This is a stylized version of Medicine Master Buddha’s Mantra with 108 repetitions.

Below are quotes from Master Hsuan Hua‘s commentary on The Sutra of the Merit and Virtue of the Past Vows of Medicine Master Vaiḍūrya.

Sūtra:
At that time, the World-Honored One entered a samādhi called “extinguishing the suffering and distress of all beings.” After he entered this samādhi, a great light came forth from the prominence on top of his head. From amid that light he proclaimed this magnificent dhārāṇi:

Na mo bo qie fa di. Bi sha she. Ju lu bi liu li. Bo la po. He la she ye. Da tuo jie duo ye. E la he di. San miao san pu tuo ye. Da zhi tuo nan. Bi sha shi. Bi sha shi. Bi sha she. San mo jie di. Suo he.
…

Commentary:
If you recite this very short mantra faithfully and single-mindedly, you will find that it has infinitely many wonderful functions. A doctor can use this mantra to enable his patients to have a speedy recovery. With the mantra’s help, he can become an extremely good doctor. Everyone, whether you are a doctor or not, should recite this mantra. If you recite it on behalf of sick people, they will soon get well.

The mantra consists of transliterated sounds, which cannot be explained. You are not supposed to understand what the mantra means. It is wonderful precisely because it is not understood.

The ninth great vow concerns destroying the nets of demons and gaining liberation from the dense forests of the wrong views of heretics. Medicine Master Buddha said: “I vow that in a future life when I attain Bodhi, I shall free sentient beings from the nets of demons.” Right now as people, we are very close to the demons and very far from the Buddhas. If we wish to be a demon, we can do so anytime. If we wish to become Buddhas, we have to break through many dense forests of wrong views. We have to cast out wrong views and constantly cultivate right views before we can escape the demons’ nets. As these nets are very tough to break, we may easily become followers of demons and asuras. If we are always getting angry or doing stupid things, we are in the demons’ nets.

When a fisherman nets a big fish, he thinks, “What a big fish I’ve caught for supper today!” When a demon catches a person in its net, it thinks, “Great! I’ve got another person for my retinue.” How can we escape the nets of demons? It’s very simple. Just avoid getting mad and doing stupid things. Demons use their tricks to lead people to believe in wrong views, and it’s very difficult for them to get free. However, if we rely on the power of Medicine Master Buddha’s vow, it becomes very easy to escape the demons’ nets.

Because Medicine Master Buddha knew that living beings have many bad habits and faults and are prone to make mistakes, he made the fifth great vow, saying: I vow that in a future life when I attain Bodhi, when I become a Buddha, I shall enable limitless and boundless numbers of sentient beings, which includes you and me, who cultivate Brahmā conduct within my Dharma to perfectly uphold the three clusters of precepts without exception.” Brahmā conduct refers to pure conduct, to the strict observance of the precepts. Medicine Master Buddha vows that whoever practices the Buddha-dharma will be able to perfectly uphold the pure precepts. Pure upholding of precepts can be compared to a perfectly round, full moon.

The Three Clusters of Pure Precepts

1. The precepts for gathering in living beings
2. The precepts comprised of wholesome dharmas
3. The precepts comprised of the rules of discipline and deportment

Since it’s not easy for people to uphold the precepts, Medicine Master Buddha vowed, “Should there be any violation, upon hearing my name, they will regain their purity. In the event of having violated the precepts, if one hears my Buddha-name, one will return to the origin and not fall into the lower destinies. One will not fall into the hells, the realm of hungry ghosts, or the animal realm.”

In the “three clusters of pure precepts,” each cluster is a collection of many precepts. Just as there are said to be “three hundred rituals and three thousand modes of awe-inspiring deportment,” the precepts comprised of the rules of discipline and deportment are also a large collection of rules.

Wholesome dharmas refers to innumerably many kinds of dharmas. The precepts comprised of wholesome dharmas tell us to “do no evil and practice all good.” The precepts for gathering in living beings encompass all living beings. One wants to take all living beings across to Buddhahood. The three clusters of precepts are very many and therefore not easy to cultivate. What should we do if we accidentally transgress them? Medicine Master Buddha’s vow says, “If sentient beings transgress the precepts, after they hear my name, they will attain purity. They won’t fall into the lower destinies.”

Think it over. Medicine Master Buddha works so hard to gather in living beings. Shouldn’t we acknowledge his compassion? Shouldn’t we cultivate the precepts seriously and stop relying on his aid? Don’t think, “Medicine Master Buddha has vowed to save me even if I violate the precepts, so I don’t have to worry.” If we violate a precept unintentionally, without realizing it, he can help us regain purity. On the other hand, we cannot violate the precepts on purpose and think that the Buddha will save us.

Below are quotes from Master Hsuan Hua‘s commentary on The Sutra of the Merit and Virtue of the Past Vows of Medicine Master Vaiḍūrya.

Sūtra:
“The seventh great vow: ‘I vow that in a future life when I attain Bodhi, if there are sentient beings beset by many illnesses and who are poor and wretched without aid, without a place to turn, without a doctor, without medicine, without relatives, and without a family, upon hearing my name, they shall be cured of their illnesses, be peaceful and happy in body and mind, gain a family and relatives, acquire abundant property and wealth, and eventually realize unsurpassed Bodhi.”

Commentary:
Many newcomers still don’t know who Medicine Master Vaiḍūrya Light Tathāgata is. I shall tell you a little more about this Buddha. He is a great king of physicians who cures people without using medicine. Living beings only need to hear his name, and their illnesses will be cured.

Chinese physicians use the methods of observing, listening, inquiring, and feeling the pulse to diagnose a patient’s condition. Physicians are classified as “spiritual,” “sagely,” “skillful,” or “clever.” The “spiritual” are the very best, while the “sagely” are not quite as incredible. “Skillful” refers to those who have to apply some skill and effort before they can know a person’s condition. The “clever” can know in an ingenious way. In general, the “spiritual” know by observing; the “sagely” know by listening; the “skillful” know through inquiring; and the “clever” know through feeling the pulse. Ordinary doctors must use these four methods to diagnose sickness.

Medicine Master Buddha, however, doesn’t use these methods. He can cure people as long as they sincerely recite his name. That’s his special way of helping people. Such formidable spiritual power comes from the following vow.

The seventh great vow: “I vow that in a future life when I attain Bodhi, if there are sentient beings beset by many illnesses who are poor and wretched without aid, without a place to turn, without a doctor, without medicine, without relatives, and without a family. They have no one who can help them, and no safe place where they can take refuge. Being sick is the greatest suffering. They are poor and alone and beset by hardships.

Upon hearing my name, they shall be cured of their illnesses. If they hear my name, ‘Medicine Master Buddha Who Quells Disasters and Lengthens Life,’ they will be cured of all disease, without having to take medication or get shots, X-rays, or CAT scans. There’s no need for electrotherapy, acupuncture, or any other treatments or operations. However, this passage doesn’t mean that doctors will be out of business, so doctors should not worry.

These people will be peaceful and happy in body and mind, gain a family and relatives, acquire abundant property and wealth. They will fully regain physical and mental health. They will not be alone in the world, nor will they be poor.

And finally, they will eventually realize unsurpassed Bodhi.” All living beings have the Buddha-nature and can become Buddhas. The Buddha didn’t say, “I alone can become a Buddha, and no one else can.” Buddhism is very democratic. The Buddha is just the same as us, except that he has great wisdom, so he doesn’t say or do confused things. We study the Buddha’s teachings in order to learn to live in harmony, be good people, and ultimately, become wise Buddhas. However, if we do not behave properly, we will never become wise.

Next: Medicine Master Buddha’s Mantra

Below are quotes from Master Hsuan Hua‘s commentary on The Sutra of the Merit and Virtue of the Past Vows of Medicine Master Vaiḍūrya.

Reciting the Name of Medicine Master Buddha
At the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, we recite the name of Medicine Master Buddha in the morning and dedicate the merit to the Dharma-protectors of the City, praying that they will be safe from disasters and will enjoy long life. At noon we recite “Namo Fundamental Teacher Śākyamuni Buddha” in order to repay the kindness of Śākyamuni Buddha, who taught the Dharma to us. In the evening we recite the name of Amitabha Buddha, vowing to be born in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, where the three lower paths do not exist. In the Sahā world, we are troubled and afflicted every day, but in the Land of Ultimate Bliss and the Vaiḍūrya Land, there is only happiness.

The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas is a new monastery, and we recite the names of three different Buddhas in the morning, at noon, and in the evening. In this respect, we differ from monasteries in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, and other countries where they follow the Chinese Buddhist tradition and recite Amitabha Buddha’s name all the time. When monastics from other places visit the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, they think that we do everything wrong and do not understand the rules.

We do not claim that what we do at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas is correct. However, when we rise in the morning, we should emulate the vows of Medicine Master Buddha Who Quells Disasters and Lengthens Life. This will give us the fresh, youthful energy of dawn; an invigorating vitality like that of trees reviving after a drought or a spring bubbling forth from the ground. When we rise at dawn, the fire of our life burns brightly and everything is auspicious. At noon, we should be grateful to Śākyamuni Buddha for all the Dharma and sūtras that he taught us. At night, our thoughts return to the Land of Ultimate Bliss, the final haven where we wish to be reborn.

Two Buddhas, East and West
Śākyamuni buddha came to the Sahā world in order to help living beings resolve the problem of birth and death. He was born into a royal family, but he renounced the wealth of the kingdom and left his home in order to pursue the Truth. After he attained Buddhahood beneath the Bodhi Tree, he contemplated the conditions of living beings in the Sahā world and discovered that we have the deepest affinities with two Buddhas – Medicine Master Vaiḍūrya Light Tathagata in the East and Amitabha Tathāgata in the West. …

Although Akṣobhya (Medicine Master) Buddha is in the Vaiḍūrya Land and Amitabha Buddha is in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, both of these Buddhas teach and transform the living beings of the Sahā world. They have deep affinities with each and every one of us. Medicine Master Tathāgata is also known as “Medicine Master Buddha Who Quells Disasters and Lengthens Life;” Amitabha Tathāgata is known as both the “Buddha of Limitless Life” (Amitāyus) and the “Buddha of Limitless Light” (Amitābha).

If you are mindful of Medicine Master Buddha, he will bestow blessings and long life upon you and save you from disasters, illnesses, and offenses. He fulfills the wishes of all living beings. Amitabha Buddha enables beings to be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. If you wish to be reborn in that land, simply recite Amitabha Buddha’s name. If you wish to be born in the Vaiḍūrya Land, then recite the name of Medicine Master Vaiḍūrya Light Tathagata.

Magnetic Vows
Every Buddha and Bodhisattva, before achieving Buddhahood, makes infinitely many great vows to benefit and help living beings. When he becomes a Buddha, his vows come true, and, like a magnet, they attract living beings from the ten directions. If his vows are great, then the power of the magnet is great, and no matter how many living beings there are and how heavy their karmic obstacles are, his vows can draw them in. Living beings, despite their ignorance, can sense that he wishes to help them, and so they feel especially close to him. Deep down in their souls they intuitively sense this affinity. In the past, Medicine King Bodhisattva burned his body and gave up his life as an offering to the Buddhas. We, in contrast, can’t even bear to burn a finger, let alone our whole bodies.

Ordinary Origins of Great Vows
Medicine Master Buddha made this vow in his past lives when he was still cultivating as a bhikṣu; he was no different from you, me, and other living beings then. But because he made great vows, he was able to achieve Buddhahood very quickly. We still haven’t become Buddhas, because we are too selfish, greedy, and quarrelsome, and we don’t want to make great vows.

Next: Medicine Master’s 7th Great Vow