Khyentse Rinpoche’s advice to teenagers: Discipline & Depression

On discipline and depression:

OK. One last word. Now, I hate to use the word discipline. The trouble is this is the one thing that you dont want to hear, discipline … But even to make a cappuccino, you need a discipline … you need a discipline, of course. Skateboarding, all these things, they all need discipline. In our modern society, one of the biggest problems is depression, really really feeling down and depressed, and people turning to drugs and alcohol and all of that. If you really look into the root of the depression, it is because of lack of discipline.

Discipline is so important … And when I say discipline I’m talking about something so simple, huh? Im not talking about like getting up in the morning, 5 oclock … you know, like things like that … You make your own discipline, such as, I dont know … something like, “I will not go to Starbucks on Wednesdays.” Really, if you took that kind of vow, something as simple as this, in the future, the ratio of visits to your shrink will be definitely reduced. Even as simple as not going to Starbucks on Wednesday. I’m serious. I’m serious … If you can manage … if you do that one year, good! Very good. You have learned the art of controlling yourself. If you want to be brave you know, maybe you think, not going to Starbucks on Wednesdays would be too simple for you then take a vow: Next six months, whoever it is, you will not yell at them. Thats a difficult one, huh? Thats a difficult one … But it will give you amazing, amazing power. Because … you all want to be indestructible, dont you? Well, if you want to be indestructible, why volunteer yourself, to become an easy target? So, you can become very brave and take that kind of vow also.

…

Ah, failure is good. Failure is good. You have to fail many times. Take a vow again. Take a vow again … To shape the human character a lot of things have to go wrong, you know. You shouldn’t be afraid [of failure].

via The Chronicles of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche.On discipline and depression:

OK. One last word. Now, I hate to use the word discipline. The trouble is this is the one thing that you dont want to hear, discipline … But even to make a cappuccino, you need a discipline … you need a discipline, of course. Skateboarding, all these things, they all need discipline. In our modern society, one of the biggest problems is depression, really really feeling down and depressed, and people turning to drugs and alcohol and all of that. If you really look into the root of the depression, it is because of lack of discipline.

Discipline is so important … And when I say discipline I’m talking about something so simple, huh? Im not talking about like getting up in the morning, 5 oclock … you know, like things like that … You make your own discipline, such as, I dont know … something like, “I will not go to Starbucks on Wednesdays.” Really, if you took that kind of vow, something as simple as this, in the future, the ratio of visits to your shrink will be definitely reduced. Even as simple as not going to Starbucks on Wednesday. I’m serious. I’m serious … If you can manage … if you do that one year, good! Very good. You have learned the art of controlling yourself. If you want to be brave you know, maybe you think, not going to Starbucks on Wednesdays would be too simple for you then take a vow: Next six months, whoever it is, you will not yell at them. Thats a difficult one, huh? Thats a difficult one … But it will give you amazing, amazing power. Because … you all want to be indestructible, dont you? Well, if you want to be indestructible, why volunteer yourself, to become an easy target? So, you can become very brave and take that kind of vow also.

…

Ah, failure is good. Failure is good. You have to fail many times. Take a vow again. Take a vow again … To shape the human character a lot of things have to go wrong, you know. You shouldn’t be afraid [of failure].

via The Chronicles of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche.