(5.4) Sukhavati - The Eastern Pure Land Buddhism

[Niết Bàn Tầm]

THE EASTERN PURE LAND BUDDHISM

Today Tibu will discuss a little bit the Eastern Pure Land Buddhism, which is a lot less popular and covered in Mahayana texts compared to Sukhavati, i.e., the Western Pure Land Buddhism.

Some people know this school of Buddhism simply by the recitation 'Namo Medicine Buddha Lapis Lazuli Radiance Tathagata' (Bhaisajyaguru-vaidurya-prabhasa) [1]. Some others may also have read His Repentance Dharma (a relatively thin and small booklet). Some other cultivators know a bit more, which is His mudra: The palm stands up from the arm, and then the thumb and the middle finger touch the tips forming a circle. Only few people are aware of His dharani.

1.   Medicine Buddha Dharani

The following is from http://www.jivanjili.org/en/mantras/medicin-buddha-mantra

Om namo bhagawate Bhaishjaye guru
vaidurya prabha rajaya tathagataya
arhate samyaksam buddhaya teyatha
om bekhajye bekhajye maha bekhajye
bekhajye rajaya samudgate svaha [2]

(1)   Om: We begin with Om, the under-current tone of the universe.
(2)   Namo: Means yielding or full of trust; also can mean to bend or bow; and might mean to melt into.
(3)   Bhagawate: Means in intimate relation to the Divine; and often means the entire cosmos.
(4)   Bhaishjaye: A name for the Medicine Buddha
(5)   Guru: Spiritual Master; also means the "that" which transmutes ignorance into wisdom.
(6)   Vaidurya Prabha: Divine deep blue light, like that of Lapis Lazuli.
(7)   Rajaya: Means Great King.
(8 )   Tathagataya: Means once came or once gone.
(9)   Arhate: One who has conquered the cycle of birth death.
(10)   Samyaksam Buddhaya: Perfectly enlightened.
(11)   Teyatha: Do it like this.
(12)   Om: Again we begin with Om, the under-current tone of the universe.
(13)   Bekhajye Bekhajye: Do away with the pain of illness.
(14)   Maha Bekhajye: Do away with the pain of illness (of the darkness of Spiritual Ignorance).
(15)   Bekhajye: Do away with the pain of illness
(16)   Samudgate: Means the supreme heights. Like this, go go go (my prayer shall go to the highest and the widest and the deepest.)
(17)   Svaha: I offer this prayer and now relinquish it ...  (to you Medicine Buddha).

Regardless of how much effort we put in to understand Medicine Buddha's Dharani, one thing is for sure: It is never enough.

2.   Medicine Buddha's Twelve Vows

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhaisajyaguru#Dharani_and_Mantra [3]
The following are the twelve vows that Medicine Buddha made upon attaining Enlightenment:

(1)   To illuminate countless realms with His radiance, enabling anyone to become a Buddha just like him.
(2)   To awaken the minds of sentient beings through his light of lapis lazuli.
(3)   To provide the sentient beings with whatever material needs they require.
(4)   To correct heretical views and inspire beings toward the path of the Bodhisattva.
(5)   To help beings follow the moral precepts, even if they failed before.
(6)   To heal beings born with deformities, illness, or other physical sufferings.
(7)   To help relieve the destitute and the sick.
(8 )   To help women who wish to be reborn as men achieve their desired rebirth.
(9)   To help heal mental afflictions and delusions.
(10)   To help the oppressed be free from suffering.
(11)   To relieve those who are tormented by hunger and thirst.
(12)   To help clothe those who are destitute.

3.   Tibu's Visualization of His Second Vow

Tibu uses His second vow in meditation to improve health, treat illnesses, enhance blood flow and circulation, and harmonize impulses.

3.1.  Visualization Techniques

(1)   Posture: Lying (not sitting) so you could feel most comfortable and do not obstruct the blood circulation. Having a blanket on top would be good during cold season.
(2)   Close your flesh eyes 100%.
(3)   Close your mouth and press your tongue against the hard palate (i.e., the hard part of your upper mouth). Note the whole tongue is used.
(4)   Harmonize your breath.
(5)   See a dark space in front of your ajna (i.e., access-concentration)
(6)   Look at the center area of that space, which is of the same height as your ajna. (i.e., the technique of pari-ajna ekagrata)
(7)   With a bit of focus, you will see a cluster of misty, smoke-like particles.
(8 )   Within that hazy cluster appears a blurry small ball (that is your lapis lazuli!)
(9)   Gaze at this tiny ball, which is intermittent and indistinct.
(10)   Keep contemplating it while making (or rather imagining) it clearer and more translucent.
(11)   When that happens, read in your mind with the emphasis on 'Lapis Lazuli': 'Medicine Buddha Lapis Lazuli Radiance Tathagata'
(12)   The image of your lapis lazuli may improves with your concentration.
(13)   Regardless of the image quality, say in your mind [to the Buddha]: 'I am doing this for the general health of my body' and [to the ball image] 'Since this is a lapis lazuli, it must be solid and crystal clear'

3.2.  The Outcome

(14)   Feeling hungry! Hunger comes all of a sudden.

3.3.  Response

(15)   Say in your mind that 'If hungry, eat up all the illnesses.' Do not stand up and find food!

Do this many times. It is best if you could keep doing this until you fall asleep. However, if you have to get up and about, you will feel lighter, rejuvenated, and refreshed.

Note: Sometimes when you cannot see the lapis lazuli clearly, the hungry feeling does not come...yet. Then, you stop and go back to your daily business. After a while (probably 20 minutes or so), the hunger suddenly comes. Do not find food and eat, say in your mind: 'Hungry? Eat up all the illnesses!'.

3.4.  For Specific Illnesses

You could use this visualization of your lapis lazuli to treat the early symptoms of some specific illnesses before they become more serious. For instance, an itchy throat may lead to a sore throat, cough, and runny nose. As soon as you spot the early sign of an itchy throat, perform steps 1 – 11 as presented above, and then say [to the ball image] 'Since this is a lapis lazuli, it must be solid and crystal clear'. You may feel terribly itchy in your throat. But, when the lapis lazuli starts to appear in a blurry mode, that irritating feeling diminishes and disappears. Of course, when the hungry feeling arises, say in your mind: 'Hungry? Eat up the pain [that I mentioned before]!'.


Endnotes:
[1] For the proper pronunciation, see http://www.pronouncekiwi.com/Bhai%E1%B9%A3ajyaguru.
[2] Go to http://www.jivanjili.org/en/mantras/medicin-buddha-mantra to listen.
[3] See more in Medicine Buddha Sutra http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/medbudsutra.pdf