Who is Medicine Buddha?
The Medicine Buddha is a divinity who is credited with alleviating mental and physical suffering. His portrait is typically shown with lapis lazuli light beams originating from his crown. The Eight Medicine Buddha Design represents the ultimate source of healing.
He appears alongside seven other Medicine Buddhas in the Medicine Buddha thangka. Shakyamuni is considered one of the Buddhas.
He is generally believed to reside in the realms of Vaidryanirbhsa, or "Pure Lapis Lazuli," where he is ministered to by Suyaprabha and Candraprabha, two bodhisattvas who represent the sun and the moon.
Bhaishajyaguru Vaiduryaprabha is another name for Medicine Buddha. He is Vajrayana's Healing Master. He wears the monk's garb and sits cross-legged like the other Buddhas. In meditation mudra, his left hand rests in his lap. A begging bowl with therapeutic nectar and fruit can be found. He holds a stem of a myrobalan plant in his right hand, which is in giving mudra (Terminalia chebula).
Origin of Medicine Buddha
Looking back in time, the Bhaiajyaguruvaiuryaprabharaja Sutra, also known as the Medicine Buddha Sutra, bears the first mention of Bhaiajyaguru. Bamiyan, Afghanistan, and Gilgit, Pakistan, both of which were previously part of the Buddhist kingdom of Gandhara, have uncovered Sanskrit copies of this sutra dating from the 7th century.
Referring through the sutras the Medicine Buddha is claimed to have taken twelve vows as a bodhisattva in the distant past, out of his enormous compassion. These vows encompassed the responsibilities of awakening people's thoughts to bodhichitta, giving beings with the elements they needed to live, directing them to enlightenment and virtuous acts, and healing deformities and illness.
His 12 different vows denote his sacrifice and deeds towards the well-being of universe. He declared that his body will be bathed in brilliant light, illuminating many Universe. Those who live in darkness would be drawn into the light by his bright, clean form. He would provide the material requirements of sentient creatures. He would lead people who wandered from the beaten route to the Great path (Mahayana). He would make it possible for innumerable beings to follow the Precepts. He would cure bodily ailments so that all beings may be fully functional. He would provide healing to those who are sick and have no family, as well as a family to care for them. He would persuade ladies who are dissatisfied as women to change their gender. He would free people from the clutches of devils and the shackles of "external" groups. He would free people who are incarcerated and facing execution from their worries and pain. And finally, He would satisfy those who are hungry and thirsty, and he would provide good attire and pleasant surroundings to those who are destitute, without clothing, and tortured by cold, heat, and stinging insects.
The Buddha indicated in the sutra that Bhaiajyaguru will definitely have immense healing ability. For decades, devotion to Bhaiajyaguru on behalf of individuals who are sick has been especially prominent in Tibet, China, and Japan.
Why is Medicine Buddha Blue in color?
The rich blue of lapis lazuli is the most distinguishing aspect of this Medicine Buddha. This valuable stone has been highly valued by Asian and European cultures for about 6,000 years, and its decorative worth was on level with, if not exceeding, that of the diamond until recently. This gemstone has a mystique about it, maybe because its primary mines are in the distant Badakshan region of northeast Afghanistan, a nearly inaccessible location nestled behind the Hindu Kush. "The finest examples of lapis, vividly blue with speckled waves and swirls of sparkling gold-colored pyrite, like the night aglow with myriads of stars," according to one critic.
As per the traditional beliefs, this lovely stone is associated with purity and rarity. It may be polished to a high brightness because of its inherent smoothness, and it is thought to have a healing or strengthening effect on individuals who wear it. Lapis is the hue of the main Medicine Buddha for all of these reasons, as well as the fact that deep blue light has a proven therapeutic effect on individuals who employ it in visualisation activities.
Medicine Buddha Mantra and its Meaning
The Medicine Buddha Mantra invokes the Medicine Buddha to alleviate the anguish and pain of disease. The mantra is chanted numerous times with increasing fervor, requesting the Medicine Buddha to hear and alleviate the depths of suffering. It then praises the Medicine Buddha's enlightenment and expresses heartfelt reverence as the prayer is handed over to him. These are frequently repeated on behalf of sick people. Common is:
Namo-bhagavate bhaiśajyaguru vaidūrya-prabharājāya tathā-gatāya arhate samyaksam-buddhāya tadyathā, oṃ bhaiśajye-bhaiśajye-bhaiśajya-samudgate svā-hā.
Sanskrit Pronounciation:
Tad-ya-ta-Om Bhaishajye-Bhai-Sha-jye Maha Bhaishajye; Raja-Sa-mud-ga-te Sva-ha.
Tibetian Pronounciation:
Tad-ya-ta Om; Be-kandze-Bekandze-Maha Be;kadze Ra-dza Sa-mung-ga-te Sva-ha.
Edited and condensed from a talk during Medicine Buddha Puja
by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, 28 July 2001
“To the Bhagawan with equal compassion for all
Whose name when just heard dispels lower realms’ suffering
Dispeller of disease and the three poisons
I prostrate to Medicine Buddha Lapis Light.”
The benefit, the power of simply hearing the name, the mantra, is that no living person who hears it will ever be reincarnated in the lower worlds. Medicine Buddha's compassion is the reason there is so much strength. He prayed and committed innumerable times as a bodhisattva with deep compassion for his name to grant requests and offer happiness.
The power of prayer is one of the ten abilities bestowed upon a Buddha once he achieves enlightenment, implying that all of his requests are granted. As a result, practicing Medicine Buddha and chanting his name for the animals is incredibly vital in our daily lives. It's a really simple approach to free oneself while also assisting others. Medicine Buddha practice also cleanses any failed pledges or precepts, such as Pratimoksha vows. It has exceptional purifying and healing properties. Medicine Buddha is commonly associated with healing, but it is also effective at purifying negative karma and promoting prosperity. The Medicine Buddha practice is really valuable.
Medicine Buddha Puja appears to be suitable for every goal, difficulty, or issue. You may employ the Medicine Buddha practice to solve any situation, including court trials, ending conflicts, and preventing bloodshed. It's great for business, for expecting moms to give birth safely, for anything.
The chanting exercise can be used for a variety of purposes. It is really beneficial for success, and the most essential success is to achieve the realizations of the Lam Rim, the way to enlightenment: to understand emptiness, acquire wisdom, bodhicitta, and guru devotion – and to be able to serve many sentient beings.
How to Awaken Yourself with Medicine Buddha?
Many people in the Mahayana Buddhist tradition see Healing Buddha meditation as a therapeutic technique. This technique is something we can do for ourselves or for a sick friend or family member. His vows emphasized comprehensive treatment of the mind and body, promising to help erase pain, sickness, and impairments of all types, as well as promote good health and full thriving. In Tibetan medicine, illnesses are defined differently than in Western medicine, and meditation therapy is frequently based on plants. We don't practice Medicine Buddha meditation to replace conventional medical therapy; rather, we do it to complement it. The practice purifies and removes the karmic causes of illness while nurturing the factors that lead to overall health. It's possible that the power of our practice is so strong that we're seeing big changes in our symptoms as well. However, we must be clear about our intentions.
Medicine Buddha is about the mind as much as the body. Empirical research suggests that meditation activates a self-healing mechanism in our bodies. We reduce cortisol and adrenalin production and increase immune-boosting endorphins and seratonin production, protecting our bodies from invading germs, viruses, and other disturbance.
For thousands of years, Medicine Buddha's meditation has been practiced. We're off to a great start if we have faith in its ability to work for us. Medicine Buddha practice's profound influence might also be attributed to resonance. On one sense, we could be reclining inside a room meditating, but on another sense, we are resonating with the hundreds of thousands of individuals who followed same procedure already. We're gaining from their knowledge while also contributing to the knowledge of those who come after us.
We summon Medicine Buddha by using precise visuals and music to connect with the awareness of the many beings who have already gained enlightenment and decided to embody Medicine Buddha's attributes. Medicine Buddha is a Kriya tantra practice, so keep that in mind. As a result, if you wish to fully embody the valuable Medicine Buddha lineage, you must first learn about the sutra tradition and receive appropriate initiations and teachings from a qualified teacher.
To awaken and link yourself to practice the meditation of Medicine Buddha, you must follow these procedure:
- Find quite place to start your meditation. Spend sometimes with your thoughts and let it flow freely. In this sense, you can also think of healing Buddha and expect him to heal your inner and outer suffering.
- Feel the presence of Medicine Buddha. You may visualize Buddha looking and sitting next to you. With this mindset, you can sacrifice your curious thought to calm your mind and soul.
- Please the god and share your inner suffering. You can also chant the mantra of the Medicine Buddha. As you share your suffering, you will somehow feel light and expect that the god will cleanse your illness.
- Conclude the meditation by thanking the god. Ask him the favor and please him by visualizing his presence. You may also ask the question as if ‘will my suffering end? I am on your knees’.
Medicine Buddha Thangka
Medicine Buddha thangka is very popular to heal our Mind & Body. In the Kathmandu Valley, expert painters hand paint this magnificent and one-of-a-kind Tibetan thangka. This artwork, a real masterpiece, is the ideal complement to your house, meditation place, or shrine space.
The thangka is unframed and ready to be framed in any Western manner. It has an intricate depiction of the Eight Medicine Buddha. Each thangka depicting the Buddha of Medicine is said to have the ability to heal simply by being there. We handpick these Thangkas to present you some of the most ideal versions of this subject, painted with competence and talent. The complete hand craft is painted on cotton canvas with natural mineral and vegetable paints and 24K gold embellishments.