The Lords of Healing
Eight Medicine Buddhas (Main figures)
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(Top to bottom): Eight Medicine Buddhas, White Mahakala, Four-Faced Mahakala and Dorje Shugden.
Deity: Medicine Buddha (English)
Alternative names: Bhaisajyaguru (Sanskrit); Menlha (Tibetan)
The Medicine Buddha made a vow during a previous aeon that if any being who suffers from sickness calls upon on him, he will heal them. Illnesses can be both mental and physical, but the root causes for any illness are ignorance, hatred and desire. According to scriptural sources, the Medicine Buddha is believed to reside in the Eastern Pure Land of “Vaiduryanirbhasa” or the “Pure Lapis Lazuli”. Reciting the Medicine Buddha mantra and blowing onto both people and animals is said to purify the immediate negative karma afflicting them and can also help them to take a good rebirth. It is good practice to recite the mantra of Medicine Buddha and blow on animals to help them take positive rebirths where they can practise the Dharma. It is also beneficial to blow the mantra onto animal bones or remains, even though they are long dead, to help them take a good rebirth in the future. The Medicine Buddha practice has many and varied benefits and is therefore very prevalent within all schools of Tibetan and Chinese Buddhism.
There are seven Buddhas that one can propitiate alongside Medicine Buddha in order to invoke upon their healing abilities. During puja or prayers, the name and mantra of each Buddha is recited in order to invoke upon their vows, and thereby invoke upon the purification and blessings of their vows. The seven healing Buddhas are Buddha Suparakirtita Namashri, Buddha Nirghosharaja, Buddha Dharmakirtisagara, Buddha Ashokattamshri, Buddha Suvarnabhadra Vimala, Buddha Abhijnaraja and Buddha Shakyamuni.
Deity: White Mahakala (English)
Alternative names: Gonkar (Tibetan); Shadbhuja Sita Mahakala (Sanskrit)
White Mahakala is an emanation of Chenrezig, the Buddha of Compassion. He is the principal wealth deity practised within the Shangpa Kagyu tradition founded by Khedrup Khyungpo Naljor in the 11th Century. His practice exists within many other Tibetan Buddhist traditions, including the Gelug tradition. In this form, Mahakala is both a protector deity and a meditational deity, whose function is to increase wealth and material abundance for spiritual practitioners. When practitioners no longer need to worry about mundane needs, they can spend more time developing themselves spiritually.
Deity: Four-Faced Mahakala (English)
Alternative names: Chaturmukha Mahakala (Sanskrit); Gonpo Shel Shi (Tibetan)
Four-Faced Mahakala is a Dharma Protector associated explicitly with the Heruka Tantras and is propitiated by Heruka practitioners for spiritual protection and for the granting of material necessities so that they can concentrate on their spiritual practice. Four-Faced Mahakala has a very close connection with Dorje Shugden. In his previous lives as great lamas and teachers, Dorje Shugden as a lama relied on Four-Faced Mahakala as one of his primary protectors.
Deity: Dorje Shugden (Tibetan)
Alternative name: Vajra Rudra (Sanskrit)
Dorje Shugden is an emanation of the Buddha of Wisdom, Manjushri. He took the form of a Dharma Protector in order to safeguard the Buddha’s teachings, especially the important teachings on the Middle Way View. Reminiscent of Manjushri’s form, Dorje Shugden carries a meandering sword and rides a snowlion that represents the fearlessness of a fully enlightened Buddha. Thus, he has great strength to overcome obstacles of the body, speech and mind, and create suitable conditions for our spiritual practice to flourish. Furthermore, he carries a jewel-spitting mongoose and a vajra hook to symbolise that he has the tremendous ability to bestow wealth and resources.
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Beautiful of the eight Medicine Buddhas, White Mahakala, Four-Faced Mahakala and Dorje Shugden paints a thousand words. The Medicine Buddha is a healing Buddha from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Many cultures have healing deities or rituals, and the Medicine Buddha is a profound practice for healing physical, mental, and emotional ailments. Depicted together with Dorje Shugden ,the thangka will be more powerful to have it in our home.
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.