Bhaiá¹£ajyaguru (, , , , , ), or Bhaishajyaguru, formally Bhaiá¹£ajya-guru-vaiá¸Âà «rya-prabha-rÃÂja ("Medicine Master and King of Lapis Lazuli Light"; , , , ), is the Buddha of healing and medicine in MahÃÂyÃÂna Buddhism. Commonly referred to as the "Medicine Buddha", he is described as a doctor who cures suffering (Pali/Sanskrit: dukkha/duḥkha) using the medicine of his teachings.
The image of Bhaiá¹£ajyaguru is usually expressed with a canonical Buddha-like form holding a gallipot and, in some versions, possessing blue or deep green skin. Though also considered to be a guardian of the East, in most cases, Akshobhya is given that role. As an exceptional case, the honzon of Mount Kà Âya's Kongà Âbu-ji was changed from Akshobhya to Bhaiá¹£ajyaguru.
Bhaiá¹£ajyaguru is described in the eponymous Bhaiá¹£ajya-guru-vaiá¸Âà «rya-prabha-rÃÂja Sà «tra, commonly called the Medicine Buddha Sà «tra, as a Bodhisattva who made twelve (12) great vows. His name is generally translated as "Medicine Guru, King of Lapis Lazuli Light". "Vaiá¸Âà «rya" is a precious stone which most translators have rendered as lapis lazuli. Librarian Marianne Winder has proposed that "vaiá¸Âà «rya" originally meant beryl; however, pure beryl is colorless, while its blue variant, aquamarine, is described as a 'precious blue-green color-of-sea-water stone' rather than the usual dark blue attributed to Bhaiá¹£ajyaguru. While there is a dark blue variety of aquamarine called maxixe (pronounced mah-she-she), it is a New World gemstone â found primarily at the Maxixe Mine in the PiauàValley near Itinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil â and was not known before 1917.
On achieving Buddhahood, Bhaiá¹£ajyaguru became the Buddha of the eastern pure land of Vaiá¸Âà «ryanirbhÃÂsa "Pure Lapis Lazuli". There, he is attended to by two Bodhisattvas symbolizing the light of the sun and the light of the moon respectively:
The Tang Chinese Buddhist monk Xuanzang visited a MahÃÂsÃÂá¹Âghika monastery at Bamiyan, Afghanistan, in the 7th century CE, and the site of this monastery has been rediscovered by archaeologists. Birchbark manuscript fragments from several MahÃÂyÃÂna sà «tras have been discovered at the site, including the Bhaiá¹£ajya-guru-vaidà «rya-prabha-rÃÂja Sà «tra (MS 2385).
A Sanskrit manuscript of the Bhaiá¹£ajya-guru-vaiá¸Âà «rya-prabha-rÃÂja Sà «tra was among the texts attesting to the popularity of Bhaiá¹£ajyaguru in the ancient northwest Indian kingdom of GandhÃÂra. The manuscripts in this find are dated before the 7th century, and are written in the upright Gupta script.
The twelve vows of Medicine Buddha upon attaining Enlightenment, according to the Medicine Buddha Sà «tra are:
Bhaiá¹£ajyaguru is typically depicted seated, wearing the three robes of a Buddhist monk, holding a lapis-colored jar of medicine nectar in his left hand and the right hand resting on his right knee, holding the stem of the Aruna fruit or Myrobalan between thumb and forefinger. In the sà «tra, he is also described by his aura of lapis lazuli-colored light. In Chinese depictions, he is sometimes holding a pagoda, symbolising the ten thousand Buddhas of the three periods of time. He is also depicted standing on a Northern Wei stele from approximately 500 CE now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accompanied by his two attendants, Sà «ryaprabha and Candraprabha. Within the halo are depicted the Seven Bhaiá¹£ajyaguru Buddhas and seven apsaras.
There are several popular Chinese translations of sà «tras associated with Bhaiá¹£ajyaguru used throughout East Asian Buddhist traditions, with two of the most popular ones being one by Xuanzang and the other by Yijing both translated in the Tang dynasty. The Taisho Tripitaka and Qianlong Tripitaka () each contain four translations of the sà «tra:
These four versions have different titles:
The version translated by Yijing includes not only the vows of Yaoshi but also the vows of six other Buddhas.
In Chinese Buddhist practice, the Buddha Bhaiá¹£ajyaguru is commonly referred to as simply Yaoshi Fo (è¥師ä½Â), meaning "Medicine Teacher Buddha", or Yaoshi Rulai (è¥師å¦Âä¾Â), meaning "Medicine Teacher TathÃÂgata". In many liturgies and ritual contexts, Yaoshi's name is also frequently chanted as either Yaoshi Liuli Guang Rulai (è¥師çÂÂçÂÂå Âå¦Âä¾Â), meaning "Yaoshi Rulai of Lapis Lazuli Light", or Xiaozai Yanshou Yaoshi Fo (æ¶Âç¾延壽è¥師ä½Â), meaning "Yaoshi Fo who averts calamities and extends lifespans".
Worship of Yaoshi in China first began during the Eastern Jin dynasty (266âÂÂ420) with the translation of The Sà «tra on Abhiá¹£eka that Removes Sins and Liberates from Saá¹ÂsÃÂra Taught by the Buddha by the Kuchean monk PoâÂÂà Ârëmitra, and was solidified further through the translation of even more sà «tras in later periods. The practice of veneration of Yaoshi has remained popular in China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and other overseas Chinese communities as he is depicted as one of the most prominent Buddhas, among others such as à ÂÃÂkyamuni and AmitÃÂbha. He can also be viewed as the healing attribute of à ÂÃÂkyamuni, as he is often called the "Medicine King" in sà «tras. Chinese Buddhist traditions ascribes the 30th day of the ninth lunar month according to the Chinese calendar as Yaoshi's "Birthday", and during this day, monastics and lay followers typically perform rituals and other practices devoted to Yaoshi. In Chinese Buddhist temples, Yaoshi is frequently enshrined as either one out of three Buddha statues in the Daxiongbao Hall (the other two being of AmitÃÂbha and à ÂÃÂkyamuni) or in a dedicated hall devoted to him called the Yaoshi Hall. He is venerated across many commonly performed ceremonies, such as the Yaoshi Bao Chan, a repentance ritual that is specifically dedicated to him.One common practice of Yaoshi devotion is the creation of images and statues of Yaoshi, with the earliest known example being an image of Yaoshi carved at the Yungang Grottoes, which dates back to the Northern Wei Dynasty (386âÂÂ535). By the Tang dynasty, Yaoshi images became more common and their uses became more widespread. Multiple historical records describe not only government officials and monks and nuns, but also ordinary citizens commissioning and creating Yaoshi statues for a variety of purposes, including wishing for blessings for pregnancies as well as dedication towards deceased loved ones. The practice of creating Yaoshi statues remained popular after the Tang dynasty into contemporary times, with numerous extant statues in sites like the Dazu Rock Carvings dating to subsequent dynasties. Aside from statues, paintings and embroidered images of Yaoshi were also common as a way of memorializing the deceased and praying for blessings. For example, when the Tang Emperor Dezong's daughter, Princess Tang'an, passed away, the Emperor ordered the national artisans to embroider Yaoshi's image "using exquisite colors to radiate brilliance, in order to bring good fortune and to guide the deceased." After the Tang dynasty, Yaoshi continued to remain a popular subject in Buddhist paintings even until the Qing dynasty (1644âÂÂ1912). For instance, the famous Song dynasty poet Su Shi (èÂÂ軾,1037-1101), also widely known as Su Dongpo (èÂÂæ±å¡), who commissioned a painting of Yaoshi after his grandchildren were cured of a prolonged illness. He also wrote a in commemoration of Yaoshi and the event. Another prominent example is the famous Qing dynasty artist Ding Guanpeng (ä¸Âè§Â鵬,1708âÂÂ1771), who painted "The Assembly of Yaoshi Buddha of Lapis Lazuli Light" (è¥師çÂÂçÂÂå Âä½ÂæÂÂ) for the Qing Qianlong Emperor, which depicted Yaoshi together with his retinue: Sà «ryaprabha, Candraprabha, the Eight Great Bodhisattvas, the Twelve Heavenly Generals, MahÃÂkÃÂà Âyapa, ÃÂnanda and over forty other deities.
Another major component of the worship of Yaoshi is the ceremonial lighting of lamps. This practice derives from the Bhaiá¹£ajya-guru-vaiá¸Âà «rya-prabha-rÃÂja Sà «tra that was translated by Xuanzang, and typically involves the temple setting up an altar consisting of forty-nine lamps, which are supposed to remain continuously lit for the entirety of the ritual period. Traditionally, oil lamps were used, but some temples may also use electrical lighting in contemporary times. Due to Yaoshi's rites being frequently performed to pray for longevity, these lamps have become commonly known in Chinese as changming deng (é·å½çÂÂ, lit: "Long life lamps"). Five-coloured life-extending banners known as fan (幡) are also typically set up together with the lamps. After the lamps are lit and banners are set up, the Bhaiá¹£ajya-guru-vaiá¸Âà «rya-prabha-rÃÂja Sà «tra is typically recited for the entirety of the ritual period. Historical records show that this ritual was already in practice during the early Tang dynasty. In contemporary times, this ritual is still practiced widely by modern Chinese Buddhist temples, especially during the eighth lunar month, which is traditionally devoted to the rites of Yaoshi according to the Chinese Buddhist liturgical calendar.
In contemporary Chinese Buddhist practice, the Bhaiá¹£ajya-guru-vaiá¸Âà «rya-prabha-rÃÂja Sà «tra (the text which forms the basis of Xuanzang's translation), in which Yaoshi and his twelve vows are described in great detail, is a sà «tra that is commonly recited in Chinese temples. The mantra of Yaoshi, the Bhaiá¹£ajyaguru Vaiá¸Âà «rya Prabhasa TathÃÂgatàAbhisecani DhÃÂraá¹Âë (è¥師çÂÂé ÂçÂÂ訠Yàoshë GuàndÃÂng ZhÃÂnyán), is counted as one of the Ten Small Mantras commonly recited in daily morning liturgical services at Chinese Buddhist monasteries. The canonical source for this mantra is the SaptatathÃÂgatapà «rvapraá¹ÂidhÃÂnavià Âeá¹£avistara (the text which forms the basis of Yijing's translation). In the sà «tra, which describes the great vows of Yaoshi as well as those of six other Buddhas, Yaoshi is described as having entered into a state of samÃÂdhi called "Eliminating All the Suffering and Afflictions of Sentient Beings" (æ» é¤ä¸ÂÃ¥ÂÂç¾çÂÂè¦æ±). From this samÃÂdhi state, he radiated light from his uá¹£á¹Âëṣa and spoke the mantra:
The last line of the mantra is also sometimes used as a shortened version of Yaoshi's mantra. Some benefits the sà «tra ascribes to chanting the mantra include the elimination of pain and illness, the attainment of one's desires as well as longevity. In addition, much like the nianfo path of Amituofo (Amitabha), the name of Yaoshi is also recited for the benefit of being reborn in the Eastern Pure Lands, though this is deemphasized in favor of Yaoshi's role for the living.
In Japanese Buddhist practice, the Buddha Bhaiá¹£ajyaguru is commonly referred to as simply Yakushi Nyorai (è¬師å¦ÂæÂÂ¥). Starting in the 7th century in Japan, Yakushi was prayed to in the place of Ashuku (Akshobhya). Some of Yakushi's role has been taken over by Jizà  (Ksitigarbha), but Yakushi is still invoked in the traditional memorial services for the dead.
Older temples, those mostly found in the Tendai and Shingon sects, especially those around Kyoto, Nara and the Kinki region often have Yakushi as the center of devotion, unlike later Buddhist sects which focus on Amida Buddha or Kannon Bodhisattva almost exclusively. Often, when Yakushi is the center of devotion in a Buddhist temple, he is flanked by the , who were twelve yaksha generals who had been converted through hearing the Bhaiá¹£ajya-guru-vaiá¸Âà «rya-prabha-rÃÂja Sà «tra:
The practice of Medicine Buddha (Sangye Menla in ) 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, and ignorance, thus to meditate on the Medicine Buddha can help decrease physical and mental illness and suffering.
The Medicine Buddha mantra is held to be extremely powerful for healing of physical illnesses and purification of negative karma. In Tibetan, MahÃÂbhaiá¹£ajya is changed to maha bekðandze radza (à ½Âà ¼Âà ½§à ½±à ¼Âà ½Âà ¾·à ½»à ¼Âà ½¥à ¼Âà ½Âà ¾±à ½ºà ¼Âà ½¢à ½±à ¼Âà ½Âà ¼Â) in the mantra, while 'rÃÂja' (radza) means "king" in Sanskrit. In modern Tibetan language, 'á¹£a' (à ½¥) is pronounced as 'kða' (à ½Â), and 'ja' in Sanskrit, as in the cases of 'jye' & 'jya', is historically written with the Tibetan script 'dza' (à ½Â). Along with other pronunciation changes, the short mantra is recited as:
One form of practice based on the Medicine Buddha is done when one is stricken by disease. The patient is to recite the long Medicine Buddha mantra 108 times over a glass of water. The water is now believed to be blessed by the power of the mantra and the blessing of the Medicine Buddha himself, and the patient is to drink the water. This practice is then repeated each day until the illness is cured.
The Phra Kring is a metallic statuette in the image of a meditating Buddha, which is only made in Thailand. The Phra Kring is essentially a Mahayana-style Buddha image, despite the fact that Thailand adheres to Theravada Buddhism, which traditionally only reveres the 28 earthly Buddhas and arahants. The beliefs about the powers of the Phra Kring, are that the Phra Kring is the image of Pra Pai Sachaya Kuru (à ¸Âà ¸£à ¸°à ¹Âà ¸ à ¸©à ¸±à ¸Âà ¸¢à ¸Âà ¸¸à ¸£à ¸¸ Bhaisajyaguru] the medicine Buddha. The image is normally in the posture of sitting and holding an alms bowl or a guava, gourd or a vajra.
This was a fully enlightened Buddha, who has the miracle that he who hears his name in passing, or see his image, will be healed, and live a long healthy and prosperous life with wealthy standing. Of all the other Buddhist countries who revere it, only Thailand makes its amulet. The Phra Kring in most cases (except in the odd example where Muan Sarn powders prevent the sound), will have a rattling bead inside it. The reason for this rattle sound, made by a sacred bead of Chanuan Muan Sarn or other relic, is that it is the name of the medicine Buddha resounding, as you pass along your way, healing and blessing you with safety, health, prosperity, metta for auspicious friendly loving kindness. Some Phra Kring however do not make a sound that is audible to humans, but still have a piece of Chanuan within, which emits the name of the medicine Buddha silently, only audible on the spiritual plane.