Medicine Buddha

The most poignant paintings happen when I’m drawn to an idea or the need to learn more about myself and the world. Creativity calls me to follow the flow. Curious, I go, moving and paying attention to my instincts as I explore, look, and listen. I meditate and create. My internal language and imagination try to make sense of external experience. It is a battle of control and the mindfulness of letting it all be.  

My painting of the Medicine Buddha was created through this process. At the time, I was teaching and writing about creative wellness while juggling my life to keep pursuing the work I love. Burnout was imminent. I needed more rest and income, but several long bouts of bronchitis were slowing me down. I couldn’t let my body fail when my mind and spirit were so full of energy, of words and pictures yearning to be born. 

Waking or sleeping, life is art. Once again, my dreamtime had clues. When suffering from a serious upper respiratory infection, getting rest is vital and can be difficult when breathing is challenged. My sleep was deep and uncomfortable, but one dream came through in vivid color. I was sitting by a pond looking at the water. I was the water when a Buddha appeared in the blue reflection. The Buddha was like lapis, illuminated by a golden halo of healing light and a peaceful smile. When I awakened, I felt an urgency to know more about the image. Having collected Buddha and Bodhisattva figurines and artwork, I was not familiar with this bright blue androgynous form.

In the next few weeks, the blue Buddha kept appearing in a way that begged my notice. I saw it in a store window, my social media feed, the pattern of a Jaipur block textile, and finally at the library where I checked out an obscure book that would introduce me to the Medicine Buddha, also known as the Healing Buddha. Because life is art, what we need and desire is often illustrated by the artistic forms that draw our attention. I resolved to learn a big lesson about my self-care and wellness. When the student is ready, the teacher appears.

I studied the symbolism and practice of the Medicine Buddha. The healing mantras and meditations are ways of purifying the dis-ease and negative karmic imprints that affect the psychosomatic system and overall well-being. Our natural physical architecture is made of living matter enlivened by breath. It reflects the subtle body, the most sacred form of physical being known in Hindu and Buddhist tantric traditions as the “rainbow body”. Balanced and whole, the sentient creative body is a somatic element of the luminous physical universe with its colorful diversity in motion. The Medicine Buddha connects the mind with the subtle body. This kindles the light of reconciliation and hope, and removes what blocks mental clarity to allow a mutual flow with physical energy. It is the essence of the mind-body dynamic that exalts the spirit. The Medicine Buddha teaches us to be mindful while full in body and spirit, to become centered, confident, and clear. This awakens the senses and our sentient nature.

I was inspired to create the Medicine Buddha image and channeled Tibetan Thangkas paintings for a reference and graphic order. My painting evolved in color and metaphor. That process, in itself, was symbolic of the balance I was seeking to better understand my condition and relationship to wellness. I needed nourishment and healthy relationships with others and the environment. As I painted, it evolved as a self-portrait, a healing avatar for what was ahead. In my painting, the Medicine Buddha is sitting in balance with the Earth and Heaven floating in a lotus. It is the flower that symbolizes enlightenment, renewal, and rebirth. In nature, this remarkable flower blooms from the depths of a muddy pond to display its resplendence and resilience. The Buddha’s hands articulate the mudras with healing offerings. The right hand holds Terminalia Chebula, a flowering herb with powerful healing properties used in Ayurvedic medicine since ancient times. The left hand cradles a bowl of ambrosia with the elixir of immortality.

In my studio, medicine is applied in paint and brushstrokes. The painting reminds me to be in balance and bloom where I am planted. When the mind and body connect, they exalt the spirit. In times of illness and despair, the blessings of the Medicine Buddha shine light on the pure vitality of creativity and our innate ability to self-heal.