Depression (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"depress" |"depressant" |"depressants" |"depressed" |"depressing" |"depression" |"depressions"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

There is no question of being depressed that: "We do not belong to this, do not belong to that." Never mind. Whatever it is. Simply chant and you'll become purified. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Lecture on BG 1.40 -- London, July 28, 1973:

The Vedic culture means to cleanse the heart and make him perfect. Brahma-bhūtaḥ, perfectly spiritualized. That is Vedic culture. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). To know the Supreme Lord. That is Vedic culture. Now everything is topsy-turvied. Therefore, by the grace of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He has simply recommended: harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). Only chant. Then the result will be: ceto-darpana-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). The same result as the Vedic culture introduced will purify the heart to understand one's position. By the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, the same position will come. It is so nice. Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51). Therefore there is no question of being depressed that: "We do not belong to this, do not belong to that." Never mind. Whatever it is. Simply chant and you'll become purified. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

There is no question of being depressed because you are unsuccessful. A devotee is never depressed in the horrible condition of life.

Lecture on BG 4.22 -- Bombay, April 11, 1974:

If you are working for Kṛṣṇa, it is Kṛṣṇa's desire if you be successful or not successful. Here it is, the word is used, asiddhau. That means don't think that because you are Kṛṣṇa conscious, you will be always successful. No. It doesn't matter. Even if you are unsuccessful, you must know it firmly that without Kṛṣṇa's desire, nothing can happen. If you are unsuccessful, then you should.... That is Kṛṣṇa conscious.... You should know also that "It is Kṛṣṇa's desire." It is Kṛṣṇa's desire. So there is no question of being depressed because you are unsuccessful. A devotee is never depressed in the horrible condition of life.

The stomach will issue such energy by digestion of the foodstuff that it will transform into blood, it will come into the heart, and from the heart it will be diffused all over the body, and all over the body the depression, the exhaustion which has undergone, that will be satisfied.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- San Francisco, September 11, 1968:

Kṛṣṇa being the full, when you satisfy Kṛṣṇa, sense of Kṛṣṇa, Govinda, then the satisfaction of the whole universe takes place. This is the science. Tasmin tuṣṭe jagat tuṣṭa. The another example is just like if you satisfy the stomach in your body, then the whole body is satisfied. The stomach will issue such energy by digestion of the foodstuff that it will transform into blood, it will come into the heart, and from the heart it will be diffused all over the body, and all over the body the depression, the exhaustion which has undergone, that will be satisfied.

If one has got this faith, then he can develop that faith to the highest perfectional stage of transcendental emotion, bhāva, and then love of God. So there is nothing to be depressed.

Lecture on BG 10.8 -- New York, January 7, 1967:

Bhajante means one engages himself in the transcendental loving service of the Lord in complete emotion. That is wanted. How that emotion is attained, that is also described by Rūpa Gosvāmī, how one can attain that stage one after another. The first stage is śraddhā. Śraddhā means faith. Faith. Ādau śraddhā. If one has got this faith, then he can develop that faith to the highest perfectional stage of transcendental emotion, bhāva, and then love of God. So there is nothing to be depressed? All boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen who are in this meeting, they have got this faith, śraddhā.

When we cannot again, no more, we can enjoy with our senses, then we become very much depressed.

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, December 29, 1972:

At the fag end of life, we are disappointed, we are frustrated. Brdhya kala aula saba sukha pāgala.(?) When we cannot again, no more, we can enjoy with our senses, then we become very much depressed. Old men. You'll find old men, those who are not spiritually inclined, they're very morose. Morose because they cannot use anymore the senses. They sometimes take medicine. But how it can be done? So drdhya kala aula.(?) So we are under this illusion. This is called māyā. We should understand that we are not this body. We are not this body. Our bodily enjoyment, sense gratification, that is illusion.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Caitanya Mahāprabhu inquired, "Brāhmaṇa, why you are in such a depressed condition, you are crying?" "Sir, I am so..." He was in the ecstasy of Hanumān. "Sir, I am so unfortunate that Sītā-devī has been taken by Rāvaṇa and I could not rescue her still."

Lecture on SB 1.7.43 -- Vrndavana, October 3, 1976:

When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was traveling in South India, a brāhmaṇa invited Him. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu at noontime went there, but He saw the brāhmaṇa has not cooked anything. There was nothing prepared. And he was crying and reading Rāmāyaṇa. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu inquired, "Brāhmaṇa, why you are in such a depressed condition, you are crying?" "Sir, I am so..." He was in the ecstasy of Hanumān. "Sir, I am so unfortunate that Sītā-devī has been taken by Rāvaṇa and I could not rescue her still."

My respectful obeisances are unto You, O Lord, whose abdomen is marked with a depression like a lotus flower.

Lecture on SB 1.8.22 -- Los Angeles, April 14, 1973:

"My respectful obeisances are unto You, O Lord, whose abdomen is marked with a depression like a lotus flower, who are always decorated with garlands of lotus flowers, whose glance is as cool as the lotus, and whose feet are engraved with lotuses."

Don't be depressed. Try to please Kṛṣṇa. That's all. That is our only business.

Lecture on SB 7.9.52 -- Vrndavana, April 7, 1976:

Kṛṣṇa says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ: (BG 9.32) "Never mind he is born in a low grade family, dog-eaters' family. It doesn't matter. But because he has taken shelter of Me," te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim, "they'll go back to home, back to Godhead." You cannot check. You so-called gentlemen of this material world, you cannot check them. You may think otherwise, but they'll go back to home, back to Godhead. Who cares for you? So don't be depressed. Try to please Kṛṣṇa. That's all. That is our only business. That is our only business, whether Kṛṣṇa is satisfied or not.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The proprietor of the garden takes you to show you. And if you say, "Oh, it is all mithyā," then how much depressed he becomes, just see. "I brought this friend to show the beauty of this garden, and he says it is mithyā." Similarly, we won't want to depress Kṛṣṇa.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 17, 1972:

Jagat is not mithyā. To the Vaiṣṇava, to the devotee, we cannot accept that this jagat, this world is false. No. How it can be false? Suppose you enter in a very beautiful garden, very nicely trees, (indistinct) so many nice flowers, building. Everything is, they are nice. The proprietor of the garden takes you to show you. And if you say, "Oh, it is all mithyā," then how much depressed he becomes, just see. "I brought this friend to show the beauty of this garden, and he says it is mithyā." Similarly, we won't want to depress Kṛṣṇa. (laughter) That is not our business. Kṛṣṇa has created this nice world. Everything is very nice. The sun is rising just in exact time. It is setting in exact time. The moon is rising. The seasons are changing. And we are getting nice food, nice fruit, nice flowers. So we are not so de..., I mean to say, depressing agent. We won't discourage Kṛṣṇa. Why? Kṛṣṇa has created this nice world. How can I say it is mithyā? It is the by-product of Kṛṣṇa's energy. So Kṛṣṇa's energy cannot be false. It is eternal. Kṛṣṇa is eternal.

Festival Lectures

Everything was stolen. In this way, I became very much depressed, and I was going to the shipping company, "When the next ship is going for, going to India?"

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Evening -- Gorakhpur, February 15, 1971:

I was maintaining myself by selling these books for one year. There was no friend, and I was living in apartment with great difficulty. Still, the whole, I mean to say, stock, and my typewriter, my tape recorder—everything was stolen. In this way, I became very much depressed, and I was going to the shipping company, "When the next ship is going for, going to India?" So they gave me such and such date. Then I thought, "Let me wait for some time more. Then I shall return back." I had return ticket, of course. There was no difficulty.

Philosophy Discussions

Well, that I have already answered. Anything manufactured by man, that is not religion. That is not religion. That I have already answered. Religion is not manufactured, but it is given by God.

Philosophy Discussion on Henri Bergson:

Śyāmasundara: And he sees also in the same way two types of religion. He sees the static religion and calls this... Static religion: myths devised by human intelligence as a means of defense against the depressing experiences of life. He says that being fearful of the future, man attempts to combat his fate by constructing religious myths. (break) ...mythology...

Prabhupāda: Well, that I have already answered. Anything manufactured by man, that is not religion. That is not religion. That I have already answered. Religion is not manufactured, but it is given by God. That is our point, that God is giving religion, "Here is religion: surrender unto Me." So any religious system may be different in method, but ultimately if it comes to this point, (surrendering to God), then it is religion. Otherwise it is not religion; reject it.

Anything created by human being, that is not acceptable. We do not follow that principle. Because a human being is always imperfect. So we cannot take anything manufactured, myth, by any human being. We take directly from God.

Philosophy Discussion on The Evolutionists Thomas Huxley, Henri Bergson, and Samuel Alexander:

Śyāmasundara: And he sees also in the same way two types of religion. He sees the static religion and he calls this static religion "myth devised by human intelligence as a means of defense against the depressing experiences of life. Being fearful of the future, man attempts to combat his fate by constructing religious myths."

Prabhupāda: Just that... Anything created by human being, that is not acceptable. We do not follow that principle. Because a human being is always imperfect. So we cannot take anything manufactured, myth, by any human being. We take directly from God. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). The religious principles, they are given directly by God. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, "This is religion: surrender unto Me." This is religion. It is not man-manufactured. Man is manufacturing, "Oh, this is my type of religion. It is Muhammadanism." "This is Hinduism." "This is Christianism." All these isms, they are imperfect, man-made. But this is perfect. This is perfect because it is given by God Himself. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat... (SB 6.3.19). Very simple thing. "You surrender unto Me." That's all. So any religious system which leads the follower to this point, surrendering to God, that is religion. Otherwise bogus. Real religion is this, surrender to God. So any system of religion, it doesn't matter whether Hinduism, Christianism, Muhammadanism, if it teaches ultimately surrender to God, then that is perfect religion. Otherwise it is not religion.