Featured as part of Encountering Religions in Asian Art
Historical Period(s)
8th-9th century
Medium
High tin bronze
Dimensions
H x W x D: 31.1 × 18 × 18.2 cm (12 1/4 × 7 1/16 × 7 3/16 in)
Geography
Central Java, Indonesia
Credit Line
Gift of Ann and Gilbert Kinney
Collection
National Museum of Asian Art Collection
Accession Number
S2015.25
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Title: Medicine Buddha[BOOD-huh]literally, “Awakened One”; a being who has awakened to the true reality of existence and is thereby liberated from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. A Buddha teaches others the path to enlightenment. Bhaishajyaguru (“Master of Healing”)
Type: Sculpture
Associated Religious Tradition: Buddhism[BOOD-hiz-uhm]a widespread Asian religion founded by the Historical Buddha in northern India in the fifth century BCE.
Origins
Geography: Indonesia, Java
Date: 8th–9th century
Period: Central Javanese Period
Physical Properties
Material: High tin bronze
Dimensions: H × W × D: 31.1 × 18 × 18.2 cm (12 1/4 × 7 1/16 × 7 3/16 in)
Crediting Information
Collection: Arthur M. Sackler Collection
Credit Line: Gift of Ann and Gilbert Kinney
Accession Number: S2015.25
Bhaishajyaguru, literally the “Master of Healing,” holds a significant place in Mahayana[MA-huh-yaa-nuh]literally, “Great Vehicle”; a major Buddhist movement that emerged sometime before the second century CE and produced a large body of sacred texts. Encompassing several schools of practice, Mahayana encourages practitioners to follow the bodhisattva path and strive to become Buddhas. and Vajrayana[vaj-RUH-yaa-nuh]literally, “Thunderbolt Vehicle”; also known as tantric or esoteric Buddhism, this tradition is based on practices described in tantras that employ mantras, mandalas, mudras, and meditative visualizations utilizing sexual and violent imagery. So potent are these practices that they are secret, requiring initiation by a guru and promising Buddhahood in this lifetime. Buddhist traditions, which revere other Buddhas in addition to Shakyamuni[SHAK-yuh-MOON-ee]literally, “Sage of the Shakya Clan”; the Historical Buddha. His given name was Siddhartha Gautama. He lived in northeastern India sometime after the fifth century BCE., the Historical Buddha[BOOD-huh]literally, “Awakened One”; a being who has awakened to the true reality of existence and is thereby liberated from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. A Buddha teaches others the path to enlightenment.. Originating in northern India, devotion to Bhaishajyaguru also spread to China, Japan, Tibet, and Southeast Asia. Buddhist texts describe eight Medicine Buddhas, with Bhaishajyaguru being the most important. His skin is the luminous blue color of lapis lazuli, a prized mineral that is ground for paint, and he glows more radiantly than the sun. Bhaishajyaguru is worshiped for his capacity to cure physical and mental diseases and to ease hunger, thirst, cold, and even mosquito bites.
The text that describes Bhaishajyaguru and practices associated with him (the Medicine Buddha sutra[SOOT-ruh]literally, “aphorism”; a scripture recording a sermon or teaching attributed to the Historical Buddha. ) recounts his progression as a bodhisattva[BO-dee-SAAT-vuh]literally, “enlightenment being”; a person who, inspired by compassion, vows to become a Buddha for the benefit of all sentient beings. who took twelve significant vows for the benefit of all beings and vowed to avert nine different types of violent and premature death. His primary, initial vow as a bodhisattva was to become capable of entirely freeing all sentient beings from their illnesses. After attaining Buddhahood[BOOD-huh-hood]the state of being a Buddha and the goal of all bodhisattvas., he assumed the role of the Buddha who dwelled in the eastern pure land of Pure Lapis Lazuli.
On top of a multi-tiered rectangular base, the Medicine Buddha[BOOD-huh]literally, “Awakened One”; a being who has awakened to the true reality of existence and is thereby liberated from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. A Buddha teaches others the path to enlightenment. Bhaishajyaguru sits in padmasana[pad-MAA-suh-nuh]a seated meditation posture with crossed legs. (a meditative posture with crossed legs) on a double-lotus throne. A round halo with a flamed border, surmounted by the Buddhist parasol (chattra), hovers above him. The backplate is adorned with flower blossoms that cascade around the Buddha’s head. Bhaishajyaguru carries a myrobalan fruit representing medicinal qualities in his right hand while holding a manuscript[man-yoo-skript]a handwritten text. in his left hand. The fluid contours of the Buddha’s body, highlighted by the sinuous curve of his robe across his chest, exude a sense of vitality. His calmness is enhanced by his soft smile and his lotus-petal-shaped eyes that cast a downward glance. On the reverse side, a Sanskrit[san-SKRIT]the Indian language in which the earliest Hindu hymns, as well as many later scriptures, were composed. A cosmopolitan language used across South and Southeast Asia for centuries, it is the language of numerous Buddhist texts. Buddhist texts known or believed to have been translated from Sanskrit are considered authoritative. inscription holds the Buddhist creed, an important mantra[MAAN-truh]sacred syllables that effect change when recited in their original Sanskrit. that condenses the entirety of the Buddha’s teachings into a memorable phrase.
Stylistic features—such as proportions, facial features, and bodily comportment—of this Javanese depiction of Bhaishajyaguru bear resemblances to Buddhist and Hindu bronze sculptures from northeastern India. The similarities reveal long-distance connections across South Asia and Southeast Asia. Monks from Java would frequently journey to northeastern India to study at famous Buddhist universities and visit important sites associated with the Buddha’s life. They returned from these excursions with religious images, most notably portable bronzes, which local artists used as vital sources of inspiration. Depicting the Medicine Buddha in bronze, while common in northern India and the Himalayan region, was rare in Indonesia, which makes this bronze sculpture exceptional.
Bhaishajyaguru is still worshiped among some Buddhist communities in Tibet, China, Korea, and Japan. Some believe that certain illnesses can be cured merely by touching his image or saying his name. However, more severe ailments require complex rituals from the Bhaishajyaguru tradition’s primary text.
In China, Bhaishajyaguru is one of three respected Buddhas, the other two being Shakyamuni[SHAK-yuh-MOON-ee]literally, “Sage of the Shakya Clan”; the Historical Buddha. His given name was Siddhartha Gautama. He lived in northeastern India sometime after the fifth century BCE. (the Historical Buddha[BOOD-huh]literally, “Awakened One”; a being who has awakened to the true reality of existence and is thereby liberated from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. A Buddha teaches others the path to enlightenment.) and Amitabha. Bhaishajyaguru is frequently referred to as the Medicine King, a title that reveals the importance of healing in Chinese Buddhism[BOOD-hiz-uhm]a widespread Asian religion founded by the Historical Buddha in northern India in the fifth century BCE.. In Chinese temples, the Medicine Buddha sutra[SOOT-ruh]literally, “aphorism”; a scripture recording a sermon or teaching attributed to the Historical Buddha. is frequently recited, and his name is chanted repeatedly.
The Tibetan name for the Medicine Buddha is Sangye Menla, who has the ability to lessen both physical ailments and mental pain. In one Tibetan Buddhist practice, an ailing person carries a small sculpture of the Medicine Buddha to monasteries and home shrines, where they chant the associated mantra[MAAN-truh]sacred syllables that effect change when recited in their original Sanskrit. 108 times over a glass of water. It is believed that the Medicine Buddha’s blessings and the power of the chant bless the water, which the patient then drinks or uses to wash the affected parts of the body. This process is repeated daily until the illness has been cured.
Describe what you see in the sculpture. What is the figure sitting on? What might that signify about his status?
What is the significance of his hand gesture and the objects he is holding?
Notice the flames that emerge from the backplate. What could these represent?
How do you feel when looking at this sculpture?
What other stories are told in Buddhism[BOOD-hiz-uhm]a widespread Asian religion founded by the Historical Buddha in northern India in the fifth century BCE. beyond Shakyamuni[SHAK-yuh-MOON-ee]literally, “Sage of the Shakya Clan”; the Historical Buddha. His given name was Siddhartha Gautama. He lived in northeastern India sometime after the fifth century BCE., the Historical Buddha[BOOD-huh]literally, “Awakened One”; a being who has awakened to the true reality of existence and is thereby liberated from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. A Buddha teaches others the path to enlightenment.?
How are symbols used to convey messages in sculptures?
Why might practitioners of faith traditions ascribe healing properties to a sculpture?
Birnbaum, Raoul. The Healing Buddha[BOOD-huh]literally, “Awakened One”; a being who has awakened to the true reality of existence and is thereby liberated from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. A Buddha teaches others the path to enlightenment.. Rev. ed. Boulder, CO: Shambhala, 2003.
Diamond, Debra, ed. Paths to Perfection: Buddhist Art at the Freer|Sackler. London: Giles 2017
Lopez, Donald S., Jr., and Rebecca Bloom. Hyecho’s Journey: The World of Buddhism[BOOD-hiz-uhm]a widespread Asian religion founded by the Historical Buddha in northern India in the fifth century BCE.. Chicago, Il: University of Chicago, 2017.
