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DEPRESSION How to avoid attacks of depression?
Do not pay attention to the depression and act as if it was not there. 31 March 1934 My heart feels arid, sad and gloomy, Mother.
Why don’t you try to read something beautiful and interesting and turn your attention away from yourself? That is the best remedy. 6 September 1935 Do not indulge in such ridiculous ideas. “Madness” and “hell” and “dark cell” are all in your imagination. You had better replace them by the sense of my love and blessings. 9 October 1937 My dear child, I hope your poem is only a poem and that you are not truly suffering from depression. Indeed, depression is the worst of all illnesses and we must reject it with as much energy as we use to get rid of a disease. With my love and blessings always. 30 January 1946 It is the devil of depression and despondency that we shall slay tonight ― so that all those who have the sincere will to get Page ― 263 rid of this disease will receive the necessary help to conquer. 20 October 1950 A depression is always unreasonable as it leads nowhere. It is the most subtle enemy of the Yoga. 31 May 1955 I have only one thing to say: Depression is a bad adviser. My love is always with you. Have faith and you will be all right. It is the depression that gives you bad health. Blessings. 28 October 1967 It is the ego that gets depressed. Do not mind it. Go on quietly with your work and the depression will disappear. 18 August 1971 At these moments of depression or of revolt, no fresh decision must be taken under the impulse of the wrong movement, but practically one must go on with the usual routine, quiet and undisturbed.
When you feel unhappy like that, it means that you have a progress to make. You can say that we always need to progress, it is true. But at times our nature gives its consent to the needed change and then everything goes smoothly, even happily. On the contrary sometimes the part that has to progress Page ― 264 refuses to move and clings to its old habits through inertia, ignorance, attachment or desire. Then, under the pressure of the perfecting force, the struggle starts translating itself into unhappiness or revolt or both together. The only remedy is to keep quiet, look within oneself honestly to find out what is wrong and set to work courageously to put it right. The Divine Consciousness will always be there to help you if your endeavour is sincere; and the more sincere your endeavour the more the Divine Consciousness will help and assist you. 19 May 1952 Periods of obscuration are frequent and common; generally, it is enough to keep quiet without worrying, knowing that these are spiritual nights which alternate with the full light of the days. But to be able to remain in peace you must keep in your heart gratitude towards the Divine for all the help He gives. If gratitude also is veiled, the obscure periods last much longer. There is, however, a swift and effective remedy: it is to keep always burning in your heart the flame of purification, the aspiration for progress, the intensity, the ardour of consecration. This flame is kindled in the heart of all who are sincere; you must not let ingratitude cover it up with its ashes.
You must remember one thing: the dark periods are inevitable. When your psychic is active, you feel a delight without any apparent reason. It continues for some time and again the same mental or vital reactions come in and you go back to the darkness. This will continue. The brighter days will become longer and the dark periods will come after longer intervals and for shorter duration till they finally disappear. Till then you must know that the sun is there behind the clouds and you need Page ― 265 not worry. You must have the confidence of a child ― a confidence that there is someone who takes care of you and you can entirely depend on him.
My word to you is: Do not cherish suffering and suffering will leave you altogether. Suffering is far from being indispensable to progress. The greatest progress is made through a steady and cheerful equanimity. 10 May 1932 The world is full of sufferings and sorrows. One should try never to be the cause of any additional suffering. 10 October 1970 The only remedy for all human suffering: divine love.
Turn towards the Divine, all your sufferings will disappear.
Do not take the sorrows of life for what they seem to be; they are in truth a way to greater achievements. Page ― 266 LAZINESS, TIREDNESS, FATIGUE, TAMAS It is a dangerous illness: laziness. 30 July 1936 Tiredness shows lack of will for progress. When you feel tired or fatigued that is lack of will for progress. Fire is always burning in you.
Fatigue comes from doing without interest the things you do. Whatever you do you can find interest in it, provided you take it as the means of progressing; you must try to do better and better what you are doing, the will for progress must always be there and then you take interest in what you do, whatever it is. The most insignificant occupation can prove interesting if you take it that way. But even the most attractive and important activity will soon lose all its interest for you if the will for progress towards an ideal perfection is not there while you act.
About every ten days I have an attack of fatigue and exhaustion which has a tendency to turn into inertia and discouragement.
Take no notice of it and go on with your programme as usual. It is the quickest way of getting rid of it. Page ― 267 If I work I feel all right, but the fatigue comes after that. Why? What to do?
It is because you are receptive to the force when you work and that sustains you. But when you are not under the strain of the work you are less receptive. You must learn to be receptive in all circumstances and always ― especially when you take rest ― it must not be the “rest” of inertia but a true rest of receptivity.
The forces behind the cyclone were not hostile but full of transforming power. You did the right thing, and I can assure you that to go inward and to receive the force is more helpful than to throw oneself into an agitated action. Certainly tamas is not good, but it is only through surrender to the Divine Consciousness that tamas can be changed.
What are the defects in me that are coming in my way of spiritual as well as material progress?
Tamas and sluggishness.
What am I to do to get rid of these defects of my nature?
Become more and more conscious. 22 October 1964 Page ― 268 |