The Medicine Buddha

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Title: The Medicine Buddha
Site name: Phu Monastery, Lahaul Spiti, Himachal Pradesh
Survey date: 25-07-2016
Surveyor Name:  Anoop Thakur, Manjula, Sanjeev, Ramlok, Devender, Yograj
Article by: Ms Garima Tomar (Project Assistant, INTACH)

wall painting panel depicting the Medicine Buddha in the centre

“If one meditates on the Medicine Buddha, one will attain enlightenment, but in the meantime, one will experience an increase in healing powers both for oneself and others and decrease in physical and mental illness and sufferings” ... Lama Tashi Namgyal.

Medicine Buddha is also universally known as Bhaisajyaguru in Sanskrit, whereas Bhaisajya means “curativeness” or “healing” while guru means “teacher” or “master”. He is also widely known as Bhaisajyaraja, raja meaning “king”. As the name suggests, the medicine Buddha is associated with healing. Medicine Buddha sutra gives the finest description of the Medicine Buddha and the 12 vows taken by the Buddha after attaining the enlightenment. He is also looked upon as the Buddha of eastern pure land of “Vaiduryanibhasa” pure lapis lazuli. The bodhisattvas, Suryaprabha and Chandraprabha, symbolizing the light of the sun and the light of the moon respectively attended the medicine Buddha, Bhaisajyaguru

Iconographically, Medicine Buddha is depicted in a seating posture in dhyan mudra or asana. In this position, he is seated comfortably on a lotus pedestal with his legs crossed and the backside or the sole of his feet is faced upwards. In his left hand, medicine Buddha is holding a lapis lazuli coloured bowl filled with amrit – the nectar of immortality, which is facing upward symbolizing the meditative stability. Medicine Buddha’s right hand is resting on his right knee holding a stem of the Aruna fruit or myrobalan between the thumb and the forefinger. It is believed that the myrobalan represents all of the best medicines in the world. The placement of the right hand of medicine Buddha indicates the obliteration of sufferings through the means of relative truth.

Medicine Buddha is depicted dressed in the robes of bhiksu or monk. His monastic robe covers both the shoulders but the chest area is uncovered. Unlike other Buddhist depictions, medicine Buddha is also embraced with ushnisha and has elongated ear lobes. Most of the time, medicine Buddha is depicted in blue colour, although sometimes he is depicted with golden skin.

In the above wall painting from Phu monastery, medicine Buddha is also depicted with a blue-coloured halo behind his head. The blue colour is often associated with the master healing stone “Lapis Lazuli”.

Shakyamuni Buddha preaches the teaching of medicine Buddha at a place called Vaishali in India. During his healing meditation, light radiated from his body towards the east direction, and the streams of light returned to him from the eastern pure land. The people gathered for his teaching saw the eight medicine Buddha’s in the sky above them. At that instant, Shakyamuni Buddha presented his teachings which were later on preserved as the Sutra of medicine Buddha. This set of eight healing buddhas including the Shakyamuni Buddha is headed by Bhaisajyaguru or the Medicine Buddha.


Reference

Books

  1. Beer, Robert. The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs. Boston: Shambala, 1999.
  2. Ham, Peter van. Heavenly Himalayas. Prestel, 2011.
  3. Stephen, Peter. Tabo Monastery: Art and History with an interview of Geshe Sonam Wandu. Vienna: Deborah.E. Klimburg - Salter, 2005.

Online

  1. https://www.burmese-art.com/blog/medicine-buddha-statue 
  2. https://www.city-data.com/forum/buddhism/280867-guru-medicine-buddha.html#:~:text=%22If%20one%20meditates%20on%20the,and%20mental%20illness%20and%20suffering.%22
  3. https://www.padmasambhava.org/sermon/12-aspirations-of-medicine-buddha/ 
  4. https://www.wildmind.org/mantras/figures/bhaishajyaguru-medicine-buddha-mantra


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