”Medicine Buddha (Bhaisajyaguru)” is the founder of the Eastern Paradise of Lapis Lazuli Light. This buddha is the Great Medicine Buddha King who can cure all kinds of sickness. His pure land is the ”Pure Land of Lapis Lazuli Light,” which is highly refined, exquisite and dignified.
The mightiness of Medicine Buddha lies in his twelve great vows. One of these vows is to treat the eighty four thousand illnesses of sentient beings by using eighty four thousand medicines so that sentient beings who are sick will have the karma causing the sickness totally eradicated.
The twelve great vows of Medicine Buddha manifested into twelve ”Karma Guardian Deities,” who are also known as the ”Twelve Divine Generals of Medicine Buddha.” They surround Medicine Buddha according to their twelve designated directions. Medicine Buddha’s attendants are ”Sunlight Bodhisattva” and ”Moonlight Bodhisattva.” When invoking Medicine Buddha these two attendants must also be named at the same time. In Tantric Buddhism, Medicine Buddha is equivalent to ”Akshobhya Buddha.”
The attendants and family members of Medicine Buddha include ”Sunlight Bodhisattva,” ”Moonlight Bodhisattva,” ”GuanYin Bodhisattva,” Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva,” ”Manjushri Bodhisattva,” ”Baohuatan Bodhisattva,” ”Akchayamati Bodhisattva,” ”Medicine King Bodhisattva,” ”Medicine Superior Bodhisattva,” ”Maitreya Bodhisattva” etc., all of whom are of the utmost dignity.
Tantric practitioners who cultivate Medicine Buddha as their personal deity can not only help people and deliver sentient beings, but will also be reborn in the pure land of the personal deity, which means attaining Buddhahood in the present life.
The greatest practice of ”Medicine Buddha” is the ”Seven Medicine Buddhas Five Altars Practice,” this practice being one of the four main dharma practices of Taiwanese tantrism. The five dharma protectors in the mandala are, respectively: The Great Sage Acala in the center, Kundaliyaksa in the south, Vajrayaksa in the north, Trailokyavijaya in the east and Yamantaka in the west. This is a supreme and great dharma which can save nations and peoples.
The ”Seven Medicine Buddhas Five Altars Practice” of Medicine Buddha is the foremost practice of the Eastern Esoteric School of Vajrayana Buddhism. This is an extremely important dharma practice and a method of healing sickness as well. Medicine Buddha has two mudras. The first mudra is Five-Colored Light Mudra. Place the left hand before the left side of the chest, with the palm facing upward. Press the left thumb upon the nail of the left index finger. Place the right hand before the right side of the chest, with the palm facing outward. Place the right thumb upon the nail of the right index finger to form a circle. The second mudra is the Medicine Buddha Root Mudra. Interlace all the fingers inward and keep left small finger on the outside. Straighten both thumbs and keep them touching side by side. These are the two mudras of Medicine Buddha.
The key practice points of Medicine Buddha principal deity sadhana are: Pure blue Lapis Lazuli light illuminates from the heart of the tantric practitioner. Pure blue Lapis Lazuli light illuminates from the heart of Medicine Buddha. The two lights merge, resulting in the unification of practitioner and Medicine Buddha and transformation into the principal deity with no differentiation.
The real secret formula of Medicine Buddha is ”Internal fire,” ”External fire” and ”Pure Lapis Lazuli light.”
The practitioner of this dharma sadhana must first understand the teaching of Sakyamuni Buddha that ”by showing concern for the sick one will accumulate the most merit.”
The key formula for healing sickness through Medicine Buddha is, precisely, by radiating blue-white light rays through all the clothing and food of the sick person. This is the most secret of secret methods for helping the sick. The truth is that Medicine Buddha principal deity yoga is not just for healing sickness. This practice can also subjugate all demons and defeat all enemies. In the past, Dharma King and Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu has used Medicine Buddha’s ”Homa,” ”Illuminating With Light Dharma” or radiating pure lapis lazuli light in red and green light rays method to heal the sick. Through the use of these dharma methods countless sick people have been cured. This dharma is unimaginably effective. It has unlimited power and is a supreme principal deity yoga.
”Medicine Buddha” himself is very spiritually responsive. Living Buddha Lian Sheng has seen the manifestation of Medicine Buddha with his own eyes. If you are sick you can recite either ”Namo yao shi liu li guang wang fo (Namo Lapis Lazuli Light Medicine Buddha)” or Medicine Buddha’s heart mantra. As long as Medicine Buddha appears to you, and lets you see him and radiates light, your sickness is certain to be cured!
By Living Buddha Sheng-Yen Lu