The twelve vows and the seven Medicine Buddhas
What the twelve vows of the sūtra say, and who the Medicine Buddha’s “seven brothers” are.
The Medicine Buddha Sūtra tells that, long before becoming a Buddha, Bhaiṣajyaguru made twelve great vows for the benefit of all beings. He then presides over a pure land in the east called “Lapis Lazuli Light”.
The twelve vows, in short
The vows express the wish that all beings find light and wisdom, lack nothing, follow a right path, keep ethical conduct, and be freed from suffering of body and mind, from poverty, fear and oppression. The text presents them as spiritual aspirations, and the tradition reads them that way.
The seven Medicine Buddhas
The version translated by Yijing describes seven Medicine Buddhas, Bhaiṣajyaguru being the last. In Tibet, Śākyamuni is added to form a group of eight, often painted together around a mandala. In Japan people speak of “Shichibutsu Yakushi”, the seven Yakushi, and pilgrimages link temples dedicated to them.
Where to see them
Thangkas of the eight Medicine Buddhas are a classic subject. The full sūtra is in the books section, and Japanese pilgrimages are listed in Services & places.
Read the articleYakushi temples in Japan