Bhaisajyaguru – The Medicine Buddha

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In Buddhist tradition the original healer was Buddha himself. Known as the Medicine Buddha he revealed the teachings embodied in the sacred bodies of texts known as the Four Medical Tantras. Buddhist medicine is said to have originated from this sacred scripture.

In statues, the Medicine Buddha is depicted with the left hand resting in his lap in Dhyana mudra, supporting a begging-bowl. His right palm faces outwards, offering, in a gesture of generosity, a stem of the myrobalan plant. This healing fruit is well-known in Tibetan medicine and symbolizes here the botanical realm's restorative potential.

However, Buddhist healing grants only a limited application to external medicine. It is considered sufficient only up to the level of removal of external symptoms of the malady. The cure for humankind's root illness is spiritual illumination, the way to which lies through our own efforts.