Vajra
vajra (T. rdo rje རྡོ་རྗེ་; C. jingang 金剛) is a symbol of power, indestructibility, and perfect stability in Buddhist tantra.[1][2] According to Indian mythology, the vajra is the weapon of the all-powerful god Indra. In this context, the vajra is likened to a thunderbolt, and it made Indra invincible. The term vajra also relates to a substance called vajra, which is the hardest physical material, often compared to a diamond.[1]
As an adjective, the term vajra means "indestructible," "invincible," "firm," etc. In Buddhist tantra, the ultimate vajra is emptiness (sunyata), and the conventional vajra is the ritual implement of material substance.[3]
A common name for Buddhist tantra, particularly in Tibet, is Vajrayana, often translated as the "Diamond Vehicle."
Vajra and bell
A vajra and bell (ghanta) are commonly used as ritual implements within tantric practices. The vajra symbolizes skillful means (upaya) and the bell symbolizes wisdom (prajna).[2]
Chogyal Namkhai Norbu states:
- To explain the fundamental principle of tantrism we can consider the symbolism of two tantric ritual objects: the vajra and the bell, which represent, respectively, "method," the primordial state's manifestation as form; and "energy," the "emptiness" or "essence" of that which is manifest.[4] Vajra means "indestructible," and refers to the primordial condition of the individual, which is beyond birth and death. The bell, which represents sound, is the symbol of the energy of the primordial state. If we look at the form of the vajra, we can see that at its center is a little sphere, from which spread out two sections, one above and one below, with five branches each. The little sphere, "thigle" (thig le) in Tibetan, symbolizes the primordial state's infinite potentiality to manifest, either as pure vision or nirvana, or as impure vision or samsara.
- Impure vision is based on the five aggregates which form the individual, and the five passions which are their functions. Pure vision is the manifestation of the pure or essential aspect of the five aggregates and the five passions in the dimension of the five buddhas of the Sambhogakaya and their corresponding wisdoms. In both cases, however, the principle of the manifestation is the same: they arise from the potentiality of our primordial state. This is why the five branches of the two sections of the vajra are linked to the sphere in the center. Samsara and nirvana are nothing other than the dualistic aspect of one single essence manifesting through energy. This energy itself is in fact inseparable from the manifestation, as is symbolized by the vajra form of the bell's handle.[5]
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1
རྡོ་རྗེ་, Christian-Steinert Dictionary
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Buswell & Lopez 2014, s.v. vajra.
- ↑
Vajra, Rangjung Yeshe Wiki
- ↑ In tantrism, method (upāya; thabs) and energy (prajñā; shes rab) are considered to be the two fundamental principles of existence, corresponding to male and female, or solar and lunar energies. Prajñā (superior knowledge) in this context is synonymous with "energy." (Chogyal Namkhai Norbu; Notes, Chapter 2)
- ↑ Chogyal Namkhai Norbu 1996, Chapter 2.
Sources
Buswell, Robert E.; Lopez, Donald S. (2014), The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism, Princeton University
Chogyal Namkhai Norbu (1996), Clemente, Adriano, ed., Dzogchen: The Self-Perfected State, Snow Lion Publications