Finely Carved Face Painted 5.5" Medicine Buddha Copper Gold Gilded Statue From Patan, Nepal

 Medicine Buddha / Menla – The Supreme Healer

Noble One, you should think of yourself as someone who is sick,
Of the Dharma as the remedy,
Of the Buddha as a skillful doctor,
And of your diligent practice as the way to recovery.

The Medicine Buddha / Menla, or Bhaisajyaguru, is the Buddha of Healing. Meditating on the Medicine Buddha / Menla is considered to be a powerful method for increasing healing powers, allowing practitioners to alleviate their own sufferings as well as those of others. Through his boundless compassion and generosity, Bhaisajyaguru helps sincere seekers overcome physical illness and infirmity. But even more importantly, the Buddha is the skillful doctor who heals the great disease afflicting all sentient beings. By providing the Dharma as a profound antidote to the poisons of attachment, hatred and ignorance, he lifts the veil of delusion and points the way to freedom.

Gestures and Attributes

The Medicine Buddha / Menla is depicted with his right hand extended downward, palm open, with thumb and index finger touching. This posture is known as Varada Mudra, or the gesture of granting wishes. This mudra symbolizes Bhaisajyaguru's kindness, charity and compassion toward all beings. In the same hand he lightly grasps a sprig of the Myrobalan plant, an important healing herb in Ayurvedic medicine. It is believed that this plant has the power not only to heal the body, but also to free one from the inner sicknesses of attachment, hatred and ignorance. His left hand lies in his lap with palm upward in the gesture of meditation (Dhyana Mudra), representing the eradication of all sickness and suffering through the realization of absolute truth. In the same hand he holds the traditional begging bowl of an ordained Buddhist monk. The bowl contains a sacred medicinal nectar that cures all ills, hindrances and obstacles.

About this Sculpture

This sculpture is a beautiful depiction of Medicine Buddha / Menla. Expertly cast from copper alloy using lost wax method, gilded with 24 karat gold and hand painted face, the figure sits regally upon a lotus throne, expressing a graceful and dignified presence. He sits majestically upon a double lotus throne, his head slightly bowed, smiling softly in sublime meditation. His monastic robes drape beautifully across his shoulder and arm and are exquisitely detailed throughout the statue. The Buddha's features are also beautifully carved, imbuing the statue with warmth and character. And over all, the stunning gold gilding gives the sculpture a luminous quality, evoking the enlightened spiritual presence of the Buddha.