A depression is always unreasonable as it leads nowhere. It is the most subtle enemy of the Yoga.
The Mother – Words of the Mother – II: CWM, Vol. 14, p. 245
…. Depression comes from without, not from within. But some part of the vital is too habituated to respond or at least passively accept or reflect and to take it as its own. If it were not for this, there would be little or no difficulty in throwing off the depression when it tries to come.
Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Yoga – IV: CWSA, Vol. 31, p. 185
It is the ego that gets depressed.
Do not mind it. Go on quietly with your work and the depression will disappear.
The Mother – Words of the Mother – II: CWM, Vol. 14, p. 246
All depression is bad as it lowers the consciousness, spends the energy, opens to adverse forces.
Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Yoga – IV: CWSA, Vol. 31, p. 183
Depression should not be indulged, for all who do the Yoga have difficulties with their ego; but the higher consciousness will always prevail with a true aspiration. Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Yoga – IV: CWSA, Vol. 31, p. 181
There are two golden rules. (1) Never be depressed or upset by difficulties or stumbles. (2) Press always quietly forward, then however long it seems to take, always progress will be made and one day you will be surprised to find yourself near the goal. It is like the curves followed by the train in the ascent of the mountain—they circle round but always nearer and nearer to the goal.
Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Yoga – IV: CWSA, Vol. 31, p. 735
The rule in Yoga is not to let the depression depress you, to stand back from it, observe its cause and remove the cause; for the cause is always in oneself, perhaps a vital defect somewhere, a wrong movement indulged or a petty desire causing a recoil, sometimes by its satisfaction, sometimes by its disappointment. In Yoga a desire satisfied, a false movement given its head produces very often a worse recoil than disappointed desire.
What is needed for you is to live more deeply within, less in the outer vital and mental which is exposed to these touches. The inmost psychic being is not oppressed by them; it stands in its own closeness to the Divine and sees the small surface movements as surface things foreign to the true being.
Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Yoga – IV: CWSA, Vol. 31, p. 189
Anutāp—remorse, repentance, is the natural movement of the vital mind when it sees it has done a mistake. It is certainly better than indifference. Its disadvantage is that it disturbs the vital stuff and sometimes leads to depression or discouragement. For that reason what is usually recommended to the sadhak is a quiet recognition of the mistake with a sincere aspiration and will that it should not be repeated or at least that the habit of making such mistakes should soon be eliminated. At a higher stage of development when the inner calm is established, one simply observes the defects of the nature as defects of a machinery that one has to put right and calls down the Light and Force for its rectification. In the beginning however the movement of repentance even helps provided it does not bring discouragement or depression.
Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Yoga – IV: CWSA, Vol. 31, p. 188
My heart feels arid, sad and gloomy, Mother.
Why don’t you try to read something beautiful and interesting and turn your attention away from yourself? That is the best remedy.
The Mother – Words of the Mother – II: CWM, Vol. 14, p. 244
…. Indeed, depression is the worst of all illnesses and we must reject it with as much energy as we use to get rid of a disease.
The Mother – Words of the Mother – II: CWM, Vol. 14, p. 245
At these moments of depression or of revolt, no fresh decision must be taken under the impulse of the wrong movement, but practically one must go on with the usual routine, quiet and undisturbed.
When you feel unhappy like that, it means that you have a progress to make. You can say that we always need to progress, it is true. But at times our nature gives its consent to the needed change and then everything goes smoothly, even happily. On the contrary sometimes the part that has to progress refuses to move and clings to its old habits through inertia, ignorance, attachment or desire. Then, under the pressure of the perfecting force, the struggle starts translating itself into unhappiness or revolt or both together.
The only remedy is to keep quiet, look within oneself honestly to find out what is wrong and set to work courageously to put it right.
The Divine Consciousness will always be there to help you if your endeavour is sincere; and the more sincere your endeavour the more the Divine Consciousness will help and assist you.
The Mother – Words of the Mother – II: CWM, Vol. 14, p. 246
Periods of obscuration are frequent and common; generally, it is enough to keep quiet without worrying, knowing that these are spiritual nights which alternate with the full light of the days. But to be able to remain in peace you must keep in your heart gratitude towards the Divine for all the help He gives. If gratitude also is veiled, the obscure periods last much longer. There is, however, a swift and effective remedy: it is to keep always burning in your heart the flame of purification, the aspiration for progress, the intensity, the ardour of consecration. This flame is kindled in the heart of all who are sincere; you must not let ingratitude cover it up with its ashes.
The Mother – Words of the Mother – II: CWM, Vol. 14, pp. 246 – 47
You must remember one thing: the dark periods are inevitable. When your psychic is active, you feel a delight without any apparent reason. It continues for some time and again the same mental or vital reactions come in and you go back to the darkness. This will continue. The brighter days will become longer and the dark periods will come after longer intervals and for shorter duration till they finally disappear. Till then you must know that the sun is there behind the clouds and you need not worry. You must have the confidence of a child―a confidence that there is someone who takes care of you and you can entirely depend on him.
The Mother – Words of the Mother – II: CWM, Vol. 14, p. 247
I am still not able to maintain the right attitude in my own sadhana and yet I try to pose as an adviser and instructor.
Well, one can give good advice even when one does not follow it oneself—there is the old adage “Do what I preach and not what I practise.” More seriously, there are different personalities in oneself and the one that is eager to advise and help may be quite sincere. I remember in days long past when I still had personal struggles and difficulties, people came to me from outside for advice etc. when I was in black depression and could not see my way out of a sense of hopelessness and failure, yet nothing of that came out and I spoke with an assured conviction. Was that insincerity? I think not, the one who spoke in me was quite sure of what he spoke. The turning of all oneself to the Divine is not an easy matter and one must not be discouraged if it takes time and other movements still intervene. One must note, rectify and go on….
Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Himself and the Ashram: CWSA, Vol. 35, p. 52
…. depression prevents the Force from flowing through and calls in the adverse forces and gives them a chance to destroy the helpful formations that are made. All the trouble and difficulty you have had will disappear or be minimised if you shake off this tendency to depression altogether.
Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Yoga – IV: CWSA, Vol. 31, p. 183
One should certainly not overestimate one’s progress, but not underestimate it either. I don’t know whether dwelling on the defects and weaknesses is very wholesome. To know that they are there is one thing, to keep them always before the eye may be depressing and retard the progress.
Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Yoga – IV: CWSA, Vol. 31, p. 184
Do not allow these depressing thoughts to find credit with you. If they come, look at them as not yours, as suggestions from outside. Remain as quiet as you can and let the Mother’s Force work in you.
Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Yoga – IV: CWSA, Vol. 31, p. 186
Small desires and defects have not to be magnified or made a cause of worry or depression, but they have to be noted and quietly got rid of.
Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Yoga – IV: CWSA, Vol. 31, p. 187
Be careful to reject always movements (like vexation, discontent etc.) that bring back confusion or depression. One cannot always help these movements coming, but one can reject them when they come; the more they are rejected, the more difficult it becomes for them to recur—or, if they recur, they hold only for a moment and then drop away. To entertain them means to give them a chance to cover the true consciousness once more.
Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Yoga – IV: CWSA, Vol. 31, p. 187
It is indeed good that the psychic intervened and prevented the mind taking the wrong direction. It is not possible that there should not be occasional stumbles, failures etc. in the work of self-purification and change; but to feel upset or remorseful over them is harmful rather than helpful; it easily brings depression and depression brings clouding of the mind and weakness. To observe calmly the wrong movement and its nature and to set it right inwardly is always the best way. Calm, especially when the true spiritual calm of the self is there, is the thing that must always be preserved; for with that everything else can be done in time and with the least trouble.
Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Yoga – IV: CWSA, Vol. 31, p. 188
This kind of dejection [feeling that life is meaningless] must be cast aside. Life always has a meaning whether in success or in difficulty so long as it is turned towards the Divine. Protection will be given, but depression must be put aside so that you may be able to receive and use the help and the force.
Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Yoga – IV: CWSA, Vol. 31, p. 188
There was no true cause for the trouble. You have allowed it to come into you from outside. There are always forces moving about in the atmosphere trying to disturb the sadhana and the progress. You must be careful not to allow them to invade you with their suggestions whether of depression, despondency, discontent or of anger or desire or of any ego-movement, for it is these things that they try to raise. When they come, instead of remaining in this way and trying to find an external cause for them, recognise them and reject at once.
Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Yoga – IV: CWSA, Vol. 31, pp. 734 – 35
When a habit of these moods (depression or revolt) has been formed, they cannot be got rid of at once. There are three ways of doing it—(1) to strengthen your own will, so that nothing can come or stay as it likes but only as you like; (2) to think of something else, plunge the mind in some healthy activity; (3) to turn to the Mother and call in her force. One can do any of these or all, but even in doing them, it will take a little time to get rid of the habit.
Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Yoga – IV: CWSA, Vol. 31, p. 735
….Depression is a sign of weakness, of a bad will somewhere, and bad will in the sense of a refusal to receive help, and a kind of weakness that’s content to be weak. One becomes slack. The bad will is obvious, because there’s a part of your being which tells you at that moment, “Depression is bad.” You know that you shouldn’t get depressed; well, the reply of that part which is depressed is almost, “Shut up! I want my depression.”….
The Mother – Questions and Answers: CWM, Vol. 7, p. 10
