This is not black and white, because the challenges in overcoming depression are often going to depend on what techniques people are using to overcome the depression. And it also depends on what kind of help they are receiving, who is helping this person overcome depression? A person trying to overcome serious depression on their own, using books and such, they have a huge problem there, they are probably not going to make it. But a person trying to overcome serious depression with some of the techniques we have, with people supporting them, providing around the clock care, guiding them, trying to direct their thoughts in a certain way, it is not going to be as big a challenge, it is easier.
Think of climbing a mountain, think of climbing Mount Everest. Think of trying to do it on your own, without food, without supplies, what a challenge! Okay, but the minute you have food, the minute you have supplies, the minute you have a guide and you are trained, then you can try to climb that mountain, without so much difficulty, compared with not having any of that support. In the same way, someone who is trying to overcome serious depression, the challenge that they face depends on how much help they have got. The more help they have, hopefully the easier it would be.
Now, even with tons of help, even with all the right techniques, even with the best people helping them, it also depends on their Kamma, whether they are really going to overcome it or not. The Buddha could not help everyone. So keep that in mind, if you happen to be helping someone try to overcome serious depression, all the help in the world may not work because of their Kamma.
The second question: In what ways does Western societies contribute to the causes of depression? In the West at the check out aisle at the supermarket, what do you usually see? You usually pass magazines, which show faces of movie stars, or politicians, famous people, etc., etc. This often causes depression. This glamorization of rich people, movie stars, and such tells the average person, "You ain't got it, you are hopeless. You are not anywhere near as beautiful as this person, you are not anywhere near as smart, you are not anywhere near as rich, oh you are a dummy, you are a jerk." Okay. That is part of the cause for depression for a lot of people in the west, they are never good enough.
The school systems are not always working as well as they could. And some people are absolutely terrible teachers. I had a teacher who gave little gold stars to anyone who was nice. So one kid brought the teacher an apple, that was at about 5th grade, they would get a gold star. That is called bribery in my books, that is not very nice, that is bribery. I was a little rowdy as an 11 year old, I didn't get any gold stars. Now, if I had taken it personally, I could have been very depressed, and maybe some of the other kids did get depressed. I didn't take it personally. I had an attitude that was a little different. Me and the other kids that were disciplined during the class during that year, we didn't take it personally because we knew that that teacher had a big problem. The very next year that teacher was no longer teaching at that school.
The principal was surprised once when I was sent to the office one time. She said, "Steven, what are you doing here, you are not that type of kid?" I said, "It is the teacher." Initially it took a while, but she investigated more and the teacher was not allowed back in the school the next year. So yes, the way some teachers teach can actually cause depression in some students.
Even Buddhist teachers. We have been in front of some Buddhist teachers who have been lousy, whose way of teaching created such high ideals that it was creating depression in some of the students, in some of our friends. They were so depressed, it was incredible. The teachers couldn't help them and they just made it worse by the method that they would teach. So the way that teachers, also parents, deal with their kids, deal with children at school, these are other causes of depression in some people. The media, magazines, television shows, movies, these are all things that can cause depression in some people -- not just in Western societies, but all over the world. And I think that all of you can imagine other causes as well from the little I have said here.