Still with the Medicine Buddha.

Pravardigar

I have ordered a book about the "Medicine Buddha Teachings" written by a rather prominent Tibetan monk that goes through all the chants and history. I have pictures of the Medicine Buddha that I pray to and ask for healing. I hope that I am right and that pray is the right thing to do? I guess I really need the book to make sure that my future dealings with the Medicine Buddha are right. Cheers

ThailandTom

The Dharma is the ultimate truth and the Buddha taught it in a variety of different ways as he understood that people respond differently to the teachings from person to person. I personally do not chant, pray or even meditate anymore, but I feel that I have progressed a lot spirtually in the past few months. I guess it comes down to you, wehat works for you, how strict and how far do you wish to take your practice. It will also change as you travel down your path. I may be a strict meditator in 10-20 years, who knows. Good luck with the book and your practice though, Tom

Invincible_summer

I have ordered a book about the "Medicine Buddha Teachings" written by a rather prominent Tibetan monk that goes through all the chants and history. I have pictures of the Medicine Buddha that I pray to and ask for healing. I hope that I am right and that pray is the right thing to do? I guess I really need the book to make sure that my future dealings with the Medicine Buddha are right. Cheers

The "right thing to do" depends on what you're trying to do...

Pravardigar

Really what I trying to do is heal the sickness in my mind. Be the person that I wish to be. The whole idea of "praying" is what I know works for me. Until I get my hands on the book and do some more research i won't really know the right procedure. Anyhow hope to hear from you all soon. Cheers.

Dakini

"Praying" is what you're supposed to do, with an image of the Medicine Buddha. You're on the right track.

Sile

If you are a praying person, and feel drawn to Medicine Buddha, this can be really powerful. According to the Medicine Buddha tradition, these particular Buddhas (there were multiple medicine Buddhas) made promises that they would be especially active and available in this modern, degenerate age.

One thing that always cheers me is remembering my teacher, Geshe Tenzin's, words: as much as it is in our nature to experience suffering, it is equally in the Buddhas' nature to come to our rescue. In other words, we can never be "bothering" them - their nature is just as strongly to help us, as it is our nature to need help. They want to help. That's their entire nature in a nutshell.

So whether you view that metaphorically, or more concretely, you can definitely work toward healing your mind by following Medicine Buddha practice. Even the simplest Medicine Buddha involves steps that are by their nature healing to the mind.

Another thing that helps me (as an impatient and restless person) is the teaching that says "the shortest, most condensed version of Medicine Buddha practice is the name itself: Medicine Buddha (or Sanggye Menla, or Baishajya Guru)." Just saying the name Sanggye Menla, or the mantra (short or long), these actions contain within them the entire Medicine Buddha practice. Of course it's extremely beneficial to go through the steps of the various practices--short, medium, long, extensive, etc.--but simply saying the name, because of the promises made by the Medicine Buddha, is actually the practice itself.

So, just to sum up, some various ways of practicing are:

1. Simply say the name "Sanggye Menla" and feel the healing, with all your heart
2. Say the short or long mantra, and feel the healing, with all your heart
3. Go through a short visualization, such as this one by Lama Zopa Rinpoche (I call this the "one-pager"): https://www.dropbox.com/s/hq41hkl719yh7ou/Short MB practice-for others.pdf (Note: it's actually two pages, but the practice itself is on the first page, so you can print just that page if you want a short practice to carry around with you)
4. The condensed Medicine Buddha practice, called "Wish-Fulfilling Jewel," available here: http://www.fpmt.org/teachers/zopa/advice/pdf/medicine_buddha_puja_readeroct07a4.pdf This beautiful, condensed practice matches the "Menla Rituals" app, available free for iPod/iPad. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/menla-rituals/id367857921?mt=8

In addition to these shorter practices, you can look near you for a Dharma center that performs extensive Medicine Buddha pujas - many do.

I'm just speaking from the perspective of a student who has benefitted from these various things; if you have a personal teacher, it's really powerful to get Medicine Buddha advice directly from him/her.

Here are links to two more threads here on NewBuddhist which have more info on Medicine Buddha, including wonderful audio of mantras: http://newbuddhist.com/discussion/comment/249419#Comment_249419 and http://newbuddhist.com/discussion/13416/medicine-buddha#Item_19

I wish you much peace and healing in your Medicine Buddha practice!

Sile

One more note: the "Menla Rituals" app mostly follows the Wish-Fulfilling Jewel PDF listed above, but there are a few spots where they don't match up. If you do decide to use these tools together and would like the notes on where they differ, just let me know and I'll post.

Pravardigar

Thank you all for your posts and help its much appreciated. I have decided to join the Theosophical society here in Melbourne and make use of there library and of there meetings. Some of the talks given by other members centre around Buddhist stuff so hopefully will be good? Anyone here a member and know what its like?

ThailandTom

I very nearly orderd this book yesterday thanks to Leon and Dandelion for the taiwan site that offers Thai publications free. But I ordered 5 different titles.