Om Na Ma Mir Ta Yu Drang A Mrita Ratna Drum Du

Sangye Men Lha, Medicine Buddha, is a manifestation of Tonpa Shenrab, the original Bon Teacher and Enlightened One. The teachings of Medicine Buddha were then transmitted in a continuous lineage to the founder of the original Menri Monastery, Nyammed Sherab Gyaltsen, a lineage that has been preserved unbroken to today. Menlha possesses the perfect body (dzo ku). He sits resplendent in his ceremonial robes and lotus crown on a lotus throne supported by two white elephants. Menlha’s right hand holds a Yungdrung Chakshing. His left hand is in a meditation posture holding the Arura (principle seed of healing) still in use today. He sits in the Vajra cross-legged position and gazes toward the west. All beings receiving the blessings of these teachings shall be healed.

Medicine Buddha, Men Lha, is a manifestation of Tonpa Shenrab, the original Bon Teacher and Enlightened One. The history of the Medicine Buddha teaching comes from the sutra of ‘Healing Method for Sickness of Affliction and Ignorance’ from the ‘Mandala of King of Medicine and Ritual Ceremonies for Enlightenment’ text. Importantly medicine is associated here with wellness as enlightenment.

Tonpa Shenrab became aware of the suffering of people living to the north of ancient Olmo Lung Ring on a little island called Dawa Ruting. This island was dominated by the evil deeds of the Prince Drachen Korlo, whose actions caused disturbances, sickness and suffering for the people. Tonpa Shenrab gave this teaching to eliminate their suffering, and heal them from temporal difficult conditions, to purify negative karmic deeds and to free them from the five inner poisons based on ignorance, and to harmonize and restore peace to the region.

It was at the request of the kings of the island of Dawa Ruting that Tonpa Shenrab first gave the teachings of the Medicine Buddha. They were then transmitted through Chadbu Trishe, one of Tonpa Shenrab’s eight sons and the source of all healing tradition of Tibetan Medicine lineage according to Bön. Gradually it was passed through masters in a continuous lineage down to the founder of the original Menri Monastery, Nyammed Sherab Gyaltsen, and all the subsequent holders of that lineage and has been preserved unbroken to the present day.

While Tonpa Shenrab was in the process of giving teachings, his body began to turn blue, the special color of Menlha, the Bön Medicine deity. Menlha possesses the perfect body (dzo ku). He sits resplendent in his ceremonial robes and lotus crown on a lotus throne supported by two white elephants. Menlha’s right hand holds a Yung Drung Chakshing. His left hand is in a meditation posture holding the Arura (principle seed of healing) still in use today. He sits in the Vajra cross-legged position and gazes toward the west. All beings receiving the blessings of these teachings shall be healed.

Garland of Jewels:

A Brief Text on the Ritual of The Medicine Deity King

Establishing a Boundary

SO OM NAMA, KHRÓTA NYE LO YO HAYA GRI VA PU RU NI HUM PHAT

Om Through the power of my samādhi,

And through the power of suchness,

As well as through the power of this royal, white sesame,

May Hayagri, the king of wrath,

Smash to dust

All obstacles, whatsoever.

SO OM NAMA, KHRÓTA NYE LO YO HAYA GRI VA PU RU NI HUM PHAT

Refuge & Bodhichitta

Master, protect me from the fear of birth and death, and liberate me from the harrow passage of the bardo.

I take refuge in the hosts of Medicine Deities that are inseparable from the three enlightened bodies.

I generate bodhicitta in order to clear the obstacles of the conditions of disease of sentient beings in samsara in this degenerate era.

Mantra

Om Na Ma Mir Ta Yu Drang A Mrita Ratna Drum Du

Contemplation

Imagine: From the state of non-referential emptiness, from an OM I arise as the

Medicine Buddha Deity, King of the Light of Vaidūrya, Jébu Trishé, dark blue like

the polished sky. My two hands are in the gesture of concentration; [the right] holding

a yungdrung and pressing the earth, and [the left] holding a king of medicines. My

legs are crossed, sitting on a throne of elephant, lotus, and sun disk, A host of

Medicine Deities and arhats surround me. Outside that are a host of guests of the four

types, arrayed like stars. Having generated that, imagine light rays emanate upward,

and invite hosts of deities from the basic space of phenomena. Through dissolving

into the generated deities, they become inseparable with them, and become the action

beings. For the benefit of beings, they are sealed and stabilized.

Consecrating the offering

Through the emanation of the three syllables - RAM, YAM, MAM the offering

substances are incinerated, scattered, and cleansed. Three syllables are emanated – A,

OM, HÜM and dissolve into the generated offerings. The offering substances are

blessed with nectar. Through offering these to the hosts of Medicine Deities, imagine

that they are pleased.

Invitation

Here in this holy mandala of the King of the Basic Space of phenomena,

I pray to the hosts of Medicine Deity physicians: please come!

Remain on this lotus seat of the Mahayāna.

I make these offerings with reverence, in order to please you.

Prayer to Cleanse

Although there is no need to cleanse the Sugata deities,

In order to purify the obscurations of the limitless sentient beings,

I pray for the cleansing of the deities with the various pure streams.

May the karmas and afllictions of the five poisons of the six classes of migrating beings be purified.

Prostration

To the hosts of deities, the lineage of arhats, Buddhas, and physicians,

I reverently prostrate with my body, speech, and mind.

Confession

Whatever faulty treatments I have given,

I completely confess to the Medicine Buddha Deity.

I pray to the Light of Vaidurya, please be patient with me.

May the obscurations of my body, speech, and mind be purified.

Making Offering

In a small cup, marked with precious and auspicious symbols,

Are substances of perfect outer, inner, and secret offerings.

Please take this distinctive boundless offering, and

Bestow the siddhi of the nectar that dispels the sufferings of the afflictions.

Generating the Mantra

As the embodiment of Jébu Trishé, imagine that from an OM at your heart, light rays

of the root mantra circle counter-clockwise and emanate to all ten directions and that

they truly manifest as the Medicine Buddha Deity.

The Mantra:

Om Na Ma Mir Ta Yu Drang Amrita Ratna Drum Du

(Recite 100,000 times.)

Praising the Body

Here, in the pure realm of the King of the immeasurable basic space of phenomena,

Is the Buddha-physician who dispels the illness of the three poisons,

Light of Vaidūrya, ornamented by the marks of the sambhoghakāya, and

Holding a yungdrung and a stalk of the supreme medicine.

He rests in equanimity on the stable lion seat,

Surrounded by an entourage of hosts of arhats and Medicine Deities.

Through our prostrating, praising, and offering, hold us in your compassion.

Please pacify the demons, diseases, afflictions, and karmas of the five poisons. May

we perfectly complete the two accumulations for the comfort and joy of beings of the six migrations.

Offering to the Glorious Protector

The praiseworthy guests with positive qualities are pleased by the offerings.

The pitiful guests with karmic debts are satisfied by the offerings.

May we be blessed by a rain of each of the five desirable objects,

May the obstacles, diseases, demons, and unfortunate conditions be pacified.

Prayer of Aspiration

I completely dedicate this and similar hosts of virtues,

To me, my mother and father, as well as to all the six classes of beings,

limitless as space. In this life [may we have] all desirable objects, and

In a future life, having seen the face.of the Medicine Buddha Deity,

May I achieve Buddhahood in the form of the enlightened body of the Light of Vaidūrya,

(Thus offer the aspiration prayer without any doubt or reservation.)

This Garland of Jewels, a condensed text of the ritual of the King Medicine Deity,

was composed at Menri Monastery by the Dangsong of Shen, Sherab Gyaltsen.

Auspicousness!