sasanarakkha buddhist sanctuary... groundwork for a malaysian theravada buddhist identity
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Saturday, March 29, 2008
Free from Depression
By : Ven Balacitta
Sometimes people feel good, uplifted or are happy
and sometimes not. When people feel bad, down or
are unhappy but if they know how to take care of
themselves, are calm and peaceful, then there are no
problems. Feelings are impermanent and are subject
to change. If they do not know how to take care of
themselves, are calm and peaceful, then there are
problems. However it will not be a problem if one
meets the right person who is able to help or advise one to solve it.
Nowadays, people are exposed to many kinds of advertisements which try to tell
people that life would be more wonderful, uplifting or happier when they use their
products. When one is looking for help, it is important that one finds someone who
really is capable to help, otherwise, no help is better. If a person goes to see a
doctor for help because of a feeling of emptiness or unhappiness or they are feeling
bad or down, then it is highly possible that the doctor will prescribe some
anti-depressant drugs for him. Taking anti-depressant drugs is of course the easiest
and quickest way to make oneself feel good again but that is only temporary. In
order for us to solve any problem, it is important for us to solve the cause of the
problem. If we try to solve any problem without knowing and taking care of the
cause, we may only solve the problem superficially. The root cause will still remain
to generate the problem again and again. But anyhow, if any of you are taking
these anti-depressant drugs already, please do not discontinue it before you find a
better solution, otherwise, the sudden termination of the usage of the drugs is
known to give many kinds of problematic reactions to the user.
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We human beings have a body and mind. The mind of an uninstructed worldly
person will surely be adversely affected when encountering a highly unwanted
situation like the loss of someone very dear. When the mind is affected, the body
will also be affected. If one is unable to accept the reality that all conditions in life
are all impermanent and subject to change, then one will be easily disturbed
whenever something good changes to bad. A person who is too engrossed with the
vicissitudes of life will always be busy running after gain, praise, honour or
pleasurable sensations. Similarly, he will also be busy trying to run away from loss,
blame, discredit or unpleasurable sensations. When he encounters the former, he
will feel elated, and when he encounters the latter, he will feel dejected. One who is
easily elated or dejected is also a person who can easily lose his mental balance.
Living in the world, it is inescapable for people to experience the vicissitudes of life.
Sometimes we will experience the results of our good kamma and sometimes we
will also experience the results of our bad kamma. It is easy for people to be able
to take care of themselves, be mindful, be peaceful and calm when life is smooth
and easy but when the extreme downside of life happens suddenly, many will loose
their mental balance. There will be sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief or despair and
very sadly, most will also start to neglect their health.
The Buddha has shown us the four Noble Truths. In the four Noble Truths, he has
shown to us what is suffering, what is the cause of suffering, what is the freedom
from suffering and what is the path towards the freedom from suffering. The path
towards the freedom of suffering is, of course, the Noble Eightfold Path which can
be categorized under morality, meditation and wisdom.
Nowadays, there are many meditation retreat centres where one can learn to
develop this Noble Eightfold Path. If any of you always feel bad, down, empty or
unhappy, I encourage you to go for meditation retreat.i I wish others who are
presently feeling good, strong and happy, to protect yourself by cultivating a
meditative way of life, who knows when the U Turn will come. Correct meditation
practice with the right kind of supports (morality and wisdom) can help one to
understand the true nature of the world better, which in turn, will help one to be
able to maintain mental balance even when facing the extremities in the
vicissitudes of life.
As a matter of fact, in order for us to be always 100% free from mental suffering,
we have to reach the state of Arahantship (full-enlightenment) . To reach that
state, we have to develop the Noble Eightfold path in full perfection and this is not
an easy job to do. But anyhow, if one starts correctly in the development of the
Noble Eightfold Path, one can be said to have entered the stream of the Noble
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Eightfold path, a Sotapana (Stream-enterer)- SN. 55.5 A Sotapana, although is not
a person 100% free from mental sufferings like an Arahant, is nevertheless, much
more free from mental suffering than the most fortunate ordinary person in the
world. A Sotapana already has right view with regard to the true nature of the
world, the five aggregates or the so called self. He understands truly that
whatever things that he has been identified with before as mine, I, or myself
are actually impermanent, stressful and empty. He will never cling to it madly as
before and it is impossible for him to fall into clinical depression like an uninstructed
worldling again. A Sotapana might be depressed for a while when encountering the
loss of someone dear but he knows the path to come out of it and he will come out
of it. Just like venerable Ananda, when venerable Sariputta, venerable Mongallana
and the Buddha were gone, he was depressed, down hearted and feeling empty.
But it was only for a while because being a Sotapana, he knows the path to come
out from suffering. If earlier, a person needs to depend on anti-depressant drugs
for his superficial wellbeing, upon reaching the state of Sotapana, he can now throw
away all of his anti-depressant drugs forever. Forever he is free.
Now, after talking about freedom from mental suffering, I would like to talk about
our physical health. If one takes good care of his own physical health, he will enjoy
at least 50%.of wellbeing, that is, bodily wellbeing. But If a person does not take
good care of his bodily health and he is still an uninstructed worldling, he will suffer
twice if he falls sick, that is, one part in body and the other part in the mind - for
lamenting, complaining, worrying, ...
Earlier, I had said that when a person's mind is affected, his body will also be
affected. But this does not mean that one who is totally free from mental suffering
is also totally free from bodily sufferings. Although our mental wellbeing does
influence our bodily wellbeing, this does not mean that all the causes of our bodily
wellbeing is caused by our mind. I have found two places in the cannon that tell the
causes that can affect our bodily wellbeing. One is from the Sutta and another from
the Abhidhamma. They are as follows:
In the Sutta SN. 36:21, it is mentioned that there are 8 causes that affect our
feeling (bodily pain). They are:-
1. Disorders of the bile;
2. Disorders of the phlegm;
3. Disorders of the internal wind;
4. Imbalance of the combination of the bodily humors (bile, phlegm and wind);
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5. Change of climate;
6. Uneven care of the body;
7. Harsh treatment (external forces); and
8. The result of kamma.
In the Abhidhamma, it is mentioned that there are only 4 causes but what I can
see is that it is quite similar to the above except that it is presented in a different
way and they are:-
1. The food that one consumes (the food one consumes could have effect on one or
all of the bodily humors);
2. change of climate (environmental changes like electrical radio magnetic wave
pollution, air pollution and any other type of pollution should also be included);
3. the mind (the capability of the mind in facing the vicissitudes of life); and
4. the fruition of past karma.
I will also like to bring to your knowledge some tips for health which I found
mentioned by the Buddha in the Suttas:-
a. When a man is always mindful, knowing moderation in the food he eats, his
ailments then diminish; he ages slowly, guarding his life. - ( extracted from SN.
3:13)
b. ...Come, bhikkhus,eat a single session (before noon) by so doing, you too will
be free from illness and affliction, and you will enjoy health, strength, and a
comfortable abiding.- (extracted from MN 65)
c. ... your medicine of strong-smelling urine (puttimutta) will seem to you to be
just like the various tonics of a householder or householder's son... As you live
contented, it will serve for your delight, for a comfortable abiding, for
non-agitation, & for alighting on Unbinding. (extracted from AN. VIII, 30)
d. ... 'Good man, this repulsive urine (putimutta )is mixed with various medicines.
Drink from it if you want; as you drink from it, its colour, smell and taste will not
agree with you, but after drinking from it, you will be well...after drinking it, he
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became well.ii ( extracted from MN.46)
e. Monks, there are these five advantages of walking meditation (cankama) it
hardens one for traveling; it is good for striving; it is healthy; tends to good
digestion after one has eaten and drunk, munched and crunched; the concentration
won from it, last long... (extracted from AN. III, 29)
With the above information, I hope that by now you will know, at least, what needs
to be balanced, what needs to be avoided, what needs to be done for your own
well being, for your own happiness.
That's all for today. By the power of the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha,
may all of you be successful in finding real peace, real harmony, real happiness and
be happy always.
i There are many meditation centres around in Malaysia and all of them are doing a
great job in strengthening the faith of the people in the teaching of the Buddha. But
if a depressive person were to come to see me for advice, I will recommend him or
her to attend at least a 10-day meditation course conducted by S.N. Goenka or his
assistant teachers. Depressive people are weak in energy and self-discipline, they
need constant encouragement. The simple meditation instruction coupled with the
healthy atmospheric condition in the Goenka meditation centre, could help. These
are their contact numbers: 012 339 0089 (Chinese speaking) and 016 341 4776
(English speaking)
ii If one is in poor health and all conventional treatments have failed, why not give
urine therapy a try. Who knows this simple therapy will work miracles. The book
titled The Water Of Life by John W. Armstrong is a very powerful book, it can
change people's perception with regard to urine. But if one does not have the guts
to try urine therapy even after reading so many cases of successful stories, then
why not try Water Therapy. It can also work like a miracle for curing many kinds of
illnesses. Very often, I will drink about 1.5 litres of water first thing in the morning.
After that, I can feel that my whole bodily cells become very happy. I feel
refreshed, energized and good.
SBS
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