Medicine Buddha Retreat

This is a practice belonging to the Kriya Tantra, the first of the four classes of tantra. During the retreat, we will do four sessions each day, starting with prostrations to the 35 Buddhas and taking the Eight Mahayana Precepts in the morning of days 2-5, followed by The Concise Essence Sutra Ritual of Bhagavan Medicine Buddha called The Wish- fulfilling Jewel sadhana in the first session, and three sessions of the Medicine Buddha Practice, focusing on recitation of the mantra. Please see the schedule for further clarification.The sadhana (or method of accomplishment) consists of taking refuge, generating bodhicitta, and making prayers to the individual Medicine Buddhas to receive blessings. This is followed by a visualisation generating the Medicine Buddhas above the crown of one’s head. Below this beautiful merit field we recite the mantra of Medicine Buddha to receive blessings. Accumulating mantra is the main purpose of the retreat, so we are able to focus on mantra recitation utilising the Medicine Buddha Practice in sessions 2-4. We will be able to send the mantra count as an offering for Kyabje Lama Zopa’s long life at the end of the retreat.To make the practice more experiential and meaningful, lam rim meditations will be incorporated, as a motivation for the practice and to leave strong imprints of both sutra and tantra in our mindstreams. At the end of the retreat, we will offer extensive dedication for the long lives of our teachers and for world peace.

Retreat Schedule

Time Activity06.00-06.30 35 Buddhas06.30-08.00 Session 1

(starting with 8 Mahayana Precepts days 2 - 5)

8.00-9.30 Breakfast (Break days 2 - 5)9.30-11.00 Session 211.00-12.00 Break 12.00-13.00 Lam.rim meditation13.00-15.00 Lunch Break 15.00-16.30 Session 316.30-17.00 Tea Break17.00-18.30 Session 418.30-20.00 Dinner (Break days 2 – 5)20.00-21.00 Vajrasattva / King of Prayers and

dedications

A lovely idea to bring any medicines and vitamins to place on a table so that they are blessed, and also, if you wish, to bring photos of those who are ill or who have died to be included in our prayers. In this case, please ensure your medicines are in a container with your name on and that your photos are clearly identified. We will also have a list of their names for dedications.

Please bring a dorje and bell, if you have a set, for use during practice.

"It is very important that the elaborate Medicine Buddha puja (Wish-fulfilling Jewel sadhana) be done regularly in order to benefit all. Medicine Buddha puja is also something that can be done for people who are dying, or who have already passed away, and also for individual success in all kinds of activities. This Medicine Buddha practice is extremely powerful and beneficial especially when it is done with extensive offerings beautifully arranged." -Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Background to the Medicine Buddha practice

To the Bhagavan with great compassion,Whose name when merely heard dispels sufferings of the lower realms.

Dispeller of disease and the three poisons,I prostrate to the Medicine Buddha Lapis Lazuli Light.

Many aeons ago, seven bodhisattvas strongly prayed for the temporal and ultimate happiness of all sentient beings and that their names would become wish-fulfuling in order to heal both the mental and physical sicknesses and diseases of sentient beings.They vowed that their prayers will be actualized during these degenerate times when the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha are in decline. When they became enlightened, one of the ten powers of a Buddha is the power of prayer - that means that all the prayers that have been made get fulfilled. As the Buddha's holy speech is irrevocable, you can wholly trust in their power to quickly grant blessings to help all sentient beings in these degenerate times.They are called the Seven Medicine Buddhas. The main one is 'Lapis Buddha of Medicine, King of Light'. Buddha Shakyamuni taught the teachings on the Medicine Buddha, and according to one tradition, is also considered as one of the Medicine Buddhas, and hence the Eight Medicine Buddhas.

Benefits of the Practice Our Spiritual Director, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, explains: "Any living being

who hears the name of Medicine Buddha never gets reborn in the lower realms - that's the benefit of just hearing the name, the mantra of Medicine Buddha. This is due to the great compassion of the Medicine Buddhas."

It is very powerful for purification - it purifies any broken vows or precepts.

It is very powerful for healing sickness. And not only that, it is also very powerful for success.

Normally people think that Medicine Buddha is for healing but it's not only that! You can use the Medicine Buddha practice for ANY purpose, ANY problem, ANYTHING. The Medicine Buddha practice is so precious..