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Medicine Buddha – Brief Teaching
By H.E. Khondung Asanga Vajra Sakya Rinpoche
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Length: 6:43
The Medicine Buddha, or Bhaishajyaguru, alleviates suffering, sickness, and injury and thus prolongs human life, improving the human opportunity to attain enlightenment. The Medicine Buddha is a manifestation of Shakyamuni Buddha, who gave medicine teachings to the Fourfold Assembly. He holds a medicine bowl and radiates healing rays of energy to all sentient beings. Here Asanga Vajra Rinpoche gives a brief teaching prior to offering the Medicine Buddha initiation.
His Eminence Khondung Asanga Vajra Sakya Rinpoche is the son of H.E. Dhungsey Ani Vajra Rinpoche and Dagmo Chimey Drolkar. He is also the grandson of H.H. Dagchen Rinpoche and therefore a direct descendent of the unbroken Khön lineage which dates back to 1073. Asanga Rinpoche was born on May 1st, 1999 in Seattle, Washington. In April of 2005, at the age of five, Asanga Vajra Rinpoche left Seattle to begin his new life to live, study and train as a future Tibetan master who will further the Sakya Khön lineage. While at Tharlam Monastery in Nepal, Asanga Rinpoche has been receiving religious training from selected Tibetan monk scholars. In 2007, he received the Lamdre Tsogshay teaching from his paternal grandfather, H.H. Dagchen Rinpoche. The following year, Asanga Rinpoche received the Lamdre Lobshe teachings from his paternal grand-uncle H.H. Sakya Trizin. He has also received many other very important empowerments, teachings and religious instructions from other great masters such as H.H. the Dalai Lama, H.E. Chogye Trichen, H.E. Appey Rinpoche, H.E. Luding Khenchen as well as his maternal grandfather, H.E. Garje Khamtul Rinpoche, who is a Nyingmapa master. Having completed his formal ritual studies, in 2011 Asanga Rinpoche became the youngest ever to successfully lead the intricate rituals of the annual Vajrakilaya puja and consequently passed this challenging exam with excellence at the young age of twelve.