Medicine Buddha ~ Blue Buddha

It is in Mahayana, the dominant Buddhist tradition of East Asia, that the Medicine Buddha first appears. Veneration of this Lord of Healing became one of the most popular and widespread devotional groups.

According to Mahayana tradition there are infinite Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and deities. They represent various aspects of the absolute Buddha-nature, such as compassion, wisdom, power, and emptiness. The Medicine Buddha embodies the healing aspect.

The Medicine Buddha is the highest possible model of a healer.Among the 12 vows the Medicine Buddha is said to have taken is that of curing just by the invocation of his name or the thought of Him. He was worshipped as the dispenser of spiritual medicine that could cure spiritual, psychological, and physical disease.

But this Buddha is not worshipped simply for healing powers alone; he is the form of the Buddha-nature that we aspire to realize in ourselves. Through the practice of meditation on the Medicine Buddha, one can generate enormous healing power for self and for the healing of others.

As Mahayana Buddhism spread throughout the Far East, it took with it Ayurveda, the sacred medical system of India meaning the "science of long life," and the worship of the Medicine Buddha. The spread of Mahayana to China, Japan, and the kingdoms of Southeast Asia had a benevolent effect on public health. Hospitals, leper wards, and dispensaries were established in the larger monasteries, and were supported by income from "compassion fields."

Perhaps nothing better illustrates the union of religion and medicine in Buddhism than the fact that the greatest of the Mahayana philosopher-saints were also great physicians, who wrote important medical works. According to the Tibetans, all medical knowledge has a sacred origin and is ascribed to the wisdom of the Buddhas.

A measure of the high regard with which physicians were held in Tibet is shown in the title accorded to the greatest ones among them, an epithet for bodhisattvas: "The All Knowing One." Ideally a doctor was expected to practice compassion at all times, and equally towards all beings, to perfect his skill for their sake, and to remember always that a physician is a representative of the Medicine Buddha and the holy lineage of medicine teaching.

Astrologically, the day of the Medicine Buddha is the eighth day of the lunar month. At that time, his power and that of all the healing deities is said to be especially strong. This is when rituals for healing and for making medicines are performed.

Anyone who wishes healing or knows of those who do can practice this meditation on the Medicine Buddha. First, find a quiet and comfortable space. Then, while breathing deeply for a few moments, relax and empty your mind. In that void, picture the Medicine Buddha, radiant and translucent blue, holding the myrobalan plant in the fingers of his right hand, which is extended on his knee in the gesture of giving. His left hand rests in his lap and holds a begging bowl filled with healing nectar. He is dressed in the three monastic robes and sits in the full lotus posture on a thousand-petaled lotus, which itself sits on a jeweled throne.

See the space around you as a beautiful landscape holding objects of offering, everything that is beautiful and pleasing to you. Mentally give all of the most precious offerings to the Medicine Buddha. Invite Him to bestow his blessings and to sit on your head. Pray that he bestow his healing power upon you. Then see it radiate out to those others you know who need healing, and see it flow out to the entire Earth.

From the heart center of the Medicine Buddha, see rays of light as bright as one hundred rising suns radiate into yourself and others, dispelling disease and suffering. Bask in the light.

Afterwards, visualize yourself and all beings dissolving into a state of emptiness. Try to remain in that space free from thought, mingling with the state of the Medicine Buddha's mind. The most important aspect of this meditation, the essence of the healing practice, is to have strong selfless compassion for others, and to have fervent trust and confidence.

May these ancient teachings bring you enlightenment, and may you share it freely with those around you. Blessings!

be divine

The Buddha's 4 Noble Truths

Right now there is a unique emphasis upon light and enlightenment, everywhere. The revival in western civilization of Buddha's ancient teachings reflects this truth. Countless millions down the ages have recognized the Buddha as the symbol of enlightenment, the Light Bearer from on High.

The Buddha’s Four Noble Truths expose the causes of human trouble and include the cure, the Noble Eightfold Path, which is the Path of Right Human Relations. Humanity is learning these lessons and taking its first steps along the Lighted Way of Right Relations.

Those who seek the path to enlightenment must first remove all ego pride and humbly be willing to accept the light of Truth. All the treasures of the world, all its gold, silver and honors, are not to be compared with wisdom and virtue. To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one’s family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one’s own mind.

Anyone who can control the mind can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come. Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom from a pure and peaceful mind. To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue.

1. Suffering

Suffering and frustration come from our difficulty in facing the basic fact of life that everything around us is impermanent and transitory. Rich or poor, average or gifted, all life is subjected to the following: the trauma of birth, the pathology of sickness, the fear of physical and mental degeneration, the phobia of death, karmically to be tied to what one distastes, or to be separated from what one loves. "All things must arise and pass away."

2. Desire

The cause of suffering and frustration occurs because out of ignorance, we divide the perceived world into individual and separate things. The desire to pull apart from the rest of life and seek fulfillment for the separated self, at the expense of all other forms of life, causes suffering to the whole, as Life is One Being. Our duty to our brothers and sisters is to understand them as extensions, other aspects of ourselves, as fellow facets of the same reality.

3. Suffering and Frustration Can Be Ended

If the cause of life’s suffering is those inclinations which tend to continue or increase separativeness, in fact all forms of selfish craving, then its cure lies in the overcoming of such cravings. If we can be released from the narrow limits of self-interest into the vast expanse of universal life, we will be free of our torment.

The overcoming of desire is through substitution of the personal wants with divine inclinations.

4. The Eightfold Path to Enlightenment

The way out of our captivity is through the Eightfold Path to Enlightenment:
Right Understanding leads to Wisdom

Right Aspiration leads to Divine Inclination

Right Speech leads to Truth and Understanding

Right Behavior leads to Goodwill

Right Livelihood leads to Sharing

Right Effort leads to Highest Outcome

Right Mindfulness leads to Purposeful Living

Right Absorbtion leads to Unity

In these simple words Buddha teaches us to shine our light, and find peace.

WAKKALI - THE MONK WHO ADMIRED

THE BEAUTY OF THE BUDDHA
In Sanatthi in India there was a young man who loved the Buddha so much that whenever he met him he kept on admiring the Buddha's appearance, his colour and his handsomeness. One day he thought, "So long as i live in my home i cannot see the Buddha always. I must go to the temple and be ordained. Then i can see him daily. So he went to the temple and asked the Buddha to ardain him. Then the Buddha ordained him.
Now he has the chance to admire the Buddha's appearance always. He did nothing but day and night - morning and evening, at breakfast and at lunch and all the time at every place whenever the Buddha went. Wakkali followed him like his own shadow and kept on admiring him. The Buddha waited for his knowledge to ripen and said not a word. After a few years the Buddha realised that Wakkali's knowledge was ripened and said to him, "Wakkali, what shall it profit you to look upon my body which is changing always? Whosoever, Wakkali, beholds my teaching, he beholds me."
Wakkali did not go away and instead of reading, learning, meditating or preaching the Dhamma continued to admire the Buddha. Then Buddha thought, "Unless this monk gets a shock he will never come to understand," So one day the Buddha had an invitation from a man to spend three months in Rajagaha. On the day he left for Rajagaha, Wakkali also tired to follow the Buddha. The Buddha said: "Go back, Wakkali, don;t follow me. I must go alone."
So Wakkali returned to his room disappointed and began to think, "What a long period is three months! He does not talk to me for three months; neither can i see him for three long months. What a miserable period i have to spend! What is the use of my living any longer. I throw myself headlong from the top of a mountain." So with this thought, he climbed to the top of a mountain called Mount Vulture peak. Now the Buddha, staying in Rajagaha, saw with his mind's eye Wakkali about to jump from the Vulture Peak and thought, "If this monk gets no comfort nor consolation from me he will kill himself." Then immediately he sent forth a radiant image of himself and showed himself before the monk. As soon as Wakkali saw the Buddha standing before him his sorrow vanished from him. Then the Buddha filled his mind with joy, happiness and peace, saying:
"The monk who has perfect faith in the Religion of the Buddha will be full of joy and satisfaction and reach the place of peace, happiness and end of sorrow."
Wakkali thought, "I have seen the teacher. He is calling me i must go to Rajagaha, with him. But how shall i go? asked himself. Then he heard, "Come Wakkali, fear not, as you look upon me, I will lift you up even as one who lifts up an elephant that has sunk in the mud. I will release you from sorrow and sadness as one who release the sun from clouds." In a moment Wakkali was really before the Buddha in Rajagaha and while listening to the Buddha, Became perfect.

SUNITA - THE SCAVENGER

In Savatthi in India there was a scavenger named Sunita. As a road-sweeper he received a very small salary which was not enough for him to buy his clothes or medicine. He slept on the road side, for he did not have a house to sleep in. He saw other people enjoying themselves but he could not mix with them because people called him an outcaste. Whenever a high cast person went on the road Sunita had to leave the road completely for them and stand very far off the road because if his shadow fell in the high caste person he would be scolded and beaten because he bleed very badly. He could not learn anything because he was very poor and had no chance to attend the religious practices. So he leaved a most miserable and unhappy poor life.
One day he was sweeping a dirty, dusty and smelly road. His body was covered with dirt and sweat. he was wearing only one small piece of cloth. Suddenly he saw the Buddha coming along that road with thousands of monks behind him. Sunita was collecting the swept dirt and rubbish, putting them into baskets, keeping them on his head and carrying them away to throw. And when he saw the Buddha and thousands of monks coming towards him, his heart was filled with joy and fear. Finding no place to hide on the road he put his yoke in a bend of the wall and stood as if stuck to the wall joining his palms in respect to the Buddha. The Buddha came near him stopped and spoke to him in a voice divinely sweet saying "My dear friend, Do you like a leave this job and to become a monk?
Nobody had ever spoken to Sunita like this before. His heart was with such a great joy and happiness that his eyes were filled with tears. He could not talk for a moment. He did not belive his eyes and ears. He never knew that the Buddha was so kind. He always had received orders but never a kind word from anybody. So he said, "O! most Venerable Sir, I always have received orders, but never a kind word. If you accept a dirty, and most miserable scavenger like me why should i not like to leave this dirty job, Sir?" Standing on the same spot the Buddha ordained Sunita and took him along with other monks. Afterward no one knew what his caste was and everybody -kings, ministers, commanders in chief or anybody respected him.

THE BUDDHA'S DAILY ROUTINE

The Buddha's daily routine was divided into five parts such as (1)The forenoon session, (2)The Afternoon Session, (3)The first Watch, (4)The Middle Watch and (5)The Last Watch.
*THE FORENOON SESSION: (4.00 A.M.-12.00 NOON)
The Buddha get up at 4.00 a.m. and as soon as he had a wash he sits down and meditates for one hour. Then from 5.00 a.m. to 6.00 a.m. He looks round the world with his mental eye to find out where there is anybody whom he could help. At 6.00 a.m. He will put on his robe and go out begging for his food to the nearest village or city he is staying, or if there is some one who needs his help urgently he quickly goes there with some other monks or else alone.
Then he goes from house to house with his eyes fixed to the ground, receiving in silence, any food that was put into the bowl. If he is with his disciples he goes out begging with them in ome single file behind him. If people invite him to their houses to take lunch he goes there. After lunch he would preach to the people and monks his Noble Truth. If there is anybody wishing to be ordained he ardains such a person.
*THE AFTERNOON: (12.00 noon- 6.00 p.m.)
This is the time when monks usually come to the Buddha to ask questions. If there are any questions he answers them and gives them advice and subjects for meditation. When they have gone away, he retires to his room and looks round the world with his mental eye to see whether there is anybody looking for his help. If he finds anyone he goes there. If there is nobody he comes out of the room to meet hundreds of people waiting in the preaching Hall. He preaches to them in such a way that everybody feels that the Buddha is preaching to each one of them separately, "Giving joy to the wise, promoting the intelligence of the average people and dispelling the darkness of the dull-witted."
*THE FIRST WATCH: (6.00 p.m. - 1.00 p.m.)
During this time the monks come again to the Buddha to either listen to the preaching or to ask the Buddha at this time of the night.
*THE MIDDLE WATCH: (10.00 p.m. - 2.00 a.m.)
During this time period the Devas go to see the Buddha and learn his Truth of life. We cannot see them with our eyes.
*THE LAST WATCH: (2.00 a.m. - 4.00 a.m.)
From 2.00 a.m. to 3.00 a.m. He walks up and down. From 3.00 a.m. - 4.00 a.m. He sleeps. As soon as He gets up he continued his daily routine in this manner.
Thus we can see the Buddha was busy the whole day. In fact he slept only for one hour per day during his 45 years of teaching as a Buddha. During the early hours of the day he saw the whole universe, blessed it with his boundless love and brought happiness to millions. He became the Buddha at the age of 35, preached another 45 years and relinquished his body at the age of 80.

TORTURING THE BODY

After leaving Uddaka, Ascetic Gotama and his five friends wandered from place to place as before. He practised fasting which was thought to be one of the best ways to acquire wisdom. He, too at the begining took little food. Later onn he only ate one meal a day for months. Then he took food once in two or three days. He was eating roots of plants, leaves and juice of various leaves and fruits. Because of the lack of proper food his body became so thin that his legs became like bamboo stricks, his backbone was like a rope, his rib-bones in the chest were like an uncompleted roof of a house, his eyes sank right inside, like a stone in a deep well. His skin was so dry and wrinkled that hairs were missing. In fact he looked like a living skeleton all bones without any flesh!. He suffered terrible pain and hunger and he thought that the only way to happiness was to be most unhappy now. He continued to meditate but still he did not know anything new.
Another way of torturing his body and mind was holding his breath for a ling time until he felt terrible pains in the ears, head and the whole body. Then he began to be alone or practised loneliness. During the full Moon and New Moon nights he went out to the forests, cemetery and other lonely places to meditate. He became frightened at first in these place, especially when wild animal came. But he never ran away from these places he stayed behind bravely in these dreadful places meditating all the time. He used to wear rags to torn dirty clothes from grave-yards and rubbish heaps during this period. In the hot summer he stayed indoors at night and in the burning sun in the day time. In the cold winter at midnight he used to dip himself in the icy cold water and stay for a long time. This way to torture his body and mind even more and suffer even more than ever.
For six long year he did all these practices and in spite of the great pain and suffering he did not find out anything. He finally thought that this was not the way to find out wisdom. One day he fainted in a place called Uruvela. Then a goat boy came and gave him some milk and that made him better. Soon he began to take more milk and food and built up his body. When the five friends saw that he was not fasting anymore, they felt disappointed and left him alone.

PRINCE RAHULA

One the day the prince left the palace Rahula was born and now he was seven years old. he was brought up by his mother and grandfather. On the seventh day after his home-coming princess Yasodhara gaily dressed up young Rahula. Then she pointed to the Buddha who was then having his meal, said to Rahula, "Darling, can you tell me who is that?"
"He is the Buddha, mother," said Rahula.
The mother's eyes were filled with tears and said, "Darling, that golden coloured ascetic, looking like Brahma, Surrounded by twenty thousand ascetics was your father and he had great property. Since he left home, we do not know what has happened to it. Go up to him and ask for your presents and say, "Father, I am the prince. When i become the king i will be a king of kings. I want property, for the son is the owner of that belongs to the father." Innocent Rahula came to the Buddha, held one of his fingers, looked up at his face and telling him all that his mother had asked him to say, said, "Father, even your shadow is pleasing to me." After the meal the Buddha left the palace and Rahula followed him, saying, "Give me my inheritance, I am going to be the king; I want wealth; you have plenty of them; please father, give me my inheritance." Nobody tried to stop him. Nor even the Buddha stopped him following him. Coming to the park the Buddha thought, "He desire his father's wealth, but this goes with the world and is full of trouble. I shall instead give him the sevenfold noble wealth which i received at the foot of the Bodhi tree, and make him an owner of an excellent inheritance."
When they came to the temple, the Buddha asked one of his pupils named Sariputta to make Rahula a monk. King Suddhodana was deeply grieved to hear of his beloved grandson becoming a monk. he went to the Buddha and very respectfully told him not to ordain (making a monk) any one without the permission of the parents. He said, "When you left home it made me very, very sad and painful. When Nanda left home my heart began to concentrate my love on Rahula, my grandson and loved him more than anyone else. Now you have brought him here and ordained him. I am very sorry and most unhappy about this. Please don't ordain anybody hereafter without the permission of his parents." The Buddha agreed and never ardained anybody after that without the parents permission.