I hope all of you are doing well. Today is the fourth day of the Aspirations to End Adversity. Today, the text we will recite together is the Sutra of the Medicine Buddha.
大家好！今天是除障祈願共修的第四天，今天大家一起念誦的是《藥師經》。

In the Tibetan Kangyur, there are two sutras of the Medicine Buddha, one long and one short. The long one teaches about the pure realms, aspirations, and so forth of the Medicine Buddha as well as those of the other seven tathagatas—Well-Renowned Name, Majestic Melodious Sound, and so forth. However, the sutra we will recite today is the shorter one, which teaches about the aspirations and pure realm of the Medicine Buddha.
在西藏的「甘珠爾」當中，有長短兩部《藥師經》。長《藥師經》當中，提到藥師佛和「善名稱吉祥王如來」等等藥師七佛，以及諸佛的淨土和大願。今天我們念誦的是短《藥師經》，當中提到了藥師佛往昔的大願和淨土。

In Chinese, there is also a Medicine Buddha Sutra translated by the Indian master Dharmagupta and others, which teaches the names of the Medicine Buddha and eight bodhisattvas.
在中國，由印度論師達磨笈多等人所翻譯的《藥師如來本願經》中提到藥師佛和八大菩薩的名號。

In eighth-century Tibet, during the reign of the Dharma King Trisong Detsen, Shantarakshita composed three sutra rituals of the Medicine Buddha—one long, one medium, and one short. Later, when Atisha came to Tibet, it is said that while at Toding Temple, he wrote the praises “The flower of your name…” that include one stanza for each of the seven tathagatas and the well-known one-stanza praise of the Medicine Buddha, “O Bhagavan, you are equally compassionate to all…”
八世紀西藏赤松德贊王時期，靜命論師依照藏王的指示，撰寫了廣、中、略三部藥師顯教儀軌。之後，據阿底峽尊者抵達說西藏之後，在托林寺中，撰寫了以「清淨勝相敷妙花」為首句的七佛讚文和「大悲平等薄伽梵」那句著名的藥師讚文。

Kadampa monasteries held the sutra rituals of the Medicine Buddha in high esteem, and because of this, Tibetan philosophical colleges always recited the sutra ritual of the Medicine Buddha, even though reciting too many pujas could create an obstacle to study and was generally discouraged.
總之，在諸多噶當派寺院當中，都很注重藥師顯教儀軌的修持。因此，之後西藏各大佛學院，雖然認為修太多法可能會影響聞思，所以禁止過多修法。但是，還是一定會修持藥師顯教儀軌。

At this time, when the coronavirus pandemic is raging across the globe, we are not only experiencing difficulties with physical health; there is also the mental hardship of feeling deprived of joy. When the body is unhealthy, there is no way for the mind to be happy. But being healthy physically does not necessarily mean that we will feel happy mentally. Thus mental happiness is more valuable than physical health. Through the vast aspirations the Medicine Buddha made in the past, through his indomitable courage and boundless compassion, it is very important for us to inspire ourselves and train in relieving all our own and others’ physical and mental illnesses and in strengthening our love for one another and our benevolent wishes.
現在，新冠肺炎疫情在全球蔓延，不僅危害人們健康，更造成心中巨大的痛苦。平常如果身體不適，我們很難感到快樂。但是就算很多時候是身體無礙，我們心情也不一定是愉悅的。所以，我覺得心中的幸福感，是比身體上的健康更為難得的。因此，我們應該效法藥師佛往昔的大願喝無畏的勇氣。憑藉藥師佛大悲的加持，努力平息自他一切眾生，身心上所有的病痛。並且增進相互的關愛之情，互助互惠，這樣去實踐是很重要的。

Normally, we only remember to recite the Medicine Buddha Sutra and mantra when we get a little sick and pay it little attention otherwise. But this Medicine Buddha Sutra is not a text about medicine or treatment. It tells, when you read it, the manifold, vast aspirations or commitments that the Medicine Buddha made for the sake of other sentient beings. It is important to see whether those can have an effect on our mind and whether they can encourage us to practice virtue.
一般我們都是在身體有些不舒服的時候，才會想到念《藥師經》和藥師咒，平時並不是很注重。《藥師經》裡面講的並不是藥方或者治病的方式。如果可以好好去閱讀，就會看到其中描述了很多藥師佛為了利益眾生，而發起的大願和誓言。我們要試著讓自己對這些大願有所觸動，以此激勵自己能夠行持善法，這是非常重要的。

Next, please join me in reciting the Medicine Buddha Sutra with the kind intention of bringing benefit to all sentient beings.
接下來，讓我們生起善心，發願利益一切的眾生，念誦《藥師經》。