A Prayer to the Medicine Buddha
向藥師如來祈願文
by Venerable Master Hsing Yun
Oh great, compassionate Medicine Buddha!
Please listen to my report:
There is truly too much suffering in the world these days:
The crimes of arson, murder, and theft;
The cruel oppression of corrupt officials;
The turbulence of politics and the economy;
And natural disasters of earth, water, fire, and wind;
These things often cause people to lose everything they own in the blink of an eye.
The suffering of being bedridden with a lingering illness
Resulting from an imbalance of the four great elements;
Even heroes moan in pain and have difficulty being at ease;
The sea of karma that is full of passions and delusions,
Resulting from greed, anger, and ignorance,
Rolls unceasingly like roaring waves and billows.
Oh great, compassionate Medicine Buddha!
If we do not depend on you now,
How can we escape the sea of suffering?
If we do not rely on you now,
How can we subdue our defilements and resentments?
Today, I sincerely chant your name, and
Pay respect to your image,
Not only to ask you to bless me,
But in the hope that all beings will obtain your great protection
To live and work in peace and contentment,
And in happiness and harmony.
Oh great, compassionate Medicine Buddha!
We understand completely:
That, in this world of impurity,
All natural disasters and man-made calamities
Are caused by collective karma;
That, on this impure, mundane earth,
Physical and mental suffering
Is caused by the passions and delusions of life.
If we want to thoroughly eliminate calamities and disasters,
We must first eliminate the karma of our own wrongdoings;
If we want to establish the Pure Land of the East,
We must first purify our bodies and minds.
Therefore, I would like to pray to you, Medicine Buddha,
To eliminate our greed and anger,
To eliminate our ignorance and struggles.
We willingly transfer all our good-rooted merits
To all beings in the Dharma realms.
May everyone live freely
And may everything turn out as he or she wishes.
Furthermore, great, compassionate Medicine Buddha!
I pray to you to bestow your great power upon us for protection;
I will undertake the following, pure, original vows:
First vow: May all sentient beings be equal and at ease;
Second vow: May all undertakings benefit the masses;
Third vow: May panic and terror be kept far away;
Fourth vow: May all sentient beings calmly uphold bodhi;
Fifth vow: May man-made calamities and natural disasters disappear completely;
Sixth vow: May all physically-challenged beings be rehabilitated;
Seventh vow: May all beings suffering from diseases be restored to health;
Eighth vow: May all human relations foster mutual understanding and harmony;
Ninth vow: May all beings with wrong views turn over a new leaf;
Tenth vow: May all prisoners suffering unjustly come to know justice;
Eleventh vow: May all of the society live in affluence;
Twelfth vow: May all beings be tolerant and respectful.
Oh great, compassionate Medicine Buddha!
We make offerings to you
With our pure deeds of body, speech, and mind;
We take you as our model
With our zealous progress in the study of morality, meditative concentration, and wisdom;
I pray that you give, with your great compassion,
Your respect-inspiring virtues all over the Dharma realms
To fulfill our wishes,
To let our human world also establish the Pure Land of the East.
Oh great, compassionate Medicine Buddha,
Please accept my sincerest prayer!
Oh great, compassionate Medicine Buddha,
Please accept my sincerest prayer!