The Art of Healing: A Tibetan Buddhist Perspective

The Art of Healing: A Tibetan Buddhist Perspective

"Thus, the distant causes of the diseases are seated in the past mental environment which was influenced by "afflictive emotions" – Anger, Greed and Ignorance - mental factors that are the root cause of all illness. While these factors are impossible to enumerate, they are all the consequences of ignorance (Dhonden, p.15).

This ignorance is also called delusion. It is being unaware of our direct and eternal connection with the Divine. Ignorance generates other negative states of mind such as desire, hatred, jealousy and pride. Such negative emotions drive our thoughts, and our thoughts contribute to our suffering."

"Understanding one's emotions is an essential part of the Buddhist journey to full awakening and freedom form unwanted conditions of all sorts. However, since most of us have very little ability to work with our emotional energies without creating negative experiences, medicines and other remedies are required." 

"The Tibetan physician focuses his attention on spiritual factors even in the treatment of the simplest illnesses. Every Tibetan physician vows to 'regard medicine as an offering to the Medicine Buddha and all other medicine deities' and considers his 'medical instruments as holy objects' (Dummer, p. xix). Even the pharmaceuticals, which are mixtures of vegetable, animal and mineral compounds, are prepared with meticulous attention to religious ritual." 

"One can also petition the healing powers of the Medicine Buddha by visualization practices .... Even the name of the Medicine Buddha is believed to have the power to free one from the pattern of negative thoughts and emotions. Healing can occur just by speaking, hearing or concentrating on his name. Thus, for example, conceited persons will become humble, greedy persons will become charitable and those who cause dissent will become cooperative and loving just by hearing or saying his name." 

"Some examples of ritual involving the Medicine Buddha which are believed to have a curative or strengthening influence for the ill include meditating upon the deep blue color of lapis lazuli; making puja offerings of flowers and incense to the image of the deity; mentally or physically constructing an image of the deity; playing musical instruments and chanting; reading sutras; constructing altars, mandalas or banners; and lighting lamps."
 

"The significance of the Medicine Buddha as the Supreme Healer in Tibetan medicine for liberating the individual from suffering is an exemplary metaphor for the mystical elements which are universally inherent in the healing tradition. The tradition is truly a holistic approach to the problem of suffering, both individual suffering and suffering as a universal condition."