On Early Morning Depression. ~ Chogyam Trungpa.
Ocean of Dharma Quotes of the Week.
~
When you feel depressed, when you feel bad, it is sometimes for no reason at all.
You wake up in the morning and feel hopeless, terrible. We may use our experiences to justify that feeling. I feel bad…because I don’t have any money. I feel bad…because something has gone wrong in my life. In fact, our early morning depression is not all that logical. Out of nowhere, you just don’t feel so good.
Then you come up with all kinds of logical explanations for why you are depressed. In the Shambhala tradition, we talk about how fearlessness comes out of the realization of fear.
Similarly, when you experience morning depression, it is possible to cheer up. That situation is genuine and quite workable. From morning depression and its terror, we can step right into basic goodness.
We can appreciate depression as being like a wobbly staircase. When you put your foot on the first step, you wonder whether it’s going to hold you. You might fall. But as you take further steps, you realize that it’s going to carry you upstairs.
We learn to reject the terror of morning depression and to step into morning basic goodness, right on the spot.
~
From Ocean of Dharma: The Everyday Wisdom of Chogyam Trungpa. # 77.
Originally condensed from Great Eastern Sun: The Wisdom of Shambhala, pages 30-31.Order your copy of Ocean of Dharma here.
Ocean of Dharma is now on facebook! Find mini-quotes here.
Please send comments to the list moderator, Carolyn Gimian, at
carolyn[at] shambhala [dot]com.Teachings by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, taken from works published by
Shambhala Publications, the Archive of his unpublished work in the
Shambhala Archives, plus other published sources.To subscribe, see the quotes online or read the Ocean of
Dharma blog.
Incorrect source, offensive, or found a typo? Or do you want to write for Elephant?
elephant journal is dedicated to "bringing together those working (and playing) to create enlightened society." We're about anything that helps us to live a good life that's also good for others, and our planet. >>> Founded as a print magazine in 2002, we went national in 2005 and then (because mainstream magazine distribution is wildly inefficient from an eco-responsible point of view) transitioned online in 2009. >>> elephant's been named to 30 top new media lists, and was voted #1 in the US on twitter's Shorty Awards for #green content...two years running. >>> Get involved: > Subscribe to our free Best of the Week e-newsletter. > Follow us on Twitter Fan us on Facebook. > Write: send article or query. > Advertise. > Pay for what you read, help indie journalism survive and thrive. Questions? info elephantjournal com
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Waylon Lewis, Gaiam. Gaiam said: ^JR RT @elephantjournal How 2 climb out of depression, via Chogyam Trungpa http://bit.ly/1iDigr [...]
[...] It clears the air so that everyone can have a fresh, clear view. When we take on the blame, which Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche called just a “paper tiger”, everyone can begin to communicate because the defensive, uptight [...]
[...] What’s actually important is here and now. ~ Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche [...]
Yes, reading to get info or help w/ depression or panic attacks is good. The more tools one has, the better! I awoke to a panic attack this a.m due to a nightmare (involving stairs, oddly enough). I took deep breaths, in and out, until my heart stopped racing.
Interesting post, I didn't realize it was such a common thing…morning depression.
And I've definitely woken up with morning depression many a times, and thought it was just me…and then kicked myself for starting my day in such a bad way.
I wonder if you have any thoughts on the WHY of morning depression?
[...] I’d wake up every morning frustrated, angry and upset. Can you imagine waking up every morning with that as your flavor? How awful! One day I even started screaming! I was pissed. Can you see me pissed? Ha! I was so shocked that I was reacting in such a way that I even started laughing at myself. Rage is territory I haven’t felt in a long time. I got so pissed off that someone(s) were intruding on my time to practice. [...]
i was hoping this might tell me something but to me it makes no sense. when u feel horrible in the morning for no reason there is no staircase. it's like waking up in a burned out basement and there are no stairs,
The link to the Facebook quotes is broken.
I think when you wake up and feel sad it is because you are sad…maybe a good cry is in order.