Bhaiṣajyaguru (, , , , , ), or Bhaishajyaguru, formally Bhaiṣajya-guru-vaiḍūrya-prabha-rāja ("Medicine Master and King of Lapis Lazuli Light"; , , , ), is the Buddha of healing and medicine in Mahāyāna 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 Bhaiṣajyaguru 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 Kōya's Kongōbu-ji was changed from Akshobhya to Bhaiṣajyaguru.Koya-san and Cultural assets. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
Origin Bhaiṣajyaguru is described in the eponymous Bhaiṣajya-guru-vaiḍūrya-prabha-rāja Sūtra, commonly called the Medicine Buddha Sūtra, as a Bodhisattva who made twelve (12) great vows. His name is generally translated as "Medicine Guru, King of Lapis Lazuli Light". "Vaiḍūrya" is a precious stone which most translators have rendered as lapis lazuli. Librarian Marianne Winder has proposed that "vaiḍūrya" 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 Bhaiṣajyaguru. While there is a dark blue variety of aquamarine called maxixe (pronounced mah-she-she), it is a New World gemstone—found primarily at the Maxixe Mine in the Piauí Valley near Itinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil—and was not known before 1917.
On achieving Buddhahood, Bhaiṣajyaguru became the Buddha of the eastern pure land of Vaiḍūryanirbhāsa "Pure Lapis Lazuli". There, he is attended to by two Bodhisattvas symbolizing the light of the sun and the light of the moon respectively:Oriental Medicine: an illustrated guide to the Asian arts of Healing
Sūryaprabha () Candraprabha ()
The Tang Chinese Buddhist monk Xuanzang visited a Mahāsāṃghika 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 Mahāyāna sūtras have been discovered at the site, including the Bhaiṣajya-guru-vaidūrya-prabha-rāja Sūtra (MS 2385).
A Sanskrit manuscript of the Bhaiṣajya-guru-vaiḍūrya-prabha-rāja Sūtra was among the texts attesting to the popularity of Bhaiṣajyaguru in the ancient northwest Indian kingdom of Gandhāra.Bakshi, S.R. Kashmir: History and People. 1998. p. 194 The manuscripts in this find are dated before the 7th century, and are written in the upright Gupta script.
His twelve vows The twelve vows of Medicine Buddha upon attaining Enlightenment, according to the Medicine Buddha Sūtra are:
I vow that my body shall shine as beams of brilliant light on this infinite and boundless world, showering on all beings, getting rid of their ignorance and worries with my teachings. May all beings be like me, with a perfect status and character, upright mind and soul, and finally attaining enlightenment like the Buddha. I vow that my body be like crystal, pure and flawless, radiating rays of splendid light to every corner, brightening up and enlightening all beings with wisdom. With the blessings of compassion, may all beings strengthen their spiritual power and physical energy, so that they could fulfill their dreams on the right track. I vow that I shall grant by means of boundless wisdom, all beings with the inexhaustible things that they require, and relieving them from all pains and guilt resulting from materialistic desires. Although clothing, food, accommodation and transport are essentials, it should be utilized wisely as well. Besides self-consumption, the remaining should be generously shared with the community so that all could live harmoniously together. I vow to lead those who have gone astray back to the path of righteousness. Let them be corrected and returned to the Buddha way for enlightenment. I vow that I shall enable all sentient beings to observe precepts for spiritual purity and moral conduct. Should there be any relapse or violation, they shall be guided by repentance. Provided they sincerely regret their wrong-doings, and vow for a change with constant prayers and strong faith in the Buddha, they could receive the rays of forgiveness, recover their lost moral and purity. I vow that all beings who are physically disabled or sick in all aspects be blessed with good health, both physically and mentally. All who pay homage to Buddha faithfully will be blessed. I vow to relieve all pain and poverty of the very sick and poor. The sick be cured, the helpless be helped, the poor be assisted. I vow to help women who are undergoing sufferings and tortures and seeking for transformation into men. By hearing my name, paying homage and praying, their wishes would be granted and ultimately attain Buddhahood. I vow to free all beings from evil thought and its control. I shall lead them onto the path of light through inculcating them with righteousness and honour so that they will walk the Buddha way. I vow to save prisoners who have genuinely repented and victims of natural disasters. My supreme powers will bless those who are sincere and be freed from sufferings. I vow to save those who suffer from starvation and those who committed a crime to obtain food. If they hear my name and faithfully cherish it, I shall lead them to the advantages of Dharma and favour them with the best food that they may eventually lead a tranquil and happy life. I vow to save those who suffer from poverty, tormented by mosquitoes and wasps day and night. If they come across my name, cherish it with sincerity and practice dharma to strengthen their merits, they will be able to achieve their wishes.
Iconography Bhaiṣajyaguru 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 sūtra, 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, Sūryaprabha and Candraprabha. Within the halo are depicted the Seven Bhaiṣajyaguru Buddhas and seven apsaras.S. C. Bosch Reitz, "Trinity of the Buddha of Healing", Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, Vol 19, No. 4 (Apr., 1924), pp. 86-91.
Translations
Chinese
There are several popular Chinese translations of sūtras associated with Bhaiṣajyaguru used throughout East Asian Buddhist traditions, with two of the most popular ones being one by XuanzangHsing Yun,"Sutra of the Medicine Buddha with an Introduction, Comments, and Prayers", Buddha's Light Publishing, 2005, Revised Edition, and the other by Yijing both translated in the Tang dynasty. The Taisho Tripitaka and Qianlong Tripitaka () each contain four translations of the sūtra:Hsing Yun 2005, p 42 By Srimitra in the fourth century CE (Taisho: vol. 21, no. 1331; Qianlong: no. 163). By Dharmagupta in 615 CE (Taisho: vol. 14, no. 449; Qianlong: no. 166) By Xuanzang in 650 CE (Taisho: vol. 14, no. 450; Qianlong: no. 167) By Yijing in 707 CE (Taisho: vol. 14, no. 451; Qianlong: no. 168)
These four versions have different titles:
Srimitra: The Sūtra on Abhiṣeka that Removes Sins and Liberates from Saṃsāra Taught by the Buddha Dharmagupta: Sūtra of the Vows of the Medicine Buddha Xuanzang: Sūtra of the Vows of the Medicine Buddha of Lapis Lazuli Crystal Radiance.Sanskrit: Bhaiṣajya-guru-vaiḍūrya-prabha-rāja Sūtra Yijing: Sūtra of the Vows of the Medicine Buddha of Lapis Lazuli Crystal Radiance and Seven Past Buddhas (no. 168, two scrolls) Sanskrit: Saptatathāgatapūrvapraṇidhānaviśeṣavistara
The version translated by Yijing includes not only the vows of Yaoshi but also the vows of six other Buddhas.Chen Li Quan and Zhu Mo. "Sutra of the Medicine Buddha", 1997, Classic Chinese Buddhist Texts in Plain Language, Buddha's Light Publishing, Taiwan (in Chinese). 藥師經/陳利權,竺摩釋譯 佛光,《中國佛教經典寶藏精選白話版》, , p 101)
Local forms and practices China In Chinese Buddhist practice, the Buddha Bhaiṣajyaguru is commonly referred to as simply Yaoshi Fo (藥師佛), meaning "Medicine Teacher Buddha", or Yaoshi Rulai (藥師如來), meaning "Medicine Teacher Tathāgata". In many liturgies and ritual contexts, Yaoshi's name is also frequently chanted as either Yaoshi Liuli Guang Rulai (藥師琉璃光如來), meaning "Yaoshi Rulai of Lapis Lazuli Light", or Xiaozai Yanshou Yaoshi Fo (消灾延壽藥師佛), meaning "Yaoshi Fo who averts calamities and extends lifespans".
He is called Yaoshi in China.
A major component of the worship of Yaoshi is the ceremonial lighting of lamps. This practice derives from the Bhaiṣajya-guru-vaiḍūrya-prabha-rāja Sūtra 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 (長命燈, 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 Bhaiṣajya-guru-vaiḍūrya-prabha-rāja Sūtra 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 Bhaiṣajya-guru-vaiḍūrya-prabha-rāja Sūtra (the text which forms the basis of Xuanzang's translation), in which Yaoshi and his twelve vows are described in great detail, is a sūtra that is commonly recited in Chinese temples.Minh Thành and P. D. Leigh, trans., Sutra of the Medicine Buddha, Taisho XIV, 450, translated and annotated under the guidance of Hsuan Jung (Taipei: International Buddhist Monastic Institute, 2001). https://www.urbandharma.org/pdf/medbudsutra.pdf The mantra of Yaoshi, the Bhaiṣajyaguru Vaiḍūrya Prabhasa Tathāgatā Abhisecani Dhāraṇī (藥師灌頂真言 Yàoshī Guàndǐng Zhēnyán), 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 Saptatathāgatapūrvapraṇidhānaviśeṣavistara (the text which forms the basis of Yijing's translation). In the sūtra, 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 samādhi called "Eliminating All the Suffering and Afflictions of Sentient Beings" (滅除一切眾生苦惱). From this samādhi state, he radiated light from his uṣṇīṣa and spoke the mantra:《藥師琉璃光七佛本願功德經》卷2：(CBETA 2025.R1, T14, no. 451). https://cbetaonline.dila.edu.tw/zh/T0451_002
Sanskrit
Romanization: Namo bhagavate bhaiṣajyaguru-vaiḍūryaprabharājāya tathāgatāya arhate samyaksaṃbuddhāya tadyathā: oṃ bhaiṣajye bhaiṣajye bhaiṣajya-samudgate svāhā.
Tibet