Mental Disturbances and Violent Rage
A student wrote to Rinpoche about a mental illness that had started about three years ago with imagined violent attacks, where she felt that her skin was being ripped off or her head chopped off. After that she developed emotional instability which led to episodes of intense, violent rage that caused great suffering for her and her husband. She saw psychologists and psychiatrists, and took medication for about a year, without success. Rinpoche sent the following advice.
My very dear one,
Thank you very much for your kind email. I am very sorry for the many eons of delay. I checked and you should listen to my chanting of the Sutra for Entering the Great City of Vaishali. [Find links to the audio recording of Lama Zopa Rinpoche reciting this sutra as well as other prayers and mantras, in Recitations for Alleviating Pain, in the FPMT Catalogue.] These recitations heal pain and release from spirit possession and harm.
Listen to the recording of the chanting eight times each day—in the car, the office and at home. It doesn't matter where you listen to it and it doesn't have to be in the same place.
Reciting Vajrayogini mantra comes out extremely good. You can request the lung from Geshe-la, or I can do it over the phone. Recite five malas with meditation. If you have not received the initiation for Vajrayogini yet, visualize the deity in front of you.
When reciting the first two malas of the mantra, visualize red light entering your body and mind and instantly purifying all your sickness, spirit harm, negative karma and defilements collected during beginningless rebirths. For the next two malas of the mantra, visualize receiving all of Vajrayogini's qualities, particularly omniscience, compassion and perfect power. Then think that your life is completely under the guidance and protection of Vajrayogini; that you are totally taken care of by Vajrayogini.
If possible, recite one mala of Lion-face Dakini. If you have not received the initiation, just visualize the deity in front of you and do not arise as the deity.
It came out very good if Geshe-la can recite a prayer from the large text Zungdu [Collection of Dharanis] a minimum of thirty times.
With much love and prayers...