As we are in this Age of Dharma Decline, Master Lu, out of compassion, advises that Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door practitioners may add the Medicine Buddha Dharani (Yao Shi Guan Ding Zhen Yan) to their daily recitation.
- Effects of the Medicine Buddha Dharani:
- It is effective in protecting one against calamities and the pandemic. Through reciting the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance to repent of our past mistakes, we pray to Medicine Buddha to bless us with the positive energy that resides within ourselves. With the empowerment and blessing, one is able to gather an abundance of positive energy as well as the Bodhisattva’s energy to ward off negative energy and viruses from external sources.
- “I now recite the Dharani with the heart of Tathagata; I learn to nurture the compassion of Guan Yin Bodhisattva.” May Medicine Buddha manifest your power, bless me XXX [your name] immensely, help me to clean my mind of defilements to fend off the impact of collective karma. A kind heart invokes compassion, which helps one to tide over all suffering and calamities in the Human Realm.
- When you feel unwell or being affected by negative energy, such as cold and flu, or you are going to somewhere dangerous, you can recite the said Dharani immediately.
- When, where and how many times
- Generally speaking, you may recite the Medicine Buddha Dharani 49-108 times daily.
- You can recite the Dharani up to 11.30pm or 12am (midnight) the latest.
- You may also do it on cloudy or rainy days.
- The Dharani may be recited in a hospital or cemetery but before you do so, you need to seek forgiveness from the Bodhisattva: “The environment is not suitable for one to perform recitation today, but I am mindful of the Buddha’s heart. May the Bodhisattva forgive me.
- Pregnant women and children may also recite the Dharani.
- It is recommended that the reciter recites the said Dharani for themselves. Reciting for family members is not recommended as the reciter has to bear the heavy burden of their family member’s karma, which can be unbearable.
- Requirements for reciting the Dharani
- One is required to be clean physically and mentally prior to reciting the Dharani. It has to be recited alongside the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance.
- Prayer before reciting the Dharani
**Prayer for oneself under normal circumstances
The reciter needs to say the following prayer before reciting the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance and the Medicine Buddha Dharani (The prayer is to be said in one go):
“May the Greatly Merciful and the Greatly Compassionate Guan Yin Bodhisattva and Medicine Buddha bless and empower me, XXX [your name], grant me good health and a strong immune system, eliminating the viruses in my body (or unhealthy cells, or negative energy). I am learning from the compassionate vow of Guan Yin Bodhisattva to transform the viruses in my body (or unhealthy cells, or negative energy). May Medicine Buddha bless and empower me, liberating me from the karmic obstacles caused by my acts done out of ignorance. I, XXX [your name], hereby recite the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance [number of times, see below for details] to repent of the insufficient positive energy in my mind and inappropriate conduct that I have done in the past. May the Bodhisattva successfully bless and empower me, protecting me physically and mentally against any negative energy from external sources or infection of viruses.
**Prayer to recover from an illness
The reciter needs to say the following prayer before reciting the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance and the Medicine Buddha Dharani:
“May the Greatly Merciful and the Greatly Compassionate Guan Yin Bodhisattva and Medicine Buddha bless and empower me, XXX [your name], grant me good health and cure me of my [certain illness]. I am learning from the compassionate vow of Guan Yin Bodhisattva to transform my [certain illness]. May Medicine Buddha bless and empower me, liberating me from the karmic obstacles caused by my acts done out of ignorance. I, XXX [your name], hereby recite the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance [number of times] to repent of the insufficient energy in my mind and inappropriate conduct that I have done in the past. May the Bodhisattva successfully bless and empower me, helping me to recover fully from my [certain illness].
**Prayer to eliminate greed, hatred, illusion, arrogance, suspicion and other problems
The reciter needs to say the following prayer before reciting the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Repentance and the Medicine Buddha Dharani:
“May the Greatly Merciful and the Greatly Compassionate Guan Yin Bodhisattva and Medicine Buddha bless and empower me, XXX [your name], helping me to get rid of [a certain bad habit, such as jealousy, hatred, laziness or indulgence of sleep]. I am learning from the compassionate vow of Guan Yin Bodhisattva to resolve [my certain problem]. May Medicine Buddha bless and empower me, liberating me from the karmic obstacles caused by my acts done out of ignorance. I, XXX [your name], hereby recite the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance [number of times, see below for details] to repent of the insufficient positive energy in my mind and inappropriate conduct that I have done in the past. May the Bodhisattva successfully bless and empower me, helping me to get rid of [a certain bad habit] and possess positive energy.
**To resolve karmic obstacles when one’s age ends with the numbers 3,6,9 or in the birth year of one’s zodiac sign
The reciter needs to say the following prayer before reciting the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Repentance and the Medicine Buddha Dharani:
“May the Greatly Merciful and the Greatly Compassionate Guan Yin Bodhisattva and Medicine Buddha bless and empower me, XXX [your name], protecting me and helping me to resolve my predestined calamities and eliminate the negative energy in my body. I am learning from the compassionate vow of Guan Yin Bodhisattva to transform my predestined calamities and negative energy. May Medicine Buddha bless and empower me, liberating me from the karmic obstacles caused by my acts done out of ignorance. I, XXX [your name], hereby recite the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance [number of times, see below for details] to repent of the insufficient positive energy in my mind and inappropriate conduct that I have done in the past. May the Bodhisattva successfully bless and empower me, helping me to resolve karmic calamities, protecting me physically and mentally against any negative energy from external sources.
**Prayer to remove a curse
Explanation: When someone puts a curse on you, you must have done something wrong or inappropriate. Once you know that someone has put a curse on you, you must immediately recite more of the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance. Generally, you need to make a vow to recite the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance 108 times, failing which it will be difficult to remove the curse. This is because the other party has filed a complaint against you in the Heavenly Court. This shows that you must have done something wrong. You need to kneel down before the Bodhisattva to remorse and make a sincere repentance. While reciting the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance, you have to kneel and bow to each Buddha in the text. In addition, you have to make a vow, or else it is difficult to resolve the problem.
Anyone has the right to put a curse on you. As long as they are dead, they can file a complaint against you either in Heaven or in the Underworld. As they do not have a physical body, their souls can travel anywhere they wish. If they file a complaint in Heaven, you will leave a paper trail. Therefore, it is not that simple. If you feel that you have been cursed, the best solution is to know what you have done wrong and to repent continuously, pleading to Guan Yin Boddhisattva earnestly. “May Guan Yin Bodhisattva have mercy on me, protecting me XXX [your name] from being cursed. I might have done (certain thing) inappropriately. I know I was wrong. I would mend my way, I am sorry. I have done wrong in this matter. I hereby repent. I repent of my wrongdoing and would recite the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance [number of times].” Moreover, you have to confess what wrong you have actually done. Only then will you be able to resolve it. If you do not know what wrong you have done, it’s no use reciting the repentance text. There is no way you can resolve it by merely reciting it a few times.
Meanwhile, you must make a vow sincerely with no pretence. You must specify the time, the place and what you will do to fulfil your vow. For example, you need to state when and where you are to release a certain number of fish. You have to be serious about it. If you just say it casually, you will definitely be affected by the curse with no way of escape.
Putting a curse on someone is actually akin to filing a complaint against the person. There must be grounds to file a complaint. If you have not committed a wrongdoing, how is it possible for the other party to file a complaint against you? It is like “beating the drum” in an ancient imperial court to voice grievances. There is no way you can escape. Whatever you have done will be like movie scenes being replayed. Our memory can function like this. Therefore, we should refrain from committing wrongdoings. Anything done cannot be undone. Once the seed is planted, it will certainly bear fruit.
*Prayer before reciting the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance and the Medicine Buddha Mantra:
May the Greatly Merciful and Greatly Compassion Guan Yin Bodhisattva and Medicine Buddha bless and empower me, XXX [your name], grant me a chance to repent of my wrongdoing and to mend my ways, thereby removing the curse put on me. I am learning from the compassionate vow of Guan Yin Bodhisattva to transform the negative energy in me. May Medicine Buddha bless and empower me, XXX [your name], liberating me from the karmic obstacles caused by my acts done out of ignorance. May Guan Yin Bodhisattva bless me, XXX [your name], protecting me against the harm of negative energy. I hereby recite the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance 108 times to repent of my inappropriate conduct. May the Bodhisattva successfully bless and empower me, protecting me physically and mentally against any negative energy from external sources and the impact of the curse.
Note: There is no need to finish reciting the 108 times in one go. You can break it down into several times when reciting alongside the Medicine Buddha Dharani.
- The number of recitations of Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance and the Medicine Buddha Dharani
1.When the Dharani is included in your daily recitation or when you vow to recite the Dharani fewer than 10,000 times:
One should recite the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance at least 7 times per day. It is recommended that you recite the Dharani when your body and thoughts are clean. If your mind is occupied with distracting thoughts while reciting the Dharani, stop reciting for the time being. You may recite the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance once or a few times before reciting the Medicine Buddha Dharani, failing which you are unable to receive the complete blessing of the energy and the effect is not satisfactory. Note that it’s best to say the complete prayer before reciting the repentance text.
2. If you vow to recite the Dharani at least 10,000 times:
- Making a vow to recite the Medicine Buddha Dharani 10,000 times or more requires one to recite the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance 21 times beforehand, otherwise the result will be unsatisfactory. The reciter needs to repent first to eliminate their karmic obstacles. It is because a defiled mind makes it difficult for the reciter to receive the complete blessing and empowerment of the Bodhisattva’s energy. The 21 times can be done in one go and you don’t have to do it every day. Alternatively, you can break it down into smaller pieces and finish over several days. Note that the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance must be recited before the Medicine Buddha Dharani. (This recitation of 21 times is not included in your daily recitation. In addition, once you make a vow to recite the Dharani over 10,000 times, you are free to recite it any number of times per day.)
- You may make a vow to recite the said Dharani 100,000 times, but you must complete it within a specific time. Fulfil your vow as soon as possible with no delay. You can set a daily minimum number of recitation; there is no cap on this number.
- Note that the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance alongside the Medicine Buddha Dharani (no matter it’s 7 or 21 times as mentioned above, or due to distracting thoughts) is separate from the one included in your daily recitation.
- For seriously ill patients
- It is recommended that a seriously ill patient make a vow to recite the Dharani at least 100,000 times.
- People suffer from severe illness because of diminishing positive energy in their cells and the ripening of their karmic obstacles. They need empowerment of positive energy, which means the immense blessing from the Buddha, so that their body can be filled with positive energy to ward off illness and calamity.
- The patients are advised to perform the recitation themselves. It is not recommended for one to recite the Medicine Buddha Dharani on behalf of seriously ill family members. This is because one has to bear the karmic consequences of the family members, causing the reciter to be inflicted with the illness of the patients. Birth, aging, illness and death are the four stages when karma ripens. The serious illness is predestined karma for the ill person but the ripening of this karmic obstacle manifests collective karma. One who bears the karmic consequences for a family member will very quickly succumb to the karmic effect. Therefore, one is strongly advised not to do so.
- The reciter must have compassion and be free of distracting thoughts
- This is a method bestowed by Guan Yin Bodhisattva upon sentient beings to help steer clear of collective karma. However, having compassion is the perquisite for the reciter to fully receive the empowerment of energy. It is Guan Yin Bodhisattva’s compassion that allows us to be able to receive Medicine Buddha’s blessing and empowerment. Hence, we should be grateful while performing recitation.
- If the reciter harbours unwholesome motives, it would be counterproductive. If they are unable to control lustful or evil thoughts, or distracting thoughts, they should recite the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance a few times before reciting the holy name of Guan Yin Bodhisattva 108 times, stating the following prayer, “May Guan Yin Bodhisattva help me, XXX[your name], to get rid of defiled thoughts.” Once done, they may proceed to recite the Medicine Buddha Dharani.
Conclusion
It is hoped that everyone recites the Medicine Buddha Dharani more often. The more you recite, the more blessing and empowerment you will receive so you can steer clear of the collective karma in this Age of Dharma Decline. Out of her compassion, Guan Yin Bodhisattva showers us with the dew of blessing to help the suffering humanity to ward off the collective karma.
It is because of the unwholesome thoughts that people get caught up in the collective karma. Hence, we need to change our minds to relieve ourselves of illness and pain, using “the mind” to cure our illness. Thanks to her compassion, Guan Yin Bodhisattva allows Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door practitioners to pray to Medicine Buddha for protection against the so-called collective karma in this Age of Dharma Decline.
In addition, in this Age of Dharma Decline, everyone is required to recite the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance at least 7 times as part of their daily recitation. (Beginners may start off with a smaller number.)
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Clarifications of Related Questions
Q: Can we recite the Medicine Buddha Dharani for family members? If so, how do we recite it alongside the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance?
A: It is not recommended for one to recite the Medicine Buddha Dharani on behalf of a family member. This is because one would be inflicted with the illness of the family member. Birth, age, illness and death are the four stages when karma ripens. We are in no position to bear the karmic consequences. The serious illness is predestined karma for the ill person but the ripening of this karmic obstacle manifests collective karma. If you were to bear the karmic consequences of a family member, you would collapse very quickly, so you are not able to bear it for them. If you must perform the recitation for your family member, you need to recite it alongside the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance 21 times. Irrespective of the number of the Medicine Buddha Dharani you vow to recite, you need to recite the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance 21 times for your family member before reciting the said Dharani. This is because people who do not cultivate and perform recitation generally have hefty negative karma. You have to bear their karmic consequences if you perform recitation for your family members, so, please act according to your ability.
Q: Since I can memorise the Medicine Buddha Dharani, may I recite the Dharani while doing household chores?
A: Yes, you may, as long as you have the Buddha at heart.
Q: Can a pregnant woman recite the Medicine Buddha Dharani for the baby in her womb? How does one say the prayer?
A: It is not recommended to do so. To perform recitation for a baby in the womb, please refer to Question 92 of Buddhism: Your Questions Answered.
Q: I have made vows to recite three sets of Medicine Buddha Dharani for different purposes, with each set containing 10,000 times of recitation. In this case, do I need to recite the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance 21 times for each set?
A: Yes, you need to recite the repentance text 21 times for each set as each set serves different purposes.
Q: If I make a vow to recite the Medicine Buddha Dharani 10,000 times or more alongside the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance 21 times, I need to complete reciting the latter before I can recite the former. May I ask if I have to complete reciting the latter within one day or I can spread it over several days?
A: You may do so if you are unable to complete the recitation in one day.
Q: Can I use the self-cultivation form version of the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance instead?
A: It is advisable to perform the recitation on the spot for this specific purpose.
Q: Will reciting the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance trigger the activation of one’s karmic obstacles?
A: Generally, it won’t.
Q: Will reciting the Medicine Buddha Dharani trigger the activation of one’s karmic obstacles?
A: It won’t when you seek great blessing from the Bodhisattva. Seeking blessing from the Bodhisattva will not activate one’s existing karmic obstacles. These two things are not related to each other. Seeking blessing from the Buddha won’t trigger karmic obstacles; it will help to lessen the effects of karmic obstacles instead.
Q: I have completed reciting the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance 21 times on the first day of making the vow, how do I say the prayer when I begin to recite the Medicine Buddha Dharani the following day? Is it necessary to say this, “I, XXX [your name] hereby recite the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance [number of times] to repent of the insufficient positive energy in my mind and inappropriate conduct…”
A: Even if you need not recite the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance the following day, it is better to say the complete prayer once again to show your repentance and it can be heard in Heaven.
You need to say this prayer, “May the Greatly Merciful and Greatly Compassionate Guan Yin Bodhisattva and Medicine Buddha bless and empower me, XXX [your name], grant me good health and a strong immune system, eliminating the viruses in my body (or unhealthy cells, or negative energy.) I am learning from the compassionate vow of Guan Yin Bodhisattva to transform the viruses in my body (or unhealthy cells, or negative energy). May Medicine Buddha bless and empower me, liberating me from the karmic obstacles caused by my acts done out of ignorance. I, XXX [your name], hereby repent of the insufficient positive energy in my mind and inappropriate conduct that I have done in the past. May the Bodhisattva successfully bless and empower me, protecting me physically and mentally against any negative energy from external sources or infection of viruses.”
In the course of reciting the Medicine Buddha Dharani, if you do not find yourself calm and cleansed enough, it is advisable to say the complete prayer once when you recite the additional Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance, you will be blessed with the energy.
Q: If I do not make a vow to recite a large number of the Medicine Buddha Dharani, and just want to recite it 49-108 times as part of my daily recitation, do I still need to recite the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance?
A: It is recommended that you recite the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance at least 7 times daily (Not to be included in your daily recitation).
Q: If I fail to control my distracting thoughts and I still have unwholesome thoughts after praying to the Bodhisattva for help, will I undergo retribution for reciting the said Dharani?
A: You need to say this prayer, “May Guan Yin Bodhisattva bless me with an abundance of positive energy so that I will not be affected by distracting thoughts.”
Q: If one makes a vow to recite the Medicine Buddha Dharani 100,000 times, is there a time frame for completing it?
A: You may work out a time frame for its completion based on the number of times that you are able to recite in a day. Generally, you should recite no fewer than 49 times per day, otherwise the effect is not so good.
Q: Can a person still recite the Medicine Buddha Dharani if they fall in the following categories? Will the recitation be not so effective?
(1) One who is involved in the act of killing for a living or one who is involved in sexual misconduct;
(2) One who has committed the act of killing before or one whose ancestors were involved in the act of killing and who have yet to perform recitation to resolve the karmic effects;
(3) One who is not a full vegetarian.
A: They may perform the recitation but it may not be effective. They need to repent and stop all the inappropriate conduct.
Q: My child is 7 years old, and she has yet to recite the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance. Can she recite the Medicine Buddha Dharani? If she is unable to recite 49 times how many times is it suitable for her?
A: She can recite a smaller number but it will be less effective. However, there will be no effect at all if she does not recite the Dharani. The parents can help the child to recite both sutras but they have to bear the karmic consequences.
Q: According to the Master’s latest discourse, in this Age of Dharma Decline, one needs to recite the Eighty-Eight Great Repentance at least 7 times a day as part of their daily recitation. What’s the minimum age for a child to follow this method?
A: Nowadays, many children also conceive of unwholesome thoughts due to the influence of their parents, so they may recite the repentance text. Children aged 7 or 8 can recite 7 times, if they really can’t make it, then they may do so at the age of 13 (You may adjust according to your child’s conditions.)
Q: According to the Master’s discourse, to effectively eliminate karmic obstacles, one should recite the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance 7 times at the minimum. But previously it was either 3 or 5 times and the maximum is 7 times. Now that the minimum is 7, what is the maximum number then? In addition, previously the combined number of recitation for both daily recitation and self-cultivation form is 10 at the maximum, what is it now?
A: You should recite the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance at least 7 times as part of your daily recitation. The combined number of reciting the text for both daily recitation and self-cultivation form should be fewer than 21.
Q: Is the number of reciting the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance on the Birthday of the Medicine Buddha (the 30th day of the 9th lunar month) the same as in ordinary days?
A: Not more than 21 times.
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