Physically sick? Need Healing? Try the Medicine Buddha Mantra!

"If one meditates on the Medicine Buddha, one will eventually attain enlightenment, but in the meantime one will experience an increase in healing powers both for oneself and others and a decrease in physical and mental illness and suffering."
—Lama Tashi Namgyal

If you're sick here's a mantra which might help. It won't do any harm anyhow, that's for sure.
Obviously this is something I would expect you to do IN ADDITION TO CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE! Don't go canceling your heart surgery to do this mantra!
I use it for other people if I visit them in hospital or who are just sick and I used it once for my cat!
Like all mantra's I find it takes a few days of 'doing it' for it to 'warm up'. Just getting the word right takes a while! What I did with this one was leave my CD player on 'repeat one track' when I was home and just kind of sang along till I felt I could do it on my own. Or just stick it on your ipod on repeat, till you can do it on your own.
I do find that they really feel different if you just think them instead of saying them out loud. It 'comes alive' or something when the voice is used.
Anyway. Mantras aren't exactly an exact science. Just hold your intention (to be of benefit to all sentient beings) and do your best and see what happens! I never really try to get in to the exact translation of the mantra. I just try to hold a healing intention and sort of 'get into the groove' of the mantra.
There is LOADS of info on this if you look it up in google so theres not much point in me repeating it here.
The images have significance too. It REALLY HELPS to have the image around when you are using this mantra. It helps you 'access' this Buddha. Wisdom books is one of the best places to buy posters or postcards of Buddhist Deities, but Watkins bookshop always has postcards if you prefer. Or you can put an image on your desktop. Once you have bought the image, they ought to be treated respectfully though. You can't just fling them in the corner of the room. Leave them somewhere nice. With other 'nice' things. Not next to a book on war criminals for instance! A sunny window ledge will do, overlooking a tree perhaps. Whatever. I'm sure you get the drift!
There is no empowerment is required to use this mantra so don't worry that you are breaking a rule!
You don't need to believe in these things in order for them to work. Its the same as the aa programme. Its just 'a programme of action', only in this case the 'action' is the mantra, instead of the 12 steps.

Buy this CD it's GREAT!
It's called Rain of Blessings by Lama Gyurme
You can even buy it on iTunes!
One of the BEST tracks is the 'Medicine Buddha Mantra' track

This is the correct spelling of the Medicine Buddha Mantra
TA YA THA
OM BEKANDZE BEKANDZE
MAHA BEKANDZE RANDZA
SAMUDGATE SOHA

This is the way I pronounce it.
(I picked up the pronunciation and the rhythm from the CD Track)

Tay Ya Ta
Om Beck-an-ze Beck-anze
Ma-ha Beck-an-ze Ran-za
Sa-Mu-Ga-Tay So-Ha

Here's a link which explains quite a lo about the medicine buddha. Alsothis one looks pretty good too.
Disclaimer: Obviously, please ignore this if you can't handle this idea!