Thus have I heard:
Once, the Buddha was staying in the kingdom of Shravasti, surrounded by many bhikṣus. At that time, the Buddha spoke to the bhikṣus, saying, “You should know that an outstanding doctor in the world possesses four kinds of wisdom. When fully developed, these four kinds of wisdom allow one to be called the King of Doctors. What are these four?
“The first kind is the ability to recognize specific diseases and know which medicines to apply for their treatment.
“The second kind is the understanding of the causes of the disease and applying the appropriate medication based on the cause.
“The third kind is the ability to cure and expel the disease that has already manifested.
“The fourth kind is the ability to eliminate the root cause of the disease, preventing it from recurring. These are the four kinds of wisdom.
“What is meant by ‘recognizing specific diseases and applying appropriate medicines’? It means to identify the characteristics of a disease in advance and use the corresponding medicine to treat it, thus helping the patient recover comfort and health.
“What does it mean to ‘understand the causes of disease and apply medicine accordingly’? It refers to understanding that a disease may arise from causes such as epilepsy, heat, phlegm, dampness, joint problems, or stagnation. Once the cause is identified, the physician can apply the right medicine to treat the disease and restore the patient’s comfort.
“What does it mean to ‘cure and expel the disease’? It refers to recognizing the methods needed to treat the disease, such as treating it through the eyes, applying treatment to the nose, using smoke or water to wash the nose, inducing the expulsion of air through the nostrils, or encouraging vomiting or diarrhea, or promoting sweating throughout the body to eliminate the disease from all parts as needed. Knowing these methods and applying the correct medicine helps the patient recover comfort and health.
“What does it mean to ‘eliminate the root cause of the disease, preventing recurrence’? It refers to identifying the root cause of the disease and removing it through appropriate action. With diligent and courageous effort, one should eliminate the root cause in such a way that the disease will never recur, leading to the patient’s recovery and lasting comfort. This is the four kinds of wisdom for understanding diseases and medicines.
“In the same way, the Tathagata, the Worthy-of-Offerings, the Fully Enlightened One, also appears in the world and teaches the four supreme medicines of the Dharma. What are these four? They are the Four Noble Truths: the Truth of Suffering, the Truth of the Cause of Suffering, the Truth of the Cessation of Suffering, and the Truth of the Path Leading to the Cessation of Suffering. The Buddha fully understands these four truths and teaches them to sentient beings, guiding them to cut off the cycle of birth and death. By cutting off the roots of suffering, all afflictions like aging, sickness, death, sorrow, pain, and distress will disappear forever. The Tathagata, the Worthy-of-Offerings, the Fully Enlightened One, teaches these supreme medicines of the Dharma to help all beings be free from suffering.
“Just as a Wheel-turning King possesses four types of weapons that grant him mastery and control, the Buddha, the Worthy-of-Offerings, the Fully Enlightened One, also possesses such mastery and control, guiding beings with the supreme medicines of the Dharma.”
After the Buddha finished speaking this sutra, the bhikṣus rejoiced and accepted the teachings with faith.
Dharma Torch 