Bhaishajye
Guru Buddha |
Medicine
Buddha is a fully enlightened being. To understand who
he is, what his nature is, what his function is, and
so on, we first need to understand what an enlightened
being is. Generally, 'being' means any being who
experiences feelings – pleasant, unpleasant, or
neutral. Thus we are beings, and animals are beings;
but houses and plants are not beings because they
do not experience any feelings. There are two
types of being: sentient beings and enlightened beings.
A sentient being, or living being, is a being whose
mind is afflicted by the darkness of ignorance. An enlightened
being is a being who is completely free from the darkness
of ignorance.
Just
as sentient beings have many different aspects, so do
enlightened beings. Enlightened beings emanate countless
different forms for the benefit of living beings.
Sometimes they appear as Deities, sometimes as humans,
sometimes as non-humans.
Sometimes
they appear as Buddhist Teachers, sometimes non-Buddhist
Teachers, sometimes as crazy people or evil people,
and sometimes even as inanimate objects. Emanations
of enlightened beings pervade the whole world, but because
our mind is covered by ignorance we do not recognize
them. We cannot say who or what is an emanation of a
Buddha.
Medicine
Buddha is an enlightened being who has unbiased compassion
for all living beings. He protects living beings from
physical and mental sickness and other dangers and obstacles,
and helps them to eradicate the three poisons – attachment,
hatred, and ignorance – which are the source of all
sickness and danger. He is a Buddha Doctor.
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At
one time Buddha Shakyamuni was staying at a place called Vaishali
with thirty-six thousand Bodhisattva disciples. At that time,
Manjushri was appearing as a Bodhisattva disciple. Through
his compassion, Manjushri realized that in the future the
Buddhadharma would degenerate, and the beings of this world
would find it very difficult to practise pure Dharma and gain
pure realizations. He understood that it would be very difficult
for those beings to control their minds, and so they would
naturally engage in negative actions such as killing, stealing,
and holding wrong views. As a result they would experience
horrific illnesses and unbearable mental pain. The world would
be full of problems, dangers, and adversity.
Finding
the thought of all this suffering impossible to bear, Manjushri
asked Buddha: In the future when your Dharma and general spiritual
practice are in decline, when the human beings in this world
are spiritually impoverished, when their attachment, anger,
and ignorance are so strong and difficult to control that
they experience continual physical suffering, mental pain,
fears, and dangers, and especially many incurable diseases,
who will release them from this suffering and protect them
from danger? Who will help them to overcome the three mental
poisons?
In
response to Bodhisattva Manjushri's question, Buddha expounded
the Sutra of Eight Thousand Verses Principally Revealing the
Instructions on Medicine Buddha. Many beings heard this teaching.
In addition to the thirty-six thousand human Bodhisattva disciples,
millions of other Bodhisattva disciples came from many Pure
Lands, together with beings from other realms such as nagas
and givers-of-harm, or yakshas. To this vast assembly of disciples
Buddha explained all about Medicine Buddha - his special qualities,
his Pure Land, and how in the future by relying upon this
Buddha and just hearing his name, living beings could be cured
of heavy mental and physical sickness, especially the sickness
of delusions. He also explained how to make a connection with
this Buddha, the benefits of relying upon him, and how to
practise the Medicine Buddha instructions.
While
Buddha was giving this teaching, Manjushri realized with his
clairvoyance of knowing others' minds that some of the humans
and gods in the audience were developing doubts, finding it
difficult to believe the Buddha's explanation about the existence
of Medicine Buddha. Therefore, again he rose from his seat,
respectfully circumambulated Buddha three times, made three
prostrations, and then with his left knee on the ground according
to tradition, requested Buddha: To remove doubts from
the minds of disciples, please show clearly how this
Buddha exists, where he exists, and what his good qualities
are.
Buddha
immediately entered into an absorption of concentration, and
from his heart emanated light rays inviting the seven Medicine
Buddhas to Vaishali so that everyone could see them. Medicine
Buddha came with his two main disciples, Radiance of the Sun
and Radiance of the Moon, as well as a vast retinue of thousands
of other disciples. The other six Medicine Buddhas also came
with their retinues. Everyone could see the seven Medicine
Buddhas with their retinues directly, and their doubts were
immediately dispelled. Buddha introduced each of the Buddhas,
saying for example "This Buddha is Medicine Buddha. He comes
from the eastern Pure Land called Lapis Jewel Land. This Buddha
Land is the nature of wisdom with the aspect of lapis lazuli.
The entire ground of that Pure Land is illuminated by this
Buddha's light," and so on.
Buddha
then gave instructions on how to recite the mantra for oneself
and for others, for sick and dying people, and so forth, and
how to perform many different healing rituals. Everyone rejoiced
and developed deep, unchangeable faith. It is said that through
hearing these instructions seven million non-human givers
of harm gained a direct realization of ultimate truth and
promised to help future followers who sincerely relied upon
the practice of Medicine Buddha. Twelve chief givers-of-harm
who were present later attained enlightenment, and are included
within the fifty-one Deities of Medicine Buddha’s mandala.
The practice of Medicine Buddha is a very powerful method
for healing ourself and others, and for overcoming the inner
sickness of attachment, hatred, and ignorance. If we rely
upon Medicine Buddha with pure faith we shall definitely receive
the blessings of these attainments.
The Grand Medicine
Buddha & Green Tara Puja - Photo Journal
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