Our senses are externally focused, constantly seeking pleasure from the outside world, leading us to commit sins. Depression is the result of accumulated sinful actions. The joy our mind seeks cannot be found in external pleasures. The mind repeatedly desires different sensory experiences, which causes us to commit more sins, and our mind becomes increasingly impure. Caught in this vicious cycle, our mind weakens to the point where it becomes frightened by mere imagination. This is what we call depression, a state where we are unable to make sound decisions.
The Play Of Mind, Senses, And Intellect
Our intellect chooses pleasures, the mind considers different options, the subconscious contemplates them, and our ego (sense of being a doer of actions) approves them. For a healthy and happy life, we need a pure intellect. Only a pure intellect can control the mind. If the intellect is not pure, the mind becomes engrossed in sensual pleasures, leading us to commit grave sins. The simplest way to purify the intellect is by chanting the holy name of the lord.
Adultery, meat consumption, alcohol, and gambling are sinful activities that rob us of peace. Our past and present sins together make life sorrowful. Avoid immoral behaviour and continuously chant “Radha-Radha.”
What To Do If You Don’t Find A Life Partner?
If you cannot find a life partner, choose the Lord as your refuge and engage in devotion. Is the only goal of life to fulfill sensual desires? What if you get married, and your spouse changes after some time? What will you do then? If it’s not your destiny to find a spouse, don’t be disheartened—take refuge in God. If marriage is part of your destiny, the Lord will guide you and unite you with your life partner in His way. Only devotion and refuge in God can relieve sorrow, fear, and worry.
Bari Mathe Ghrit hoy baru, sikta te baru tel
Binu hari bhajan na bhav tariya, yah siddhant apel
Dohavali, Goswami Tulsidas Ji
Maybe you can produce ghee by churning water, or oil from sand. Maybe such things are possible, but no one can cross the worldly ocean without meditating on God. This is definite.
The Path To Freedom From Suffering
If you don’t engage in devotion, no one can relieve you of your suffering. In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna says to Arjuna:
mayy eva mana ādhatsva
mayi buddhiṁ niveśaya
nivasiṣyasi mayy eva
ata ūrdhvaṁ na saṁśayaḥ
Bhagavad Gita, 12.8
Just fix your mind upon Me, and engage all your intelligence in Me. Thus you will live in Me always, without a doubt.
man-manā bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru
mām evaiṣyasi yuktvaivam
ātmānaṁ mat-parāyaṇaḥ
Bhagavad Gita, 9.34
Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, become My devotee, offer obeisances to Me and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me.
The chanting of “Radha-Radha” is capable of eradicating all sorrows. If you don’t engage in devotion and chanting, your mind will become wayward, leading to misfortune. Nowadays, people are intoxicated with money, status, and power, engaging in immoral acts such as meat and alcohol consumption, gambling, adultery, theft, and violence—acts that lead to hell. Souls are subjected to severe suffering in hell. If you want to avoid this fate, chant the name of the Lord and refrain from immoral behaviour. This human body has been given to us to escape misery.
Eradicating Bad Karma
kāhu na kōu sukha dukha kara dātā
nija kṛta karama bhōga sabu bhrātā
Ramcharitmanas
No one is the giver of happiness or sorrow to anyone. Everyone reaps the consequences of their own deeds.
Your karma is strong, and if you don’t engage in chanting the Lord’s name, it will be the cause of your suffering. These bad deeds can only be destroyed by remembering God and chanting His name. There is no other way.
If you perform charity and virtuous deeds, you will accumulate good karma; if you commit sins, you will accumulate bad karma. You must bear both results; your good deeds cannot cancel out your bad deeds. Only by chanting the Lord’s name can your good and bad deeds be erased, granting you liberation and supreme happiness. Avoid immoral behaviour, chant the holy name as much as possible, and adopt good conduct. Eat healthy, have positive thoughts, and try to bring joy to others—this will bring you peace.
Take Refuge in the Lord
Turning away from God is the root cause of sorrow, worry, fear, and unrest. One who turns towards God becomes fearless, peaceful, and free from sorrow.
Sanmukh Hoi Jeev Mohi Jabheen
Janm Koti Agh Nashin Tabheen
Ramcharitmanas
As soon as the soul turns towards Me, all the sins of countless lifetimes are destroyed.
Chant whichever name of the Lord is dear to you (Radha, Ram, Krishna, Hari, etc.), and chant it regularly. In life, seeking refuge in a life partner is not mandatory. If you must seek refuge, let it be in the Supreme Lord. Associate with saints and listen to spiritual discourses, bringing your intellect towards God.
nāma-saṅkīrtanaṁ yasya
sarva-pāpa praṇāśanam
praṇāmo duḥkha-śamanas
taṁ namāmi hariṁ param
Shrimad Bhagavatam 12.13.23
Chanting the holy name of the Lord erases all sins, and bowing down to Him removes all worldly suffering.
Surrender to God is not possible without the grace of saints. The company of saints is a sign that God’s grace has been bestowed upon you. Through divine grace, saints appear in your life, and through saints, you experience God’s grace.
Ab mohi bha bharos hanumanta,
Binu hari kripa milahi nahin santa.
Ramcharitmanas
Now I have faith that Lord Ram’s grace is on me, O Hanuman! Without the grace of Hari, one does not meet saints.Bade bhaag paib satasanga
binahin prayaas hohin bhav bhanga
Ramcharitmanas
With great fortune, one attains the company of saints, which effortlessly frees one from the cycle of birth and death.
The Root Cause of Depression
You will not be able to come out of depression until your bad karma is destroyed. This is the root cause of the problem. To eradicate bad karma, take refuge in God and chant His name. Without chanting the Lord’s name, no one can attain peace.
sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ
Bhagavad Gita, 18.66
Abandon all duties and take refuge in Me alone; I shall free you from all sins, do not grieve.
Conclusion
Chant the name of the Lord and refrain from immoral behaviour. If you know that you are engaging in wrong actions, renounce them. This is the practice of spirituality. Refrain from bad deeds, chant the name of the Lord, and fulfil your responsibilities (business, job, etc.). This will bring you peace. Without taking refuge in God, sorrow, fear, and anxiety cannot be eradicated. Chanting the Lord’s name is the only way to attain supreme peace and joy.
Guidance By: Shri Hit Premanand Govind Sharan Ji Maharaj
