Medicine Buddha

The Sutra of the Merits of the Fundamental Vows of the Medicine Master of Lapis Lazuli Light Tathagata records that countless eons ago, while still a bodhisattva, the Medicine Buddha made twelve great vows, each aimed at the most practical suffering of living beings: chronic illness, lack of food and clothing, unease of body and mind. Once every vow was fulfilled, he became a Buddha and established the Eastern Pure Land of Lapis Lazuli, a Buddha land with no sickness and no want. His attendants on either side are Sunlight Bodhisattva and Moonlight Bodhisattva, and the three together are called the 'Three Sages of the East,' facing the 'Three Sages of the West' of the Western Pure Land from afar: one side receives the dying, the other takes care of this life.

After faith in the Medicine Buddha reached Taiwan, its closeness to this life, to health, family, and livelihood, let it quickly become part of everyday life. Today, every Lunar New Year, from Fo Guang Shan to Dharma Drum Mountain, the lines to light Medicine Buddha lamps and guangming lamps stretch on and on, and many temples combine Tai Sui rites with guangming lamps. You could say that many Taiwanese may never have read the Medicine Buddha Sutra, yet nearly every family has, in one way or another, been looked after by him.

The Medicine Buddha receives vegetarian offerings: fresh flowers, fruit, clear tea, and sweets, with no meat, alcohol, or cigarettes. The main texts are the Medicine Buddha Sutra and the Medicine Buddha mantra, or you can recite his name, 'Namo Xiaozai Yanshou Yaoshi Fo' (Homage to the Medicine Buddha who removes calamity and lengthens life). The most distinctly Taiwanese rite is lighting a Medicine Buddha lamp: every year from Lunar New Year to the Lantern Festival, Buddhist temples open lamp lighting so people can pray for a year of protection and long life for their families, with options from a single person's lamp to a whole family's. People whose year clashes with Tai Sui often take care of their Tai Sui rites at the same time, and large temples such as Fo Guang Shan and Dharma Drum Mountain offer the full service. When someone in the family is ill, pray to the Medicine Buddha and get proper medical care too; treating the illness and praying side by side is old Taiwanese wisdom. Worship does not replace the doctor. It lets the heart settle first.

Medicine Buddha's Birthday: the 29th day of the ninth lunar month. Buddhist temples hold Medicine Buddha services with chanting of the Medicine Buddha Sutra, life release, and deliverance rites.

Lunar New Year (Lamp-Lighting Season): every year from the 1st day of the first lunar month to the Lantern Festival (the 15th day of the first month) is the traditional time for Taiwanese families to visit Buddhist temples to light Medicine Buddha lamps and perform Tai Sui rites. It is the busiest period of the year for temples.

Medicine Buddha Seven: some temples hold a seven-day group retreat called the 'Medicine Buddha Seven,' focused on chanting, reciting the Buddha's name, and dedicating merit, praying for everyone's health of body and mind.