Yakushi Nyorai and the Eastern Lapis Lazuli Paradise: Healing Grace, the Sun and Moon Bodhisattvas, and the Twelve Heavenly Generals
In the quiet sanctuary of an ancient temple, bathed in the glow of a golden halo, a serene Buddha sits in meditation, holding a small azure jar in his left hand. This is the medicine jar of Yakushi Nyorai (Bhaisajyaguru), the Medicine Buddha, whose elixirs are said to ease bodily pain and spiritual suffering.
Many Mahayana Buddhas, such as Amida Nyorai of the Western Pure Land, are known mainly for promising rebirth after death. Yakushi, by contrast, is revered for relief and healing in this present life, and has drawn devotion from emperors and commoners alike since early in Japanese history.
In ancient Japan, plague and illness were terrifying calamities, often attributed to vengeful spirits or karma. In an age before modern medicine, the lapis-lazuli light of Yakushi’s Eastern Paradise stood for hope. With his right hand raised to dispel fear, Yakushi is attended by Nikko Bodhisattva (Sunlight) and Gekko Bodhisattva (Moonlight), who watch over all beings day and night.
The Twelve Great Vows and the Lapis Lazuli Paradise
Devotion to Yakushi rests on the Twelve Great Vows he is said to have made during his bodhisattva practice. According to the Bhaisajyaguru Sutra, he presides over the Pure Lapis Lazuli Paradise far to the east, whose ground is paved with lapis lazuli and laced with golden cords.
His vows are strikingly concrete:
- Relief from afflictions: removing disease and restoring the body.
- Restoration of the senses: healing blindness, deafness and other impairments.
- Abundant sustenance: feeding the hungry before offering teaching.
- Fine clothing: clothing those who shiver in poverty.
- Liberation from oppression: rescuing victims of cruel rulers and unjust punishment.
Rather than abstract promises, the vows face hunger, illness, cold and fear directly, which helps explain his lasting appeal.
The Yakushiji Bronze Triad: Hakuho Sculpture and the Silk Road Pedestal
The finest sculptural expression of Yakushi is the National Treasure bronze triad in the Golden Hall of Yakushiji Temple in Nara, dating from the late 7th to early 8th century. In 680, Emperor Tenmu founded the temple to pray for the recovery of his ailing consort, later Empress Jito. The emperor died before it was finished, and Empress Jito and Emperor Monmu carried the project to completion.
The seated central Buddha has a deep black patina, said to come from fires that burned off the original gilding. Its full chest and strong volume are admired as a pinnacle of bronze casting.
The pedestal is also remarkable. Scholars point to grapevine arabesques that recall Greek motifs, crouching figures reminiscent of Persian art, and the four directional guardian beasts of China (dragon, tiger, bird and turtle-snake). The design is often described as a meeting point of Eurasian art along the Silk Road.
Nikko and Gekko: Guardians of Sun and Moon
Flanking the central Buddha stand Nikko and Gekko, among the most admired sculptures in Japanese art. Nikko, on the viewer’s right, represents the warmth of the sun that dispels the chill of illness. Gekko, on the viewer’s left, represents the cool clarity of the moon that soothes fever and agitation. Together they form a watch over every hour of day and night.
Their gentle triple-bend posture is often linked to the influence of Indian Gupta-period sculpture. With soft robes clinging to the body and lowered, compassionate eyes, they contrast with the immovable bronze majesty of the seated Buddha.
The Twelve Heavenly Generals
Around Yakushi are twelve armored warrior deities, the Twelve Heavenly Generals (Juni Shinsho). Originally Indian yaksha spirits converted by the Buddha’s teaching, each is said to command seven thousand spirit warriors in defense of the faithful. In the medieval period they were linked with the twelve signs of the zodiac, each crowned with an animal emblem, and ordinary people came to honor them as protectors of their birth year.
Color the Buddhist Art of Japan
The Mori no Akari Series offers a Buddhist deities coloring set with colored pencil references as a download edition. The product name in the store appears in Japanese.
▶ View the Buddhist Deities Coloring Set 01 (Download Edition)
Related Reading
References
- Ohashi Kazuaki, Yakushiji Kondo Sanzonzo no Nazo, Chuo Koron Bijutsu Shuppan, 2004
- Machida Koichi, Yakushiji, Iwanami Shoten, 1976
- Sawa Ryuken, Butsuzo Zusetsu, Yoshikawa Kobunkan, 1990
- Nara National Museum, ed., Tenpyo no Bi: Yakushiji-ten, 2008