Tides of Conceiving

The Buddha described painful emotions as “tides of conceiving."

The famous author, William Styron, used a flooding metaphor to describe the effects of depression as “outmoded small-town telephone exchanges, being gradually inundated by flood-waters: one by one, the normal circuits began to drown, causing some of the functions of the body and nearly all of those of instinct and intellect to slowly disconnect” (Styron, Darkness Visible).

Difficult to describe in words, depression can be witnessed by doctors, friends, family members, and loved ones.

Depression can also be witnessed by listening.

Mother Theresa described the relationship between listening and  prayer in an interview. The interviewer asked Mother Theresa what she said when she prayed to God. She replied, “I don’t say anything, I just listen.” Then the interviewer asked, “What does God say?” And she replied, “God doesn’t say anything, He just listens, and if you don’t understand that, I can’t explain it to you" (Goldstein J, One Dharma).

This playlist, Tides of Conceiving, compiles music intended to help listen, witness, and pray for individuals with depression and their loved ones.

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