佛說藥師如來本願經

Thus have I heard. At one time the Bhagavān, the Blessed One, was traveling among the people and came to the country of Vaiśālī, where he dwelt beneath the Musical Tree together with a great assembly of eight thousand bhikṣus. Thirty-six thousand bodhisattvas, kings, ministers, brahmins, householders, devas, nāgas, asuras, gandharvas, garuḍas, kiṃnaras, mahoragas, and others formed a great assembly surrounding him while he taught the Dharma.

At that time Mañjuśrī, Prince of the Dharma, through the Buddha’s awesome spiritual power, rose from his seat, bared one shoulder, knelt with his right knee upon the ground, faced the Bhagavān, joined his palms, bowed, and said: “Blessed One, I pray that you proclaim the names and the original resolve by which the buddhas made their supremely excellent great vows, so that sentient beings who hear them may eliminate their karmic hindrances, and so that the sentient beings of future ages, when the true Dharma is declining, may be gathered in and protected.”

The Bhagavān then praised the youth Mañjuśrī, saying: “Excellent, excellent, Mañjuśrī! Out of great loving-kindness and immeasurable compassion, you have asked me to speak for the benefit of sentient beings bound by every kind of karmic hindrance, and to bring benefit, peace, and happiness to devas and humans.

“Mañjuśrī, remember well and listen attentively to what I shall say.”

The youth Mañjuśrī, delighted to hear the Buddha speak, replied: “Yes, Blessed One.”

The Buddha told Mañjuśrī: “To the east of this buddha realm, beyond buddha lands as numerous as the sands of more than ten Ganges Rivers, there is a world called Pure Vaiḍūrya. In that realm is a Buddha named Medicine Master Vaiḍūrya Light (Bhaiṣajyaguru-vaiḍūrya-prabha), the Tathagata, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Persons, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha, and Blessed One.

“Mañjuśrī, when that Blessed One Medicine Master Vaiḍūrya Light was practicing the bodhisattva path, he made twelve great vows. What are the twelve?

_ The first great vow: ‘I vow that in a future life, when I attain perfect enlightenment at the seat of bodhi, my own body shall shine with brilliant light, illuminating immeasurable, innumerable, and boundless worlds. I shall be adorned with the thirty-two marks of a great man and the eighty minor characteristics. As my body shall be, so shall I cause all sentient beings to become, without any difference.’

_ The second great vow: ‘I vow that in a future life, when I attain bodhi, my body shall be like vaiḍūrya, pure within and without, flawless and immaculate. Its light shall be vast, its majestic virtue radiant, its body well established, and its blazing web of splendor shall surpass the sun and moon. If sentient beings born in the world, or among humans, are obscured by darkness and night and cannot discern their direction or location, then by my light they shall be able to go wherever they intend and accomplish their endeavors.’

_ The third great vow: ‘I vow that in a future life, when I attain bodhi, through boundless and limitless skillful wisdom I shall enable the immeasurable beings of all realms to enjoy inexhaustible necessities, so that not a single person shall suffer deprivation.’

_ The fourth great vow: ‘I vow that in a future life, when I attain bodhi, I shall establish in the path of bodhi all sentient beings who follow other paths within the various states of existence. Those who follow the śrāvaka path or the pratyekabuddha path shall all be established in the Mahayana.’

_ The fifth great vow: ‘I vow that in a future life, when I attain bodhi, if immeasurable and boundless sentient beings cultivate pure conduct within my Dharma, they shall all observe the precepts without deficiency, fully possessing the three collections of pure precepts. None who violate the precepts shall thereby fall into an evil destiny.’

_ The sixth great vow: ‘I vow that in a future life, when I attain bodhi, if sentient beings have inferior bodies, deficient faculties, ugly features, stupidity, deafness, blindness, lameness, crippled legs, bent bodies, hunchbacks, leprosy, insanity, or any other physical illness, then upon hearing my name they shall all acquire complete faculties and perfectly formed bodies.’

_ The seventh great vow: ‘I vow that in a future life, when I attain bodhi, if sentient beings are tormented by illness, without aid, refuge, dwelling, livelihood, medicine, or relatives, and are poor and pitiable, then, upon hearing my name, all their illnesses shall be removed and they shall be free from pain and distress, until they ultimately attain unsurpassed bodhi.’

_ The eighth great vow: ‘I vow that in a future life, when I attain bodhi, if a woman, being afflicted by the hundred sufferings of womanhood and marriage, becomes weary of the female body and wishes to relinquish the female form, then, upon hearing my name, her female body shall be transformed into the form of a great man, until she ultimately attains unsurpassed bodhi.’

_ The ninth great vow: ‘I vow that in a future life, when I attain bodhi, I shall release all sentient beings from Māra’s net. If they have fallen into the dense forest of wrong views, I shall establish them in right view and gradually lead them to practice the bodhisattva path.’

_ The tenth great vow: ‘I vow that in a future life, when I attain bodhi, if sentient beings are bound, beaten, imprisoned, or condemned to death under royal law, or if immeasurable calamities, sorrow, and oppression cause their bodies and minds to suffer, then through the power of my merit they shall all be freed from every pain and affliction.’

_ The eleventh great vow: ‘I vow that in a future life, when I attain bodhi, if sentient beings are scorched by hunger and commit evil deeds in their search for food, I shall first satisfy their bodies with fragrant, colorful, and delicious food, and afterward establish them in ultimate peace and happiness through the flavor of the Dharma.’

_ The twelfth great vow: ‘I vow that in a future life, when I attain bodhi, if sentient beings are poor and without clothing, tormented day and night by heat, cold, mosquitoes, and biting insects, I shall bestow upon them whatever clothing they require, in every color and form they delight in. I shall also provide all precious ornaments, garlands, fragrant ointments, drums, music, and every form of artistry, fulfilling all their needs.’

“These are the twelve great vows made in former times by the Blessed One, Medicine Master Vaiḍūrya Light Tathagata, while practicing as a bodhisattva.

“Furthermore, Mañjuśrī, even if I were to speak for an entire kalpa, I could not exhaustively describe all the vows of Medicine Master Vaiḍūrya Light Tathagata or the meritorious adornments of his buddha land.

“That Buddha’s land is perfectly pure. There are no female forms, no evil desires, no evil destinies, and not even the sound of suffering. The ground is made of vaiḍūrya. Its city gates, walls, great doors, windows, halls, towers, lofty beams, surrounding nets, and all else are made of the seven precious substances. Like the Land of Ultimate Bliss, the Pure Vaiḍūrya Realm is adorned in this way.

“In that land are two bodhisattva-mahāsattvas. The first is named Sunlight (Sūryaprabha), and the second Moonlight (Candraprabha). They are the foremost among immeasurable and innumerable bodhisattvas and preserve the treasury of the true Dharma of the Blessed One Medicine Master Vaiḍūrya Light Tathagata.

“Therefore, Mañjuśrī, faithful good men and good women should vow to be born in that Buddha’s land.”

The Blessed One then again told the youth Mañjuśrī: “Mañjuśrī, some sentient beings do not distinguish good from evil. They are insatiably greedy, do not understand generosity or its karmic fruit, are foolish and without wisdom, lack the faculty of faith, and hoard and guard their wealth, unwilling to share it. Because they have no generous mind, when they see a beggar approach, they become as distressed as though flesh were being cut from their bodies.

“There are also immeasurable miserly and greedy beings who dare not even spend anything on themselves and are unwilling to give to their parents, wives, or children, much less to servants, hired laborers, or other beggars. When such beings die in the human realm, they will be reborn among hungry ghosts or animals.

“Yet because they once heard the name of Medicine Master Vaiḍūrya Light Tathagata while living among humans, whether they are in the realm of hungry ghosts or animals, the Tathagata’s name may momentarily appear before them. As soon as they recollect it, they die in that realm and are reborn among humans. They attain knowledge of former lives, fear the evil destinies, cease to delight in sensual pleasures, enjoy practicing generosity, praise those who give, and become capable of relinquishing everything. Gradually, they can even give their head, eyes, hands, feet, blood, flesh, and entire body to those who ask, much less other possessions.

“Furthermore, Mañjuśrī, some sentient beings, though they honor the Tathagata and undertake the rules of training, violate the precepts, proper conduct, or right view. Others study and uphold the precepts but do not seek extensive learning and therefore do not understand the profound meaning of the sūtras spoken by the Buddha. Still others are learned but conceited, considering themselves right and others wrong. They doubt and slander the true Dharma and become companions of Māra. Such fools, together with immeasurable hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of other sentient beings, practice false paths and will fall into the hells, where they wander without end.

“Because they have heard the name of the Blessed One Medicine Master Vaiḍūrya Light Tathagata, however, while in hell the awesome power of that Buddha may cause the Tathagata’s name to appear momentarily before them. They then die there and are reborn among humans, possessing right view, diligence, and a pure and wholesome mind. They become able to leave home, go forth in the Tathagata’s teaching, study the path, and gradually cultivate the practices of bodhisattvas.

“Furthermore, Mañjuśrī, some sentient beings are jealous, praising only themselves and never others. Because they are arrogant and disparage others, they fall into the three evil destinies and for immeasurable thousands of years suffer grievous torments. After those immeasurable thousands of years, they die there and are reborn as cattle, horses, camels, or donkeys. They are beaten with whips and sticks, tormented by hunger and thirst, bridled and burdened with heavy loads as they travel along the road. If they are born among humans, they always occupy a lowly station, becoming servants who are ordered about by others.

“If formerly, while among humans, they heard the name of Medicine Master Vaiḍūrya Light Tathagata, then through this wholesome root they are freed from all suffering. Their faculties become keen; they become intelligent and learned, constantly seek wholesome roots, obtain good companions who always accompany them, cut through Māra’s net, break the shell of ignorance, dry up the river of afflictions, and escape all birth, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, and anguish.

“Furthermore, Mañjuśrī, some sentient beings delight in perversity and division, quarreling and bringing lawsuits against one another. They cause beings to give rise to evil thoughts, while continually committing evil deeds with body, speech, and mind. Wishing to harm one another, they repeatedly engage in injurious acts. They may summon forest spirits, tree spirits, mountain spirits, spirits of burial grounds, and many other spirits. They kill animals and offer their flesh and blood in sacrifice to yakṣas, rākṣasas, and all those who feed on flesh and blood. They write the names of their enemies, make images of them, and employ poisons, spells, curses, sorcery, witchcraft, and incantations invoking corpse-raising ghosts, seeking to sever their lives and destroy their bodies.

“Yet because they hear the name of the Blessed One Medicine Master Vaiḍūrya Light Tathagata, these evil practices cannot harm them. All come to aid one another, giving rise to kindness and a wish to benefit others, without suspicion, resentment, or anger. Each becomes joyful, and they accept and support one another.

“Furthermore, Mañjuśrī, the fourfold assembly of bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās, together with faithful good men and good women, may undertake the eight-part fasting precepts for one year or for three months. Through these wholesome roots, according to what they delight in and aspire to:

“If they wish to be born in the presence of Amitābha Tathagata in the Land of Ultimate Bliss in the west, then because they have heard the name of the Blessed One Medicine Master Vaiḍūrya Light Tathagata, at the end of their lives eight bodhisattvas will come through the sky and show them the direct path. They will at once be spontaneously born in that realm within multicolored padma lotus flowers.

“If they wish instead to be born in a heavenly realm, they will attain such rebirth. Because their former wholesome roots are inexhaustible, they will never again be born in an evil destiny. When their heavenly lives end, they will be born among humans as wheel-turning kings, ruling freely over the four continents and establishing immeasurable hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of sentient beings in the path of the ten wholesome actions.

“Or they may be born into a great kṣatriya family, a great brahmin family, or a wealthy householder’s family, with gold, silver, silks, and treasures filling their storehouses. They will possess handsome forms, freedom, abundant families and attendants, and the strength of a mighty champion.

“If a woman hears the name of this Tathagata and single-mindedly accepts and upholds it, she will thereafter permanently leave the female body.”

The youth Mañjuśrī then said to the Buddha: “Blessed One, in future ages I shall use every skillful means to disseminate the name of the Blessed One Medicine Master Vaiḍūrya Light Tathagata among faithful good men and good women, so that they may hear it. Even while they sleep, I shall awaken them by proclaiming the Buddha’s name beside their ears.

“If people accept and uphold this sūtra, read and recite it, proclaim it, explain and elucidate it to others, copy it themselves or cause others to copy it, or place the scroll in a clean container of five-colored silk and install it in a place that has been swept and purified, offering many kinds of flowers, incense, fragrant ointments, precious banners, pennants, and canopies, then the Four Great Heavenly Kings, together with their retinues and hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of other devas, will come to that place.

“Wherever this sūtra circulates, or wherever someone recites and upholds it and has heard the name of Medicine Master Vaiḍūrya Light Tathagata and the supremely excellent great vows he formerly made, know that there will be no calamity of untimely death. Nor will ghosts seize and carry away anyone’s vital spirit. Even if it has already been seized, it will be restored as before.”

The Buddha said: “So it is, so it is, Mañjuśrī, just as you have said.

“Mañjuśrī, if faithful good men or good women wish to make offerings to that Tathagata, they should make an image of him. For seven days and seven nights they should undertake the eight-part fasting precepts, eat pure food, scatter many kinds of flowers and burn many kinds of incense in a clean place, and adorn that place with various silks, banners, and pennants. They should bathe, put on fresh and clean garments, and give rise to a mind free from defilement and harmful anger.

Toward all sentient beings they should give rise to thoughts of benefit, loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, equanimity, and impartiality. They should play music, sing praises, and circumambulate the Buddha’s image to the right. They should recollect that Tathagata’s former great vows and explain this sūtra.

Then whatever they contemplate, pray for, or desire shall be completely fulfilled. Those who seek long life shall obtain long life; those who seek merit shall obtain merit; those who seek independence shall obtain independence; and those who seek sons or daughters shall obtain sons or daughters.

“If people suddenly have evil dreams, see evil signs, witness strange birds gathering, or experience a hundred uncanny events in their dwellings, then, if they make offerings of various articles to Medicine Master Vaiḍūrya Light Tathagata, all evil dreams, evil signs, and inauspicious events shall disappear.

“If they fear calamities of water, fire, swords, poison, suspension from high places, elephants, lions, tigers, wolves, bears, venomous snakes, scorpions, centipedes, creatures resembling slugs, or similar terrors, then if they recollect and make offerings to that Tathagata, they shall be delivered from every fear.

“If they fear invasion and harassment by another country, thieves, robbers, or rebellion, they should likewise recollect, revere, and honor that Tathagata.

“Furthermore, Mañjuśrī, if faithful good men or good women, throughout their lives, accept the Three Refuges and do not worship other deities; if they uphold the five precepts, the ten precepts, the bodhisattva’s 104 precepts, the bhikṣu’s 250 precepts after going forth, or the bhikṣuṇī’s 500 precepts, but then violate some of the precepts they have undertaken and fear falling into an evil destiny, then, if they make offerings to the Blessed One Medicine Master Vaiḍūrya Light Tathagata, they will certainly not undergo retribution in the three evil destinies.

“If a woman suffers extreme pain while giving birth, and she invokes the name of and makes offerings to the Blessed One Medicine Master Vaiḍūrya Light Tathagata, she will swiftly be delivered. The child born to her will have a complete body and upright, handsome features that delight all who see them. The child will be intelligent, keen-facultied, secure, seldom ill, and no nonhuman being will seize its vital spirit.”

The Blessed One then said to the venerable Ānanda: “Ānanda, do you believe and accept all the merits of the Blessed One Medicine Master Vaiḍūrya Light Tathagata that I have praised? Do you harbor any doubt concerning this profound domain of the buddhas and tathagatas?”

The venerable Ānanda replied: “Greatly Virtuous Blessed One, I have no doubt concerning the Dharma spoken by the Tathagata. Why? Because the bodily, verbal, and mental conduct of all tathagatas is entirely pure.

“Blessed One, even the sun and moon, with such great spiritual powers and awesome might, could be caused to fall. Even Mount Sumeru, king of mountains, could be moved. But the words spoken by the buddhas can never be false.

“Greatly Virtuous Blessed One, some sentient beings lack the faculty of faith. After hearing of the domain of the buddhas and tathagatas, they think: ‘How could one obtain so much merit merely by recollecting the name of that Tathagata?’ Because their minds do not believe or accept it, they give rise to slander. Such beings dwell as though in a long night, without any certain benefit, and will fall into evil destinies.”

The Buddha said: “Ānanda, if the name of that Tathagata enters a person’s ears, it is impossible for that person to fall into an evil destiny.

“Ānanda, the domain of the buddhas is indeed difficult to believe. You should know that your ability to believe and accept it now is entirely due to the Tathagata’s awesome power. It is not within the capacity of all śrāvakas or pratyekabuddhas to believe and accept, except for bodhisattva-mahāsattvas who are one birth away from buddhahood.

“Ānanda, a human body is difficult to obtain, and reverent faith in the Three Jewels is also difficult to obtain. To hear the name of that Tathagata is many times more difficult still.

“Ānanda, the Blessed One Medicine Master Vaiḍūrya Light Tathagata has immeasurable bodhisattva practices, immeasurable skillful means, and immeasurable vast vows. Even if for one kalpa or more than one kalpa I wished to describe his bodhisattva practices and vows, I could not exhaustively investigate or recount all the deeds and supremely excellent great vows formerly undertaken by the Blessed One Medicine Master Vaiḍūrya Light Tathagata.”

At that time a bodhisattva-mahāsattva named Saving and Delivering was present in the assembly. He rose from his seat, bared one shoulder, knelt with his right knee upon the ground, faced the Bhagavān, joined his palms, bowed, and said: “Greatly Virtuous Blessed One, in future ages there will be sentient beings whose bodies are gravely ill. Their sicknesses will endure for a long time; they will become emaciated, unable to eat, afflicted by hunger and thirst, with dry mouths and throats.

Signs of death will appear before them, their eyes will no longer see, and their parents, relatives, friends, and spiritual companions will surround them weeping. While their bodies lie in their places, messengers of Yama will lead their consciousness before Yama, King of the Dharma. Behind each person is a spirit born together with that person, which records and preserves everything the person has done, whether sinful or meritorious, and presents it all to Yama, King of the Dharma.

Yama then questions the person, calculates the deeds committed, and passes judgment according to their goodness or evil.

“If, on behalf of such a sick person, others take refuge in the Blessed One Medicine Master Vaiḍūrya Light Tathagata and make offerings in accordance with the Dharma, that person will recover. When the consciousness returns, the person will awaken as though from a dream and remember everything personally. After seven, twenty-one, thirty-five, or forty-nine days, the consciousness may return, and the person will completely remember the karmic consequences of good and evil deeds. Because such people have personally witnessed them, even under threat of death they will no longer dare to create evil karma. Therefore, faithful good men and good women should make offerings to Medicine Master Tathagata.”

The venerable Ānanda then asked the bodhisattva Saving and Delivering: “Good man, how should one make offerings to the Blessed One Medicine Master Vaiḍūrya Light Tathagata?”

The bodhisattva Saving and Delivering replied: “Greatly Virtuous Ānanda, if one wishes to free a sick person from grave illness, then on that person’s behalf one should undertake the eight-part fasting precepts for seven days and seven nights. According to one’s means, one should provide food, drink, and various necessities as offerings to the bhikṣu Sangha. During the six periods of day and night, one should bow to and make offerings to the Blessed One Medicine Master Vaiḍūrya Light Tathagata, recite this sūtra forty-nine times, and light forty-nine lamps.

One should make seven images of that Tathagata and place seven lamps before each image, each lamp as large as a cartwheel. Their light should remain unbroken for as long as forty-nine days. One should also make a five-colored silk banner forty-nine Chinese feet long.

“Furthermore, Greatly Virtuous Ānanda, when calamities befall a consecrated kṣatriya king—namely, epidemics among the people, invasion and oppression by another country, rebellion within the realm, ominous transformations among the stars, eclipses of the sun or moon, untimely wind and rain, or drought beyond the proper season—then that consecrated kṣatriya king should give rise to loving compassion toward all sentient beings, pardon those who are bound and imprisoned, and make offerings to the Blessed One Medicine Master Vaiḍūrya Light Tathagata according to the ritual previously described.

“Through these wholesome roots and the former excellent vows of the Blessed One Medicine Master Vaiḍūrya Light Tathagata, that king’s realm will immediately become peaceful and secure. Wind and rain will come at the proper times, the crops will ripen, and the country will prosper. All beings throughout the realm will be free from illness, peaceful and happy, and most will live joyfully.

“In that realm, evil spirits such as yakṣas, rākṣasas, and piśācas will not disturb sentient beings. All evil signs will cease and no longer appear. The consecrated kṣatriya king will gain longevity, handsome appearance, strength, health, freedom from illness, sovereignty, and increasing benefit.”

The venerable Ānanda then asked the bodhisattva Saving and Delivering: “Good man, how can a life that has come to its end be prolonged?”

The bodhisattva Saving and Delivering replied: “Ānanda, have you not heard the Tathagata speak of nine kinds of untimely death? It is precisely for this reason that he taught the use of skillful means, dhāraṇīs, and medicines.

“Some sentient beings have an illness that is not severe, but they have neither medicine nor caregivers; or the physician administers medicine and treatment improperly, and they die before their time. This is the first kind of untimely death.

“The second kind of untimely death is execution under royal law.

“The third kind of untimely death occurs when people indulge in hunting, dissipation, sexual misconduct, or excessive intoxication, and nonhuman beings harm their vital spirits.

“The fourth kind of untimely death is being burned by fire.

“The fifth kind is drowning in water.

“The sixth kind is entering a place inhabited by lions, tigers, leopards, and other vicious beasts.

“The seventh kind is dying from the hardship of hunger and thirst, without obtaining food or drink.

“The eighth kind is being harmed by curses, poison, corpse-raising ghosts, and the like.

“The ninth kind is dying after being thrown from a high cliff.

“These are the nine principal kinds of untimely death briefly described by the Tathagata. Besides them, there are immeasurably many other kinds of untimely death.”

At that time twelve great yakṣa generals were seated in the assembly: General Kumbhīra, General Vajra, General Mihira, General Andira, General Śandira, General Majira, General Indra, General Pajra, General Makura, General Siṇḍura, General Catura, and General Vikarala.

Each of these twelve great yakṣa generals had seven thousand yakṣas as attendants. With one voice they said to the Blessed One: “Through the Buddha’s awesome power, we have now heard the name of the Blessed One Medicine Master Vaiḍūrya Light Tathagata and no longer fear the evil destinies. United in one mind, for the remainder of our lives we take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.

We shall bear responsibility for all sentient beings and bring them benefit, welfare, peace, and happiness. Wherever this sūtra circulates—whether in a village, city, settlement, or forest retreat—or wherever anyone upholds the name of the Blessed One Medicine Master Vaiḍūrya Light Tathagata, draws near to him, and makes offerings, our retinues shall protect that person, free that person from every calamity and suffering, and ensure that all the person’s wishes are fulfilled.”

The Blessed One then praised the great yakṣa generals, saying: “Excellent, excellent, great yakṣa generals! If you remember the kindness of the Blessed One Medicine Master Vaiḍūrya Light Tathagata, you should remember to benefit all sentient beings.”

The venerable Ānanda then said to the Buddha: “Blessed One, what is the name of this sūtra, and how should we uphold it?”

The Buddha replied: “Ānanda, this Dharma gateway is called The Supremely Excellent Great Vows Made in the Former Practices of Medicine Master Vaiḍūrya Light; thus should you uphold it. It is also called The Twelve Great Yakṣa Generals’ Own Vows; thus should you uphold it. It is also called The Complete Purification of All Karmic Hindrances; thus should you uphold it.”

When the Bhagavān had spoken these words, the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas, great śrāvakas, kings, ministers, brahmins, householders, the entire great assembly, asuras, gandharvas, and others heard what the Buddha had taught, rejoiced, and faithfully practiced it.

THE SŪTRA SPOKEN BY THE BUDDHA ON THE ORIGINAL VOWS OF MEDICINE MASTER TATHAGATA (End)