The Medicine Buddha, also known as Bhaisajya guru, is described as a doctor who cures suffering. The Medicine Buddha mantra actually contains the remedy of the whole graduated path to enlightenment.
Medicine buddha is the healing buddha from the Tibetan Healing tradition. It is said that anyone who hears the name of Medicine Buddha never gets reborn in the lower realm.
Medicine buddha mantra is powerful for purification and healing of sickness.
Mantra
TAYATA OM BHEKANDZE BHEKANDZE MAHA BHEKANDZE RANDZA SAMUNGATE SOHA
Meaning of the Mantra
Tayata = Gone beyond (beyond Samsara and Nirvana)
Om = Om: jewel holder, wish fulfilling one, auspicious
one
Bhekandze Bhekandze = calling Medicine Buddha
Maha Bhekandze = Greatness of Medicine Buddha
Randza Samungate =Perfectly liberated or awakened
Soha = Dissolve in me
Bekandze means eliminating pain, maha bekandze means great eliminating of pain. One explanation of the meaning of the first bekandze is that it refers to eliminating the pain of true suffering, not just of disease but of all problems. It eliminates the pain of death and rebirth that are caused by karma and disturbing thoughts. The first bekandze eliminates all the problems of body and mind, including old age and sickness.
The second bekandze eliminates all the true cause of suffering, which is not external but within the mind. This refers to karma and disturbing thoughts. It is the inner cause that enables external factors such as food and exposure to sunlight to become conditions for disease.
So, the second bekandze refers to eliminating the cause of problems, karma motivated by disturbing thoughts.
The third phrase, maha bekandze, or “great eliminating,” refers to eliminating even the subtle imprints left on the consciousness by disturbing thoughts.
The first bekandze contains the graduated path of the lower capable being in general; the second bekandze, the graduated path of the middle capable being in general; and maha bekandze, the graduated path of the higher capable being. The whole graduated path from the beginning up to the peerless happiness of full enlightenment is contained in the Medicine Buddha Mantra.
The Twelve Vows of the Medicine Buddha upon attaining Enlightenment, according to the Medicine Buddha Sutra are:
- To illuminate countless realms with his radiance, enabling anyone to become a Buddha just like him.
- To awaken the minds of sentient beings through his light of lapis lazuli.
- To provide the sentient beings with whatever material needs they require.
- To correct heretical views and inspire beings toward the path of the Bodhisattva.
- To help beings follow the Moral Precepts, even if they failed before.
- To heal beings born with deformities, illness or other physical sufferings.
- To help relieve the destitute and the sick.
- To help women who wish to be reborn as men achieve their desired rebirth.
- To help heal mental afflictions and delusions.
- To help the oppressed be free from suffering.
- To relieve those who suffer from terrible hunger and thirst.
- To help clothe those who are destitute and suffering from cold and mosquitoes.
Benefits of the Mantra
- If you pray to Medicine Buddha, you will quickly accomplish all that you wish. Just hearing the holy name of Guru Medicine Buddha and the sound of his mantra closes the door to rebirth in the suffering lower realms.
- Also, by reciting this mantra, you will greatly enhance the power of the medicine that you are taking or giving to others.
- If you can recite Medicine Buddha mantra as much as you can every day (good to do at least 5 malas), this will purify negative karma and will help you never to be reborn in the lower realms.
- Besides the benefits you receive from reciting Medicine Buddha mantra, also these are the benefits just from hearing the mantra. With the Medicine Buddha mantra you can liberate numberless sentient beings from oceans of suffering and bring them to enlightenment.
