is like the last effort. And it is so powerful that the person identifies with it and his depression and frustration increase. But in the inner world I try with utmost compassion, love and concern.

When depression and frustration loom large in your life, if you want to receive my light, you have to bring some receptivity. A doctor asks for a fee for his care, and I also ask for a fee. You receive my cure according to your receptivity, and your receptivity is your cheerfulness. If a patient is dead, no matter how many injections you give him, he can’t be cured. If he is totally dead, what can the doctor do? Only when there is a little life-energy left is there some hope. Even if the person has been suffering for a long time, if he comes to me with cheerfulness, I can cure his suffering. Your cheerfulness is the bud that will blossom. If there is no bud, how can you eventually have a flower?

I am not ignoring you in the inner world, although I may appear to ignore you in the outer world. I see that the last-effort forces will attack you most powerfully, and you will become a victim. If you are depressed, become cheerful. You have no receptivity when you are depressed, so there is nothing that can be done outwardly. You have become an instrument of the wrong forces. When they see love, concern and affection on the outer plane, they attack most powerfully because they are most powerfully threatened, and you have to surrender to them. It has happened many times. When the depressed person asks for an interview, I don’t give it because I know what the consequences will be. If the patient starts with a little cheerfulness, which is spiritual life-energy, then the doctor is able to feed that cheerfulness immediately. I know you are suffering, but I must not feed the destructive aspect. You have to come with receptivity. If you show inner cheerfulness, I am ready to help you. Without your cheerfulness, the minute I try, that minute I will fail.

If I give you an interview when you are depressed, your depression becomes infinitely worse. You must bring some cheerfulness to save yourself. Outwardly, I try so many times to please the disciples in their own way, so that they will also please me in my own way. If I please them ten times in their own way, I feel that they should try to please me at least once in my own way. But human desire knows no end. The more I try to please them, the more they compel me to please them. I feel that they should at least act like gentlemen, and if I please them ten times they should please me at least once. But they like to please ignorance instead, and don’t please me even one time in return. In return for pleasing me, they would open up to light, to compassion and to delight, but instead the disciples say, “You have not given us an interview. You are not pleasing us. You are doing many things wrong. You smiled at someone else and made me jealous. What is wrong with you? You do something wrong and make me suffer, and then you just watch. You just sit there painting or playing the flute. You are fooling us, and you won’t fulfil any of our needs.”

Sri Chinmoy, AUM — Vol.II-3, No. 9, 27 September 1976, Vishma Press, 1976