Acute Mental Illness

Acute Mental Illness

PTSD, Anger and Flashbacks
Date of Advice:
July 2018
Date Posted:
April 2020

Rinpoche gave this advice to a student with PTSD who was experiencing strong anger and rage, as well as having flashbacks to the past and feeling startled by noise.

My most dear, most kind, most precious, wish-fulfilling one,
Thank you very much for your kind email. I am so sorry for the long delay in replying. I was very happy to hear from you.

I checked and maybe one thing you can do is some sort of light retreat, some meditation, and especially, read the Diamond Cutter Sutra. If you can, recite it seven thousand times in your life. Don’t worry about not finishing it—just do it slowly, slowly, and sometimes you can do more, when you have more time.

It’s most important to do this with bodhicitta, with the thought to benefit every single hell being, every single hungry ghost, every single animal, every single fish in the ocean, those small in size and those giant as a whale, every single fly, including those in the grass that run away when you walk there, and every single mosquito—to free all the beings in numberless universes in samsara from the oceans of samsaric suffering and for them to achieve enlightenment.

For that you need to achieve enlightenment and for that you need to realize emptiness, to directly realize emptiness. Therefore you need to practice the three higher trainings in order to cease all the delusions and karma, so in this way you can become free from samsara, from the oceans of samsaric sufferings, including the causes, forever.

No matter how difficult it is, try to do this. It is extremely worthwhile to try, even if you die when reading this sutra, it is this best. So far we have died numberless times in samsara while creating negative karma and being reborn in the lower realms.

If you can do Lama Chöpa Jorchö, that is very good, or if not then do Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga and also you must do lamrim prayers.

I’m very happy you have informed me of your situation, because in the past, due to karma we have met, so we met again this lifetime.

Thank you very much. Thank you so much.

With much love and prayers ...

Teenager with Mental Health Problems
Date of Advice:
October 2017
Date Posted:
August 2019

Relatives of a teenager with serious mental health issues wrote to Rinpoche for advice. The girl had suicidal thoughts, strange posturing and was very thin as she ate almost nothing. She had ceased school and other activities and had asked to go to hospital for psychiatric care.

My most dear, most kind, most precious wish-fulfilling ones,
I am sorry it took time to reply. I checked regarding your sixteen-year old relative who is not eating. She needs one puja called lü dang sadag gi don drol (Liberating from the harm of the naga and landlord). This should be done by Geshe-la.

The Vajra Cutter Sutra needs to be recited four times. Of course, think of her but you don’t have to think only of her; think of all the sentient beings and in particular all those who need the Vajra Cutter Sutra. But think mainly of your relative: for her to be free from inner and outer obstacles and to actualize bodhicitta, for her life to become most beneficial for sentient beings and for her to be free from samsara and achieve enlightenment as quickly as possible.

I am also making prayers for her.

With much love and prayers ...

[2018 update: It was reported that after the pujas were done, the girl recovered completely and was able to leave the psychiatric facility.]

Daughter with Anorexia
Date of Advice:
June 2016
Date Posted:
July 2019

This advice was given to a mother whose daughter was very sick with anorexia and was suffering. She was also not listening to her mother and refused to talk to her.

My most dear, most precious, most kind, wish-fulfilling one,

How are you? I hope things are gradually getting better.

If you can, practice Medicine Buddha, reciting the seven Medicine Buddhas’ names seven times. This is the most important way to be free from the oceans of samsara soon and to achieve buddhahood, the peerless happiness, the total cessation of all the obscurations and completion of all the realizations, and to free the numberless sentient beings from the oceans of samsaric sufferings as quickly as possible and bring them to peerless happiness, buddhahood, by yourself alone. So that includes your family; then pray for your daughter and your husband to have a most meaningful life and to able to heal their problems.

Use the short Medicine Buddha practice I translated a long time ago. If you can read that, it would be unbelievable, unbelievable, so useful for success as I have mentioned above.

With much love and prayers ...

Mantra for Mental Health
Date of Advice:
April 2018
Date Posted:
April 2019

A student had experienced mental health issues and had spent time in a psychiatric hospital receiving treatment. The student asked Rinpoche for advice on what practices would help.

My most dear, most kind, most precious, wish-fulfilling one,

I checked and if you can, recite Vajra Armor mantra—whatever you can or wish. This comes out very beneficial for you. I am also making prayers.

With much love and prayers ...

Psychotic Episode
Date of Advice:
May 2016
Date Posted:
January 2019

A student with a mental health condition had just experienced a brief psychotic episode, the first in more than four years. The student was taking medicine prescribed by Western doctors and asked Rinpoche for practice advice.

My most dear, most kind, most precious wish-fulfilling one,
Thank you for your service.

Regarding what you wrote, please recite OM VAJRAPANI HAYAGRIVA GARUDA HUM PHAT and OM MANI PADME HUM. Totally rely on Chenrezig and totally rely on Vajrapani Hayagriva Garuda. I am sending you a picture of Vajrapani Hayagriva Garuda so you can see what he looks like.

This is one method, to take full refuge with them and totally reply on them.

The other method is tonglen [taking and giving]. Please read my advice about this practice, just to give you an idea how to use tonglen. Also generate bodhicitta and you can do emptiness [meditation]. If you can, meditate on emptiness and bodhicitta.

With much love and prayers ...

Hearing Voices
Date of Advice:
January 2017
Date Posted:
March 2018

A student wrote that she was hearing voices and felt very scared.

My most dear, most kind, most precious, wish-fulfilling one,
I am very sorry for the discomfort and all that. This is not only you; there are many people like this. I know different people who hear voices. Some may hear voices a little and some have more pain.

Even today, just before I saw your photo, my lunch was made by a student who also hears voices, but it is less now. I gave her a mantra and prayers to recite, but she still hears the voices. I meet different people who have this happen, but for you, it seems to be causing much more pain and difficulties.

I can see you are very, very sincere. Don't worry, I can see you are very sincere, as you said.

  • You need to wear a protection amulet, which we are making for you. It is the White Umbrella protection and Most Secret Hayagriva protection.
  • Most Secret Hayagriva wrathful fire puja needs to be done. This is a very complicated puja and takes seven days.
  • I will do a puja for you, called Heruka Body Mandala incense puja.
  • The Eliminating Obstacles prayer has to be done three times. I will recite this for you.

This is my advice at this time.

With much love and prayers ...

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