This study investigates the origin and essential characteristics of the practice of the Medicine Buddha, and through this, it can contribute to the modernization, daily practice, and popularization of Buddhism by comparing and reviewing the healing method of "Medicine Sutra" in the past and the modern practice of medicine Buddha of the Master Jinputi(金菩提). I wanted to present some implications. The practice of the Medicine Buddha is an important practice that plays a role of medical treatment and healing in Buddhism. This study first identified the origins of Medicine Buddha’s vow and analyzed its essential characteristics.
Through this, I tried to understand how the practice of medicine Buddha was formed. This study compares the healing method of the practice of medicine Buddha described in the past text the Medicine sutra and the modern practice of medicine Buddha of Jinputi. Through this, I tried to find a connection point with the historical change of Buddhism, how the practice of the medicine Buddha changed and developed. This study will be a good example of applying Buddhism to modern society and incorporating Buddhist teachings into everyday life. This will help spread the Buddhist teachings more widely and find valuable ways to relate them to the lives of modern people.
Even within the Buddhist community, the faith in Medicine Buddha is strong enough to allow everyone to actively practice new practices, regardless of whether they are sects that value doctrine or sects that value goodness. Based on these characteristics of faith in the Medicine Buddha, Jinputi devoted himself to the modern transformation of the Medicine Buddha’s practice. As a result, various methods of practice proposed by JinPuti, like Great Light Practice(大光明修持法). These various practices are meaningful in that they enhance practicality and accessibility in consideration of the daily living environment of modern people based on the practice of the Medicine Buddha.
Jinputi emphasized the expression of boundless compassion for life based on the spirit of Medicine Buddha to modern people. The key task of this study was to explore and analyze how it could have been formed through Jinputi''s practice of Medicine Buddha. The main research findings derived from this study are summarized and presented as follows.
First, Jinputi''s practice of the Medicine Buddha is oriented toward teaching that leads everyone to happiness based on a healthy life in modern society. Jinputi''s practice of Medicine Buddha is presented as various methods of practice, such as Great Light Practice(大光明修持法) to see how the spirit of altruism can be put into practice.
Second, it was found that Jinputi''s practice of Medicine Buddha was based on the Buddhist doctrinal understanding specified in the Medicine Sutra, and above all, he demanded to personally practise the original vow of Medicine Buddha. Ordinary people valued practical performance and prayed for disease cure and disease-free longevity. Specifically, the faith in the Medicine Buddha is characterized by relief from various disasters such as disease, famine, and robbery, etc. Jinputi''s practice of the Medicine Buddha is also aimed at the secular interests of the public. It was found that Jinputi''s practice of Medicine Buddha is a practice for the benefit of the present world with an inertial character to wish for health, luck, longevity, and good fortune. Above all, it was confirmed that the essential characteristics of Jinputi''s faith in the Medicine Buddha are the practical methods for living beings who are exposed to various diseases, reflecting the main characteristics presented in the Medicine Sutra.
Third, it was found that Jinputi''s practice of Medicine Buddha was in line with the original vow of Medicine Buddha presented in the Medicine Sutra, that is, the twelve great vows. Above all, the practice methods of Jinputi such as Great Light Practice(大光明修持法), Bodhi Purification Contemplation(菩提淸淨觀想法), Throwing five parts of the body to the ground (五體投地), and Eight Trigrams Inner Strength(八卦內功法), and dharani(心呪) presented from the perspective of the Medicine Buddha have much in common with the 6th, 7th and 11th vow of the 12 vows of Medicine Buddha.
Jinputi reveals that the main goal is to regain health, escape from the pain of disease, and find the light of the body by turning the cloudy and dirty body to a pure state through the Great Light Practice(大光明修持法). And the main purpose of the Bodhi Purification Contemplation is to obtain enlightenment and wisdom as well as mental and physical health through purifying practice. In addition, the throwing five parts of the body to the ground is a practice that achieves the most sublime and mysterious energy of the secret law, allowing you to experience relaxation and healing of the mind and bod. In addition, Eight Trigrams Inner Strength can be said to be a practice method to find health by steadily filling the body with energy based on the principle of yin and yang along with the philosophical concept of the law of all things in the universe. Jinputi''s practice of Medicine Buddha is in line with the fundamental principle of curing various mental, material, and physical diseases presented in the main contents of the 12 vows of the Medicine Buddha.
Fourth, it can be seen that Jinputi''s practice of the Medicine Buddha suggests various methods of practice by integrating Buddhism with secular law, suggesting a method of ascetic practice that purifies the body and mind to sentient beings. Modern society is equipped with material abundance, but modern people are exposed to various diseases and mental stress, and require environmental, psychological, and cultural stability. By inventing and presenting a suitable form of practice suitable for modern people, it leads to liberation from various diseases.
It can be seen that Jinputi''s practice of Medicine Buddha promotes healing while strengthening modern people''s positive mind. Jinputi''s practices based on the Medicine Sutra emphasizes the need to relax the body and mind, and to be conscious of the feeling of compassion and loving-kindness in the heart. If you maintain a pure mind and a pure life for a long time, you can obtain physical and mental health. Jinputi emphasizes that physical and mental health should be promoted through repeated repentance through the throwing five parts of the body to the ground and ultimately, through repentance, positivity such as gratitude and respect should be expanded to bring one closer to the truth of life. The direction of this practice can be understood in the same context as the main source of Medicine Buddha, who revealed that various diseases can be cured by strengthening positive energy with a refined mind.
Lastly, Jinputi presents the direction to practice so that all life can achieve happiness. Jinputi expresses the importance of expression of boundless compassion for lives of modern people, the same as the spirit of Medicine Buddha. Compassion emphasizes realizing that all life is suffering and havin people escape from pain and reach liberation.
As this research is the first for a graduate degree thesis, it is expected to provide basic data for follow-up studies in the future. In this research thesis, the analysis of the healing cases studies related to Medicine Buddha''s spiritual practices could not be carried out satisfactorily. In particular, healing cases in the past were secondary data, so there was a limit to revealing the healing principle. Modern case analysis had no choice but to rely only on the writings of healed people. As a result of case analysis, it was found that various modernly modified Jinputi''s various practices have significant therapeutic effects, but there is a limitation in that empirical grounds that can be applied to medical clinical practice have not been presented.
In the follow-up study, we will deeply explore how the practice methods such as Great Light Practice(大光明修持法), Bodhi Purification Contemplation(菩提淸淨觀想法), Throwing five parts of the body to the ground (五體投地), and Eight Trigrams Inner Strength(八卦內功法), and dharani(心呪) can be linked to clinical practice and to be demonstrated in a scientific way.