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Comment by phyzix5761 | Hacker News Reader

Anecdotal, but I know someone who suffered major depression and was hospitalized multiple times. Their medication wasn't working and neither was therapy.

They discovered mindfulness meditation and in combination with becoming a more moral person, limiting music, eliminating social media and unwholesome entertainment, and practicing small acts of charity multiple times per week they were able to overcome their depression. It's been almost 15 years since they've had any symptoms.

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That makes a lot of sense. May I ask, why "limiting music"? Was it just a specific type of music, or did music in general have a negative effect?

The way they've explained it is that we listen to music because we have a desire for sensual pleasure. And constantly giving in to desires, in general, creates a dependence where we're never satisfied with what we have. This dissatisfaction, when it becomes strong enough, leads to depression.

They practiced something called guarding their senses where they limited the amount of sensual pleasures they exposed themselves to and this calmed down their mind down to the point where even small things like the taste of ordinary food or having a conversation with a friend felt really satisfying.

Pali terms for anyone interested in the "source code" of the modern Mindfulness Movement that allows you to look up the original Pāli technical terms:

> guarding their senses

indriyasaṃvara

> calmed down their mind down

samādhi / samatha

In western/modern terms, dopamine fasting.

Music I like is a huge dissociative trigger for me. I definitely am 'better' the less I listen to it. Luckily, I'm not usually that fond of music of the type that plays in public areas.

I hung out with some (Vietnamese Zen) buddhist monks at their monastery for a bit, and it was really interesting how they really strive to limit sensory indulgences that take their awareness away from what's happening right here, right now.

They didn't just cut out the obviously mindless things like television and social media, but music, small talk, and even books were considered things to be consumed in moderation, because they were striving to spend as much time as possible each day really focused on the present moment.

Pali terms for anyone interested in the "source code" of the modern Mindfulness Movement that allows you to look up the original Pāli technical terms:

> becoming a more moral person

sīla

> mindfulness

sati

> acts of charity

caga / dana

> becoming a more moral person oh you mean like ISIS bringing back the caliphate?

I am referring to Buddhist ethics and this has nothing to do with Muslim Sharia law or the re-establishment of caliphates.

If you are genuinely interested in what I am referring to then you can search for pañcasīla (The Five Precepts) which form the foundation of Buddhist ethics/morality/virtue.

> pañcasīla (The Five Precepts) which form the foundation of Buddhist ethics/morality/virtue

Isn't it more accurate to call it an early commonality of Early Budhism than a foundation [1]?

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_precepts#History

"Just be a better person" is not real treatment advice lol.

The way they've explained it is that immorality is usually based on desire and aversion. And constantly giving in to these things creates a dependence where we're never satisfied with what we have. Having a structured moral code that allows for observing these mental qualities without giving in to them eventually leads to their reduction because we're breaking the habit pattern. Once your desires and aversions are reduced then you become more satisfied with what you have; ie eliminating depression in their case.

Pali terms for anyone interested in the "source code" of the modern Mindfulness Movement that allows you to look up the original Pāli technical terms:

> [unskilful] desire

taṇhā (The second Noble Truth)

> aversion

dosa

> we're never satisfied

dukkha (The first Noble Truth)

> moral code

sīla

You added the "just". Becoming a better person is probably the best thing you can shoot for, though obviously it's not a trivial process and requires significant effort and intention. I mean, what else can you do? You're the one that has to live with yourself.

Even if the whole world is going to shit, if you desire the happiness and wellbeing of others, as a deep internal orientation, this itself is its own form of happiness which is not subject to anything external. Since this thread already has Buddhist vibes, you don't have to take my word for it and can refer to metta (loving-kindness) as its own practice in addition to mindfulness.

The really interesting part is they are Muslim. They said that learning about Buddhism helped them understand the core of Islam and helped everything click into place.

I think learning about different cultures and religions can unlock perspectives which enhance whatever we're currently practicing.

The native Muslim tradition akin to what mindfulness meditation is doing would be Sufism. There are still Sufi traditions extant, but in many places they're being attacked by militant Islamic fundamentalists.

Actionable advice: be generous and notice how it feels. Then just be nice for the pleasant satisfaction it gives.

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