Freedom from Depression

Freedom from Depression

(A talk by Swami Shivaprakashananda on 19, Apr-2020 transcribed and edited by Bhuvaneswari and Vaibhavi)

Namaste.

The topic we have chosen is freedom from depression.  It is a very vast topic.  Therefore, I have tried to sum it up and simplify it as much as I can.  In this talk I am going to discuss the Vedantic approach to the problem of depression.  Depression is a very common problem.  Many people in the world are suffering from the problem of depression.  Therefore, this topic is very much relevant today. 

Let us try to understand what depression is when we discuss the problem.  First of all, we should understand problem, then we should understand the cause of the problem. Then we should look into the solution. Depression is basically the emotion of sadness, the feeling of sadness.  In Vedanta, sadness is called shoka.  This word is often used in the Vedanta literature.  Here, I would like to make a note that there is a difference between the Vedantantic method and modern psychology in looking at the problem. 

In modern psychology, a mild form of sadness is not called a depression, because it is experienced by everyone once in a while. It is normal.  Therefore, it is not considered an issue. Only severe and persistent sadness is called depression or clinical depression.  It is considered a problem and it is addressed.  But in Vedanta, even the mild form of sadness is treated as a problem.  Because, if I can experience a milder sadness now, I can be prone to depression in future.  I can experience a more severe sadness in future.   Therefore, even the milder form of sadness is an indication of susceptibility to depression. 

Vedanta addresses the problem right from the root. Depression is basically sadness. Sadness is associated with so many other emotions like hopelessness.  A depressed person feels a sense of hopelessness.  He does not see any hope in future.  The future looks dark, then there is loneliness.  He feels nobody loves me, nobody cares for me.  This is the feeling of loneliness Then there is a sense of worthlessness, I am not good, I'm good for nothing. These are the expressions of worthlessness. Then there is a suicidal thought. A depressed person often gets suicidal thoughts. This is the understanding of the problem. There are so many emotions associated with the depression.

Now, there are certain physical indications of depression. There are so many physical indications, like tearfulness. The person looks sad. He bears an expression of sadness on his face. Then there is sleeplessness and so on. When we look into the cause of depression, we can classify the cause into twofold reasons:

1.Incidental cause

2.The root cause

Incidental cause:

The incidental cause is called Nimitta. The nimitta can vary. There can be any possible nimitta. For example, a failed relationship can cause depression or a failed career can cause depression. I know many people who did not succeed in what they wanted to do in life. Therefore, they got into depression. This boy one Mr. Devadatta, his parents wanted him to be a doctor. But he was not interested in medicine. He wanted to become a singer, a musician. But his parents compelled him and forced him to go to a medical college. He enrolled into medical college, but he could not study medicine because he was not interested and in a matter of a year or two he got depression. There are so many such incidents. 

Then there is loss, loss of wealth, loss of job loss of a relative, a relationship can also lead to depression. These are some incidental causes and sometimes there may not be any visible incidental cause. The depression is caused purely because of one's own previous samskaara. It is possible. That is why, some people get depression very early in their life. There is no reason. Everything seems sound, yet there is depression. These are the incidental causes of depression.

Root cause:

Now comes the root cause. What is the primary cause of depression? The primary cause is called moolah, the root. Generally, all other systems discuss only the incidental cause,  they do not try to understand the primary cause of depression. But Vedanta, understands the primary cause of depression. The primary cause happens to be self-ignorance (ajnana). The Vedanta is clear about this fact. Our true nature is free from all limitations.

This limitless nature of ours, is covered, is hidden by the ajnana - ignorance. Therefore, we end up identifying ourselves as limited beings confined to this body. Because of our limited identity, we experience a sense of limitation. And the sense of limitation makes us psychologically vulnerable. The psychological vulnerability,  is called samsara. Samsara is psychological vulnerability. And the person who is psychologically vulnerable is called Samsari.

Because of ignorance, we become psychologically vulnerable. Therefore, the freedom from the psychological vulnerability is called Moksha. Moksha includes not only freedom from psychological problems, but also freedom from psychological vulnerability, which implies a total freedom from all psychological problems. Therefore Moksha includes freedom from depression also. Moksha includes freedom from many psychological issues, depression being one of them. Moksha implies, freedom from depression also. Though the Vedanta addresses all forms of emotional problems, now, we are discussing specifically the problem of depression.

Therefore, Vedanta approaches the problem of depression. What is the solution to the problem of depression in Vedanta? There are three approaches and what we need is a synergy between the three approaches and integration of the three approaches.

The three approaches are

1.Karma, the approach of Karma

2.the approach of Bakti and

3.the approach of Jnana.

Approach of Karma:

The first one is the approach of Karma. Karma means right action, proper action, virtuous action. There are so many intricate facts, so many involved facts in each of these approaches. But I'm trying to explain each of them in brief. Karma means right action. What is right action? What is virtuous action? It is the action of generosity. The action of generosity is in the form of giving, helping, serving, reaching out, charity. Generosity is directly proportional to the amount of happiness. Let us call it Generosity Quotient. GQ. The amount of generosity one has is called a GQ.  GQ is directly proportional to HQ, Happiness Quotient.

Generally, depressed a person seems to have very low happiness quotient. Because he is self-centered. A self-centered person has not understood the joy in giving. He has not understood the joy in being broad minded. The joy in being magnanimous. Therefore, the first discipline for the depressed person is to be more generous and express one's generosity in the form of service in the form of Giving. Therefore, if you find a depressed person, ask him to get involved in some service activities in some voluntary service activities.  It can help to a great extent. This is about the approach of Karma.

Approach of Bakthi:

Then comes the approach of Bakthi. If you look at a person in depression, the first thing he needs is emotional support. He is badly in need of emotional support, like a drowning person looks for something to hold on. A depressed person seeks emotional support. That is why he tries to find it from his relatives or from his friends and so on. In fact, all of us need emotional support.  Adequate Emotional Support - AES.  Adequate emotional support is a necessity. But unfortunately, the human beings cannot provide us with adequate emotional support. Adequate emotional support means an emotional support which is stable, and unwavering. It should be lasting. Such emotional support, we cannot find from human beings unfortunately. Then where to seek, adequate emotional support?

There is only one source, Ishwara.  Seek emotional support from Ishwara, from God. How to seek emotional support from Ishwara? Cultivate a relationship with Ishwara. The means to find emotional support in Ishwara is to cultivate a relationship with Ishwara. Now you may ask me, how to cultivate relationships with Ishwara? There are so many spiritual disciplines like Japa, Pooja meditation and so on prescribed in the Shastra, practiced in our tradition. All these Sadhanas, all these spiritual disciplines facilitate in connecting with Ishwara. facilitate our relationship with Ishwara.  When we do the sadhanas, we realize that Ishwara really answers.

Suppose you are given a phone and someone told you with this phone you can speak to a

person far away but you are holding the phone and you say no it is not working. There is a proper way of handling the phone. You must dial the number of the person, then it works. You can connect with a person far away, but you should know how to handle the equipment properly. There is a process of handling it.

Similarly, the sadhanas like Japa, etc facilitate our relation with Ishwara. They are the means, that techniques devised to connect with Ishwara. The more one cultivates relationship with Ishwara the more he is able to see the supporting hand of Ishwara. And as he is supported by Ishwara he is vertically uplifted, vertically is elevated from the psychological problems.

Approach of Jnana:

The approach of Jnana (the approach of knowledge) is the ultimate solution to depression. Jnana puts a total end to the problem of sorrow.  In Chandogya Upanishad, chapter seven, Narada says तरति शोकं आत्मवित् |  (tarati shokaM Atmavit)

An Atmajnani crosses over the ocean of sorrow. How does it happen?  If you speak to a depressed person, generally, his problems can be categorized into three.                    

1. a feeling of hurt

2. a feeling of guilt

3. seeking for a source of happiness

One Mrs. Gupta came to me, who lost her husband a few days back. Mrs. Gupta had not been happy with her husband. She was complaining a lot about her husband regarding how her husband had treated her in an unfair manner. In the meantime, she also felt she had not done enough for her husband. “I was not fair to my husband.” This is the feeling of guilt. Then she had a feeling of hurt also. “My husband was never nice to me” is a feeling of hurt.  “I was not nice enough to my husband perhaps” is guilt. These are major problems and these two problems pushed her into depression.

So, problem number one is guilt. problem number two is hurt.  And there is another problem, a depressed person is seeking for a source of happiness.  He is lacking in happiness.  He is searching. “Where can I find happiness?” These are the three major problems of a depressed person. Where is the source of happiness?

Now, Vedanta solves all these problems. First of all, Vedanta reveals our true nature which transcends, both hurt and guilt. Because the feeling of guilt is associated with the doer-ship. As long as I'm the doer, I'm subject to guilt. The feeling of hurt is associated with enjoyer-ship. As long as I am an enjoyer, I am subject to hurt.

Vedanta reveals my nature which transcends doer-ship and enjoyer-ship and thereby, Vedanta puts an end to my hurts and guilts. If you look into Chandogya chapter seven, the teaching begins with shoka or sadness.  Narada, is an accomplished person.  He has many degrees to his credit. In fact, he lists them, as he approaches the teacher. Therefore, the problem is shoka, or sorrow and the solution given is Sukha - happiness.  Ultimately, Sanat Kumara, the teacher reveals the true sukha, true happiness.  Sanat Kumara teaches Narada that he can find the Atma or Brahman within, and that is how the teaching culminates.

Now, we have discussed the three approaches to deal with the depression in brief. In fact, this is what we elaborate in the sessions of Vedanta. To get better clarity about these 3 approaches, one should approach a traditional guru and learn the wisdom of Vedanta.

Om Tat Sat