A Buddhist Mantra That Cures Depression

Today, I’ll teach you an extraordinary mantra. This mantra, with its powerful blessings, could really benefit patients of depression. Here, my pith instruction to cure depression is reciting mantra. Though I’m not a doctor, I’m almost a psychologist. Saying this is not being arrogant or self-praising. I’ve indeed cured many patients of depression, so I’m not cheating or blowing my own horn.

I myself have been chanting this mantra since early in my life. When I went elsewhere to give teachings in 1986, the year after I became ordained, at a monastery on the way I met a Khenpo named Da Se who came from India. He gave me a manual of prayers. I didn’t always take the whole manual with me but I took one page, in which there was a prayer that became one of those I often recite till today. If you don’t believe in Buddhism, maybe you won’t accept it; but as a Buddhist, one will appreciate its benefit. Actually, this page of prayer has been with me for more than 20 years. Wherever I go, I always take it with me.

As I mentioned before, when I was young, I was not so steady. Initially, I wanted to be a doctor, then I changed my dream to become a teacher. My dreams changed as circumstances changed. I later encountered the practice of Acala (who is said to be an emanation of Buddha Akshobhya), who was mentioned in that manual. Acala has the power to eliminate mental instability and sufferings. Later in my life, I became more stable, and whatever I did, I could carry things through to the end. I owe it to the blessing of Acala. Whether you believe it or not, the mantra does carry great power and strong blessings.

This mantra contains only ten syllables. It will be great if one can chant it from 10,000 to 100,000 times. Previously I did not teach it to a lot of people, except to those who asked for help with their severe depression. I asked them to chant this mantra for more than 10,000 times, and a lot of them were cured in this way. Indeed, reciting this mantra won’t bring any side effects, and it also works for non-Buddhists. Just like medicines can cure diseases, a powerful mantra can bring forth benefit to whomever recites it irrespective of their faith. It has supreme power and anyone can practice it.

Today, I observed that there are many special causes and conditions, so I decided to teach you this mantra. You can write it down in case people around you need it in the future, and you can advise them to chant it. The mantra is:

oṃ caṇḍamahāroṣaṇa hūṃ phaṭ

The great Tibetan master Ju Mipham Rinpoche insists that reciting this mantra even for one time can surmount the damage made by nagas and yakshas in the Jambudvipa. It also can dispel the suffering of plagues and purify the five crimes with immediate retribution. Furthermore, every aspect of the four activities—pacifying, increasing, magnetizing and subjugating—can be achieved smoothly and successfully by relying on this mantra. Moreover, all demonic forces will be swiftly pacified and all the obstacles will be overcome. So, whether you believe in Buddhism or not, or whether you suffer from depression, I believe chanting this mantra is of huge importance.