The twelve vows and the seven Medicine Buddhas
Before becoming a Buddha, he made twelve promises. You will find a summary here, then links to the detailed chapters.
The Medicine Buddha Sūtra tells that long before becoming a Buddha, Bhaiṣajyaguru, then a bodhisattva, formulated twelve great vows for the benefit of all beings. He then reigns over a pure land in the east, called “Pure Lapis Lazuli Light” (Vaiḍūryanirbhāsa). Take a moment to discover these vows and those who made them.
The twelve vows, in brief
The vows express the wish that all beings find light and wisdom, lack nothing, enter a right path, keep ethical conduct, and be freed from suffering of the body and mind, from poverty, hunger, cold, fear and oppression. The text presents them as spiritual aspirations, and tradition reads them that way. Each vow is detailed in the dedicated article.
The seven Medicine Buddhas
The version translated by Yijing describes seven Medicine Buddhas, of whom Bhaiṣajyaguru is the last. In Tibet, Śākyamuni is added to form the group of eight, often painted together around a mandala. In Japan one speaks of the “Shichibutsu Yakushi”, the seven Yakushi, and pilgrimages link temples dedicated to them. See the eight Medicine Buddhas.
Where to see them
The thangkas of the eight Medicine Buddhas are a classic theme. The complete sūtra is in the books section, and the Japanese pilgrimages in Services.
Link to the pillar and mantra
This page joins the twelve vows (Xuanzang) and the series of seven (Yijing). For the name list and ritual frame: eight Medicine Buddhas. For the mantra recited with them: mantra. Sourced overview: pillar.
Sources
- Taishō 450 · Taishō 451
- Birnbaum, The Healing Buddha · Wikipedia
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