Medicine Buddha

As I left Vietnam for France when I was 12, I have learned so many gods of medicine in Greek mythology and Christ is a great healer in Christianity. Recently, I have started exploring my Buddhist roots and have found that there is a Medicine Buddha. In vietnamese, he is called Duc Phat Duoc Su.

Even though he achieved Buddhahood or Total Enlightment, which would have allowed him to enter into Nirvana, he refused to become Buddha and chose to remain a bodhisattva. The bodhisavatta state allows him to remain among us in order to answer to people's prayers. During his spiritual journey for Englightment, he made the 12 great vows if he achieved the Buddhahood.  He became the Buddha of the eastern realm of Vaidūryanirbhāsa, or "Pure Lapis Lazuli". There, he is attended to by two bodhisattvas symbolizing the sun and moon respectively: Suryaprabha and Candraprabha.

The Twelve Vows of the Medicine Buddha upon attaining Enlightenment, according to the Medicine Buddha Sutra are:

1.      May a radiant light blaze forth from my body after enlightenment, brightening countless realms, and may all beings have perfect physical form, identical to my own.
 

2.      May my body be like pure radiant lapis lazuli, with a radiant lighting more brilliant than the sun and moon, illuminating all who travel in darkness, enabling them to go toward the path of Bodhisavatta.
 

3.      By my limitless insight and means, may I enable all beings to obtain the necessities of life.
 

4.      May all beings be shown the path of enlightenment and inspire beings toward the path of the Bodhisattva.

5.      May all beings be guided to follow the moral precepts. After hearing my name, those who have broken the precepts will be forgiven and guided to regain their purity and prevented from sinking to a woe some path of existence.
 

6.      May all who are born deformed or handicapped in any way have their deformities transformed and healed upon calling on my name.
 

7.      May all who are ill with incurable diseases be cured upon calling on my name.
 

8.      May all sentient beings who are restrained by their life circumstances find a favorable rebirth/reincarnation and progress towards Liberation.
 

9.      May all who are caught in Mara's net, disbelieving in karma, forgetting the Buddha seeds in themselves, be lead back to the correct views and thus practice the Bodhisattva Way.
 

10.  May all criminals who seek repentance and call on my name, be freed of their troubles and punishments.  
 

11.  May those who are desperately famished to be well fed. May those who are involved with illegal activities be guided back to lawful path and will ultimately taste the sublime Teachings.
 

12.  May all those who want to do charitable and philanthropic work, but lack financial resources, will receive all the necessity upon calling on my name.