In the vast landscape of Buddhist practice, few ceremonies are as deeply cherished or as visually striking as the Medicine Buddha Puja. At its heart, this ritual is an invitation to healing not just the mending of physical bones or the clearing of infection, but the deep, spiritual restoration of the soul. Known in Sanskrit as Bhaisajyaguru and in Tibetan as Sangye Menla, the Medicine Buddha is often depicted with radiant, lapis lazuli blue skin, a color that symbolizes purity, wisdom, and the infinite expanse of the healing sky. To engage in a Medicine Buddha Puja is to tap into an ancient lineage of compassion designed to alleviate the manifold sufferings of the "degenerate age."
What is the Medicine Buddha Puja?
A Puja is a ritualized prayer service involving offerings, chanting, and visualization. The Medicine Buddha Puja specifically invokes the power of the Eight Medicine Buddhas (seven historical medicine buddhas plus Shakyamuni Buddha). The ceremony is rooted in the Medicine Buddha Sutra, which details the twelve profound vows made by Bhaisajyaguru when he was still a Bodhisattva. These vows are promises to help sentient beings find relief from hunger, poverty, physical deformity, and spiritual ignorance.
During the puja, practitioners often recite the long or short mantra: Tayata Om Bekandze Bekandze Maha Bekandze Radza Samudgate Soha. This mantra is considered a "prescription" for the mind. Each "Bekandze" refers to a different stage of healing: the first eliminates the suffering of disease, the second eliminates the "inner sickness" of the three poisons (anger, attachment, and ignorance), and the third eliminates even the subtle traces of negative karma.
The Core Benefits of the Practice
The benefits of the Medicine Buddha Puja are traditionally categorized into physical, mental, and ultimate spiritual gains. Because the Medicine Buddha’s vows were specifically tailored to help beings in times of crisis, many believe this practice is the most effective for our modern, high-stress world.
1. Physical Healing and Longevity
The most common reason people request or perform this puja is for the health of themselves or loved ones. It is said that the vibration of the mantra and the intensity of the prayers can help pacify the external conditions that cause illness. Whether one is recovering from surgery, battling a chronic condition, or facing an epidemic, the puja is believed to create an auspicious environment for medicine to work more effectively and for the body’s natural vitality to return.
2. Mental Clarity and Emotional Peace
In Buddhist philosophy, physical disease is often seen as a symptom of a deeper mental imbalance. The Medicine Buddha Puja works to "cool" the heat of anger and "illuminate" the darkness of depression. By focusing on the radiant blue light of the Buddha, practitioners often find a sense of profound calm. It helps to clear the mental "fog" caused by anxiety and stress, replacing it with a sense of purpose and clarity.
3. Purification of Negative Karma
Perhaps the most significant benefit is the purification of "karmic obstacles." According to the sutras, even if one has committed serious negative actions in the past, sincerely praying to the Medicine Buddha can help "cleanse" the imprints of those actions. This is why the puja is often performed for the dying or the recently deceased—to ensure they are liberated from suffering and can attain a favorable rebirth.
4. Protection and World Peace
Beyond personal health, the puja has a "global" dimension. It is performed to pacify natural disasters, end famines, and stop wars. The Twelve Yaksha Generals, who are protectors of the Medicine Buddha's teachings, are said to guard those who recite the sutra or perform the puja, shielding them from spirits, accidents, and untimely death.
The Power of Visualization
A unique aspect of the puja is the use of visualization. Practitioners imagine the Medicine Buddha seated on a lotus throne, holding a bowl of healing nectar (Amrita) in his left hand and a sprig of the Arura plant (Myrobalan) in his right. As the prayers are chanted, one visualizes rays of lapis lazuli light streaming from the Buddha’s heart, entering the crown of the head and washing away all sickness and negativity like "ink being washed out of a white cloth." This mental exercise isn't just symbolic; it's a way to rewire the mind to recognize its own inherent "Buddha-nature"—the part of us that is already whole and healthy.
Why Pray to the Medicine Buddha Today?
In an era where we are constantly bombarded by environmental toxins, global instability, and "burnout," the Medicine Buddha Puja offers a sanctuary. It reminds us that healing is holistic. You don't have to be a Buddhist to appreciate the intention behind the practice: the sincere wish that every living being be free from pain. Whether you are seeking a miracle for a sick friend or simply looking for a way to quiet your own restless mind, the Medicine Buddha’s lapis light is an eternal source of hope.