This Sutra, spoken by Shakyamuni Buddha discusses Medicine Master Buddha (Akshobhya) and his vows. The Buddha, whose Lapis Lazuli Land is located to the east of our world, is the leader of the Vajra division.

This book is a comprehensive look at the Sutra of the Medicine Buddha and the practice associated with the Medicine Buddha. The sutra narrates how the Buddha, in response to Manjusri Bodhisattva's request, spoke to highly cultivated monastics, bodhisattvas, kings, and magistrates on the meritorious virtues of the Medicine Buddha's Eastern Pure Land of Crystal Radiance. It also elaborates on the twelve great vows the Medicine Buddha made when he was a bodhisattva. This translation is accompanied by the Chinese version, as well as by the pinyin pronunciation of the Chinese characters. In presenting the Medicine Buddha practice, this book includes an introduction to the Medicine Buddha, the Medicine Buddha Dharma function, and a commentary on the Medicine Buddha's vows. Prayers to the Medicine Buddha are also included. Furthermore, there is a chapter on "Buddhism, Medicine, and Health" that shows how this practice can be used for curing physical and mental diseases that afflict us and cause us great suffering. In the Mahayana tradition of East Asia, the Medicine Buddha occupies a very special place in the hearts of the devout. In this respect, this book covers a tradition of crucial importance in Buddhism.

Through analysis of sculptural representations of the Medicine Buddha (J: Yakushi Nyorai), this book offers a fresh perspective on the seminal role played by Saich? and the Tendai school in disseminating this devotional cult throughout Japan during the Heian period.

This Sutra tells how Earth Store Bodhisattva became known as Foremost in Vows. Also called the Sutra of Filial Piety, this text describes several of the Bodhisattva's past lives. It is a clear, practical manual for how to handle the circumstances of life, death, and rebirth.