The Benefits of Chanting The Medicine Buddha Heart Mantra and its Meaning
The Medicine Buddha Heart Mantra is frequently chanted by Buddhists around the world to connect with the Medicine Buddha for protection and blessings. So, what specifically does this mantra do, and how effective is it? What merits and benefits can one obtain from chanting the mantra? This article answers all the above questions and provides the effective chanting method taught by Grandmaster JinBodhi, helping you attain radiant health and avoid illness.
What Does The Medicine Buddha Heart Mantra Mean and its Origin?
Origin and Introduciton
The Medicine Buddha Heart Mantra is derived from The Medicine Buddha Sutra which contains the names and vows of the Medicine Buddha as well as seven other buddhas. The Medicine Buddha Heart Mantra is not entirely the same as The Medicine Buddha Empowerment Mantra; the latter is a collective term for the various translations by different highly achieved monks, and the content may vary accordingly.
The full text of The Medicine Buddha Heart Mantra is as follows:
ཏདྱཐཱ ཨོཾ བྷེཥཛྱེ བྷེཥཛྱེ མཧཱ བྷེཥཛྱེ རཱཛཱསམུ ངྒཏེ སྭཱཧཱ
The original text of The Medicine Buddha Heart Mantra is in Sanskrit, and it is a prayer for the blessings of the Medicine Buddha to alleviate illness and suffering, prolong lifespan, and fulfill one’s wishes and aspirations.
Who Is the Medicine Buddha? The Lord of the Eastern Pure Land
The Medicine Buddha is also known as the Medicine Tathagata of Lapis Lazuli Illumination or the Great Doctor Buddha. According to the sutras, his body is as blue as the sky and pure as lapis lazuli. He holds a medicine bowl in his left hand and medicinal herbs in his right hand. His primary role is to alleviate the sufferings of various illnesses and afflictions for sentient beings. Long ago, as he practiced to become a bodhisattva, the Medicine Buddha made 12 great vows, such as eliminating karmic obstacles and troubles for all sentient beings and keeping them away from sickness and misguided paths.
Chanting the Mantra
Here is how The Medicine Buddha Heart Mantra should be pronounced:
Tayata Om
Bekanze Bekanze
Maha Bekanze
Radza Samudgate Soha
Benefits of Chanting the Mantra
The 12 great vows made by the Medicine Buddha are all focused on fulfilling the most basic needs of all sentient beings. What benefits can chanting The Medicine Buddha Heart Mantra bring?
1. Healing Illness and Prolonging Life
In His sixth and seventh vows, the Medicine Buddha expresses the hope that all those afflicted by serious illnesses or physical deficiencies can release their suffering and enjoy physical and mental wellbeing. The Medicine Buddha Sutra also mentions that for those suffering from illness or calamity, the compassion and power of the Medicine Buddha can help free them from disasters, boost their longevity, and protect them from illness and suffering.
2. Wish Fulfillment, Wealth, and Auspiciousness
In His 12 vows, the Medicine Buddha repeatedly wishes for all sentient beings’ material needs to be fulfilled. All beings should have access to the necessities of life and be free from poverty. If someone is poor, suffering, and lacking in clothing and food, by sincerely chanting or even hearing the name and mantra of the Medicine Buddha, they can receive the blessings of the Medicine Buddha to fulfill all their needs and cherished wishes.
3. Avoiding Disasters and Staying Safe
For those experiencing various disasters, obstacles, or even imprisonment, the Medicine Buddha states in his 10th vow that he wishes to use his own merits and spiritual power to help the afflicted to overcome all disasters. Therefore, when facing grave danger, sincerely chanting The Medicine Buddha Heart Mantra or the name of the Medicine Buddha can bring forth His blessings and protection to dispel calamities and turn disasters into auspiciousness.
The Benefits of Chanting the Mantra
Chanting The Medicine Buddha Heart Mantra not only helps alleviate illnesses, obstacles, and afflictions, but also accumulates boundless merits. Here are three benefits of chanting The Medicine Buddha Heart Mantra:
1. Increases Merit and Wisdom; Returns One to the Path of Righteousness
Regularly chanting The Medicine Buddha Heart Mantra cultivates merits, enhances wisdom, and brings about good fortune. Not only does it help us accumulate boundless merits for our future generations, this mantra also nurtures them into virtuous and filial descendants who do not stray from the righteous path. For those who have gone astray, chanting the mantra can help them accumulate merits, increase wisdom, and stay away from the evil path; it shall lead them back to the right path with compassion.
2. Buddha’s Protection and Fate Transformation
Whether one is suffering from illness and disability or has committed wrongdoings out of ignorance, sincerely chanting The Medicine Buddha Heart Mantra can lead to the blessings and protection of the Medicine Buddha. This can dispel karmic obstacles and transform the fate of those who were previously afflicted by poverty and suffering.
3. Elimination of Negative Karma and Obstacles to Enlightenment
Chanting The Medicine Buddha Heart Mantra aligns one with the compassionate vows of the Medicine Buddha. It brings the illumination of the Medicine Buddha, dispelling negative karma and obstacles, breaking through delusion, and helping one carry out virtuous deeds to ultimately achieve the highest realization.
A Chanting Reminder
People often have specific wishes in mind while chanting The Medicine Buddha Heart Mantra. However, Grandmaster JinBodhi advises that for the best results, one should set aside personal desires and concerns related to illness and afflictions. Instead, chant with a sincere, respectful, appreciative heart; this approach will allow for a more rapid alignment with the Medicine Buddha, making the practice more effective.
Chant With Grandmaster JinBodhi for Mind Purity
Grandmaster JinBodhi’s teaching is rooted in compassion and guides people to eliminate physical and mental suffering and enhance their life energy through practice. Chanting The Medicine Buddha Heart Mantra while following Grandmaster JinBodhi’s voice helps us connect with the Medicine Buddha and tune our minds to a state of purity. To learn more about chanting, feel free to sign up for the “Along With Buddha Chanting Class” at Bodhi Meditation College’s website or purchase audio recordings of The Medicine Buddha Heart Mantra to chant anytime. This will allow you to get closer to the compassion and illumination of the Medicine Buddha, and to Grandmaster JinBodhi. For more information, please visit Grandmaster JinBodhi’s YouTube channel.
Extra Reading: Chanting Music