Buddhist Deity: Medicine Buddha Iconography
Medicine Buddha Main PageSubjects, Topics & Types:
- Description (below)
- Outline Page
- All Figures (Single Composition)
- Eight Medicine Buddhas
- Eight Medicine Buddha Brothers (Blockprints)
- Prajnaparamita Substitute
- Retinue Figures (Miscellaneous)
- Buddha Appearance
- Confusions: Akshobhya Buddha, Nageshvara Raja Buddha
- Others....
Videos:
- Medicine Buddha, 1
- Medicine Buddha, 2
- Medicine Buddha Mandalas
Mandala Deities:
- Mandala Deities List
- Medicine Buddha & Prajnaparamita
- Inner Circle of Eight Buddha Figures
- Sixteen Bodhisattvas
- Ten Gods
- Twelve Yaksha Generals
- Four Guardian Kings
Textual Description: "...Bhagavan, Medicine Guru, with a body dark blue in colour, one face and two hands. The right hand is in the mudra of supreme generosity holding an arura, left in meditative equipoise holding a bowl of nectar; with splendid glorious marks and examples. Wearing three religious robes, two feet are seated in vajra posture. On the right is the Conqueror's son Suryabhaskara, with a body red in colour, the left hand holds a lotus marked with a sun. On the left is Chandrabhaskara, white, the left hand holds a lotus marked with a moon. Both right hands perform the mudra of supreme generosity. The retinue of the Lord are adorned with silks and jewels, standing on lotus and moon seats in a manner of homage." (Written by Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, 1820-1892. The Collected Works of the Great Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, vol.12, fol.49-51. sGrub Thabs Kun bTus, vol.5, fol.156-158. Translated October, 1994).
Description: Medicine Guru Buddha (Sanskrit: Bhaishajyaguru) is also known by the name Vaidurya Prabha Raja, the 'King of Sapphire Light.' Dark blue in colour, with one face and two hands he holds in the right hand a myrobalan fruit (Latin: terminalia chebula. Skt.: haritaki). The left hand is placed in the lap in the gesture of meditation supporting a begging bowl with the open palm. Adorned with the orange and yellow patchwork robes of a fully ordained monk, the left arm covered, he appears in the nirmanakaya aspect of a fully enlightened buddha. In vajra posture above a moon disc, he sits on a lotus and ornate lion supported throne with a back rest. At each side of Medicine Buddha stand the two principal bodhisattva attendants. To the left is the yellow bodhisattva Suryabhaskara (Rays of the Sun) and to the right is white Chandrabhaskara (Rays of the Moon).
Database Search: All Images | Paintings | Sculpture | Mandala
Jeff Watt 5-2007 [updated 10-2014, 5-2017, 8-2018, 12-2019]
(The images below are only a selection of examples from the links above).
