General Spiritual Director
Kadampa International Retreat Centres – Places of Deep Insight
Jan 17, 2025
THE MIND CAN NEVER BE BROKEN
A modern Buddhist approach to Mental Health
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), depression has become one of the most prevalent mental health problems of the 21st century, and number one cause of disability. There are now more people dying by suicide than by homicide.
Now WHO is showing an interest in using Dharma to solve these problems.
Kadam Olivier, Dr. Déborah Ducasse and Gen Jikyob with Isabelle Wachsmuth, Art Impact For Health Initiative/Incubator, WHO
Kadam Olivier Terreault, the Resident Teacher at KMC Vajrassattva (Montpellier), and Dr. Déborah Ducasse, a Foundation Program student and head of the Therapy Center for Mood and Emotional Disorder of the University Hospital Center of Montpellier, recently gave a presentation in front of 250 members of the United Nations that was broadcast to around 200,000 others as part of an exhibition organized by World Health Organization at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.
They explained how the explanations in Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso’s book How to Understand the Mind can be used to develop medical meditation protocols to patients diagnosed with mood and emotion disorders, such a bipolar, depression and borderline personality disorder.
Kadam Olivier Terreault
"Our mind can never be broken by the experience of pain. So we are all resilient.
"There is nothing more empowering than the experience of caring for the well-being of others. So we are all compassionate.
"Our mind creates all our experiences. So we are all creative."
Dr. Déborah Ducasse
"In the Journal of affective disorders, Prof. Van Gordon from the University of Derby and our team reached the conclusion that:
'One should realize that if the understanding of Self-concept is impaired, all the interventions implemented to decrease the Self’s suffering will be subsequently impaired.'”
Video Excerpt
Excerpt from an original United Nations video. All images courtesy of the UN.
