The Medicine Buddha Mantra

Slightly enigmatic is the medicine Buddha Bhaiṣajyaguru, who cuts a figure from the early Buddhist days.

Though his origins are obscure, sutras about the medicine Buddha might have been based on descriptions of the historical Buddha as a physician who cures the ills of the world.

Bhaiṣajyarāja is a Bodhisattva described in the Saddharma Puṇḍarīka or White Lotus Sūtra who immolates himself as an offering to the Buddha.

Depicted as deep blue in colour, the Bodhisattva is dressed in the robes of a Buddhist monk, holding his begging bowl in his left hand while his right hand makes the varada mudra where varada means "granting wishes, conferring a boon, ready to fulfil requests or answer prayers".

"Sometimes, particularly in East Asian iconography, the begging bowl is replaced by a medicine jar. In Tibetan images, a myrobalan plant, thought to be a cure-all, grows out of his bowl."

The Medicine Buddha mantra is:

auṃ bhaiṣajye bhaiṣajye mahābhaiṣajya-samudgate svāhā
om beh ka dze-yah beh ka dze-yah ma ha beh ka dze-yah la dza sah mo kyah deh sowa ha

---

Reference:

Medicine Buddha: http://www.visiblemantra.org/medicine-buddha.html

Ganesha: His Relationship to Hinduism and Buddhism

The Story Behind Ganesha's Elephant Head

Ganesh is the Indic archetype for the warrior-guardian. In the cosmology of Vedic times, Ganesha is elephant-headed, having had been decapitated by his father, Shiva, during a drunken rage.

Why was Rama angry?

His son Ganesha had been retained by his mother Parvati to guard her door from unwanted intrusions during her bath.

Once he sobered up, Shiva realized his error, and asked the animals who would donate their head to replace Ganesha. Only the loyal war elephant offered her head to replace Ganesha's, seeing as Ganesha was her master. It is said that the elephant reincarnated as Ganesha's consort...

The Myth of Ganesha

In actual fact, Parvati created Ganesha because Shiva was away so much she missed conceiving and giving birth to another son. (See the link in the following URL for more details.)

Here's a link to the etymology and background for Ganesha, who may actually had been a tribal leader of a group of indigenous tribes called the Vināyakas who were conquered by the ancient Aryans of India.

Also, the Vinayaka is mentioned in Buddhist Tantra as the the six-armed form of the Buddhist protector Mahakala (Shadbhuja), which is an emanation of Avalokiteshvara standing atop an elephant headed supine figure.

Relationship between the Vinayakas and Ganesha

Quite possibly then, the Vinayakas were mythologized as demons (psychological manifestations of spiritual evil which creates difficulties and obstacles) in the Veda.

With Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhist tradition, the psychological aspects of the mind represented by the Hindu god Ganesha, the Remover of Obstacles, were spiritually "propitiated" through Buddhist meditation to serve the Buddha.

Thus, the Buddhist Vinayaka represents the emanation of Avalokiteshvara known as the Buddhist protector Mahakala, who represents absolute reality without attribute, form or quality.

Later in East Asian Buddhist history Mahakala becomes one of the Chinese Seven Gods of Fortune, the God of Darkness (in Chinese, Dà hēi tiān (大黒天), and in Japanese, Daikokuten.

Through Daikokuten's relationship with Marici, Vinayaka is related to Bhaisajya Guru Buddha, the Medicine Buddha.

Reference:

Vinayaka's connection to Buddhism: http://www.himalayanart.org/search/set.cfm?setID=207

BHAISAJYA GURU BUDDHA

These are the six vows of Bhaisajyaguru Buddha, the Medicine Buddha.

In essence, this Buddha spiritual offers medicine for spiritual ignorance and worries.


1. I vow that my body shall shine as beams of brilliant light on this infinite and boundless world, showering on all beings, getting rid of their ignorance and worries with my teachings. May all beings be like me, with a perfect status and character, upright mind and soul, and finally attaining enlightenment like the Buddha.
2. I vow that my body be like crystal, pure and flawless, radiating rays of splendid light to every corner, brightening up and enlightening all beings with wisdom. With the blessings of compassion, may all beings strengthen their spiritual power and physical energy, so that they could fulfill their dreams in the right track.
3. I vow that I shall grant by means of boundless wisdom, all beings with the inexhaustible things that they require, and relieving them from all pains and guilt resulting from materialistic desires. Although clothing, food, accommodation and transport are essentials, it should be utilised wisely as well. Besides self-consumption, the remaining should be generously shared with the community so that all could live harmoniously together.
4. I vow to lead those who have gone astray back to the path of righteousness. Let them be corrected and returned to the Buddha way for enlightenment.
5. I vow that I shall enable all sentient beings to observe precepts for spiritual purity and moral conduct. Should there be any relapse or violation, they shall be guided for repentance. Provided they truly regret their wrong-doings, and vow for a change with constant prayers and strong faith in the Buddha, they could receive the rays of forgiveness, recover their lost moral and purity.
6. I vow that all beings who are physically disabled or sick in all aspects be blessed with good health, both physically and mentally. All who pays homage to Buddha faithfully will be blessed. "