Medicine Buddha's Vows: A Practical Guide to Healing Modern Anxiety

Eastern Three Saints Series

• Medicine Buddha (Bhaiṣajyaguru)
• Sunlight Bodhisattva (Sūryaprabha)
• Moonlight Bodhisattva (Candraprabha)

Why Do Modern People Especially Need Medicine Buddha?

You may have heard that he can cure illnesses, but that is merely the tip of the iceberg.

Medicine Buddha (Bhaiṣajyaguru) made his vows specifically to heal the "exhaustion" of our bodies and minds. In this era full of anxiety, whether it is the fatigue of struggling for a livelihood or the vague worry about the future, he can offer the most intimate comfort.

Unlike Amitabha Buddha, who is known for "welcoming us in the next life," Medicine Buddha acts more like a "Savior in the Present Moment." He cares not about where you go after you die, but how well you are living right now.

Who is Medicine Buddha?

If you walk into a traditional Mahayana temple, you will usually see three great Buddhas in the main hall. In the center is Shakyamuni Buddha, on the left is Amitabha of the West, and on the right—the one holding a pagoda or a medicine jar—is Medicine Buddha of the East.

His Sanskrit name is Bhaiṣajyaguru, literally translating to "Medicine Teacher." Just as a doctor diagnoses the cause of an illness and prescribes the right medicine, Medicine Buddha's vows are designed to treat all physical and mental diseases of sentient beings. But the "diseases" he treats are not just colds or cancer; they include the disease of poverty, the disease of fear, and the disease of greed.

His body is blue. This is not a common blue, but a deep, pure Lapis Lazuli (Vaidurya) color. This color symbolizes the sky and the deep sea, representing a state of ultimate mental health: an inner world with no shadows, no hidden fears, and a clarity and resilience that can be seen right through to the bottom.

This is exactly the quality modern people crave most—not a perpetually high-energy happiness, but a deep, stable serenity.

What Are We Asking for When We Pray to Medicine Buddha?

Many people think that practicing Buddhism means "letting go," regarding money as dirt and the body as a temporary vessel. But in the Medicine Buddha practice, you will be surprised to find: The Buddha does not reject our desire for a happy life.

Medicine Buddha's practice is a unique form of "Pragmatism." He understands deeply that for most ordinary people, if they cannot even fill their stomachs or cure their pain, they will have no energy for spiritual practice. Asking someone crushed by a mortgage to meditate on Zen koans is asking the impossible.

So, when we pray to Medicine Buddha, we are essentially asking for "Dignified Survival." We ask for health, wealth, and safety. This is not greed; this is the foundation of practice. Medicine Buddha's compassion lies in his willingness to satisfy your "worldly" wishes first, freeing you from worries, and then leading you to higher wisdom.

This is the strategy known as: "First hooking them with desire, then leading them into Buddha-wisdom."

The Twelve Great Vows: Solutions for Modern Life

Medicine Buddha is called the "King of Great Vows" because he made twelve magnificent vows while practicing as a Bodhisattva. These twelve vows are essentially a "solution checklist" for the survival pain points of modern people. We don't need to recite the ancient texts word by word, because every vow precisely answers our anxieties today.

On Survival and Wealth

The biggest source of anxiety for modern people is often "money." Worrying about unemployment, bills, and supporting a family. In his Third Vow, Medicine Buddha gives a very confident promise: "I vow that all beings shall be provided with inexhaustible things they need, and no one shall suffer from lack."

This means the Buddha wishes for us to be materially abundant and free from worry about food and clothing. The karmic result of practicing Medicine Buddha is often an improvement in quality of life. He is also one of the famous "Wealth Deities" in Buddhism, but he grants wealth to free you from survival anxiety so you have the leisure to help others, not so you can indulge in hedonism.

On Health and Pain

If you or your family are suffering from illness, or worrying about genetic diseases, the Sixth and Seventh Vows are for you. The Seventh Vow, in particular, is called the "Emergency Rescue for Poverty and Sickness Vow."

It states that when a person is "oppressed by many diseases, without rescue, without doctor, without medicine, without family, poor and miserable," as soon as they hear Medicine Buddha's name and sincerely hold it, "all diseases shall be removed, and they shall be physically and mentally at peace." This is not just physiological treatment; it is a healing of "helplessness." When you feel lonely and hopeless during a long night in the hospital, Medicine Buddha is your strongest spiritual pillar.

On Mistakes and Regret

To err is human. We often carry heavy psychological burdens due to past mistakes (such as abortion, killing, or hurting others), and even feel we are too sinful to deserve happiness.

Medicine Buddha's Fifth Vow offers a mechanism for "Restoring Purity." As long as you sincerely repent and chant the Buddha's name, you can cleanse the karmic grime of the past and start over. He doesn't want you to carry a burden for your whole life; he gives you a second chance.

On Self-Actualization and Strength

The Eighth Vow mentions "transforming from female to male." In the ancient context, this was to help women escape oppressed conditions. Interpreted in a modern psychological context, this is actually a vow about gaining strength. It symbolizes helping those who are insecure, weak, or in a disadvantaged position (regardless of gender) to gain masculine, decisive (Animus) spiritual power, thereby achieving independence and dignity.

How to Practice in Daily Life?

Knowing how good Medicine Buddha is, what exactly should we do? I don't suggest you pursue deep meditation right away. In busy urban life, there are several simple ways to connect with Medicine Buddha's frequency.

The Blue Light Breathing Method

Give yourself five minutes every morning when you wake up or before you go to bed. Close your eyes and visualize a blue Medicine Buddha, or simply a ball of deep blue Lapis Lazuli light, above your head.

When you inhale, imagine this blue light pouring in from the top of your head, flowing through your brain, throat, chest, down to the soles of your feet. When you exhale, imagine the black smoke inside your body—sickness, stress, anxiety—being expelled with your breath. This is the simplest "Medicine Buddha Meditation," and it is also an excellent psychological cleansing ritual.

Chanting Name as the Best Guardian

On your commute or while doing housework, you can silently recite "Namo Medicine Buddha" (Namo Yaoshi Liuliguang Rulai).

The name itself carries a powerful soothing force. If you are willing, you can also learn the Medicine Buddha Mantra. This mantra carries a unique audio vibration specifically for treating mind-body imbalances. When chanting, the focus is not on perfect pronunciation, but on your faith.

Be the Medicine Yourself

Medicine Buddha is the King of Doctors, and we can also be "medicine" for others.

Practicing the Medicine Buddha path places great emphasis on action. Taking care of sick family members, donating medicine to the poor, or simply comforting an injured friend with warm words—these are all ways of practicing Medicine Buddha. When you shift from a "help-seeker" to a "helper," your heart opens, and your frequency resonates with Medicine Buddha.

A Salvation That Doesn't Wait for the Next Life

The Medicine Buddha path teaches us: Practice does not have to wait until you die to go to the Pure Land; you can build your Lapis Lazuli Pure Land right now.

When your body recovers health through discipline and care, that is Medicine Buddha's blessing. When your mind is no longer anxious about money because of contentment and generosity, that is Medicine Buddha's wisdom. When you are willing to forgive your past and embrace life again, that is Medicine Buddha's light.

Don't be afraid; dawn has come. Medicine Master Lapis Lazuli Light Tathagata is always the watchman for all beings suffering in the dark night.