Medicine Buddha|

Introduction


Introduction to the Medicine Buddha Practice

The Buddhist tradition outlines that Buddha Shakyamuni (the historical Buddha), at Bodhisattva Manjushri’s request, taught in Varanasi the origin of the Medicine Buddha sutra of 800 verses. The great Indian Buddhist master Abbot Shantarakshita (8th century) brought this tradition to Tibet. It was then given to the Tibetan King Trisong Deutsan to promote health, prevent diseases, give protection against black magic and to stabilize the ecological system from natural disasters. From that very day it became the fatherly religion of Tibetan kings and spread to different Buddhist schools after the 10th century.

The Medicine Buddha practice (or Sangye Menla in Tibetan) is the very heart of Tibetan Medicine. It is not only a very powerful method for healing and increasing healing powers both for oneself and others, but also for overcoming the inner sickness of attachment, hatred, ignorance and the purification of negative physical and mental karma. Thus to meditate on the Medicine Buddha can help decrease physical and mental illness and suffering.

For a more effective results and to enhance the practice, it is recommended to have received the Medicine Buddha Empowerment (Tibetan: lung; Sanskrit: abisheka) from a qualified lama (Tibetan Buddhist meditation master). Tibetan Buddhists consider the Medicine Buddha Empowerment to be the most powerful blessing for healing, dispelling sickness and for awakening the innate healing wisdom that lies within every individual. Don't worry, if you have not received an empowerment yet. As the practice is also connected with the sutras, it is also acceptable to perform the practice without the empowerment. H.E. Paltul Rinpoche will give a Medicine Buddha empowerment upon request.

Through the practice of the Medicine Buddha we not only achieve benefit for ourselves, but we are actually cultivating the potential to benefit others. And by doing these practices we actually bless the environment and all the beings in that environment.

Medicine Buddha practice comes in several forms. Karma Woesel Doe-joe Ling is happy to provide a short westernized version of the practice as well as the traditional short und long version of the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. You can download the latter on the download page of this site.

If you wish to begin working with the practice, print one of the texts of the sadhana or get a recording of someone reading it as a guided meditation. You may want to memorize it after some time, if the practice becomes important to you. You'll also need an image of Medicine Buddha Sangye Menla to support you to perform the visualization. For detailed instruction we recommend to read the teachings of H.E. Thrangu Rinpoche, which you can also download on the download page of this site. For personal instructions, please get in touch with H.E. Paltul Rinpoche. He will be happy to customize your individual practice, e.g. like the proper way to chant the mantra, etc.

And please keep in mind that it is very important to consciously dedicate the energy, awareness, and blessings you have received from the practice to the benefit of all sentient life. You remember it is limitless and allow it to flow endlessly out into all corners of the universe. When you finish the practice, you arise and enter your daily life conscious of the transcendental energy generated by the non-dual view. For however long it lasts, you try and stay close to this as you re-engage behavior, speech and thoughts, through Buddha body, Buddha speech and Buddha mind. If you are working on your own healing, the healing of another, or if you are a health care practitioner, staying close to the view serves to continue the Medicine Buddha healing.