Prostration and Prayer to the Holy Dharma

%-% Supreme lamp dispelling the darkness of ignorance,
–@ Foremost of medicines alleviating suffering and disease,
\@/ To the entire sublime jewel of Dharma,
_/\_ I prostrate, offer, and go for refuge. (3x)

–@ I make every collection of offerings actually arranged and emanated
| Visualize extensive offerings here.
| Through the force of mantra, samadhi, and aspiration.
| I confess all downfalls and negativities,
| Rejoice in virtues, (Meditate strongly on rejoicing here.) request and beseech,
| And dedicate such virtues as these to the great enlightenment.

Through the blessings of the truth of the holy Dharma jewel
May I and all others, henceforth in all our lives,
Practice the Buddha’s teachings in their entirety
Exactly as the Buddhas intended.

Requesting the Benefits of the Practice

The conquerors’ heart commitments were invoked
By thirty-six thousand sons of sugatas,
Including Manjushri, Kyab Dröl, and Vajrapani.
Thus requested, they proclaimed this sutra’s benefits.

Pray, manifest all of them for me here and now.
And to the worldly protector yaksha leaders as well,
As you promised to do before previous teachers –
To stop enemies, harmers, and epidemics,
Pacify all conflict, and increase physical and mental bliss,
Increase wealth, power, property, crops, and life span –
Accomplish these desired goals as we wish
And always protect us without break.

Mantra Recitation

OM NAMO BHAGAVATE BHEKHANDZYE / GURU BAIDURYA / PRABHA RAJAYA / TATHAGATAYA / ARHATE SAMYAKSAM BUDDHAYA / TADYATHA / OM BHEKHANDZYE BHEKHANDZYE MAHA BHEKHANDZYE [BHEKHANDZYE]** / RADZA SAMUDGATE SVAHA

OM NAMO BAGAWATAY BEKANZAY / GURU BAIDURYA / PRABA RADZA YA / TATAGATAYA / ARHATAY SAMYAKSAM BUDDHAYA / TA YA TA / OM BEKANZAY BEKANZAY MAHA BEKANZAY [BEKANZAY] / RADZA SAMUDGATAY SOHA

Common pronunciation

Thus, recite the long mantra, or the short mantra as follows:
TADYATHA OM BHEKHANDZYE BHEKHANDZYE MAHA BHEKHANDZYE [BHEKHANDZYE]** / RADZA SAMUDGATE SVAHA

MB mantra

TA YA TA / OM BEKANZAY BEKANZAY MAHA BEKANZAY [BEKANZAY] / RADZA SAMUDGATAY SOHA

Common pronunciation

** Syllables in brackets [ ] are optional. They may be included when reciting the mantra or not, as one wishes.

%-% Root guru whose kindness is without equal,
–@ King of the Shakyas, Manjushri, Shantarakshita, and so on,
\@/ Holding in their hands this profound sutra:
_/\_ To the direct and lineage gurus, I prostrate.

%-% To the compassionate ones who liberate destitute beings,
–@ To the seven sugatas, Buddha Shakyamuni, and the holy Dharma,
\@/ To Manjushri, Kyab Dröl, Vajrapani, Brahma and Ishvara,
_/\_ And the maharajas and yakshas, I prostrate.

–@ I make every collection of offerings actually arranged and emanated
| Visualize extensive offerings here.
| Through the force of mantra, samadhi, and aspiration.
| I confess all downfalls and negativities,
| Rejoice in virtues, (Meditate strongly on rejoicing here.) request and beseech,
| And dedicate such virtues as these to the great enlightenment.

Request for Forgiveness

Whatever I have done or caused to be done
That was unprepared or degenerated
Or done with my deluded mind,
Please be patient with all of these.

Whatever the beings of this degenerate age have done
Of lesser merit mixed with ignorant delusions
That did not fulfill the aryas’ wishes,
Please be patient with these are well.

Under the influence of miserliness, lacking in skill,
Having made bad offerings or faulty arrangements,
O protector endowed with great compassion,
Please be patient with these as well.

Whatever was superfluous or left undone,
Degeneration in parts of the ritual,
Or whatever was forgotten,
Please be patient with these as well.

Request to Remain

By remaining here together with this image
For the sake of all migrators,

May you grant us long life without illness,
Power, and supreme attainment.

OM SUPRATISHTHA VAJRA YE SVAHA

Dedications

Just as the brave Manjushri and Samantabhadra, too,
Realized things as they are,
I too dedicate all these merits in the best way,
That I may follow their perfect example.

I dedicate all these roots of virtue
With the dedication praised as the best
By the victorious ones thus gone of the three times,
So I might perform good works.

Here one can do the multiplying mantras to increase the merits created.

Auspicious Verses

The hosts of Medicine Buddha deities
Pervading all directions of the round of space with perfection –
Some raining down multicoloured lotuses,
Some singing songs requesting goodness,
Some acting to conquer maras and obstructors,
And all bestowing on you supreme good fortune:
Know this full well and be very joyful
And I shall voice sweet melody expressing auspiciousness.
Supreme teacher of humans and gods,
Touching my crown to your feet of jeweled moonlight
Grants the glory of good fortune of kumuda flowers’ blossoming;
To Munindra, moon of expounders, I prostrate.

Manjushri and great abbot Shantarakshita,
Trisong Detsen, Atisha father and sons,
Second conqueror Losang Dragpa, and so on:
Through the auspiciousness of all collected good qualities
Of the supreme root and lineage gurus,
May all negativity and degeneration be ended,
And, bliss and goodness increasing like the waxing moon,
–@ May it be auspicious to enjoy the glory of perfection.

Accomplishing a supreme ocean of prayers invoking truth
During the teachings’ decline for protectorless beings
Who were untamed by other sun-like conquerors,
Through the auspiciousness of all collected good qualities
Of those seven sugatas, protectors during degenerate times,
May all negativity and degeneration be ended,
And, bliss and goodness increasing like the waxing moon,
–@ May it be auspicious to enjoy the glory of perfection.

Arising well from the broad lotus-like tongue
Of the lord of the able ones,
Especially exalted even in the later days of the Shakya’s teachings
Such that, if performed, one gains
The essence of immortality’s ambrosia:
Through the auspiciousness of all collected good qualities
Of that king of the vast and profound sutra pitaka,
May all negativity and degeneration be ended,
And, bliss and goodness increasing like the waxing moon,
–@ May it be auspicious to enjoy the glory of perfection.

Through the auspiciousness of all collected good qualities
Of those children of the lineage performing the sutra ritual
By simply reciting the names of the kings of doctors
Of all realms’ ten directions
And through the especially extensive prayers of the teacher Buddha and the sugatas:
May all negativity and degeneration be ended,
And, bliss and goodness increasing like the waxing moon,
–@ May it be auspicious to enjoy the glory of perfection.

Accomplished through the compassion mantra of the sugatas,
Through faith, samadhi, and words of truth, construction of jewels,
Abode of the Three Jewels beyond the three realms,
Through the auspiciousness of all collected good qualities
Of that supreme buddha-field equal to Sukhavati:
May all negativity and degeneration be ended,
And, bliss and goodness increasing like the waxing moon,
–@ May it be auspicious to enjoy the glory of perfection.

Colophon:
Composed by the omniscient Panchen Lama Losang Chokyi Gyaltsen. The original extensive Medicine Buddha Sutra came from Shakyamuni Buddha himself.
English translation by David Molk in March 1993.