Medicine Buddha and Tibetan Medicine

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Medicine Buddha: Sangye Menla

Men Zung (Medicine Buddha Mantra)

Teyata Om Bhekanze Bhekanze Maha Bhekanze Radza Samu Gate So ha

(Te ya ta Om Bhe kan ze Bhe kan ze Ma ha Bhe kan ze Rad za Samu Ga te So ha)

Medicine Buddha is an enlightened being who has unbiased compassion for all living beings.

He protects living beings from physical and mental sickness and other dangers and obstacles,

and helps them to eradicate the Three Poisons: Attachment, Hatred and Ignorance -

which are the source of all sickness and danger.

He is the Healing Buddha Doctor.

Introduction to Tibetan Medicine

from http://www.tibet.com/Med_Astro/tibmed.html

Tibetan medicine is a traditional system of medicine which has been practiced for over 2500 years and is

still practiced today although Tibetans are now in exile.

Tibetan medicine is one of the five major sciences, and it is called gSoba Rig-pa, the science of healing. It

uses different kinds of ingredients such as herbs, trees, rocks, resins, soils, precious metals, saps etc.

However, 95% of Tibetan medicine is based on herbs, and precious metals are used for the seven kinds of

precious pill known as Rinchen rilpo. If the physician is able to make the right diagnosis and administer

the right medicine, then Tibetan medicine is good for all kinds of illness. However, it has been particularly

successful in its treatment of chronic diseases such as rheumatism, arthritis, ulcers, chronic digestive

problems, asthma, hepatitis, eczema, liver problems, sinus problems, anxiety and problems connected

with the nervous system.

The basic theory of Tibetan medicine is to keep in balance the Nyipa sum - they are rLung

(pronounced loong), mKhris-pa and Bad-kan. The long-term causative factors of Nyipa sum are the three poisons of

desire, hatred and delusion which show how closely connected Tibetan medicine is with Buddhist philosophy.

We can say .....that there are many different types of disease and illness, but they can all be

categorised within the Nyipa sum - rLung, mKhris-pa and Bad-kan. Similarly, with all these different types

of disease and illness there is no other location for them than the seven bodily sustainers and the three

eliminating functions. For example just as a bird has the freedom of the skies, it cannot fly above the sky.

In Tibetan or the science of healing, we always treat the cause or the root of the disease and illness and

not the symptoms. In the medical texts there is the following example - without treating the root or the

cause of the disease it is the same as having a poisonous tree and just cutting off the leaves and branches

without pulling it up from it's roots. If you just cut the leaves and branches it will still continue to grow. The

Medicine Buddha says that if the physician treats the patient according to the medical texts the treatment

will be beneficial....

This shows us how confident and sure the Medicine Buddha was about the

medical texts. However, if a person is suffering from a chronic disease and expects a quick solution, then

this will not be possible. He will have to be patient and take the medicine for a long period of time before

its positive results will show.