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". Worship of Yaoshi in China first began during the
Eastern Jin dynasty (266–420) with the translation of
The Sūtra on Abhiṣeka that Removes Sins and Liberates from Saṃsāra Taught by the Buddha by the
Kuchean monk
Po–Śrīmitra, and was solidified further through the translation of even more sūtras in later periods. The practice of
veneration of Yaoshi has remained popular in
China,
Taiwan,
Singapore,
Malaysia and other
overseas Chinese communities as he is depicted as one of the most prominent Buddhas, among others such as
Śākyamuni and
Amitābha. He can also be viewed as the healing attribute of Śākyamuni, as he is often called the "Medicine King" in sūtras. Chinese Buddhist traditions ascribes the 30th day of the ninth lunar month according to the
Chinese calendar as Yaoshi's "Birthday", and during this day, monastics and lay followers typically perform rituals and other practices devoted to Yaoshi. In Chinese Buddhist temples, Yaoshi is frequently enshrined as either one out of three Buddha statues in the
Daxiongbao Hall (the other two being of
Amitābha and
Śākyamuni) or in a dedicated hall devoted to him called the
Yaoshi Hall. He is venerated across many commonly performed ceremonies, such as the
Yaoshi Bao Chan, a repentance ritual that is specifically dedicated to him. and
Yueguang Pusa at
Lingyin Temple in
Hangzhou,
ChinaOne common practice of Yaoshi devotion is the creation of images and statues of Yaoshi, with the earliest known example being an image of Yaoshi carved at the
Yungang Grottoes, which dates back to the
Northern Wei Dynasty (386–535). By the
Tang dynasty, Yaoshi images became more common and their uses became more widespread. Multiple historical records describe not only government officials and monks and nuns, but also ordinary citizens commissioning and creating Yaoshi statues for a variety of purposes, including wishing for blessings for pregnancies as well as dedication towards deceased loved ones. The practice of creating Yaoshi statues remained popular after the Tang dynasty into contemporary times, with numerous extant statues in sites like the
Dazu Rock Carvings dating to subsequent dynasties. Aside from statues, paintings and embroidered images of Yaoshi were also common as a way of memorializing the deceased and praying for blessings. For example, when the Tang
Emperor Dezong's daughter, Princess Tang'an, passed away, the Emperor ordered the national artisans to embroider Yaoshi's image "using exquisite colors to radiate brilliance, in order to bring good fortune and to guide the deceased." After the Tang dynasty, Yaoshi continued to remain a popular subject in Buddhist paintings even until the
Qing dynasty (1644–1912). For instance, the famous
Song dynasty poet
Su Shi (蘇軾,1037–1101), also widely known as Su Dongpo (蘇東坡), who commissioned a painting of Yaoshi after his grandchildren were cured of a prolonged illness. He also wrote a
eulogy of praise in commemoration of Yaoshi and the event. Another prominent example is the famous
Qing dynasty artist
Ding Guanpeng (丁觀鵬,1708–1771), who painted "The Assembly of Yaoshi Buddha of
Lapis Lazuli Light" (藥師琉璃光佛會) for the Qing
Qianlong Emperor, which depicted Yaoshi together with his retinue:
Sūryaprabha,
Candraprabha, the Eight Great Bodhisattvas, the
Twelve Heavenly Generals,
Mahākāśyapa,
Ānanda and over forty other deities. (618–907) painting of Yaoshi. Held at the
Palace Museum in
Beijing. Another 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. 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:
Sanskrit •
Romanization:
Namo bhagavate bhaiṣajyaguru-vaiḍūryaprabharājāya tathāgatāya arhate samyaksaṃbuddhāya tadyathā: oṃ bhaiṣajye bhaiṣajye bhaiṣajya-samudgate svāhā. One form of practice based on the Medicine Buddha is done when one is stricken by disease. The patient is to recite the long Medicine Buddha mantra 108 times over a glass of water. The water is now believed to be blessed by the power of the mantra and the blessing of the Medicine Buddha himself, and the patient is to drink the water. This practice is then repeated each day until the illness is cured.
Thailand The
Phra Kring is a metallic statuette in the image of a meditating Buddha, which is only made in Thailand. The Phra Kring is essentially a
Mahayana-style Buddha image, despite the fact that Thailand adheres to
Theravada Buddhism, which traditionally only reveres the 28 earthly Buddhas and arahants. The beliefs about the powers of the Phra Kring, are that the Phra Kring is the image of Pra Pai Sachaya Kuru (พระไภษัชยคุรุ Bhaisajyaguru] the medicine Buddha. The image is normally in the posture of sitting and holding an alms bowl or a guava, gourd or a vajra. This was a fully enlightened Buddha, who has the miracle that he who hears his name in passing, or see his image, will be healed, and live a long healthy and prosperous life with wealthy standing. Of all the other Buddhist countries who revere it, only Thailand makes its amulet. The Phra Kring in most cases (except in the odd example where Muan Sarn powders prevent the sound), will have a rattling bead inside it. The reason for this rattle sound, made by a sacred bead of Chanuan Muan Sarn or other relic, is that it is the name of the medicine Buddha resounding, as you pass along your way, healing and blessing you with safety, health, prosperity, metta for auspicious friendly loving kindness. Some Phra Kring however do not make a sound that is audible to humans, but still have a piece of Chanuan within, which emits the name of the medicine Buddha silently, only audible on the spiritual plane. == See also ==