By Lama Zopa Rinpoche
The yoga method of the Medicine Buddha was taught by Guru Padmasambhava in
the collection of teachings called Jewel Treasure. It was taught to enable those
who practiced it to diagnose and treat their patients perfectly, particularly
in times when the five degenerations were flourishing.
Because the pure wisdom
of the omniscient mind, the dharmakaya, is bound by infinite compassion for living
beings, it manifested in various aspects to eliminate different obstacles of living
beings. Such deities as the seven Medicine Buddhas manifested in order to pacify
the obstacles to the achievement of even temporary happiness, and especially the
ultimate happiness of full enlightenment.
The seven Medicine Buddhas are
not only very powerful in healing disease, but in purification, for both the living
and the dead. The Medicine Buddha practice can purify even those who have already
died and liberate them from suffering. It is also powerful in bringing success,
both temporary and ultimate.
The reason they also bring success is that in
the past when they were bodhisattvas practicing the path to enlightenment, they
promised and made extensive prayers to actualize all the prayers of living beings
of the degenerate time, when the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha are in decline.
They generated a very strong intention to become enlightened for this reason;
this was their motivation for meditating on and actualizing the path. This is
why it is important to pray every day to Medicine Buddha, not only for the healing
of disease, but also for the success of our Dharma practice and other activities.
As the Buddhas holy speech is irrevocable, we can trust the power of
the Medicine Buddhas to quickly grant blessings to sentient beings in these degenerate
times. If we pray to the Medicine Buddhas we will quickly be able to accomplish
everything that we wish. Merely hearing the name of the Medicine Buddha or the
Medicine Buddha mantra closes the door to rebirth in the lower realms. We should
not have any doubt in regard to these benefits.
Guru Shakyamuni Buddha said
in the sutra Medicine Buddha, Beams of Lapis Lazuli: Ananda, do you believe
my explanation of the qualities of this Tathagata? Kungawo replied, I
do not doubt the teachings of you, the Bhagawan. Why not? Because the actions
of a Tathagatas holy body, speech, and mind are always pure and faultless.
Guru Shakyamuni Buddha then advised, Ananda, whoever hears the holy name
of this Tathagata will not fall into the evil realms of the suffering transmigratory
beings.
When someone is seriously ill, elaborate meditation practices
containing the dedicated purposes of each of the Medicine Buddhas are done. It
is commonly found that this puja decides whether the person lives or dies. They
either recover immediately or die within one or two days with a peaceful mind
rather than living with a lot of pain.
Medicine Buddha practice is very powerful.
While the Medicine Buddha puja is very effective in cases of serious illness,
it is also performed to bring success generally.
It is good to do a Medicine
Buddha retreat for one or two months. By practicing these methods, we can gain
clairvoyance. A sign of attainment is that patients come to you in your dreams
and you diagnose their illness; the next day they actually do come to see you
and you can prescribe the exact treatment they need. Another sign is that when
you concentrate on the patients pulse, you can immediately recognize the
disease and prescribe the correct treatment. Also, as you are examining the pulse,
many goddesses may appear in space around you and tell you the nature of the disease
and its treatment.
Because of the flourishing of the five degenerations, the
diagnosis of sickness has changed and new disease patterns have emerged. Doctors
have difficulty in recognizing the new diseases and do not know the treatment.
These patterns are just as Padmasambhava predicted.
In the presence of the
eight Medicine Buddhas when we refer to eight, we are including Shakyamuni
Buddha Manjushri requested, As you have promised in the past, please
grant a special mantra to bring success quickly to sentient beings of the degenerate
time, who have little merit and who are overwhelmed by many sufferings, including
diseases and spirit harms. May these sentient beings see all the Buddhas and accomplish
all their wishes. Together in one voice the eight Medicine Buddhas granted
the mantra in response to Manjushris request.
If we recite the Medicine
Buddha mantra as a daily practice, all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas pay attention
to us, just as a mother pays attention to her beloved child, and always guide
us. Vajrapani, the embodiment of all the Buddhas power, the four guardians,
and other protectors always protect us and guide us. It also purifies all our
negative karmas and quickly pacifies diseases and spirit harms. It also brings
success; everything succeeds exactly according to our wishes.