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Bhaiṣajyaguru

  • Reference work entry
  • First Online:
Buddhism and Jainism

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Indian Religions ((EIR))

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Synonyms

The Bhaiṣajya Buddha; The Buddha of Healing; The Healing Buddha; The Medicine Buddha

Definition

Name of a buddha.

Contextualized Background

The Medicine Buddha is the one who heals the ills of body and spirit in sentient beings; his name, therefore, is closely associated with the term “healing.” In the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, Bhaiṣajyaguru’s name is “new doctor”; in the Saddharmapundarīka Sūtra, Bhaiṣajyaguru’s name is “good doctor,” in addition to Medicine King, Healing King, and Great Healing King. These are meant to extol his skills in applying medicine, practicing medicine, and saving beings. The belief in Bhaiṣajyaguru has been widely accepted in nongovernmental circles since the Liu Song Dynasty in China, ensued by illustrated sutra paintings of Eastern Pure Land. Also a popular figure in early Mahayana Buddhism, Bhaiṣajyaguru reigns over the Pure Lapis Lazuli Paradise in the East.

Bhaiṣajyaguru belief is not confined to the Chinese world; it gathers more momentum in...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Center for Buddhist Education, Peking University, Beijing, China

    Der-Huey Lee

  2. Department of Philosophy, Chinese Culture University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Der-Huey Lee

Authors
  1. Der-Huey Lee
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Der-Huey Lee .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Delhi, Department of Buddhist Studies, Delhi, India

    K. T. S. Sarao

  2. Elizabethtown College, Department of Religious Studies, Elizabethtown, USA

    Jeffery D. Long

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© 2017 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Lee, DH. (2017). Bhaiṣajyaguru. In: Sarao, K.T.S., Long, J.D. (eds) Buddhism and Jainism. Encyclopedia of Indian Religions. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-0852-2_898

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