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Sang means that all the afflictive emotions have been cleared away. Gye means increase. Sanggye is the Tibetan term for Buddha. Men means medicine and la refers to the lama or spiritual teacher. Therefore Medicine Buddha is often called Guru Medicine Buddha. Buddha Shakyamuni manifested seven different Medicine Buddhas to work for sentient beings' benefit in order to cure their suffering. In Tibet, Medicine Buddha manifested in human form as one of the great masters, Yuthog Yönten Gönpo, who taught the Tibetan people the practice of herbal medicine.

If possible we try to recite Medicine Buddha practice on the 10th day of the lunar month. If that is not possible, an alternate practice day is selected within the first half of the lunar month - from the first day to the full moon. This is a time of increase, which symbolizes that our virtue and merit are growing day by day like the waxing moon. Practicing during this time helps ensure that in the future we will be able to fulfill the forty-four aspirations made by the Medicine Buddhas.

The most important reason for practicing Medicine Buddha is to cleanse our afflictive emotions such as anger, jealousy, pride and so forth. Our physical health is very related to these afflictive emotions. The three afflictive emotions cause three types of illness - wind, bile and phlegm. If we are unhealthy, there is no chance to meditate, recite, prostrate or study. But by cleansing our karma and as a result purifying illness, we can fulfill our life and complete our spiritual practice. For this reason we need this practice to gain merit and virtue which are the antidotes to the afflictive emotions.

When the afflictive emotions are healed by practice of Medicine Buddha then the sources of the three types of illness are also eliminated. We seek to eliminate illness not just so we can enjoy our daily life. We aspire to be healthy in order to have a long life and be able to fulfill our spiritual practice. This is the main reason for reciting Medicine Buddha practice. Even if the illness you have is not cured in this lifetime then at least the aspirations you are making will benefit you in the next life. As well, if you recite the Medicine Buddha mantra, you will receive much merit and thus be reborn in a good generation time - during the time Buddha Maitreya is alive.

Medicine Buddha is not only for healing sickness but is also very good to practice in order to help those who have already passed away purify their karma and receive a better rebirth. Death arises from three sources - exhausting one's merit, exhausting one's lifespan, interference by external harmful spirits. Medicine Buddha acts as an antidote to all three of these by increasing our merit, increasing our life span, and clearing away harmful spirits.

Medicine Buddha practice is very helpful not only for ourselves but also for other beings. We always need to be thinking that we are practicing, meditating and chanting for all sentient beings. We should wish that for those who have mental or physical sickness, may this practice cleanse away their illness. Do not think only about your own problems! Wish all other beings peace. In this world, think of how many hospitals there are. These are all full of sick people. How many animals are unhealthy? How many form and formless beings are ill? No being wants suffering from sickness, mental problems, or physical problems but due to their negative karma, suffering is ripening on them in the form of illness. So we must meditate and pray for these beings. As Buddhists, this is our responsibility.

His Holiness has said that when we recite for our own benefit, our merit, physical health and mental health decrease. On the other hand, as we recite for others, we become brave, courageous, accumulate merit, cultivate compassion and become healthier mentally and physically.

The practice opens with establishing a visualization of Medicine Buddha. We then take refuge and generate the altruistic motivation. The puja continues with offerings, prayers of requests and expanding the visualization to include all seven Medicine Buddhas. Requests are then made to each of these Buddhas after which they dissolve one by one into each other and finally merge with us. We then recite the mantra of Medicine Buddha. The puja concludes with dedicating the merits to the benefits of all sentient beings. On most days we also recite the benefits of the practice or the benefits of the mantra.