Human wisdom must be accompanied by compassion to serve the benefit of humanity. In building the Pure Crystal World, the Medicine Buddha vowed to utilize his highest understanding to serve the people there so that they may enjoy the happiest lives.
The Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha is similar. These are two models of Buddhist civilization, embodying compassion and maximizing happiness for its people...
Buddha Shakyamuni arrived at Guangyan City and preached the Medicine Buddha Sutra under a pine tree. The Buddha preached in the pine forest; the wind rustled the pines, and those with pure hearts perceived it as heavenly music. Guangyan City is another name for Vaishali City, where the Buddha preached the Vimalakirti Sutra. This was a relatively civilized, clean, and beautiful city where people and nature lived in harmony. The Buddha brought the assembly to this joyful city to speak of joy; this is how the Buddha preached according to circumstances. Arriving at Guangyan City, they found a scene of joy and peace, a stark contrast to the deathly scene of Rajagriha.
Manjushri Bodhisattva asked the Buddha about the Pure Lands of the Buddhas; in other words, whether there were any other cities better than this one. The Buddha replied that from here, heading eastward, ten billion Buddha-lands away, there is a world called Pure Lapis Lazuli. The ruler of this world is the Medicine Buddha Lapis Lazuli Light King Tathagata.
The Medicine Buddha built the Pure Lapis Lazuli world on the basis of twelve vows, some of which are similar to the 48 vows of Amitabha Buddha. These twelve vows are to apply to the social circumstances and needs of people in the Saha world.
The first vow is that the Medicine Buddha vowed to attain Supreme Enlightenment, which is the ultimate wisdom to help people overcome suffering, attain peace and happiness, and to know how to serve others. He knew that all of us have the potential to bring peace and happiness to ourselves and others; but due to a lack of wisdom, being obscured by ignorance, we cannot achieve liberation or do beneficial things for the world.
Even in the distant past, the Medicine Buddha already understood the immeasurable benefits of wisdom. Today, we can easily see that human strength is not equal to that of tigers or elephants, but we can control them through intelligence.
And the modern era is an era of scientific civilization, also due to the high level of human intelligence, creating many good conveniences for human life. However, humankind's development of intelligence without the guidance of compassion, without aiming to serve humanity in a good way, has caused much suffering to both humans and all living beings. For example, humans discovered atomic energy, the greatest power, but did not use it to serve humanity entirely; on the contrary, they used it to kill people. A prime example is the millions who died from the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. Or in the Vietnam War, the Americans also used modern weapons like Agent Orange, leaving devastating consequences for many people even forty years after the war ended.
Human intelligence must be accompanied by compassion to serve the benefit of humanity. In building the Pure Land of Lapis Lazuli, the Medicine Buddha vowed to utilize his highest understanding to serve the people there, enabling them to enjoy the most blissful lives. The Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha is similar. These are two models of Buddhist civilization, characterized by compassion and the pursuit of maximum happiness for its inhabitants. In these Pure Lands, there is no cruelty, danger, murder, hunger, disease, or suffering… unlike the modern human civilization that often destroys human lives and other sentient beings, causing countless terrible diseases and creating endless risks and dangers.
To save sentient beings, Bodhisattvas must possess the highest wisdom to utilize resources in space and within the earth to serve humanity without harming other species or the life of the earth. And the Medicine Buddha has achieved that goal. He transforms difficulties into the best amenities of a pure, beautiful, and joyful world, like the Pure Land.
By reciting the Medicine Buddha Sutra, chanting the name of the Medicine Buddha, and contemplating the first vow of the Medicine Buddha, we strive to elevate our understanding to a higher level. Suppose we are reborn there, to learn, practice, and build a civilized world like the Medicine Buddha; not for mere enjoyment.
Indeed, the Pure Land of the Medicine Buddha contains Bodhisattvas such as Sunlight, Moonlight, Medicine King, Supreme Medicine, Treasure Altar Flower… and many other great Bodhisattvas. These Buddhas are masters of extraordinary wisdom for us to learn from; surely, creating Pure Lands is not beyond our reach.
The second vow of the Medicine Buddha is to have a body like lapis lazuli, pure and radiant inside and out, radiating light in all ten directions, so that all sentient beings who see it will find peace.
The people of the Saha world develop wisdom, but their minds and bodies are wicked and impure, thus creating suffering for one another. In reality, the more intelligent people become, the more suffering they inflict on others. In the past, people fought with their hands, then with stones, then with swords and spears, and finally with guns and bullets—weapons of mass destruction and murder. Civilization, accompanied by greed and wickedness, has caused immeasurable harm to both humanity and all living beings.
The second vow of the Medicine Buddha is very profound, so I also vow to practice it. The body and mind of the Medicine Buddha are completely pure. Reading this, let us examine our own bodies and minds to see if they have any blemishes, so that we can begin to adjust and correct them. A pure mind is free from afflictions, karmic obstacles, and worldly defilements. These three things are blemishes. And of course, those who see our blemishes will criticize us. In our practice, we accept the criticism of others without anger or resentment; instead, we should thank them, because we cannot see our own faults. They dislike and disrespect us because our words are not pleasant or comforting, representing negative speech karma. From negative speech karma, we create language that people do not accept. As for physical karma, because we have committed many sins, our bodies are foul, ugly, and diseased.
Therefore, in our practice, we transform our physical karma into a body of merit by using this body to serve sentient beings or society. I see many people who are not beautiful in appearance, but they know how to practice and serve others; that is using merit to adorn their bodies, so they are also loved by many people. Earning the affection of others through good deeds is a way of cultivating virtuous merit. People think of us, or see us, because they see our good deeds. If our practice lacks virtue, how can we expect people to love us? We must cultivate virtuous merit like the Medicine Buddha. Regarding our outward appearance, which is most easily seen, we should focus on serving others and avoid causing trouble, so that people will think we are good and caring.
By reciting the Medicine Buddha Sutra and chanting the Medicine Buddha's name, we must purify our bodies and seek guidance from others to identify our faults. When we have a pure body, it means no one will criticize us. Furthermore, doing many beneficial things for the world, inspiring others to cultivate compassion, partially reflects the meaning of the Medicine Buddha's vow: "All sentient beings in darkness will see my body and find peace."
Alongside a pure body, deep within our minds we must also recognize the arising of deluded thoughts and the state of mind that is tranquil. We must maintain a tranquil mind. We chant scriptures, pay homage to the Buddha, walk in meditation, eat, and generally, all our activities must be in a state of mindfulness, with a calm and peaceful mind. For example, when eating, focus on eating, without thinking about whether it's delicious or not; because the mind is calm, there is no discrimination of food. Just eating to live is eating mindfully, without discrimination, without distracting thoughts, so whether the food is delicious or not doesn't matter. If you think the food is bad, you can't swallow it. The same applies to chanting scriptures; focus your mind, follow the Buddha's teachings, and reflect on the vows of the Medicine Buddha and how he attained Buddhahood. Shakyamuni Buddha spoke of the actions of the Medicine Buddha to remind us to follow his example. In other words, the Buddha presented the Medicine Buddha as a model to teach us to practice the Bodhisattva path, to adorn ourselves, so that in the future we too may attain the same state as the Medicine Buddha..
Nguyện thứ ba của Đức Phật Dược Sư là sử dụng được phương tiện; vì thông minh và đạo đức, nhưng không có phương tiện, không làm được. Thí dụ, phải có bình lọc nước là phương tiện để lọc nước cho sạch; cũng vậy, tâm người dơ bẩn thì phải có pháp để thanh lọc tâm cho trong sạch. Vì thế, Đức Phật Thích Ca khẳng định rằng vì chúng sanh nhiều nghiệp chướng, nên Ngài đưa ra nhiều pháp môn là những phương tiện tu để hóa giải. Điển hình như trước kia Đức Phật không theo pháp tu khổ hạnh nữa, khiến năm anh em Kiều Trần Như nghĩ xấu về Ngài. Đến khi Đức Phật thành đạo, Ngài trở lại giáo hóa năm vị này. Họ nhận thấy Phật thân tâm thanh tịnh, nên tôn kính, mới độ được họ. Đức Phật tìm được phương pháp tu để hóa giải những suy nghĩ cố chấp của họ, giúp họ đắc được quả vị La hán.
Ngày nay, hành đạo Bồ-tát ở Ta-bà, đối tượng của chúng ta là chúng sanh, chúng sanh nghiệp, chúng sanh phiền não. Niệm Phật Dược Sư, nhớ nghĩ đến lời nguyện thứ ba của Ngài, chúng ta cũng cố gắng tìm cách tốt nhất để hóa giải chúng sanh, chúng sanh nghiệp, chúng sanh phiền não. Nếu chưa hóa giải được ba thứ này trở nên tốt đẹp, chúng ta cũng không cho chúng tác hại tâm mình.
Nguyện thứ tư, nếu có người theo tà đạo, Đức Dược Sư khiến họ trở về Chánh đạo. Nếu theo Nhị thừa, Ngài khiến họ cầu Vô thượng giác. Phải có khả năng, uy tín, đạo lực, mới chuyển đổi được người khác đi theo con đường chân chánh. Không đủ uy tín, đạo lực mà nói là bị họ giết, như ở Ấn Độ có 93 tôn giáo, trong đó có nhiều người rất ác; nói khác là họ giết liền.
Xưa kia, Đức Phật Thích Ca cảm hóa được hàng tà đạo, người mê tín, vì Ngài có đủ ba nguyện đầu tiên giống như Đức Phật Dược Sư. Ngày nay, cũng có tà đạo rất nhiều. Tà đạo làm sai trái và dọa nạt người. Đức Dược Sư nhận thấy rõ khi tu Bồ-tát đạo, nói họ không nghe, còn bị giết. Vì thế, Ngài nguyện rằng sau khi thành Phật, Ngài sẽ giáo hóa những người xấu ác này. Với người theo tà đạo, Ngài khiến họ trở về Chánh đạo. Người tu Nhị thừa, hay Thanh văn thì chỉ nhận, không cho, khất thực xong rồi tu cho riêng họ. Duyên giác thì lo phát huy hiểu biết của tự thân. Sống trong xã hội, nếu mọi người chỉ lo riêng bản thân mình, dễ tạo ra sự tranh chấp. Thấy như vậy, Đức Phật Dược Sư nguyện chuyển tâm ích kỷ của người thành tâm vị tha, tức cầu Vô thượng giác. Phát Bồ-đề tâm, thấy được lợi ích vô cùng của sinh hoạt toàn diện hài hòa là vô ngã vị tha và phát huy mọi việc làm theo hướng kết hợp tất cả cùng thăng hoa. Tuy nhiên, muốn làm được việc chung như thế, bản thân ta phải làm trước, phải có nhận thức đúng đắn nhất, đời sống cao thượng nhất và đầy đủ phương tiện nhất, thì người mới theo. Nói cách khác, phải thành tựu ba điều đầu tiên như Đức Dược Sư là trí tuệ tuyệt đỉnh, thân như ngọc lưu ly và đủ phương tiện trí, mới làm được việc thứ tư là chuyển hóa được ngoại đạo và Nhị thừa.
Tụng kinh Dược Sư, nghĩ đến nguyện thứ tư của Ngài, chúng ta từ bỏ tâm ích kỷ để cùng sống hài hòa với đại chúng, phát huy tâm vô ngã vị tha trên bước đường tiến đến Vô thượng Bồ-đề.thứ năm, với người tu Nhị thừa, Đức Dược Sư khiến họ phát tâm Bồ-đề và phát tâm rồi, Ngài khiến họ có được Tam tụ tịnh giới.
Nguyện thứ năm, với người tu Nhị thừa, Đức Dược Sư khiến họ phát tâm Bồ-đề và phát tâm rồi, Ngài khiến họ có được Tam tụ tịnh giới.
Chưa thành Phật, chúng ta có lúc tốt, lúc xấu. Nhưng không tốt là hủy phạm thì đọa vào ba đường ác. Thí dụ người cúng dường, bố thí một khoảng thời gian lại khởi ác tâm, tức tâm đã thay đổi. Nhẹ nhất là thoái Bồ-đề tâm, từ bỏ tâm vị tha, theo cách sống vị kỷ; nhưng hậu quả tệ hơn nữa là thân bệnh hoạn, tâm buồn phiền, hoàn cảnh sống khó khăn thêm. Khi thoái tâm, phạm sai lầm như vậy, đáng lẽ bị đọa ác đạo; nhưng ta nhớ đến Đức Phật Dược Sư có trí tuệ tuyệt vời và công đức lực giáo hóa vô cùng, thì tiến tu trở lại được và thân tâm ta cũng được thanh tịnh.
Nguyện thứ sáu, Đức Phật Dược Sư thấy trên cuộc đời này có nhiều người thân hình xấu xí, bị người khinh chê, ruồng bỏ, vì tai điếc, mắt mù, nói năng ngọng liệu, tay chân tật nguyền, lác hủi, điên cuồng. Những người này đau khổ, họ càng ác nữa, thì sẽ bị đọa. Đức Phật Dược Sư nghĩ cứu họ, vì Ngài có trí phương tiện, là có cách giải quyết cho họ thoát khổ.
Speaking of this vow of the Medicine Buddha, we recall the Buddha Shakyamuni praising the beneficial deeds of Bodhisattvas. At that time, the monks told the Buddha that since they had renounced the world and no longer possessed wealth, what could they possibly do to cultivate Bodhi-mind? The Buddha replied that he only feared their own inferiority; if they had the intention to help, they could still do it. He said, "Find those of lower status to teach, and they will still listen. For example, in the city, they may not be as successful as others, but young teachers going to remote areas or ethnic minority regions can certainly teach. Everyone has their own strengths, and by utilizing those strengths, anyone can do it." The Buddha taught the monks that if they had plenty of food while begging, they could share it with others, or even feed a few grains of rice to birds.
The Medicine Buddha possessed skillful means to help and transform the lives of those who were merely parasites into people striving towards Supreme Enlightenment—good people. If one knows how to practice and live according to the Buddha's teachings, they will gradually attain liberation. The Lotus Sutra mentions that a poor beggar who took refuge in a temple, even sweeping leaves, received food, shelter, and clothing. But if one knows how to reduce spending and has surplus, they can still help others.
By reciting the name of the Medicine Buddha, we follow his good example, helping those less fortunate than ourselves. Depending on our merit, reputation, and ability, we can contribute to bringing happiness to those less fortunate. Surely, the Medicine Buddha will guide us further on this path of goodness.
The seventh vow concerns those suffering from serious illnesses, who are poor and have no one to rely on because everyone avoids them. The Medicine Buddha seeks to help them escape their illness, achieve peace of mind and body, and receive love and closeness from others.
Today, this vow of the Medicine Buddha is manifested through the compassionate image of Thai monks who dedicate themselves to helping people with AIDS. At centers built and run by Buddhist monks, the selfless compassion of Buddhist disciples has been bestowed upon those afflicted with the terrible disease of the century, a disease few dare approach. The monks have guided patients in applying Buddhist teachings to alleviate physical pain, relieve mental anguish caused by their illness, and prepare them for a peaceful departure from this temporary human existence to a peaceful world.
The eighth vow, for those born in the form of women who suffer greatly, the Medicine Buddha also has a way of guiding them in their practice, transforming them into male bodies by changing their female minds and karma. A woman's mind is weak and needs care. Now, relying on the Medicine Buddha, they strive to improve themselves. Practical experience shows that some women accomplish more important things than men. Therefore, women need to change their weak nature and strive to develop masculinity. Transforming from female to male involves developing one's intelligence, at the very least securing employment, and at the higher levels, holding high-ranking leadership positions in society such as president, minister, chairman, etc., thus demonstrating superior intelligence and good fortune. Although possessing a female body, one has the willpower of a man, thus creating the necessary qualities of a male.
Before practicing Buddhism, people think they need to get married to live, need a life partner to rely on, and need sentimental feelings. But practicing the Medicine Buddha, women develop a compassionate heart, doing charity work, helping others, learning to live independently, creating their own careers with their own hands and minds, creating their own joy in life, and rejoicing in the joy of others...
The ninth vow: If someone falls into the trap of evil, bound by false doctrines, the Medicine Buddha will free them from fear of evil. This is possible because the Medicine Buddha has greater power than the evil, so they fear Him and He can persuade them to abandon the evil path. He transforms their hearts towards Supreme Enlightenment, so that by living in the Right Dharma, evil cannot harm them; this is called "evil cannot touch righteousness."
The tenth vow: For those who have committed mistakes and are imprisoned, the Medicine Buddha has a great vow to save these ignorant people by bringing them to the Pure Land of Lapis Lazuli. If they remain in the Saha world, they will be surrounded by three kinds of demons, unable to escape, especially the five aggregates demons—internal karma and external celestial demons—causing difficulties and making escape hard.
To be able to practice in the Pure Lapis Lazuli world, even if doing menial work, they will not be burdened by debt. First, in His world, the mind is at peace, only then can ignorance be resolved; here, this ignorance gives rise to other mistakes. He builds the Pure Lapis Lazuli world and cultivates its inhabitants to become good, capable, and virtuous people, then allows them to return to the Saha world to repay their debts.
By reciting the Medicine Buddha Sutra, we also follow His example, within our area of expertise, guiding people to live and work in a virtuous direction so that they do not violate discipline, accomplish their work, and have a peaceful life.
The eleventh vow: for those who seek food but create evil karma, the Medicine Buddha provides them with sufficient food and teaches them the Buddha's teachings, enabling them to attain Supreme Enlightenment. This is a unique solution of the Pure Land of Lapis Lazuli, which we here find difficult to understand, so we dare not discuss it. But according to the Master, vegetarianism does not involve killing living beings. Furthermore, we should reduce our food intake, eating just enough to survive, even eating lightly or sparingly; because our material needs are not great, we can satisfy them ourselves and have surplus to give to the poor and needy.
Regarding the twelfth vow, the poor and needy lack clothing, but the Medicine Buddha provides them not only with sufficient necessities but also with plenty of beautiful clothes.
The last two vows concerning food and clothing were addressed by Shakyamuni Buddha for practitioners in the Saha world through the "Three Constants of Inadequacy," meaning eating and dressing sparingly, living a life of purity, and not demanding much material wealth. However, the Medicine Buddha indicates that in the Pure Land of Lapis Lazuli, people are able to eat and dress comfortably.
In short, the Medicine Buddha clearly saw that people faced many difficulties due to a lack of material possessions, health, money, and wisdom, while also having an abundance of diseases, poverty, ignorance, and accidents; in general, possessing all kinds of evil, making it easy for people to commit many sins or hinder their progress on the Bodhisattva path.
With boundless compassion and immeasurable merit and wisdom, the Medicine Buddha made twelve vows while practicing the Bodhisattva path, leading to the creation of a Pure Land called the Lapis Lazuli Pure Land, a world of complete goodness. In his Eastern Pure Land, there is an abundance of treasures, excellent uplifting education, and people live together with great compassionate and wise Bodhisattvas. Under the guidance of the Medicine Buddha and his holy assembly, the people of that world enjoy the best means to quickly attain the state of Supreme Enlightenment.
To prepare ourselves for the Pure Land of Medicine Buddha, I believe that by reciting the Medicine Buddha Sutra, chanting the name of Medicine Buddha, contemplating His virtues, and thinking of His pure world, we must strive to cultivate ourselves according to the vows of Medicine Buddha. These are the stepping stones for us to reach His Pure Land.
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