Bhaisajya-guru - Master of Remedies

At the center of the forest of medicine and palace
is present of Bhaisajya-guru which is emanation of wonderful Sakyamuni Buddha
and is portrayed as the Supreme Physician. This is on the summit of a mountain
endowed with powerful plants for treatment the heat, cold and their combinations.
Within a square celestial palace with four gates, in accord with the five excellent
conditions the teacher Bhasaja-guru expounds the science of medicine to many
assembled retinues, including gods, hermit sages, Hindu divinities and Buddhist
adherens. Bhaisajya-guru is a deity whose skin is the deep, blue color of the
gemstone lapis lazuli. The gemstone, which is very precious to central Asians,
is considered to have divine origins. The deity is holding myrobalan fruit called
dug-bcom, which means "that which renders poison inactive" . Dug-bcom is a Tibetan
healing symbol and a metaphor for the Three Poisons: desire, hatred and confusion.
The teaching is given in form of a dialogue between
two an emanated mental basis Bhaisajya-guru. Bhaisajya-guru and hermit sage
(his other mental contents) consider pristine conditions which emanate from
the natural glow and consist of the five parts of pristine cognition, namely,
the mirror-like pristine cognition which purifies delusion, the pristine cognition
of sameness which purifies pride; the pristine cognition of discernment which
purifies desire, and the pristine cognition of accomplishment which purifies
envy.
This dialogues including the most importance Buddhist
medical text, which is used in medical training, is the four-part, 156 chapters
rGyud-bzhi or The Four Secret Oral Tantras of the Eight Branches of the Medical
Tradition. Master of Remedies , upon heeding the pleas of his fourfold retinue
to turn the Wheel of Teaching concerning medical science became absorbed in
the non-dual contemplation (samadhi), called "The King of Medicines Who Cures
The Four Hundred And Four Diseases". From his heart numerous multi-coloured
rays of light were emitted throughout the ten cardinal directions and under
their influence the six classes of sentient beings were cleansed of the negativity
of evil thought thereby pacifying all diseases and their causes known as the
"three poisons": delusion hatred and desire. Then, on the re-absorption of these
light-rays, the emanational hermit sage Vidyajnana , who is essentially the
embodiment of the Buddha Aksobhyavajra, endowed with the mirror-like pristine
cognition (darsajnana), manifested from the buddha-mind or heart-centre of Bhaisajya-guru
in the presence of those assembled there. Addressing the Master of Remedies
and his attendants, he urged all those wishing to live their lives free from
diseases or to eradicate them, to study the science of medicine. Similarly,
those persons aspiring to longevity, spiritual accomplishments, liberation,
material wealth, and serene living, ought to study the science of medicine,
as should those wishing to free living creatures from diseases and thereby earn
the deep respect of Buddhist and non-Buddhist practitioners, as well as ordinary
people.
At this point the Master of Remedies emitted from the red lotus flower of
his tongue numerous multi-coloured rays throughout the ten cardinal directions.
Through their blessing living creatures rejected the negativity of mundane
speech such as lies idle talk rudeness, slander, and all diseases caused by
the imbalance of the three humours were cured while harmful demons were also
pacified. Then the rays were reabsorbed and before those present appeared
the hermit sage Manasija the emanation of buddha-speech who is essentially
the embodiment of the Buddha Amitabha and is endowed with the pristine cognition
of discernment (pratyazvksanajnana). After circumambulating the master three
times and making obeisance to him he in conformity with the wishes of the
all those attending to the Teacher, requested the in order to deliver the
second tantra, Bhaisajya-guru enters the contemplation of medicine known as
"The Majestic Lion of Speech", emanating from the crown of his head thousands
of multicoloured rays of light which immediately cleanse the six classes of
living beings of all negativity pertaining to the actions of the body, and
alleviate all physical sufferings caused by humoural imbalance. Consequent
on the re-absorption of these rays in the crown centre, there emerges Vidyajnana
, the emanation of buddha-body who is identified with the nature of Vairocana
and endowed with the pristine cognition of reality's expanse (clfinrmadhatujfwfia).
At the request of the hermit sage Manasija , Vidyajnana then outlines the
eleven topics of the Exegetical Tantra, which provide the theoretical basis
for the medical practices condensed in the Root Tantra.


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