Who are the two attendants of Medicine Buddha? Guardians of Medicine Buddha’s Teachings

The Dual Forces of Healing in Medicine Buddha's Healing Path: Suryaprabha and Candraprabha 

Medicine Buddha or Bhaishajyaguru is a sacred figure in Buddhism commonly called the “Medicine Buddha of Lapis Lazuli Crystal Radiance”. He presides over the Eastern realm, a land of purity and serenity, where all things are clear and free from the impurities of the world. Medicine Buddha had twelve great vows as a Bodhisattva and the seventh vow is concerned with the sick and the destitute. His body, shining like lapis lazuli, embodies a healing light that transcends even the sun and moon. The radiant figure of Buddha in medicine signifies the healing power that is both physical and spiritual, and his teachings dwell on the strength of compassion and wisdom in winning over suffering.

Read more about Medicine Buddha: The healing Master of Vajrayana Buddhism

The Two Attendants of Medicine Buddha: Suryaprabha and Candraprabha

Click Here to View Lapis Lazuli Bhaisajyaguru Thangka

The key component of the Iconography of Medicine Buddha is his two major attendants- Suryaprabha and Candraprabha. These two bodhisattvas are his spiritual companions that symbolize some of the important issues of the Buddhist philosophy and the symbolic connections between the sun and the moon. These bodhisattvas with their complementary energies of the sun and the moon provide a very deep symbolic relationship to be interpreted as the combination of wisdom and compassion two important factors in the way to enlightenment. Together, these figures highlight the holistic nature of healing, which involves not only physical relief but also mental and spiritual transformation.

Suryaprabha, the Sunlight Bodhisattva, is traditionally depicted to the left of Medicine Buddha in thangka paintings. His name, "light of the sun," it denotes his critical place in the Buddhist cosmology, which is to remove the darkness of ignorance and suffering. The same way the sun brings light, warmth, and clarity to this world, the light of Suryaprabha is the symbol of the power of the wisdom and insight in the spiritual world. He is associated with the active, dynamic energy of enlightenment that brings clarity to the mind and illuminates the path to awakening. The brightness of Suryaprabha inspires the followers to adopt wisdom that results in clarity and insight of the mind and eliminates confusion and attachment as the sun eliminates the night.

On the left side of Medicine Buddha is Candraprabha, the Moonlight Bodhisattva, whose name means "light of the moon." Candraprabha is the cool and soft light of the moon, which brings a cooling energy that relieves the suffering. Candraprabha represents the quiet, gentle qualities of compassion that soothe storm of emotions and pacifies suffering people. His existence complements the dynamic wisdom of Suryaprabha and forms a perfect mixture of wisdom and compassion. The two bodhisattvas, combined with Medicine Buddha, comprise a harmonious triad of healing together with the inseparable wisdom and compassion in the path of enlightenment. This unity of Suryaprabha’s clarity and Candraprabha’s compassion represents the essence of Buddhist healing, where true relief and transformation come not just from wisdom alone, but from the compassionate application of that wisdom in the world.

Symbolism of Suryaprabha and Candraprabha in the Buddhist Tradition

Suryaprabha and Candraprabha are not just attendants; they are vital symbols of the dual forces of enlightenment and healing in the Buddhist cosmology. Their iconography particularly in the thangka paintings, is very symbolic. The sunlight energy of Suryaprabha is the clarity of wisdom which removes the darkness, and the softer moon-like qualities of Candraprabha are the compassion which restores all beings and nurtures them. The two bodhisattvas are also a symbol of the equilibrium of wisdom (Suryaprabha) and compassion (Candraprabha) to attain full enlightenment. 

Since Suryaprabha and Candraprabha are the representatives of the teachings of the Medicine Buddha, they not only incarnate the functions of the Buddha of healing and transformation, but they also help the practitioners in the spiritual paths. Suryaprabha's position to the left often signifies the dynamic, active power of the sun, while Candraprabha’s serene presence to the right invokes a more passive, reflective form of compassion. Together, they assist practitioners in visualizing a path of balanced healing, inviting the mind and the body to conform to the wisdom and the compassion of the Buddha.

Their Roles in Buddhist Rituals and Healing Practices

(Photo From Mandalas Life)

During the Buddhist rituals especially during the Medicine Buddha puja (prayers) and meditation prayers, the visualization of Suryaprabha and Candraprabha helps to increase the contact with the healing powers of the Medicine Buddha. The fact that they appear in thangkas and statues is a follow-up to the fact that true healing requires both wisdom and compassion.

1. Visualization in Medicine Buddha Rituals:
   

• Role in Healing Visualization: When performing a prayer (puja) to Medicine Buddha, and in meditation procedures, visualization of both Suryaprabha and Candraprabha helps to amplify the connection to the healing energy of Medicine Buddha. Both their uniqueness add to the spiritual and physical healing aspects of the practice.
  

• Suryaprabha's Role: Suryaprabha, with his radiant, sun-like light, represents the dispelling of ignorance and mental darkness. His visualization helps practitioners to open their minds to wisdom, thus providing them with clear and insightful information that aids in healing them by transforming confusion into awareness.
  

• Candraprabha's Role: Candraprabha is the personification of the kind moonlight and this is the kind act of the soft, soothing, kind gesture that soothes the emotional disturbance and calms down the the pain. His presence causes the healing practice to be more healing as it brings emotional stability to the sufferers and relief to them.
  

2. Balancing Wisdom and Compassion in Healing:
   

• Symbolism of Union: The dynamic energy of Suryaprabha (symbolizing wisdom) and the calming energy of Candraprabha (representing compassion) serve to highlight the Buddhist belief that a balance between the two is the only way to heal. Wisdom enlightens and cleanses the mind, compassion builds and comforts the heart, and that is why the whole process of healing is complete and total.
  

• Healing Beyond the Physical: Their combined energies can be used to heal not only the physical but also the emotional and spiritual levels of the healing process. The practitioners create more connection with the vow of Medicine Buddha using their presence, one that heals all sickness, whether physical or mental.
  

3. Community Welfare and Collective Healing:
   

• Healing for the Collective: Medicine Buddha pujas, performed in monasteries or community spaces, often invoke the blessings of both Suryaprabha and Candraprabha. The practices are not confined to individual health, but on the well being of the community at large. The curing force that is created in these rituals is used to cleanse the bad karma and bring peace and stability to all living creatures.
  

• Role in Monastic and Community Rituals: Suryaprabha and Candraprabha’s involvement in these rituals is critical, as they embody the dual energies of wisdom and compassion that support the overall spiritual welfare of the community. Their blessings help the practitioners to clean their minds and their bodies and their appearance is an indication of the interdependency between personal and the collective healing.
  

4. Guardians of Balance:
   

• Guardians of Healing and Dharma:  Suryaprabha and Candraprabha are the guardians of the way to healing, to make sure that the practice of Medicine Buddha is not only about physical, but also inner healing. They assist in keeping the balance of power by making sure that the two forces of wisdom (Suryaprabha) and compassion (Candraprabha) are used to lead all sentient beings into enlightenment.
  

• Role as Guides: The fact that they are the sun and the moon also symbolizes the endless healing and teaching process. They are the custodians who lead people in the right direction of both physical and spiritual healing so that there is a balance between the external and internal realms of being.
  

Through these bodhisattvas, Buddhists make tribute to the great wisdom and compassion that is necessary in healing. The existence of Suryaprabha and Candraprabha makes the practice of the Medicine Buddha more spiritual, as well as offering a more thorough method of healing on the spiritual and physical realms.

Conclusion:

The two renowned attendants of Medicine Buddha, Suryaprabha and Candraprabha, serve a vital purpose in the Buddhist practices and rituals. Their balancing powers radiant wisdom and healing compassion are used as the guiding forces of enlightenment. Both Suryaprabha and Candraprabha represent the harmony of wisdom and compassion as a result of their iconography, which is the essential part of any physical or spiritual healing. The inclusion of these bodhisattvas in the practice of meditation, visualization, and prayer helps the participants to strengthen their attachment to the healing abilities of the Medicine Buddha. Their functions are focused on healing as more than physical relief, it also implies mental clarity, emotional stability and spiritual transformation so that all sentient beings are comprehensive and well.