Medicine Buddha

Samsara is unrelenting. Sometimes the pain and suffering is not so obvious. We may have a relatively comfortable life , but in these times samsara stares us in the face and challenges us to deal with it. When Lama Lodu Rinpoche was here in October 2019 he bestowed upon us fortunate enough to be there the Medicine Buddha  (Tibetan: Menla) Practice called Lapis Lazuli River. His timing seems impeccable. A few months later Covid-19 burst upon the world.  Following Lama Lodu's request upon bestowing the empowerment, each Wednesday since then a few of us have gathered together to participate in this practice. Before starting we have a list of people to whom we wish to dedicate our practice, those who are ill, suffering or have passed away. Most times we recognize that this list is truly exhaustless, endless. This fact is even more apparent these days.

Those of us who follow a Buddhist practice can find comfort in the Medicine Buddha prayer as we recite: "Possessing the treasure of an ocean of qualities and merit, the blessings of your inconceivable compassion appease the afflictions and pain of beings. I pray to you, light of lapis lazuli.