I would like to introduce you to my good friend Medicine Buddha.  Now, before you start thinking I’m batshit crazy, just give it a listen.

Yes, it is Thursday, and I usually write about what i did, learned, etc with Sangha.  But I’ve wanted to get something together about Medicine Buddha for a while.  And the discussion of the many available Buddhas did come up, so I am more so inspired to share. 

Buddhism has A LOT of different Buddhas.  I find this logically sound and encouraging.  See, if we’re all beings bound for enlightenment (we all achieve buddhahood), then its nice to see that so many have already done so and are now looking out for schlubby Buddhas-to-be like me. 

Now, if Buddhism isn’t your thing, I will liken the many Buddhas (loosely, of course) to the plethora of saints in Catholicism.  They each have dedicated their existence to bettering your life in a specific area you may need help.  I formerly found the practice of saint involvement creepy and unnecessary (especially upon hearing of the patron saint of real estate, not kidding, look it up).  However, in my exploration of the Buddhas, I now ‘get’ the purpose of saints.  It’s nice to feel you have someone around who is a specialist. 

I’m especially fond of Medicine Buddha.  Mi introduced me to him, and gifted me the Medicine Buddha Sadhana (a ritual/prayer book).  Basically his purpose is to remove suffering caused by (this is a small sampling of the list) illness, mental or physical pain, poverty, oppression, and mosquitoes.  I hate mosquitoes.  This Buddha is for ME!  Ok, in all seriousness, I have faith that this particular entity is on my side.  Why, you ask??  Here’s the story.

In May of this year, I had surgery.  Big surgery, the kind with 200+ stitches, 4 hours long, lots of scarring, and for which you aren’t expected to move about the cabin for a couple of days.  The kind that requires Big Girl Painkillers.

I was all about Medicine Buddha mantra.  Said it on my way into surgery, and said it on my way out of the hospital.  I hate needles and  blood.  I was nervous.  But I mantra’d my ass off until I was in sleepy land.  I woke up that evening packed tightly in gauze and to my delight, only slightly sore.  I helped myself to the vicodin for a few nights to help with sleeping on my back (hate that!).  But I had NO real pain.  None.  Zero.  After just two weeks, Mi looked at some of the incisions (my own personal nurse, thanks!) and they looked and felt like they were old scars.  I know Mi did MB prayers for me.  I know others were sending good thoughts for a speedy recovery, all of which I am sure contributed to the fantastic results i do have now.

I will add my current employ of MB, which involves no needles or blood (as of yet).  The emotional and mental distress I’m experiencing as my current relationship draws to a close, the quiet time during evenings is particularly painful.  My thoughts and questions never stop, often bringing me to tears.  This is where I’ve been calling on MB.  I play the recorded sadhana, which is in part set to music, is very relaxing and focuses my thoughts.  I can imagine MB sitting above my head, filling me with healing blue light. 

Let’s take it from a skeptic’s perspective.  Even if I’m not actually being filled with healing blue light, it has for that moment, removed my painful thought process.  I can find a second to smile, being reminded that there are beings that actually do carry the world’s burdens and pray endlessly for suffering to cease.  I don’t know about you, but touching that particular reality softens the pain and warms my heart. 

Now, I could be writing the same about St. Raphael, Patron Saint of Travelers and of Good Health.  It doesn’t really matter, I guess.  The intention to send someone health (or requesting your own) is a powerful one, I suppose, regardless of what medium you select to do it.  It is an appeal to the beings, both tangible and intangible, to pool their energies to heal those in need.  I like that. 

With that, I give you Medicine Buddha and a wish for good health (and freedom from suffering caused by mosquitoes).

 

Really interesting!
I get something similiar from reiki practises. In the west it's normally thought of as 'only' a healing process - in the Japan it's more of a spirutal path. We get filled with healing light, channel that same light into others. BUT you can actually feel the heat! You'd think soemone was holding a fire over you!! I was quite prepared for it to be suggestion and my mind colluding on a fantasy. But this cannot explain why animals react too. I treated a horse that had been badly injured. I know knothing of horses but its rider was knocked out the way it reacted duing the entire session and after. "Horses just don't do that!" she said. It inspired her to learn and practise reiki.

There certainly are lots of healing energies out there we have yet to understand and different practises like buddhism and reiki tap into the network/grid and give you the 'on' switch just like being connected to an electrical grid or the world wide web.

~Hazel (obviously also batshit crazy!)