The Medicine Buddha / Bekandzeh
With the aid of this web site, a practitioner can engage in the Medicine Buddha Sadhana with or without
visualization.
As attested by many, the Medicine Buddha practice not only achieves benefit for ourselves but also for
cultivating the potential to benefit other sentient beings. Another benefit is that we can actually bless the
environment and all the beings in that environment. The practice is best done skillfully, purely, and sincerely. The orientation of this web site is Tibetan in nature.
"Although all the Buddhas have the same nature, each has a particular power. When we recite the mantra,
rays of light emanate from the heart of the Buddha, like a hundred rising suns, curing all the diseases and
obscurations of the beings and even their causes. By the power of this practice may all suffering and problems
of the beings be removed by the power of the Medicine Buddha." --Dudjom Rinpoche
Medicine Buddha consciousness is one aspect of the awakened mind. As the mind and soul evolve, they
connect with larger and larger fields of energy, that may be used to enhance spiritual growth.
Receiving Empowerment to do the practice is beneficial; however, since it is a sutra, it is not required.
Nonetheless, one should seek Empowerment from a qualified Lama. In the words of Thrangu Rinpoche, "With
regard to the empowerment, you should understand that the Medicine Buddha practice is not solely a
vajrayana practice.... this practice of the Medicine Buddha is a combination of what the Buddha taught about
the Medicine Buddha in the sutras of the Medicine Buddha and in various tantras. Because it is connected
with vajrayana, it is most appropriate to receive the empowerment to enhance the practice; but because it is
also connected with the sutras, it is acceptable to do the practice without the empowerment as well."
Visualization
About four inches above the crown of my head is a lotus flower. In the center of the lotus is a white moon disk and seated on the moon disk is my root guru--the dharmakaya essence of all the buddhas--in the form of the Medicine Buddha. My root guru is blue in color and his body radiates blue light.
The right hand, in the mudra of granting sublime realizations, rests on the right knee and holds the steam of the arura plant between thumb and first finger. The left hand is in the mudra of concentration and holds a lapis lazuli bowl filled with nectar. Seated in the full vajra position and is wearing the three red-colored robes of a monk, my root guru has all the signs and qualities of a buddha.</i>
Refuge & Bodhichitta
[Repeat three times--]
I go for refuge until I am enlightened.
To the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Supreme Assembly,
By my practice of giving and other perfections,
May I become a buddha to benefit all sentient beings.
The Four Immeasurable Thoughts
May all sentient beings have happiness and the causes of happiness.
May all sentient beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.
May all sentient beings never be separated from the happiness that is without suffering.
May all sentient beings abide in equanimity, free from both attachment and hatred, holding some close and others distant.</i>
Cultivating Special Bodhichitta
Especially for the benefit of all sentient beings, I will quickly, very quickly, attain the precious state of perfect and complete buddhahood. for this reason, I will practice the yoga method of Guru Medicine Buddha.
Seven-Limb Prayer
I prostate to Guru Medicine Buddha.
Each and every offering, including those actually performed and those mentally transformed, I present to you.
I confess all non-virtuous actions accumulated since beginningless time.
I rejoice in the virtues of both ordinary and noble beings.
As our guide, I request you, Oh Buddha, to please abide well and turn the wheel of Dharma until samsara ends.
All virtues, both my own and those of others, I dedicate to the ripening of the two bodhichittas and the attainment of buddhahood for the sake of all sentient beings.
Mandala Offering (Optional)
Brief mandala This ground, anointed with perfume, strewn with flowers, adorned with Mount Meru, four continents, the sun and the moon. I imagine this as a buddha-field and offer it. May all living beings enjoy this pure land!</i>
Inner mandala The objects of my attachment, aversion and ignorance--friends, enemies and strangers--and my body, wealth and enjoyments, without any sens of loss, I offer this collection. Please accept it with pleasure and bless me with freedom from the three poisons.
IDAM GURU RATNA MANDALAKAM NIRYATAYAMI
Prayers of Request to Bhagavan Medicine Guru
I beseech you, Bhagavan Medicine Guru--whose sky-colored sacred body of lapis lazuli signifies omniscient wisdom and compassion as vast as limitless space--please grant me your blessings.
I beseech you, compassionate Medicine Guru--who holds in your right hand the king of medicines symbolizing your vow to help all pitiful sentient beings plagues by the 424 diseases--please grant me your blessings.
I beseech you, compassionate Medicine Guru--who holds in your left hand a bowl of nectar symbolizing your vow to give the glorious undying nectar of the Dharma that eliminates the degeneration of sickness, old age and death--please grant me your blessings.
See continuation below.
Sadhana
NOTE: Visualization is in the order presented below. Requests to each Medicine Buddha consciousness is done in reverse order.
My Guru
Above the crown of Guru Medicine Buddha is a wish-granting jewel, which is in essence my guru.
Request to my Guru (repeat seven (7) times): To you, Buddha Medicine Guru, King/Queen of Lapis Lazuli Light, fully realized destroyer of all defilements, fully accomplished buddha who has fully realizaed the absolute truth of all phenomena, I prostrate, go for refuge, and make offerings. May your voew to benefit sentient beings now ripen for myself and others.
Buddha Delightful King of Clear Knowing (Ngon khyen gydl po)
Above that is the Buddha Delightful King of Clear Knowing, whose body is coral red in color, the right hand in the mudra of bestowing sublime realizations and the left hand is in the mudra of concentration.
Request to the Buddha Delightful King of Clear Knowing ( repeat seven (7) times): To you, Buddha Delightful King of Clear Knowing, Supreme Wisdom of an Ocean of Dharma, fully realized destroyer of all defilements, fully accomplished buddha who has fully realized the absolute truth of all phenomena, I prostrate, go for refuge, and make offerings. May your vow to benefit sentient beings now ripen for myself and others.
Buddha Melodious Ocean of Proclaimed Dharma (<i>Chho drag gya tsoi yang)
Above that is the Buddha Melodious Ocean of Proclaimed Dharma with a dark pink-colored body, the right hand in the mudra of bestowing sublime realizations and the left hand in the mudra of concentration.
Request to the Buddha Melodious Ocean of Proclaimed Dharma (repeat seven (7) times):
To you, Buddha Melodious Ocean of Proclaimed Dharma, fully realized destroyer of all defilements, fully accomplished buddha who has fully realized the absolute truth of all phenomena, I prostrate, go for refuge, and make offerings. May your vow to benefit sentient beings now ripen for myself and others.
Buddha Supreme Glory Free from Sorrow (<i>Nya ngan me chhog)
Above that is the Buddha Supreme Glory Free from Sorrow, light pink in color with both hands in the mudra of concentration.
Request to the Buddha Supreme Glory Free from Sorrow (repeat seven (7) times):
To you, Buddha Supreme Glory Free from Sorrow, fully realized destroyer of all defilements, fully accomplished buddha who has fully realized the absolute truth of all phenomena, I prostrate, go for refuge, and make offerings. May your vow to benefit all sentient beings now ripen for myself and others.
Buddha Stainless Excellent Gold (<i>Ser zang dri me)
Above that is the Buddha Stainless Excellent Gold, gold in color, the right hand in the mudra of expounding the Dharma and the left hand in the mudra of concentration.
Request to the Buddha Stainless Excellent Gold ( repeat seven (7) times):
To you, Buddha Stainless Excellent gold, Great Jewel Who Accomplishes All Vows, fully realized destroyer of all defilements, fully accomplished buddha who has fully realized the absolute truth of all phenomena, I prostrate, go for refuge, and make offerings. May your vow to benefit all sentient beings now ripen for myself and others.
continuation
Buddha King of Melodious Sound, Brilliant Radiance of Skill (Rin chhen da wa dang pa ma rab tu gyan pa kha pa zi ji dra yang kyi gyal po).
Above that is the Buddha King/Queen of Melodious Sound, Brilliant Radiance of Skill, Adorned with Jewels, Moon, and Lotus, yellow in color with the right hand in the mudra of expounding the Dharma and the left hand in the mudra of concentration.
Request to the Buddha King/Queen of Melodious Sound, Brilliant Radiance Skill....:
To you, buddha King/Queen of Melodious Sound, Brilliant Radiance of Skill, Adorned with Jewels, Moon, and Lotus, fully realized destroyer of all defilements, fully accomplished buddha who has fully realized the absolute ruth of all phenomena, I prostrate, go for refuge, and make offerings. May your vow to benefit all sentient beings now ripen for myself and others.
Buddha Renowned Glorious King/Queen of Excellent Signs (Tshan leg yong drag)
Above that is the Buddha Renowned Glorious King/Queen of Excellent Signs, gold in color with the right hand in the mudra of expounding the Dharma and the left hand in the mudra of concentration.
Request to the Buddha Renowned Glorious King/Queen of Excellent Signs</u>:To you, Buddha Renowned Glorious King/Queen of Excellent Signs, fully realized destroyer of all defilements, fully accomplished buddha having thoroughly realized the absolute truth of all phenomena, I prostrate, go for refuge, and make offeriings. May your vow to benefit all sentient beings now ripen for myself and others.
As you visualize from the heart and sacred body of the the Guru Medicine Buddha
that your request has been granted,
visualize infinite rays of white light pour down completely, filling your body from head to two.
The white light purify all your diseases and afflictions
due to spirits and their causes, all your negative karma nad mental obscurations. In the nature of light, your body becomes as clean and clear as crystal.
The light rays pour down twice more, each time filling your body with blissful, clean,
clear light which you absorb. You are thereby transformed
into the sacred body of Guru Medicine Buddha.
Tips on how to practice
The Medicine Buddha practice can be done daily, adding it to the practitioner's other practice(s).
If it cannot be done daily, it is recommended that it be done on auspicious days, especially on the first day of the quarter moon.
This day is known as the Medicine Buddha Day.
To help you chart this day, the following link is provided for your convenience.
http://www.briancasey.org/artifacts/astro/moon.cgi
The eight and 23rd days of the lunar month are considered auspicious for health and healing ( i.e., the first and last quarter-moon
days).
The eigtht day, Medicine Buddha Day, occurs in the masculine half of the month. The 23rd day occurs in the feminine half of the
month. (This day is especially appropriate for Tara practice. Tara is the female Buddha aspect connected to health, long life, and
healing in general.) Both days are also auspicious for meditation on Amitayus who also grants good health and long life.
Should you do the practice every day, you might use the long sadhana practice or practice for a longer period of time on these
auspicious days.
How best to visualize
- ~~ Mindfulness technique
- ~~Instant presence
- ~~Full awareness
- ~~One-pointed conentration/meditation
- ~~all visuals as light waves (not gross particles)
- ~~all visuals as a hologram
- ~~all visuals as clean, clear-like crystal (not solid in anyway)
May all sentient beings benefit.
ABOUT THE MUDRA, MANTRAS, NAMES AND OTHER
The Tibetan name for the Medicine Buddha is Sangye Menla.
In Chinese, it is Yaoshi-fo. In Japanese, it is Yakushi. In Sanskrit it is Bhaisaiyaguru or Bekandzeh (Tibetan derivative).Even to
pronounce the name is considered beneficial due to its positive impression on one's mind.
ABOUT THE MUDRA
"His left hand rests in his lap, palm upward, in the gesture of meditative stability or meditation, which represents
the eradication of sickness and suffering— and, indeed, the very roots of samsara— through the realization of
absolute truth. From the point of view of either relative truth or absolute truth, the fundamental cause of sickness and
suffering is a lack of contentment and the addictive quality of samsara. Therefore, to indicate the need for contentment, in his
left hand he holds a begging bowl."--Thrangu Rinpoche
ABOUT THE MANTRA
To eliminate not only pain of diseases but also help in overcoming the major inner sickness of attachment, hatred, jealousy,
desire, greed and ignorance, the he Sanskrit mantra of Medicine Buddha is--
- Tayata, Om, Bhaishaye Bhaishaye Maha-Bhaishaye Raja Samudgate, Svaha.
Pronounced the Tibetan way, it is
- Tayata, Om, bekandzeh, bekandzeh maha-bekandzeh, radza samungateh. Soha.
This mantra could also helped to eliminates even the subtle imprints left in our consciousness by disturbing thoughts. The
Medicine Buddha mantra actually contains the remedy of the whole graduated path to liberation and enlightenment.
Incidentally, this is the short mantra.
MEANING OF THE MANTRA (from the Worldwide Healing Circle)
1. OM
the under-current tone of the universe
2. NAMO
means yielding or full of trust; can also mean to bend or bow, and might mean to melt into
3. Bhagawate
means in intimate relation to the Divine and often means the entire cosmos
4. Bhaishjaye
a name for the Medicine Buddha
5. Guru
Spiritual Master; also means the “that” which transmutes ignorance into wisdom
6. Vaidurya prabha
Divine deep blue light, like that of Lapis Lazuli
7. Rajaya
means Great King
8. Tathagataya
means once came or once gone
9. Arhate
one who has conquered the cycle of birth death
10. Samyaksam buddhaya
perfectly enlightened
11. Teyatha
do it like this
12. OM
the under-current tone of the universe
13. Bekhajye bekhajye
do away with the pain of illness
14. Maha bekhajye
do away with the pain of illness (of the darkness of Spiritual Ignorance)
15. Bekhajye
do away with the pain of illness
16. Samudgate
means the supreme heights. Like this, go go go (i.e., my prayer shall go to the highest and the widest and the deepest)
17. Svaha:
I offer this prayer and now relinquish it …(to you Medicine Buddha)
Explanation of the meaning of the Mantra as displayed below:
TAYATA / OM BEKANDZE BEKANDZE / MAHA BEKANDZE RADZA / SAMUDGATE SOHA
Bekandze means eliminating pain; maha bekandze means great eliminating of pain. One explanation of the meaning of the first bekandze is that it refers to eliminating the pain of true suffering, not just of disease but of all problems. It eliminates the pain of death and rebirth that are caused by karma and disturbing thoughts.
The first bekandze eliminates all the problems of body and mind, including old age and sickness. The second bekandze eliminates all the true cause of suffering, which is not external but within the mind. This refers to karma and disturbing thoughts. It is the inner cause that enables external factors such as food and exposure to sunlight to become conditions for disease. Moreover, the second bekandze refers to eliminating the cause of problems, karma motivated by disturbing thoughts.
Understanding primary and secondary causes
Scientists claim that intense exposure to the sun causes skin cancer. However, without the cause in the mind, there is nothing to make external factors become conditions for disease. Exposure to sunlight is a condition for skin cancer, but it is not the main cause. For those who have created the cause to get skin cancer, the external phenomenon of sunlight can become a condition for skin cancer.
For example, not everyone who sunbathes on the beach gets skin cancer. Also human beings have been exposing themselves to the sun for many thousands of years, but skin cancer is a comparatively recent phenomenon. The important question is: Why doesn’t everyone who is exposed to the sun get skin cancer? The proof that sunlight is not the main cause of skin cancer is that not everyone who is exposed to the sun gets skin cancer.
If someone has created the cause, as long as they do not do anything to purify it, the cause will definitely bring its own result; just as a seed that is planted will definitely result in a sprout as long as it is not eaten by birds, and so forth. Once there is a cause, as long as there is no obstacle to the cause, it is natural to experience its result.
The third phrase, maha bekandze, or “great eliminating,” refers to eliminating even the subtle imprints left on the consciousness by disturbing thoughts.
Graduated Path
The Medicine Buddha mantra actually contains the remedy of the whole graduated path to enlightenment. The first bekandze contains the graduated path of the lower capable being in general; the second bekandze, the graduated path of the middle capable being in general; and maha bekandze, the graduated path of the higher capable being. The whole graduated path from the beginning up to the peerless happiness of full enlightenment is contained in the Medicine Buddha Mantra.
Reciting the mantra leaves imprints on our mind so that we are also able to actualize the path contained in the mantra. It establishes the blessing of the whole path within our heart; we can then generate the whole graduated path to enlightenment, which is signified by bekandze bekandze maha bekandze.
The OM is composed of three sounds, ah, o, and ma, which signify the Medicine Buddha’s completely pure holy body, holy speech, and holy mind. Actualizing the whole path to enlightenment purifies our impure body, speech, and mind and transforms them into the Medicine Buddha’s pure holy body, holy speech, and holy mind. We then become a perfect guide for living beings.
With our omniscient mind we are able to effortlessly, directly, see, without mistake, the level of mind of every living being and all the methods that fit them to bring them from happiness to happiness, to the peerless happiness of full enlightenment.
We also have the perfect power to manifest in various forms to suit every living being and reveal the necessary methods to guide them, such as giving material help, education, or Dharma teachings. Whenever the positive imprint left by their past positive actions ripens, without delay of even a second, we can reveal various means to guide the living being to enlightenment.