Poisons of the Mind

Yes, I mean, depression is, I mean, who wouldn't be depressed when we consider the futility of our present day lives? And I mean, it looks to me like so these, those qualities, those emotions, those poisonous emotions like greed and aggression and pride and competitiveness and envy, jealousy, which all genuine traditions have recognised as being poisons for the mind, are now presented as if they're the cause for happiness. The more we want, the more we get, the more we reach out to grasp and feel attachment, the happier, the more secure we will be. And I mean, that's so obviously not true. I mean, the Buddha himself said that greed is like salty water.

The more we drink, the thirstier we get, but we never can satisfy that thirst because it just increases and increases and increases, and so the more we get, the more we want. And at a certain point, you're stifled with all these things, and inside we feel this incredible black hole of total meaninglessness. Many young people, if they come to India from America, like students, very nicely, one of the questions they always ask is, how can I make my life meaningful? And I think this is a very good question, you know. I mean, to recognise that's what we have to do with our life is to make it meaningful for ourselves.

And then aggression because, you know, even entertainment is so aggressive nowadays. I mean, we just look at the things people are looking at, you know, it's all about shooting and blowing up and screaming at people, and even the heroes are going around killing people all over the place without the slightest regret, as if that's solving the problem. And, you know, competitiveness, and of course with all our appearances, now we're becoming more and more alienated from each other, unable to really communicate one-on-one. You see that everywhere. And of course people feel inwardly just in despair.

Is this all life is about? And so, yeah, I mean, many, many people, even good people, I mean, good in the sense that people who are interested in spiritual things and, you know, sincerely trying to do something meaningful in their life often succumb to depression because the outer forces are so strong.