Today in morning I was talking with a close friend who is suffering from a lot of troubles including economic, family and others. So we were interacting and trying to find out the threads to come out of the anxiety generated due to these problems and surely were not planning anyhow to pave the way out of those problems.
When he left, a word engaged my mind very deeply - Depression (or dejection). Lassitude and depression are sometimes inter-convertible depending upon senses and language variations. Yet despondency and depression are not the same. Depression is a much extended self-impaired situation. If it caused anyhow physiologically or genetically then the issues are different and not of my concern as we all need to refer to a doctor in that situation.
But if it is not so much irreversible kind, then? I can recall the time when I was passing through a period of profound darkness I even didn't hesitate to consult an astrologer in that time. Today I am not feeling shy anymore to remember or to express that mindlessness. But if that day I have not confronted the astrologer I couldn't be so sure about his insubstantiality. So my final shelter was my own prudence.
This writing is to discuss and making a bridge of understanding with those friends who are suffering from a prolonged depression and can't manage to get a way out. I will be the contented if sharing my experience can facilitate anybody anyhow to come out of their stressful situation.
Our mind travelled a long way through the passage of evolution regardless of which still some of its basic nature remained unchanged. Pleasure and fear in order to preserve it implants the seed of despair and lassitude.
Nature and trends of pleasure have became changed but in reality, is the primary drive for pleasure really altered? NO, and it can't forever. What that pleasure really meant? from instant comfort to establish amenities and to ensure the concept of security in life (that we are pre-conceived with). These all in a nutshell providing us with a complex driving force for life the enthusiasm. Being enthusiastic is the preliminary pleasure of life or the pillar of all other forms of pleasure. So, this self-regulated pleasure alternatively called as Delight. Suppose I failed somewhere very badly but If I have that zeal to surmount that failure and to retain the momentum then the failure will simply be a broken stair of the ladder and can't hinder my progress.
People like us who are familiar with Vivekananda literature knows well that in one place HE advised going through the 'Byadh Geeta (ব্যাধ গীতা)' after having a thorough study over 'Geeta (শ্রীমদ্ভগবৎ গীতা)'. A splendid book helps to form apercus. Still, after facing endless sufferings when coming back to that book, divine fountain of pure wisdom, something surely uses to be there to fill up my inner senses. Let's first depict some of the translations of its slokas:
1) Mental stress should be driven away by prudence and physical stress with medicine.
2)Nothing can be yield from despondency except bemoaning.... ignorant remained unsatisfied but the wise always feels contented. (Comparatively, great philosopher J Krishnamurthy preached - you need enough intelligence to be simple).
3) Unsatisfied being never attains contentment and ecstasy.
4) Over-attention should not be paid to depression as it seems to be a delicious venom that can kill an ignorant or incompletely-realized being likely a sizzling snake.
5) Possessing self-disgrace no blessedness can be bestowed with.
Byadh Geeta (ব্যাধগীতা) is the apologue of a self-conceited young monk who has achieved the wisdom from a huntsman butcher. The way of the monk to the fowler was through a housewife to whom his vanity was challenged for the first time.
But the crucial is to address the reason behind the inanition of emotion. First cooperation to improve the state is expected to get from a genuine friend. One has to unbosom himself at least to someone who is non-judgemental and wise. Initially it will be hesitating indeed, inertia can also be compelling the diffidence; fear of distrust and shyness will surely make it more perplex from where to start, but we have to. I don't believe that the human qualities around has became so poor that an earnest demand of mental easement will remain unaddressed. If we think a bit rationally then will find that being very busy in self-appeasement we have continually ignored what's significant surround us. We never use to nurture around because of the emblem of ignorance
"we know everything- everyone"
In order to do this one needs to uncover himself to his own. My despondency, unrelaxed state of mind, lack of enthusiasm and the unknown convictions that tormenting me every moment has to be disclosed to my own self first.
On the other hand jealousy, envy is stinging my harmony; social networking, ads and media making my existence critical and making me contracted day by day. Everyone pretending efforts for my wellbeing, my dejection is commercialised in the name of curing but what is happening to me! I just have started to lost within my own darkness.... I started to realise that I am not what I intended to be, I am not the one to whom I met even yesterday in front of the mirror. So actually where I am? Every day every moment my mind is decaying, I am not remained mindful enough, always overwhelmed with worries. My heart is not responsive at all!
In this condition please start to talk. Don't need to forcibly hide the depression as well as not to indulge it superfluously. In this scenario, the word "Indulgence" itself is very important. In starting our despair comes with a valid reason but if we indulge it, unnecessary lingers it then our mind will preserve the cue. Consequently, this exerts a detrimental effect and we start to be within the extended shell of gloom, we start to demand consolation from others every time. Now gradually it becomes our habit and leads to a state of disease where an incident of mere train miss projected likely the sorrow caused by the death of beloved ones! And it ends in the days when we found ourselves immersed deep within the ocean of depression made just by our extra efforts that finally drowned us into this unfathomable sea.
Now the balance between genuine and what pseudo is discriminated by Prudence. So, quoted:
"Despondence which I have summoned
Left me those with no respite
Bristling woes turned to ashes,
Fruitless pains to burning plight
Your sorrows are as monsoon showers
Enriching with the fruits of grief
Flooding me with spates of fruition
Offering bounties to relive"
Whatever it may be, the delight of enthusiasm and endeavour within should be kept maintained all the time. An effort is needed along with the inquisition to any field any dimensions we wish to explore sincerely. Our work must have to provide such space for organising self. In order to do that, we can employ many of the strategies like regular exercises or at least for half an hour a daily walk through the comfortable paths with no other involvements during this. Only to get the delight of walking when to walk. That's what my personal experience, walking gives substantial thought clarity and relieve from mental exhaustion. Along with, a few sincere friends are needed to whom we can be without any pretention and to whom our life synchrony matches both in daily and non-daily greater life aspects. This friendship is no doubt a mandate in real life not the virtual. Thus, Shri Aurobindo used to impart - depress the depression.
Finally the last words that always helped me to proceed in motion with peace are - the negative hearsay, that no time being and none is perfect even not me. And the positive byword, that everything, every moment every human being is changing even I am also changing.
My good wish for everyone, not necessarily we need be in pleasure rather we have to be the travellers throughout the life.
[Translated By: Subhajit Roy]
[মূল রচনাঃ বিষাদ - কিছু কথা]