藥師如來

Readings

Pinyin: Yàoshī Rúlái

Wade-Giles: Yao-shih Ju-lai

Hangul: 약사여래

Korean MC: Yaksa Yeorae

Korean MR: Yaksa Yŏrae

Katakana: ヤクシニョライ

Hepburn: Yakushi Nyorai

Dược sư như lai

Medicine Tathāgata

• The healing buddha, who heals all diseases, including the disease of ignorance. Transliterated from the Sanskrit as 鞞殺社窶嚕, and also translated into Chinese as 藥師, 藥師琉璃光如來, 大醫王佛, 醫王善逝, and 十二願王. He is the chief teacher of the pure emerald world in the east. He is described in the Discourse of the Lapis Lazuli Radiance of the Special Extensive Original Vows of the Transcendent Victor, the Medicine Teacher (bCom ldan ’das sman gyi bla bai ḍūrya’i ’od kyi sngon gyi smon lam gyi khyad par rgyas pa’i mdo; Skt. Bhagavato-bhaiṣajyaguru-vaiḍūrya-prabhasya-pūrvapraṇidhāna-viśeṣa-vistāra-sūtra; Ch. 藥師琉璃光如來本願功德經, Yaoshi liuliguang rulai benyuan gongde jing). When this buddha was in the lifetime of a bodhisattva in a distantly past age, he made twelve great vows 藥師十二誓願 to free sentient beings from sickness, to nourish their spiritual faculties, and to guide them to liberation. Thus he made the vow to become a buddha, to dwell in the pure emerald world of the east, and to adorn his land like a paradise. The Foguang Dictionary contains an extensive explanation of iconography and ritual practices associated with Bhaiṣajyaguru.

  His image is often at the left of Śākyamuni Buddha's, and he is associated with the east. The history of this personification is not yet known, but cf. the chapter on the 藥王 in the Lotus Sutra. There are several sūtras relating to him, the 藥王璢璃光, etc. translated by Xuanzang circa CE 650, and others. There are shrines of the 藥王三尊 the three honored doctors, with Yaoshi in the middle and as assistants 日光邊照 the Bodhisattva Sunlight everywhere shining on his right and 月光邊照 the Bodhisattva Moonlight, etc. on his left. The 藥王七佛 seven healing Buddhas are also all in the east. There are also the 藥王十二神將 twelve spiritual generals or protectors of Yaoshi, for guarding his worshippers. (Skt. Bhāiṣajya-guru-vāiḍūrya-prabha-tathāgata)

  [resp. Charles Muller, David Quinter; source(s): Nakamura, Soothill, Hirakawa, JEBD,Iwanami]
• Iconographically, Bhaiṣajyaguru [also referred to as Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabha 藥師如來琉璃光如來] is master of the Eastern Paradise 東方淨瑠璃世界 and commands the Twelve Divine Generals 十二神將. Bhaiṣajyaguru made twelve great vows 藥師十二誓願 and is known for bestowing worldly benefits on sentient beings such as eliminating pain and sickness, and providing comfort. The bodhisattvas Candraprabha 月光菩薩 and Sūryaprabha 日光菩薩 often appear standing on his sides 脇侍 as a group of three, this is referred to as the Tripartite Bhaiṣajyaguru 藥師三尊. source: 佛教事典「中村元], p. 805. Abbreviated as 藥師 and 藥師佛. (Tib. dMan lha) [resp. Mark Dennis]
• 〔首楞嚴經 T 945.19.134b4〕 [resp. Charles Muller]

Dictionary References:

Bukkyō jiten (Ui), 1066

Iwanami bukkyō jiten, 805

Japanese-English Buddhist Dictionary (Daitō shuppansha), 329a/365

Bukkyōgo daijiten (Nakamura), 1376b, 1373b

Bukkyō daijiten (Mochizuki), (v.1-6)4890c,107b, (v.9-10)491b

Copyright © 2010 -- Charles Muller

generated: 2013-09-17