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Back from Medicine Buddha retreat
Hello everyone,
just got back from the weekend Medicine Buddha retreat at my (Tibetan Kagyu) sangha house.
It was a very interesting experience and I feel I learned an awful lot about a practice which could prove extremely useful to me, particularly as someone with a chronic illness, and surrounded by disabled and ill family and friends.
The retreat leader was a very young man, from an interesting Christian/Muslim background. He joked that with his parents, the only way to rebel was to become a Buddhist! He's a student of Lama Chime Rinpoche and is already leading teachings in various Karma Kagyu centres in UK.
We were lead through the Medicine Buddha puja, in Tibetan. At first we did it in English, but all the students agreed it didn't really scan and we preferred the Tibetan version, so that's what we did from then. We had the translation printed out so it wasn't any problem.
As well as the puja, we were taken through the whole visualisation of the Medicine Buddha, and instructed how to use our imaginations to generate the attributes of the Medicine Buddha in our own minds. This was basically going through the descriptions of the Medicine Buddha in the puja and understanding what the different symbols meant. Although some students had been Buddhists a long time, the basics were explained so that even the newbies could follow it. We were each given a postcard picture of the Medicine Buddha, as well as banners and a large picture of the Medicine Buddha puja, complete the palace, lion-throne and retinue of other Buddhas and Boddhisattvas (it's all very elaborate).
Our instructor told us that Medicine Buddha was beneficial to everyone - even non-Buddhists who liked the pretty picture and nothing more (he's a lovely blue colour with friendly eyes). We were given the mantra to sing and had to repeat it 108 times, which took quite a long time. I'm hoarse now from all that singing!
It was really interesting but very much an introduction, so I asked our instructor if he could recommend some books, which I will check out. I would like to try to do some Medicine Buddha practice every day - although maybe not several hours of chanting per day - I think a sore throat might not help.
Other stuff: the food was great and I found out I'm not actually allergic to coconut (I have a nut allergy but wasn't sure if I could eat coconut as strictly speaking, they're not nuts; but having accidentally eaten food with it in and not dying, I now figure I'm OK).
I treated myself and bought myself a mala made of sandstone, which is sort of gold and brown beads. I was attracted to it, magpie-like, because it's glittery and spent all weekend twiddling with it. I was anxious because I'm not good with strangers and it seemed to comfort me. As well as being useful for counting 108 recitations, of course!
The only downside was a couple of other students who were keen on "spiritual healing" and upset me rather by implying my illness was self-inflicted (because of course, if you meditate regularly and eat healthy, you will never get sick and probably life forever, NOT ). They meant well but maybe I'm a bit sensitive, having spent a lot of my life being disbelieved, simply because my conditions were rare and not diagnosed until recently. I feel upset when I encounter people who seem incapable of believing it could happen to them, and that the reason it hasn't is good luck, for which they ought to feel grateful, not special powers on their part. FWIW I didn't think it could happen to me either - people generally don't. No one expects to be buying a mobility scooter in their 40s.
I'd earlier in the day had a conversation with the instructor about the large number of elderly lamas in UK who suffer serious health problems (the low altitude affects them), and we were saying what wonderful examples they were of how to live with sickness. So I knew that neither Medicine Buddha, nor any other practice, guaranteed perfect health. And later it occurred to me that just as it isn't sensible to believe that monetary wealth is guaranteed if we practice, neither is it sensible to expect perfect health.
So I think I'm working it out - I'm just not very confident with dealing with well-meaning people with unhelpful ideas. I suppose I feel judged by them - and I know a lot of people with chronic health conditions are put off being involved with any healing practice, for that very reason. Which is a shame, as healing isn't just about the body.
So that aside, I do feel I benefited a lot from the weekend. And although my feet are still wonky and painful, my fingers still dislocate doing nothing and my asthma's like breathing through a quilt, I would recommend Medicine Buddha practices because it helps me see that these are just reminders of the transient nature of the body, and that we should not be too attached. I'll just get another one when it's worn out - or perhaps not, depending on how this life goes.
just got back from the weekend Medicine Buddha retreat at my (Tibetan Kagyu) sangha house.
It was a very interesting experience and I feel I learned an awful lot about a practice which could prove extremely useful to me, particularly as someone with a chronic illness, and surrounded by disabled and ill family and friends.
The retreat leader was a very young man, from an interesting Christian/Muslim background. He joked that with his parents, the only way to rebel was to become a Buddhist! He's a student of Lama Chime Rinpoche and is already leading teachings in various Karma Kagyu centres in UK.
We were lead through the Medicine Buddha puja, in Tibetan. At first we did it in English, but all the students agreed it didn't really scan and we preferred the Tibetan version, so that's what we did from then. We had the translation printed out so it wasn't any problem.
As well as the puja, we were taken through the whole visualisation of the Medicine Buddha, and instructed how to use our imaginations to generate the attributes of the Medicine Buddha in our own minds. This was basically going through the descriptions of the Medicine Buddha in the puja and understanding what the different symbols meant. Although some students had been Buddhists a long time, the basics were explained so that even the newbies could follow it. We were each given a postcard picture of the Medicine Buddha, as well as banners and a large picture of the Medicine Buddha puja, complete the palace, lion-throne and retinue of other Buddhas and Boddhisattvas (it's all very elaborate).
Our instructor told us that Medicine Buddha was beneficial to everyone - even non-Buddhists who liked the pretty picture and nothing more (he's a lovely blue colour with friendly eyes). We were given the mantra to sing and had to repeat it 108 times, which took quite a long time. I'm hoarse now from all that singing!
It was really interesting but very much an introduction, so I asked our instructor if he could recommend some books, which I will check out. I would like to try to do some Medicine Buddha practice every day - although maybe not several hours of chanting per day - I think a sore throat might not help.
Other stuff: the food was great and I found out I'm not actually allergic to coconut (I have a nut allergy but wasn't sure if I could eat coconut as strictly speaking, they're not nuts; but having accidentally eaten food with it in and not dying, I now figure I'm OK).
I treated myself and bought myself a mala made of sandstone, which is sort of gold and brown beads. I was attracted to it, magpie-like, because it's glittery and spent all weekend twiddling with it. I was anxious because I'm not good with strangers and it seemed to comfort me. As well as being useful for counting 108 recitations, of course!
The only downside was a couple of other students who were keen on "spiritual healing" and upset me rather by implying my illness was self-inflicted (because of course, if you meditate regularly and eat healthy, you will never get sick and probably life forever, NOT ). They meant well but maybe I'm a bit sensitive, having spent a lot of my life being disbelieved, simply because my conditions were rare and not diagnosed until recently. I feel upset when I encounter people who seem incapable of believing it could happen to them, and that the reason it hasn't is good luck, for which they ought to feel grateful, not special powers on their part. FWIW I didn't think it could happen to me either - people generally don't. No one expects to be buying a mobility scooter in their 40s.
I'd earlier in the day had a conversation with the instructor about the large number of elderly lamas in UK who suffer serious health problems (the low altitude affects them), and we were saying what wonderful examples they were of how to live with sickness. So I knew that neither Medicine Buddha, nor any other practice, guaranteed perfect health. And later it occurred to me that just as it isn't sensible to believe that monetary wealth is guaranteed if we practice, neither is it sensible to expect perfect health.
So I think I'm working it out - I'm just not very confident with dealing with well-meaning people with unhelpful ideas. I suppose I feel judged by them - and I know a lot of people with chronic health conditions are put off being involved with any healing practice, for that very reason. Which is a shame, as healing isn't just about the body.
So that aside, I do feel I benefited a lot from the weekend. And although my feet are still wonky and painful, my fingers still dislocate doing nothing and my asthma's like breathing through a quilt, I would recommend Medicine Buddha practices because it helps me see that these are just reminders of the transient nature of the body, and that we should not be too attached. I'll just get another one when it's worn out - or perhaps not, depending on how this life goes.
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Comments
Not very Buddhist minded of them to be so judgmental. I have a non Buddhist friend who gives me that lecture constantly, and it really p's me off.
Most people take their good health for granted, and can't begin to comprehend what it's like to suffer chronic illness, until (if ever) it happens to them. Tune those people out, and find friends who understand.
Best wishes,
D
So in this case, I have realised how defensive I am about being sick and disabled. I thought I'd come to terms with it, but clearly I haven't, otherwise I wouldn't have been so upset. Some more work to do, on my part, obviously.
And I also need to be more discerning about whose advice I take.