What’s Inside a Medicine Buddha Mandala?
In 2022, during our Vaidurya Healing Festival, Thekchen Choling Singapore had the rare privilege of hosting the construction of a Medicine Buddha Sand Mandala.
Created by Venerable Sanghas from Shelka Monastery, Nepal, this sacred artwork was not only an intricate display of colour and precision, but a living representation of Medicine Buddha’s celestial palace, a divine realm of healing and enlightenment.
For days, the monks patiently placed coloured grains of sand, one by one, following ancient measurements and rituals that have been passed down for centuries. Each gesture was a prayer, each colour a blessing. To those who visited, the mandala seemed like a flat and delicate circle of symbols. Yet as Singha Rinpoche shared during the consecration ceremony, what we see is only the surface. The true mandala is much more than a picture- it is a three-dimensional universe of wisdom and compassion.
Shelkar Monastery Sangha doing the Medicine Buddha Sand Mandala
A Palace of Healing Light
Though we see the sand mandala as a two-dimensional display, Rinpoche explained that it is actually a three-dimensional palace, rising three times higher than what meets the eye. The mandala can be viewed like an architectural drawing, an aerial view of a grand celestial palace belonging to Medicine Buddha.
In this vast “landed property” of divine healing, one would find bejewelled walls, trees, fences, animals, and four magnificent gateways. Each is guarded by one of the Four Heavenly Kings. Between these gates lie eight lotus ponds blooming with purity and beauty, symbolising the serenity of the enlightened mind. At the heart of this sacred land stands the central palace, adorned with shining jewels and crowned by stupas on its walls and corners.
To visualise it, Rinpoche likened the mandala to a three-tiered wedding cake. Each layer is holding its own circle of enlightened beings and meaning. On the outermost layer are the guardians and celestial beings who protect the Dharma. The next layer houses the Bodhisattvas, compassionate beings who guide us toward awakening. And at the very top, upon a pure white lotus, are the Eight Medicine Buddhas together with Shakyamuni Buddha, all radiating healing light.
Medicine Buddha Sand Mandala in 2022
The Hidden Meaning of the “Upside Down” World
One of the most intriguing aspects of constructing the mandala is that the monks have to work “upside down.” This is not only a matter of physical skill as it also carries deep symbolic meaning. In tantric teachings, this inversion represents how things are not as they appear. The world we see through our ordinary perception is often reversed or distorted by attachment, ignorance, and mistaken belief. The mandala, and the practice of creating it, remind us to look beyond appearances, to see reality as it truly is.
Rinpoche called this the “law of inversion” (颠倒). Just as the Buddhas in the mandala are placed facing inward, not outward, it is a reminder not to be deceived by external appearances.
Who Dwells Within the Mandala?
Inside this celestial palace resides a vast assembly of enlightened beings. Closest to the entrance are the Four Guardians and the Four Heavenly Kings, protectors who stand watch over the four directions.
Deeper within are the Twelve Yaksha Generals, six male and six female, who are said to assist Medicine Buddha in his mission to relieve suffering and grant blessings. In Buddhist tradition, these Yaksha Generals are powerful protectors of health and also stewards of material well-being. Rinpoche called them the “wealth holders,” because they help practitioners remove obstacles and bring abundance when prayers are made with pure motivation.
Above them are the Bodhisattvas, radiant beings of great compassion, holding their sacred implements and watching over all who enter this mandala in meditation or prayer. And at the highest level, upon a shining lotus, sit the Eight Medicine Buddhas and Shakyamuni Buddha, facing inward toward the centre, which is the ultimate truth, symbolised by the Medicine Buddha Sutra placed in the heart of the mandala.
All of the Buddhas face inward, their backs turned toward the outer world. Rinpoche explained that this is a sign of profound respect: each Buddha and Bodhisattva turns toward the centre, which is the teacher, the Dharma, and the truth itself. The inner light, not the outer form, is the source of real healing.
How to Connect with the Mandala
When devotees visit the mandala, they are encouraged to walk slowly in circumambulation, for nine rounds, if possible, while holding a light offering and reciting the Medicine Buddha Sutra or the Seven Medicine Buddhas’ Mantra. Even a single moment of seeing the mandala plants a positive imprint in the mind. Rinpoche reminded us that whoever sees the mandala, even for a moment, is blessed by the divine presence of Medicine Buddha and his retinue.
This connection does not require belief or ritual background. Simply seeing the mandala, or thinking of Medicine Buddha with an open heart, establishes a link with the energy of healing. Rinpoche often said that this is not blind faith as it is an experience that truly transforms the body, speech, and mind. When we pray, we can visualise light streaming from the Buddhas into our heart, filling us with radiant energy. Gradually, our body feels lighter, our mind clearer, our heart more open, as if we become light itself.
The Blessing of Seeing
Over the course of the festival, many visitors shared their stories of peace, clarity, and even physical improvement after spending time with the mandala. Rinpoche said these experiences are not unusual. The Medicine Buddha Mandala is known for its power to heal both mind and body. And as a side effect, the twelve Yaksha Generals sometimes bring unexpected material blessings too, helping devotees overcome financial or worldly challenges so they can focus on spiritual growth.
The closing of the exhibition was marked by the Dissolution Ceremony, where the monks chanted melodious prayers and ritual music while carefully sweeping the sand away. Watching the vibrant colours dissolve into a single stream of dust was a moment of beauty and reflection, which is a living reminder of the Buddha’s teaching on impermanence and non-attachment. The sand, once a magnificent palace, returned to the earth. Yet its blessings continue to flow wherever its grains are carried.
After the ceremony, devotees were invited to bring home a small portion of the blessed sand, to place on their altars as a reminder of the healing power of wisdom and compassion.
