leonardcohenforum.com

What, does anybody know, caused Leonard to go into the Zen Monastery?

he went there to fight depression.

Please excuse my laziness in not searching for myself.

Then, how did he process this experience at the monestary?

Did he write about it as a "victory over depression", or sing of "it" that way?

Did he come to know what depression was as in some form of knowledge that could help others?

Is Cohen out of the monestary now?

You are not excused.
You only compounded your crimes in asking.

Heretic,

There was nothing to excuse.

ask and ye shall recieve, Heretic
is it your time to come out into the cold again?
looking for other souls to latch onto and ridicule?
must be lonely in the lake of fire
repent and believith................
Georges

he was depressed most of his life, and tried a lot of 'cures'. monastery was one of them. he learned some, but he thinks that it didn't help him much in fighting depression.

he claims that he is no longer depressed. he says he thinks it's because he's old, and old people are uncapable to be depressed (ha something to do with brain)...

ho wrote some poetry there - look for it in Files.

Woodsman, you might find the video about Leonard on Mt. Baldy interesting. Also in many of his interviews, when Ten New Songs came out, he talks about Mt. Baldy. Roshi, and Leonard were close friends and Roshi was ninety and Leonard was almost sixty at the time he joined the monastery. Which makes me ask the question is Roshi still living?
I also read or got the impression Leonard took care of Roshi, somewhat. Leonard states in one of his articles that his life before was chaotic and this was one of the most important reasons why he stepped into Roshi's system, just to get some form and structure in his life. In the Article Leonard Cohen Gave me 200 Franc by Martin Oestergaard, Leonard talks quite a lot about Mt Baldy and it is interesting to read.

Thank you Linda, jurica, and George. This is definitely something worth looking in to. I think that music itself has curative powers, especially about the mind and emotions. So I'll look up the mount baldy stuff.


I know age and fewer attachments to wants lessen depression's hold , getting one's way has a deepening infuence on depression. One can see depression as transient if having learned the proper methods of awareness to loosen the hold.

I'm about to nod off to sleep here, worked all night. Cereal and to bed for me. Peace

Woodsman, music can calm a savage beast and also incite road rage. The state of the mind is the all important factor....................
Georges

Very true George, I do recognize the wonderful dynamics of music. I was just looking for an easy answer before going back to bed. And now, I'm going to bed again, and have no thoughts at all. With the music of waves lapping the shore , just rest.

firstly hello to all...
i think cohen lives very deeply.. he does not live like a layman.. i am sure that he asks hundreds of complex questions everyday and tries to find answers to them.. this is not so easy.. then, he feel depressed when he is not clear in mind.. this is my point of view..

Roshi is still well... At least was when we last heard of him. I think he's now really old! (By the way, isn't Irving Layton also almost 100 years old?!!)
Leonard claimed that brain cells dies when you grow old, that he read about it somewhere, but I asked some people studying medicine: they said it is not rue, just common prejudice. Anyway, i think what happened to LC when his depression went, was some kind of old man's wisdom and experience.