Question: “How do Buddhists deal with depression? Has the Buddha ever talked about overcoming feelings of sadness and despair?”
Feelings are something we create, so naturally it’s something we can destroy. Obviously, it’s easier said than done, but we can overcome these feelings through meditation and contemplation. What’s making you sad? Why are you in despair? You should keep asking yourself, “Why, why, why?” for every answer that comes up until you get to the core of it; the truth. Sometimes it’s the dumbest or most mundane things that causes us sadness. Maybe our friend never texted or called us back, this makes us feel lonely and sad. But why? Why do we feel we’re so important that a simple thing causes us to suffer? Ego. Our ego is big enough to fill a football field and so we let that much space of our egotistical selves control our feelings.
When you get to the core, to the truth, you’ll laugh, because you’ll see that there is really no reason to be sad at all. As Buddhist, we understand that everything is impermanent, nothing lasts forever, including our feelings, so why should we hold on and cling to them? It only causes to suffer and we become depressed and unhappy. Life is precious and joyful. With a clear and peaceful mind, we can be happy regardless of what our external circumstances may be. Practice daily meditation. You’ll see.
Smile and be well!