In the vast mandala of Vajrayana Buddhism, one luminous figure offers sanctuary to those suffering from physical ailments, emotional pain, and spiritual disconnection: Bhaisajyaguru, the Buddha of Healing and Medicine. Revered as the Medicine Buddha, he is the embodiment of healing energy, luminous wisdom, and the power of the Dharma to transform suffering into awakening.
His Sanskrit name, Bhaiṣajyaguru Vaidūryaprabha, translates as "Master of Medicine, King of Lapis Lazuli Light," reflecting both his healing power and the radiant clarity of his enlightened mind. Far from being merely a symbolic figure, Bhaisajyaguru is an active presence in the spiritual life of countless Vajrayana practitioners, invoked through mantra, meditation, and visualization to remove disease, purify karma, and restore wholeness at all levels of being.
This article explores the role of Bhaisajyaguru in Vajrayana Buddhism, the power of his healing mantra, the deeper meaning of his twelve vows, and resonances with healing deities in Hinduism.
Bhaisajyaguru: The Medicine Buddha of the Eastern Pure Land
Bhaisajyaguru presides over the eastern Pure Land of Vaiḍūryanirbhāsa, the Realm of Lapis Lazuli Light—a realm free from sickness, greed, and suffering. According to the Bhaiṣajyaguru Sūtra, before attaining Buddhahood, he made twelve great vows as a bodhisattva to heal and liberate all beings.
In iconography, he is often shown:
- With a deep blue body, symbolizing healing and transcendent clarity.
- Seated in meditation posture, holding a bowl of healing nectar in his left hand.
- His right hand, lowered in the varada mudra of granting boons, may hold the arura fruit—a key herb in Tibetan medicine.
His radiant form represents the inner medicine of wisdom and compassion, and his vows serve as the spiritual foundation of his healing power.
The Twelve Vows of the Medicine Buddha
Each vow made by Bhaisajyaguru reflects a profound aspect of spiritual and worldly healing. Together, they form a sacred blueprint for alleviating the many kinds of suffering found in samsara.
- To illuminate the world with healing light, dispelling ignorance and delusion.
- To bestow perfect physical forms and wisdom to all beings.
- To provide all beings with the material needs of life, removing poverty and suffering.
- To inspire beings to follow the path of ethics, restoring those who have strayed.
- To lead beings to right livelihood, encouraging them to walk the Dharma path.
- To heal all physical deformities and illnesses, granting full faculties to all.
- To relieve the suffering of the sick and those without protection, and offer refuge.
- To help beings overcome gender-based obstacles, enabling equal access to liberation.
- To protect beings from misleading teachers and demonic forces, clearing confusion.
- To free beings from unjust imprisonment and karmic bondage, restoring their dignity.
- To relieve the pain of hunger and thirst, especially for those in tormented realms.
- To clothe and protect the poor and destitute, ensuring warmth and comfort.
When devotees invoke Bhaisajyaguru, they align with these living vows—each one a beam of healing light radiating into the world.
Tadyathā Om Bhaishajye Bhaishajye Mahābhaishajye Raja Samudgate Svāhā: The Mantra of Medicine
The Medicine Buddha’s mantra is widely chanted for health, protection, and inner balance:
Tadyathā Om Bhaishajye Bhaishajye Mahābhaishajye Rāja Samudgate Svāhā
This powerful six-part formula is said to:
- Remove illness and pain,
- Purify negative karma,
- And awaken the body’s natural vitality and energetic alignment.
Each recitation is like taking a dose of subtle medicine—one that nourishes both body and consciousness. Repeating this mantra with sincere faith connects the practitioner to Bhaisajyaguru’s Pure Land and invokes the healing presence of countless medicine Buddhas and bodhisattvas.
Healing as a Path to Awakening
In Vajrayana Buddhism, healing is not simply about curing illness—it is about returning to wholeness. Diseases, whether physical or mental, are understood to arise from imbalance, karmic traces, and mental obscurations. Through the Medicine Buddha’s practice, we gradually purify these obscurations and recover our inherent clarity.
Devotees often:
- Visualize Bhaisajyaguru’s blue light entering the body,
- Recite his mantra while focusing on specific ailments,
- Or make offerings on behalf of loved ones or communities in need of healing.
His practice is also used in death rituals, long-life empowerments, and collective healing ceremonies.
Parallels in Hinduism: Healing as Divine Grace
Like Avalokiteshvara’s compassion, Bhaisajyaguru’s healing energy finds reflection in Hindu spiritual traditions. Several deities mirror his qualities:
- Dhanvantari, the divine physician and avatar of Vishnu, brings the nectar of immortality (amrit) and is venerated for health and long life.
- Shiva as Rudra, the fierce healer, is invoked in the Shri Rudram to ward off illness and affliction.
- In some tantric and Himalayan traditions, the Medicine Buddha is honored side by side with Hindu deities, showing that healing transcends sectarian lines.
Ultimately, both traditions affirm that divine grace, when merged with spiritual effort, leads to true healing—healing of the body, the karma, and the soul.
Final Words
Bhaisajyaguru, the Healing Buddha, is not merely a figure of ritual recitation—he is a living force of restoration, clarity, and peace. Through his mantra, his vows, and his radiant lapis lazuli light, he reminds us that healing is possible, even in the depths of suffering.
Whether invoked in times of illness, during meditation, or as a daily prayer, his presence offers the assurance that no pain is beyond the reach of awakened compassion.
In a world in need of deep and multidimensional healing, Bhaisajyaguru stands as both doctor and Dharma—the one who treats the symptoms, purifies the roots, and restores us to our true luminous nature.