Rollo May (an American psychologist) once said "Depression is the inability to construct the future". But eastern philosophers (too many to mention) speak of living in the present or the "wisdom of insecurity" . The past is but a memory and the future a fantasy.
I heard May's quote for the first time last night. It resonated like the church bell at midnight. Because, although I can link my stress to crumbling expectations, my present remains fairly stable. If only I could live in the present... My sadness emanates like that bell, from my inability to plot a course, construct a likely future; to feel some stability and security. And throughout the manuals on meditation are warnings about proper preparation. It is well know in eastern practice that seeing the emptiness of life (an advanced goal in the Buddhist practice) with an unprepared mind can lead to depression.
On the Oriental side of wisdom is an embrace of insecurity as only truth (yet this truth must be fully contemplated and understood). On the Occidental side is societal need for order and continuity, not so much need for contemplation or understanding. Just believe. "Just Do It".
So, my questions of the hour, my kernels of thought are:
With the perceptive shrinking of the planet, resources, space between philosophical loci is the prospect of Emptiness crashing in to our unprepared minds and depressing Western society as a whole?
Is our frenetic mindless "Just Do It" attitude crashing in on the East and making them crazy (manic)?
OK, discuss...
Existential Clash
Moderators: Sunlily92, windsong, BlueGobi, Moderators, Astrid
i view life like a river, i see people holding onto rocks in the middle of the river exhausted.
others try and swim across the current to the nearest river bank.
some swim against the current it self trying to get back to a point in the river where they are recapturing a moment of happiness or safety.
but if you just let go the current will take you where you are meant to be, not necessarily where you want to be.
take care
others try and swim across the current to the nearest river bank.
some swim against the current it self trying to get back to a point in the river where they are recapturing a moment of happiness or safety.
but if you just let go the current will take you where you are meant to be, not necessarily where you want to be.
take care
That's a wonderful metaphor fallen. And it totally relates to my life. Swimming to the river bank because we don't like where the river is taking us; that doesn't seem to work, we all need to get back to the water sooner or later.
The other river metaphor I'd like to add (fits in well with yours) is the rainy season. Usually, you can see a way down the river, at least to the next turn. I guess sometimes it's the seeing that's the scary part. Eventually, though, many of us get used to the flow; start to think that's what life will be. But all too often for me, the rainy season comes. The river overflows it's banks, ox bows break, the river course changes, and I find myself on another course; one I never imagined. The terrain becomes totally different.
I don't by any means feel omnipotent, but I feel like somehow I bring the rain, like I can't stay within my banks, like I'm the river, and I summon the weather and wreak havoc on my life. Or maybe I'm a fish who can't stop the weather and blame I'm self for low tide. Alright, enough.
The other river metaphor I'd like to add (fits in well with yours) is the rainy season. Usually, you can see a way down the river, at least to the next turn. I guess sometimes it's the seeing that's the scary part. Eventually, though, many of us get used to the flow; start to think that's what life will be. But all too often for me, the rainy season comes. The river overflows it's banks, ox bows break, the river course changes, and I find myself on another course; one I never imagined. The terrain becomes totally different.
I don't by any means feel omnipotent, but I feel like somehow I bring the rain, like I can't stay within my banks, like I'm the river, and I summon the weather and wreak havoc on my life. Or maybe I'm a fish who can't stop the weather and blame I'm self for low tide. Alright, enough.
there are higher beings [not god as i do not believe in one person, but let us say a 'oneness ' ] that looks after the river .
there fore looks after you ,and through rainy season or drought you are loved by this ' oneness ' .they try to guide you to remain on course, the only thing you have to do ' is let go ' . i do not mean possessions but let go of control and forcing ones will , and trusting that they are always there looking over you and guiding and having unconditional love for you .
they love you like a brother or son, all you have to do is ' let go and trust '.
they will always make sure that you have what you need not what you want.
take care
there fore looks after you ,and through rainy season or drought you are loved by this ' oneness ' .they try to guide you to remain on course, the only thing you have to do ' is let go ' . i do not mean possessions but let go of control and forcing ones will , and trusting that they are always there looking over you and guiding and having unconditional love for you .
they love you like a brother or son, all you have to do is ' let go and trust '.
they will always make sure that you have what you need not what you want.
take care
Gestures
Gestures: not subtleties or inflections but isolated reactions; people make gestures as signs, substitutes for real actions. (I thought about starting a new post as this a bit non-sequitous. But it's part of the metaphorical fabric.) Parts of a well choreographed dance or play might have gestures which punctuate or transition narrative movements. It occurs to me that some people live there lives as gestures, a string of disconnected reactions to the moments impressed on them.
Not a river but an island or a rock jutting out of the ocean; their gestures are reactions to the waves bouncing off of them. Neither the frequency, or direction, or resulting gesture are connected to those of the last wave or those of the next. They take no consideration of the rise and fall of the waves or the tide or the arc of the moon. No containing shoreline boundaries give there lives structure. No meaningful direction comes from the rivers flow. No drifting obstacles or rapids are encountered; they prefer to be the obstacle. The word, petrified, comes to mind.
Not a river but an island or a rock jutting out of the ocean; their gestures are reactions to the waves bouncing off of them. Neither the frequency, or direction, or resulting gesture are connected to those of the last wave or those of the next. They take no consideration of the rise and fall of the waves or the tide or the arc of the moon. No containing shoreline boundaries give there lives structure. No meaningful direction comes from the rivers flow. No drifting obstacles or rapids are encountered; they prefer to be the obstacle. The word, petrified, comes to mind.
life is very simple.
we are born and we die.
some where between those two points we breath a lot
oh yes we have to make choices, to be good or bad, to be evil or peaceful,
to be kind or the opposite of that.
life is very simple.
enlightenment is not giving up ones house, becoming a buddhist priest and living on a mountain in Tibet.
it is simply having no ego, and being kind,
there is no fear in enlightenment.
you are always loved forever.
you are more intelligent than me
you are wiser than me
you can do greater and kinder things than i will ever be able to do
you just have to be
take care
we are born and we die.
some where between those two points we breath a lot
oh yes we have to make choices, to be good or bad, to be evil or peaceful,
to be kind or the opposite of that.
life is very simple.
enlightenment is not giving up ones house, becoming a buddhist priest and living on a mountain in Tibet.
it is simply having no ego, and being kind,
there is no fear in enlightenment.
you are always loved forever.
you are more intelligent than me
you are wiser than me
you can do greater and kinder things than i will ever be able to do
you just have to be
take care
Re: Existential Clash
Frame wrote:Rollo May (an American psychologist) once said "Depression is the inability to construct the future".
Frame, thank you for starting the discussion that will feed my newly aquired forum addiction. I wonder if constructing future has more to do with the past. How do you know what will happen other than by projecting your experience from your personal history plus everything you read and learned from experiences and research of others into the future?
Then, depression is just about a particular way to project into the future, eg. if cataclysmic catastrophes took place before, then they will take place in the future. On the other hand, if you have learned in your past that the Saviour will bring the paradise to the righteous (provided you believe in it, too), then your projection into the future is determined and undisputedly happy. Between these two extreme examples there is the Seligman's "Learned Optimism" strategy that can make one a very upbeat successful person and/or an insufferable sociopath or both (in image of most successful CEOs of corporate world).
Also, besides the notion of "suffering" is there really the notion of "depression" in Buddhism? Is anxiety a "suffering" in Buddhism? Do they make a difference? I didn't find any. Did you?
Also, doesn't anxiety also have much to do with constructing the future?
I don't expect answers (although I'd be interested to see the perspective of others), but I'm just indicating the extent to which your post stirred my mind.
And if what if
It occurred to me this morning that, perhaps GOD needs ME.
I've been knocking for quite some time and he(she) doesn't answer.
What if he's(she's) fallen and he(she) can't get up? He's(she's) pretty old.
What if God needs my help and I'm just down here working, waiting, and praying?
(Hope I don't get smacked for that.)
I've been knocking for quite some time and he(she) doesn't answer.
What if he's(she's) fallen and he(she) can't get up? He's(she's) pretty old.
What if God needs my help and I'm just down here working, waiting, and praying?
(Hope I don't get smacked for that.)
Smack!! Lol!
No_answer brought up our Saviour, though, so I thought I'd comment about the He/She, as it pertains to the Saviour. I've always understood that Christ came in the flesh and walked amongst us. Christ also stated that if we've seen him, we've seen the Father--which leaves me to conclude that God is male. There are feminists who wouldn't appreciate this, but it is what it is. (I'm female, by the way). But this truth doesn't bother me.
I believe that there is a heaven for God's children, and although this knowledge does bring me joy and hope, it's still not an easy feat to live/survive in this world. Chaos still thrives. Hardships are unceasing, and therefore anxiety and depression digs it ugly claws in. Yes, I have hope for eternity, but it doesn't make life's hurdles an easy task to leap over; At times, they seem unsurmountable!
I'm curious as to what Chinese medicine would have to say about chemical imbalances, and what a cure for that might be...or what the view would be on people being genetically predisposed to depression.
Any thoughts on this?
No_answer brought up our Saviour, though, so I thought I'd comment about the He/She, as it pertains to the Saviour. I've always understood that Christ came in the flesh and walked amongst us. Christ also stated that if we've seen him, we've seen the Father--which leaves me to conclude that God is male. There are feminists who wouldn't appreciate this, but it is what it is. (I'm female, by the way). But this truth doesn't bother me.
I believe that there is a heaven for God's children, and although this knowledge does bring me joy and hope, it's still not an easy feat to live/survive in this world. Chaos still thrives. Hardships are unceasing, and therefore anxiety and depression digs it ugly claws in. Yes, I have hope for eternity, but it doesn't make life's hurdles an easy task to leap over; At times, they seem unsurmountable!
I'm curious as to what Chinese medicine would have to say about chemical imbalances, and what a cure for that might be...or what the view would be on people being genetically predisposed to depression.
Any thoughts on this?
Thank you, 4EverMe, for a perspective on human condition of the believers. Myself, rarely a believer, frequently a nihilist, always jelous of the comforts and easy appearance of life of a religious person: the temple gatherings provide the discipline that they like and believe in almost compulsively, the community to socialize, the answers to unanswerable questions. I forgot to be skeptical of appearances...cannot even be a consistent nihilist here:)
I don't know much about the chinese medicine, but did read up a bit on feng-shui and remember the warnings about the hidden energy lines in our environment. Now, before I read it I bought a nice place right across the cemetery thinking it to be a smart choice for the reasons of safety for jogging (never seen someone driving at more than 10 mph on the grounds), quiet neighbours (never much construction after someone new moves in), but after years of struggle with low motivation and lack of energy I should've started being more superstitious.
I don't know much about the chinese medicine, but did read up a bit on feng-shui and remember the warnings about the hidden energy lines in our environment. Now, before I read it I bought a nice place right across the cemetery thinking it to be a smart choice for the reasons of safety for jogging (never seen someone driving at more than 10 mph on the grounds), quiet neighbours (never much construction after someone new moves in), but after years of struggle with low motivation and lack of energy I should've started being more superstitious.
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100footpole
- Posts: 477
- Joined: Fri Oct 03, 2014 1:26 pm
I've decided to look for old posts that reflect what I'm currently thinking.
I like this post because it seems to emphasize self-empowerment. Not "Just Do It" so much as "Just Do Something ... and Watch".
I love the ending of this thread because the person seems to have solved their problems ... only to find new and worse ones ... returning to the original thread:
"Depression is the inability to construct the future".
I like to put the smackable part of this post:
It occurred to me this morning that, perhaps GOD needs ME.
I've been knocking for quite some time and he(she) doesn't answer.
What if he's(she's) fallen and he(she) can't get up? He's(she's) pretty old.
What if God needs my help and I'm just down here working, waiting, and praying?
Into the context of the flowing water: The ocean or the river. To me there can only be tiny actions, and the idea of helping God is appealing, since at least you are oriented towards goodness, regardless if God is in the river with you or is the river herself.
I like this post because it seems to emphasize self-empowerment. Not "Just Do It" so much as "Just Do Something ... and Watch".
I love the ending of this thread because the person seems to have solved their problems ... only to find new and worse ones ... returning to the original thread:
"Depression is the inability to construct the future".
I like to put the smackable part of this post:
It occurred to me this morning that, perhaps GOD needs ME.
I've been knocking for quite some time and he(she) doesn't answer.
What if he's(she's) fallen and he(she) can't get up? He's(she's) pretty old.
What if God needs my help and I'm just down here working, waiting, and praying?
Into the context of the flowing water: The ocean or the river. To me there can only be tiny actions, and the idea of helping God is appealing, since at least you are oriented towards goodness, regardless if God is in the river with you or is the river herself.
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