From the Publisher
In this rare gem we learn more that just details of this particular Medicine Buddha practice. Rinpoche, has king included many basic principles of tantric theory and practice in general.
Buddhism Now
...rare gem...As soon as we begin to practice, we can taste the benefits.
Publishers Weekly
One of the key deities in the intricate pantheon of Vajrayana Buddhism is the Medicine Buddha. A person who appropriately venerates this figure is promised to experience an "increase in healing powers... and a decrease in physical and mental illness and suffering." In 1999, Thrangu (Everyday Consciousness and Buddha-Awakening) led a retreat in Washington State where he explicated the Medicine Buddha Sadhana (traditional liturgy) and the Sutra of the Medicine Buddha. Chapters in the book are edited transcripts of his teaching sessions at this retreat. The first portion of the book is largely a detailed, verse-by-verse commentary on and guide to practicing the sadhana, highlighting such topics as the importance of visualization, making offerings to the deity and why certain symbolic objects are auspicious. The next section is the text of the sadhana itself, in Sanskrit and in translation. Thrangu then exegetes the sutra (scripture) underlying the liturgy, explaining the Medicine Buddha's 12 "aspirations"-the vows he made to illuminate, benefit, heal and prosper all beings-and describing the benefits of "recollecting" and supplicating him. Thrangu rounds out the book with a discussion of the Vajrayana view of gods and spirits. This is no introduction to Vajrayana Buddhism: a working knowledge of basic concepts is assumed, and the text is dense and often extraordinarily detailed. Yet the book is informative and conversational in tone, and may benefit advanced students specifically seeking to understand the Medicine Buddha practice. (May) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Library Journal
This is largely a transcription from a retreat given in 1999 in Washington State by Thrangu Rinpoche (The Ninth Karmapa's Ocean of Infinite Meaning), a teacher in the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism and the tutor to H.H. the Seventeenth Karmapa, the spiritual head of that lineage. The first half of the book takes the reader through the specifics of the Medicine Buddha teachings, believed to be effective in leading practitioners toward physical as well as spiritual well-being. The concepts involved are considered as they relate to Buddhist thought, and Tibetan visualization techniques are described along with the mudras (ritual hand gestures) associated with these teachings. The second half of the book discusses the Medicine Buddha sutra. This is a valuable text in that it delineates teachings that are not frequently given in the West, providing an excellent reference and record for Western practitioners. Nonpractitioners and the merely curious are likely to find it all bewildering and esoteric, however, and even experienced readers will find rough spots and puzzling passages. Suited only for libraries with a demonstrated commitment to collecting in the area of Tibetan Buddhism.-Mark Woodhouse, Elmira Coll. Lib., NY Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
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