The Medicine Buddha is a healer, a healer of the mind, body and soul. Like Shakyamuni himself, who is often referred to as the great physician, the Medicine Buddha treats not only physical ailments, but more importantly has the compassion and wisdom to diagnose and treat the root delusions or three poisons of ignorance, greed, and hatred (fear).

In this philosophy, external medicine can only treat the external symptoms of disease because if root delusions remain sooner or later the disease will re-occur. It is only through spiritual illumination that the root causes of suffering are addressed and this of course, lies within us as much as within the great Buddhist pantheon.