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The eight sugatas, the main deities of the Medicine Buddha mandala:

1. de bzhin gshegs pa mtshan legs pa yongs grags dpa gyi rgyal po
2. rin po che dang zla ba dang pad mas rab tu brgyan pa mkhas pa gzhi byin sgra dbyangs kyi rgyal po,
3. gser zangs 'dres mi'i rin chen nam rtul shugs grub pa,
4. mya ngan med shog dpal,
5. chos grags rgya mtsho
6. chos rgya mtsho mchog gi blo rnam par re bi'i mgon par mkhyen pa,
7. sman gyi bla ma grol ya yol gyi rgyal po, and
8. bcom ldan 'das de bzhin gshegs pa sgra 'joms pa yang dag pa ston pa sangs rgyas dpal po shakya thub pa.

Paintings of the following figures observe the indoor ritual events from the four walls of the room.

1. zhang blon
2. ston pa
3. sman bla
4. sngon mkhyen
5. chos grags
6. mya ngan med
7. gser zangs
8. rin chen
9. mtshan legs pa
10. (missing)
11. tshe sbyin ye shes 'khor lo
12. sde srid sangs rgyas rgya mtsho
13. mkha' 'gro pa ldan phreng ba
14. g.yu thog rnying ma
15. g.yu thog gsar ma
16. 'jam dpal dbyangs
17. mkhyen rab nor bu
18. sprul bzhi sman bla brgyer pa
19. sku sprul
20. gsung sprul yid las skyes (teacher of the Four Tantras' Explanatory Tantra)
21. thugs sprul
22. yon tan gyi sprul pa (teacher of the Four Tantras' Oral Instruction Tantra)
23. 'phrin las kyi sprul pa drang srong rig pa'i ye shes (teacher of the Four Tantras' Subsequent Tantra)
24. zhang blon lde dgu (the nine guardians of medicine)
25. rgyal po sku lnga
26. bdud mo shag gting ro ldan
27. dam chen srog gi pu ti
28. lha mo er ka rdza ti (one of the nine guardians of medicine)
29. zhang blon rdo rje bdud btul
30. g.yu thog gtso 'khor
31. rta mgrin (Sman grub yidam deity)
32. gza' bdud khyab 'jug nag po
33. snong sbyin gshan pa dmar po (one of the nine guardians of medicine)
34. srin bu dgra 'dul 'jig byed (one of the nine guardians of medicine)
35. srog rta tol se nag po (one of the nine guardians of medicine)

Empowering the Medicine

by Frances Garrett (July 2007), distributed under the THDL Digital Text License

Empowering the Medicine (sman grub) is a multi-day ritual for blessing medicinal materials, or for "transforming medicine into nectar" (bdud rtsi sman grub). It is considered a type of protective or "long life" ceremony (sku rim). The ritual was practiced at the Chakpori medical institution in Lhasa for several hundred years, and it is said to have a lineage of practice extending back to Yuthok Yonten Gonpo, the editor/author of the thirteenth-century classic on Tibetan medicine, the Four Tantras. Practice of this ceremony was halted in Lhasa in 1955 and it resumed in 1987.

The Empowering the Medicine ritual recorded in the videos below was performed beginning on July 27, 2001 in Lhasa, on the grounds of the Tibetan Medicine Factory, by senior physicians of the Tibetan Mentsikhang and the Factory and some from other regions of Tibet. The indoor portion of the ritual was led by the very highly regarded physician and Sakya lama, Tsultrim Gyaltsen (pictured at right), who studied this practice as a member of the lineage of Yuthok Yonten Gonpo himself. At the time of this performance Tsultrim Gyaltsen was unwell, and sadly, he passed away not long afterwards.

Some physicians engaged in the 2001 ceremonies were old enough to remember seeing it performed yearly at Chakpori, and occasionally at the Mentsikhang, by Dr. Khenrab Norbu, from whom they learned the ritual. Younger physicians have studied the ritual more recently. All physicians engaged in the event possess the empowerments (dbang) and oral transmissions (lung) of the Yuthog Heart Essence (g.yu thog snying thig) tradition.

Many lay people and physicians believe that the efficacy of the medicines is enhanced by this ritual performance. Attended by large numbers of lay people, it is a means of joining medical, religious and lay communities and interests. At a point in history when many aspects of Tibetan medicine that are considered "religious" are being eliminated from the tradition, this ceremony is an especially interesting instance of the intertwining of medical and religious domains.

Events conducted indoors

Empowering the Medicine is conducted once a year over a period of a week. After a day's preparation, the practice of empowering the assembled medicinal materials takes seven days. This involves the recitation of mantras and other procedures as described in the Yuthog Heart Essence ritual manuals. This part of the event takes place inside a heavily decorated main room (pictured at right). Some of the empowerments given during the week are open to the public, at which time this room was filled with lay people.

In the center of the room is a large mandala of the Medicine Buddha (sman bla dkyil 'khor). Each morning begins with a Medicine Buddha prayer directed at the deities of the mandala. The main deities of the Medicine Buddha mandala are the eight sugatas (sman bla bde gshegs brgyad), listed in the left column.

The room in which the ritual takes place is ringed with paintings of deities or historical figures important to Tibetan medicine. Running clockwise around all four sides of the room, starting from the far corner pictured this image, the paintings depict the figures listed in the left column. They are displayed in the room as objects of meditation during the ceremonies, and as protectors of the ceremony.

The empowerment series is completed on the fifteenth day of the Tibetan calendar (a full moon day), after which a feast is organized to thank the guardian deities. Following this a long life empowerment ritual is performed for the public.

The Burnt Offering rituals

A substantial portion of the Empowering the Medicine ritual is the Burnt Offering or "fire puja" (sbyin sreg) practice, a tantric ceremony at which various offerings, such as rice, coal and other materials, are made to a fire. This event takes place outside, while other ceremonies and mantra recitations continue simultaneously inside. In preparation for the Burnt Offering, a sand mandala is created on the ground (see image at right) in front of the ritual officiant's throne, and then it is covered with dung patties that serve as fuel for the fire. Once the ritual is underway, the ritual officiant in his throne sits before the fire, tossing materials into it while conducting the ceremony. Facing him is a line of physicians in ceremonial dress (see image at bottom of page) who recite the ritual text (see image at right, above).

Substances used during the Burnt Offering ceremony are arranged on a table (pictured below) to the right of the ritual officiant and his fire. These substances are handed to the officiant to toss into the fire. Substances on the table include, along the front of the table, a type of tree (ya zhing), black sesame (til nag po), zas mchog, rice ('bras), unhusked barley (so ba), barley (nas), and lentils (sran ma). Also on the table, in the back, are various non-poisonous flowers (dug med me tog sna tshogs), a kind of herb (rtswa ram pa), wheat (gro), and a type of grass (rtswa ku sha).

As noted above, Empowering the Medicine lasts for seven days. The Burnt Offering series of three ritual performances begins on the fouth day. The first of these is the Burnt Offering of Pacification (zhi ba'i sbyin sreg). Physicians involved in this practice explained that it is beneficial for dispelling illness and diseases, purifying defilements, repelling evil spirits and demon-causing diseases, and impeding harmful or negative influences during the ceremony. For this event, the fireplace in the ritual space should be painted white.

On the next day, the Burnt Offering of Enrichment (rgyas pa'i sbyin sreg) is performed. The objectives here are said to include extending life and enhancing fortune, prosperity, and fulfilling desires. This event requires that the mandala be colored yellow.

The following day, which is the sixth day of the Empowering the Medicine, is the Burnt Offering of Power (dbang gi sbyin sreg), which is intended to extend influence over the three worlds of earth, the underworld, and the heavens, and also to increase worldly power. This procedure requires that the mandala and the seven or eight different ritual objects that are used should be colored red.

Another Burnt Offering ceremony that is supposed to be part of the Empowering the Medicine, called the Wrathful Burnt Offering (drag po'i sbyin sreg), is aimed at subduing or taming evil forces. Physicians involved in 2001 explained that this potentially dangerous ritual must be conducted by a highly qualified religious practitioner, and that because they did not have anyone with the required skill, this procedure is no longer performed.

Videos from the 2001 Empowering the Medicine, performed in Lhasa

	Empowering the Medicine, A Tibetan Medical Ritual: Part One Id Number: 2123 Duration: 00:46:04 The early stages of the indoor portion of Empowering the Medicine. Tsultrim Gyaltsen, who will be leading the ritual, begins by prostrating to the Medicine Buddha mandala in the center of the room and then takes his seat, and others prepare the room for the ritual's start. Other physicians take their seats and begin reciting the ritual text aloud. The eminent physician and medical historian Jampa Trinley (who is now blind) is escorted around the room. Near the end of the video, a physician in another room is shown making elaborate torma (effigies made of dough) for the ritual.
	Empowering the Medicine, A Tibetan Medical Ritual: Part Two Id Number: 303 Duration: 01:06:47
	Empowering the Medicine, Burnt Offering Mandala Preparation Id Number: 2124 Duration: 00:11:32 Doctors make a sand mandala outside, in preparation for the Burnt Offering ceremonies. In the background, the horns of the rituals being conducted inside can be heard. When the mandala is complete, dried dung patties are arranged on top of it as fuel for the ritual's fire.
	Empowering the Medicine, Burnt Offering Id Number: 2125 Duration: 00:46:25 The stage is set for the Burnt Offering ritual: the sand mandala is made and covered with dung patty fuel, tormas and medicinal and other substances are carefully arranged on a table, musical instruments are brought in, and the ritual performers take their seats and don their costumes. The ritual performance begins with the recitations of the line of doctors facing the officiant, and then the fire is started. The Director of the Factory of Tibetan Medicines places the first substances in the fire, and small portions of the substances arranged on the table are handed to the officiant who throws them into the fire.
	Empowering the Medicine, Interview One Id Number: 2120 Duration: 00:08:36 Eminent medical historian and physician Jampa Trinley briefly explains the history of the Empowering the Medicine ritual.
	Empowering the Medicine, Interview Two Id Number: 2121 Duration: 00:05:35 A senior physician engaged in the ritual procedings identifies the mandala in the center of the room and the paintings on the room's four walls.
	Empowering the Medicine, Interview Three Id Number: 2121 Duration: 00:05:35 A senior physician engaged in the ritual procedings gives a brief introduction to the Burnt Offering ceremonies.