Conquering Depression

There is no reason to be depressed or to psychologically punish ourselves for our faults. Such depression is simply another way of diverting our attention away from God and placing it on ourselves. Spiritual life is a positive redirection of the consciousness towards the Supreme Person, Krishna or God. Depression, which is directed towards ourselves instead of God, is therefore material, not spiritual.

So how does one who has trapped in a depression syndrome escape? The simple solution is to remember that simply by calling the names of the Lord with love one becomes freed from more sins that he is capable of committing in millions of lifetimes. Instead of being concerned with one's own happiness and distress which should think instead of pleasing the Supreme Person by all one's thoughts, words, and deeds in all times, places, and circumstances. As soon we take our attention away from our own happiness and distress by being concerned instead of always being pleasing to the Lord, we will see that our depression has vanished and that we are swimming constantly in an ocean of transcendental bliss.

Answers According to the Vedic Version

Question: Gurus' Names in Our Disciplic Succession

I would like to know the names of the spiritual masters in our guru parampara, our line of disciplic succession.

Selvi

Answer: Here's the List

Our guru parampara or line of disciplic succession begins with Krishna Himself and is as follows:

1. Krishna
2. Brahma
3. Narada
4. Vyasa
5. Madhva
6. Padmanabha
7. Nrihari
8. Madhava
9. Aksobhya
10. Jaya Tirtha
11. Jnanasindhu
12. Dayanidhi
13. Vidyanidhi
14. Rajendra
15. Jayadharma
16. Purusottama
17. Brahmanya Tirtha
18. Vyasa Tirtha
19. Laksmipati
20. Madhavendra Puri
21. Isvara Puri, (Nityananda, Advaita)
22. Lord Caitanya
23. Rupa, (Svarupa, Sanatana)
24. Raghunatha, Jiva
25. Krishna dasa
26. Narottama das
27. Visvanatha
28. (Baladeva) Jagannatha
29. Bhaktivinoda Thakur
30. Gaurakisora das Babaji
31. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur
32. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
33. Disciples of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Krishna explains in the Bhagavad-gita that we must approach a spiritual master to be enlightened in the science of God. Therefore if we are at all serious about realizing God we must accept a bona fide spiritual master in the line of disciplic succession beginning with Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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