This post will make more sense to the newsletter subscribers, as they receive special insight emails, if you haven’t subscribed I recommend you join us. “If one meditates on the Medicine Buddha, one will eventually attain enlightenment, but in the meantime one will experience an increase in healing powers both for oneself and others and a decrease in physical and mental illness and suffering.”   
Lama Tashi Namgyal’s Introduction 

Medicine Buddha Sadhana Visualization

translated by Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche and edited and prepared for publicati on by Ven. Thubten Gyatso (Adrian Feldmann) in 1982.

FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW

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.

 

He is blue in color and his body radiates blue light.

His right hand, in the mudra of granting sublime realizations, rests on his right knee and holds the stem of the arura plant between thumb and first finger.

His left hand is in the mudra of concentration and holds a lapis lazuli bowl filled with nectar. He is seated in the full vajra position and is wearing the three red-colored robes of a monk. He has all the signs and qualities of a buddha.

Taking Refuge and Generating Bodhicitta 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 in order to benefit all sentient beings. (3x)

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 suff ering. May all senti ent beings never be separated from the happiness that is without suffering. May all sentient beings abide in equanimity, free from both attach- ment and hatred, holding some close and others distant. 8 Medicine Buddha Sadhana

Cultivating Special Bodhichitta Especially for the benefit of all sentient beings, I will quickly, very quickly, att ain 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 prostrate to Guru Medicine Buddha. Each and every off ering, 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, O 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 bodhicitta and the attainment of buddhahood for the sake of all sentient beings.

Mandala Offering (optional) Short 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!

Inner Mandala The objects of my attachment, aversion and ignorance – friends, enemies and strangers – and my body, wealth, and enjoyments; without any sense 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 Medicine Buddha Sadhana 9

Prayers of Request I beseech you, Bhagavan Medicine Guru – whose sky-colored holy 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 hold in your right hand the king of medicines symbolizing your vow to help all pitiful sentient beings plagued by the 424 diseases – please grant me your blessings.

I beseech you, compassionate Medicine Guru – who hold in your left hand a bowl of nectar symbolizing your vow to give the glorious undying nectar of the Dharma that eliminates the degenerations of sickness, old age, and death – please grant me your blessings.

Visualization Above the crown of Guru Medicine Buddha is a wish-granti ng jewel, which is in essence my Guru. Above that is the Buddha Delightf ul King of Clear Knowing (Ngön khyen gyäl po), whose body is coral red in color, his right hand in the mudra of bestowing sublime realizati ons and his left hand in the mudra of concentration.

Above him is the Buddha Melodious Ocean of Proclaimed Dharma (Chö drag gya tso yang), with a dark pink-colored body, his right hand in the mudra of bestowing sublime realizations and his left hand in the mudra of concentration.

Above him is the Buddha Supreme Glory Free from Sorrow (Nya ngän me chog), light pink in color with both hands in the mudra of concentration. Above him is the Buddha Stainless Excellent Gold (Ser zang dri me), gold in color, his right hand in the mudra of expounding the Dharma and his left hand in the mudra of concentration.

Above him is the Buddha King of Melodious Sound, Brilliant Radiance of Skill, Adorned with Jewels, Moon, and Lotus (Rin chen da wa dang pä ma rab tu gyän pa kyä pa zi ji dra yang gyi gyäl po), yellow in color with his right hand in the mudra of expounding the Dharma and his left hand in the mudra of concentration. Above him is the 10 Medicine Buddha Sadhana Buddha Renowned Glorious King of Excellent Signs (Tshän leg yang drag), gold in color with his right hand in the mudra of expounding the Dharma and his left hand in the mudra of concentration.

Requests to the Medicine Buddhas Repeat each verse seven times. After the seventh recitation as you repeat “May your vow to benefit… “ the Medicine Buddha to whom the request is made absorbs into the one below.

To you, Buddha Renowned Glorious King of Excellent Signs, fully realized destroyer of all defi lements, fully accomplished buddha having 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. (7x)

To you, Buddha King 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 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. (7x)

Medicine Buddha Sadhana 11 To you, Buddha Stainless Excellent Gold, Great Jewel Who Accomplishes All Vows, fully realized destroyer of all defi lements, fully accomplished buddha who has fully realized the absolute truth of all phenomena, I prostrate, go for refuge, and make off erings. May your vow to benefi t all senti ent beings now ripen for myself and others. (7x)

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 t all sentient beings now ripen for myself and others. (7x)

To you, Buddha Melodious Ocean of Proclaimed Dharma, fully realized destroyer of all defi lements, 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 to all sentient beings now ripen for myself and others. (7x)

12 Medicine Buddha Sadhana To you, Buddha Delightf ul King of Clear Knowing, Supreme Wisdom of an Ocean of Dharma, fully realized destroyer of all defi lements, 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. (7x)

To you, Buddha Medicine Guru, King of Lapis Light, fully realized destroyer of all defi lements, 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. (7x)

Visualization Granting your request, from the heart and holy body of the King of Medicine, Guru Medicine Buddha, infi nite rays of white light pour down completely filling your body from head to toe. They purify all your diseases and affl icti ons due to spirits and their causes, all your negative karma and 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 holy body of Guru Medicine Buddha. At your heart appears a lotus and moon disk. Standing at the center of the moon disk, it is the blue seed-syllable HUM surrounded by the syllables of the man- tra.

As you recite the mantra, visualize rays of light radiating out in all directi ons from the syllable at your heart. The light rays pervade the sentient beings of all six realms. Through your great love wishing them to have happiness, and through your great compassion wishing them to be free from all sufferings, they are purified of all diseases and afflictions due to spirits and their causes, all their negative karma and mental obscurations.

Mantra Recitation OM NAMO BHAGAVATE BHAISHAJYE / GURU BAIDURYA / PRABHA RADJAYA / TATHAGATAYA / ARHATE SAMYAKSAM BUDDHAYA / TADYATHA / OM BHAISHAJYE BHAISHAJYE MAHA BHAISHAJYE [BHAISHAJYE ] / RAJA SAMUDGATE SVAHA

Short Mantra TADYATHA / OM BHAISHAJYE BHAISHAJYE MAHABHAISHAJYE [BHAISHAJYE] / RAJA SAMUDGATE SVAHA [Common pronunciati on: TAYATA OM BHEKANDZYE BHEKANDZYE MAHA BHEKANDZYE [BHEKANDZYE] RADZA SAMUDGATE SOHA.] Feel great joy and think:

All senti ent beings are transformed into the aspect of the Medicine Buddha Guru. How wonderful that I am now able to lead all senti ent beings into the Medicine Buddha’s enlightenment. 14 Medicine Buddha Sadhana

Simplified Visualization If you wish to do a shorter version instead, visualize Guru Medicine Buddha above the crown of your head and make the following prayer of request seven times:

The fully realized destroyer of all defi lements, fully completed buddha having fully realized the absolute truth of all phenomena, Guru Medicine Buddha, King of Lapis Light, to you I prostrate, go for refuge, and make off erings. May your vow to benefi t all senti ent beings now ripen for myself and others. (7x)

As you recite the Medicine Buddha mantra, visualize as follows: Purifying rays of light pour down from the Guru Medicine Buddha’s heart and holy body, eliminati ng your sicknesses and affl icti ons due to spirits, and their causes, all your negati ve karma and mental obscurations.

Your body is completely filled with light and becomes clean-clear like crystal. Then the rays radiate out in all directions, purifying the sicknesses and afflictions of all mother sentient beings.

Aft er the mantra recitati on visualize as follows: The Guru Medicine Buddha melts into light and absorbs into your heart. Your mind becomes completely one with the dharmakaya, the essence of all buddhas.

Dedication Due to these merits, may I complete the ocean-like acti ons of the sons of the victorious ones. May I become the holy savior, refuge, and helper for senti ent beings, who have repeatedly been kind to me in past lives. By the virtues received from att empti ng this practi ce, may all living beings who see, hear, touch, or remember me – even those who merely say my name – in that very moment be released from their miseries and experience happiness forever.*

As all senti ent beings, infi nite as space, are encompassed by Guru Medicine Buddha’s compassion, may I too become the guide for senti ent beings existi ng throughout all ten directi ons of the universe.

Because of these virtues, may I quickly become Guru Medicine Buddha and lead each and every sentient being into his enlightened realm.

*This dedication verse includes your enemies, even when they repeat your name with anger.