From Depression to Deep Happiness
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Once a gentleman came to a doctor complaining that there was something severely wrong with him. He was hurting all over and was very sad but all the tests came out normal. The doctor said, “There is nothing wrong with you. Go to the circus and watch the clown there. He will make you laugh.” The gentleman said, “Doctor, I am that clown.”
It is one thing to entertain others and be humorous, but quite another to be happy yourself. Happiness does not come by a talent or skills that you develop. Unless you realize who you are, what the nature of consciousness is through your own introspection, happiness remains a far-fetched reality. The spirit of self enquiry in the true sense which leads to meditation is absolutely essential in this quest for happiness. The 6th century Indian philosopher and thinker Adi Shankaracharya has said that it is dispassion towards the ephemeral and connection with the eternal that brings true joy. In fact, he goes further and asks, ”What joy does detachment not bring?” The word for solitude in Sanskrit is ‘ekant’, meaning ‘the end of loneliness’. Loneliness cannot end by changing company, even if it is more sympathetic and understanding. It can only end when you discover your real nature for yourself.
Robin Williams, though he made millions of people laugh, could not end the deep seated loneliness inside him. This shows clearly that only spiritual solace can take you out of despair and misery. External pomp and show, wealth, admiration and adulation are not helpful in dealing with inner discontent. While alive, he made people laugh and in his death, he gave people a message to lift their eyes above the mundane towards something higher. You can bid goodbye to misery by connecting with an altogether different dimension, that I would say is solidified silence, a bolt of bliss and a glimpse of eternity, which is in you as you. You simply have to tap into it.
There is little use in having a machine which you cannot operate without a manual. Spiritual knowledge is like the manual for life. Just like to drive a car, we have to learn how to operate the steering wheel, the clutch, the brake and so on, to move towards stability of the mind, we must know the basic principles about our life force energy. This is the whole science of pranayama. When our prana or life force keeps fluctuating, our mind also goes up and down through the roller coaster of emotions.
One cannot handle the mind from the level of the mind. It is for this reason that although counseling or psychiatry seems to help in the beginning, it is not able to provide a complete cure in the longer term. Just forcing positive thoughts on oneself is not enough and more often than not leads to a relapse. Medication like anti-depressants also seem to help only in the beginning and eventually make the person dependent on them rather than free him/her from the tendency.
This is where knowing the secret of breath can really transform lives. Breathing techniques like Sudarshan Kriya stabilize our life force and consequently the mind. The inner dimension unveiled by the practice of meditation deeply enriches us and its impact slowly spills over to all aspects of life. As prana rises in the body, one starts to feel a transformation as direct experience and not as a forced mental exercise. One starts becoming happier, creative and more in command of their mind and emotions.
Another thing that can be really helpful in coming out of depression is developing an attitude of service. Thinking ‘what can I do for society’, getting involved in a bigger cause shifts the whole focus of life and can take one out of the rut of ‘what about me’. Societies where values of service, sacrifice and community participation are ingrained do not have these issues of depression and suicides. The Sikh community is a great example of this.
Life is a combination of happiness and pain. Pain is inevitable but suffering is optional. Having a broad perspective on life gives you the strength to move forward through painful times. Know that you are very much needed in this world. With all its infinite possibilities, this life is a gift for it can become a fountain of joy and happiness not just for oneself but for many others as well.
This post is also available in: हिन्दी
How can I help my daughter over come depression and be happy once again… please help me.
Get her to learn Sudarshan Kriya (SKY Breath Meditation). It will help her a lot. It is a research-based breathing technique. You can read about it here https://gurudev.artofliving.org/sudarshan-kriya
Thanks for sharing such a nice blog
please help me … my son not completed BE after his final exam he fell in love with married girl having a child and working in chicken shop with her. Suddenly he told to my brother to help me in coming out of it , she gave a complaint to police station and decided in police station to become far ,later she made a email and my son again went with her , and after 15days again we went and took him back , son told that he will never go but again after 1week again he went ,and told that he will be with her ,please tell us how to handle my son
I don’t know this is the right place to share things or not but I don’t able to understand that what I need to do for being a normal girl. Just had a amazing trip with a loved one. He wanted to marry me asap and my parents are not ready for that. They want me to go for higher studies, there are some caste issues and also my grandfather passed away few days back so it’s not the right time and situation to talk as they are not ready mentally for my marriage. It’s not like I don’t want to talk about it but whenever I saw them sad, I am not able to put myself their in this way. I am the only one who is with them to take care and now I am afraid that I have to choose one between my parents and the guy. I loved him truly but maybe even he is not able to understand what I am going through because his family want him to be get married asap. Pressurized from both the side family and him. Literally depressed and not able to find out the way or talk to someone on this. It’s not that I am alone, it’s just I am lonely at this situation. Also, not able to share this with anyone around me but this is something which is consuming me from inside. Reach out to me if anyone having a good suggestion or way out because I am not able to handle this anymore. I am afraid of doing something wrong.
I am asif, i belive on your situation its better you talk to your parents tell them what you are upto as you need both parents and him. See in life sometimes it give us a choice and sometimes don’t. And you have to be ready go through whatever comes in the path of yours. Be bold, write down your priorities work on it. Talk to his parents. Think like a captain u will find a way don’t be sailor when you know the path. Be ready to face whatever comes after it. No situation jus as difficult as we think. There are couple who have paralysed kid they have fulfill his needs until death. Leader should always stand for the weak eventually u find happiness. No one can be hero in every ones story don’t worry. This what life is all about.
what did finally happen?
Thank you for this nice article. very good post. keep it up.
Oh. I’ve searched a lot and finally you helped me out with more information.Ayurvedic treatment
My family doesnt understand my mental position.so i want to be in ashram for whole life.I am hard working.i am not married.i will pay service for this.
I’ve been in depression all my life. Nobody has ever loved me. Even my parents have always hated me. I seriously want to die.
I am in the same position. My parents stole all my money and made me miserable. I just wanted to die. God help me. I’m all alone
Sandra ji, you too please follow the methods that I have suggested to Radha ji. I promise that they will definitely help you and you will soon live the life that you were meant to be .
Regards ,
Kartik Singhal
Radha ji , you don’t need anyone to love you to be happy. You are enough for yourself. Just practise yoga daily for 30-40 minutes( https://youtu.be/EQpsdk0GrVE ).Do pranayam for 15-20 minutes( https://www.artofliving.org/in-en/yoga/breathing-techniques/yoga-and-pranayama) and meditation twice daily for 20 minutes( https://youtu.be/6bGlFwNfRGg) . Just in a span of 2 months of daily regular practise , you will start feeling positive changes in yourself. Also engage in selfless community service of some kind.
Make a commitment to yourself and work towards achieving a positive life and I promise you that with these methods you will live the life that you deserve to live. You have a name thar has a significance in India. I know that soon you will live a positive life.
Regards…
Kartik Singhal
https://www.artofliving.org/yoga/yoga-poses/yoga-poses-for-depression
Radha ji, read/ listen to Sri Sri on YouTube. You will automatically get answers to all your problems and you will be drawn to practice yoga and meditation. Try it. You will be out of depression. Knowledge is powerful and can help you get over all the life’s worries
I m depressed and cant write much on this comment box so plz call me 9718459209
Thank you for this article and your work for Global Peace and Happiness. I love your statement of “Life is a gift of infinite possibilities and can become a fountain of joy and happiness for everybody”
Practice yoga. Try to talk to your Mom, Dad your Aunts and Uncles about anything you are comfortable with. They will help you in bringing stability to your disturbed life. Do practice yoga each day, gradually you will be feeling good. Try to avoid watching Movies or reading topics that are not socially acceptable. Start telling truth. Doing a little good things each day at start can bring happiness to you in a couple of
days. You will see a different and a magnificient yourself very soon. Feel free to talk to me- my email: pkmcet@gmail.com
woderful words.. tq very much.. i need your help to solve one problem that i having ryt now.. can i get any suggestion to overcome it.. pls.. tq very much
honestly I dont know how to find myself, i know my talents and im aware of myself and my surroundings but i still dont love who i am. Could be be that im suffering from depression and anixety and constant pain that hides my true being? I’m aware of my chemical unbalance and my constant addiction to feel better than I usually do. But mediation seems hard and i can barely stay still for an hour. i need help, ive tried everything. therapy, pills, psychiatrist, physcologist, everything…
Hello Emily ,
You don’t need to do meditation daily for an hour at a stretch to reap its benefits. Do meditation daily twice for just 20 minutes and in just two months you feel start feeling positive changes in you.
Regards.
Kartik
https://youtu.be/6bGlFwNfRGg
pranam guruji,
I sincerely follow your words..but I am suffering from severe social anxiety.I cant carry y conversation for a long time and i hesitate to talk to people and to socialize.I need help.I am a student.what should i do in order to overcome my problem?
thankyou
Jai gurudev. Guruji I need your help.
If you
See inside ( introspect)
Suicide is not a solution
Self awareness alone is the best choice
Silence and solitude, provides the right attitude
See yourself, who you are = art of living
When you get this knowledge, option is “living”
amazing gurudev
Very well said. it gave me the reason not to dwell in the valley of loneliness and tears but to put things in perspective. GOD is willing to comfort us no matter how hopeless the situation we had.
Pranam Guruji! Thank you for addressing real-life everyday issues.
Robin Williams’ act has left a majority in a lurch and only after reading your article today i have been able to put things in perspective – “Robin Williams, though he made millions of people laugh, could not end the deep seated loneliness inside him. This shows clearly that only spiritual solace can take you out of despair and misery. External pomp and show, wealth, admiration and adulation are not helpful in dealing with inner discontent. While alive, he made people laugh and in his death, he gave people a message to lift their eyes above the mundane towards something higher.”
Thank you for showing us the path.
Inconditional love for you, Gurudev
AAbsolutely brilliant article…this should be published in all d leading journals and newspapers so that more and more people may realise that depression has a simple and guaranteed cure..
Surely a panacea for the grief stricken world. Nice article.
Very nice article. Actually the first I’ve seen about inner contentment (lack of) regarding the untimely & horrific demise of the comic genius, Robin Williams.
Robin Williams was full of energy, full of life, magnanimous & free of malice.
However, a disturbing trend we’ve been seeing is the correlation between exceeding use of anti-depressants & violent behavior. In Robin Williams case it was suicide, however, in other cases it is – school shootings, office shootings, movie theater shootings & other murders on a mass scale.
There is something unnatural in the biochemistry when there is a slight withdrawal from these serotonin reuptake inhibitors also known as SSRI. Robin Williams supposedly had ‘Bipolar Disorder’ for which these drugs are prescribed. This definitely needs to be looked into as these cases seem endemic to the United States.
Yes the citizens of USA or for that matter the whole world has to ask the effectiveness of these drugs and whether they bring more harm than good. But understand especially in USA there is a whole nexus of politicians, doctors and companies, who care less of people and more of their profits.
Well said, it’s not an art or skill, it should come from inside.
I don’t laugh still but I m happy n cam with SO HAM..
Thanks my teacher..
It is clear now
Described in Simplest way:
There is little use in having a machine which you cannot operate without a manual. Spiritual knowledge is like the manual for life. Just like to drive a car, we have to learn how to operate the steering wheel, the clutch, the brake and so on, to move towards stability of the mind, we must know the basic principles about our life force energy.
Wonderful insight thank you very much.