Vajra

See also: Vajra (homonymy)

The will vajra , word Sanskrit meaning “the lightning” or “diamond”, is an important symbol in the Hindouisme and especially in the current Vajrayana of the Bouddhisme, to which it gave its name: “way of will vajra”, like in the Bön. It indicates also a ritual instrument. It is called dorje (noble stone) in Tibetan, yungdrung in the current bön, kongo in Japanese and jingang in Chinese (金剛). It represents the indestructibility and the effectiveness which come to end from all the obstacles. The name Dorje is also a male first name with the Tibet and the Bhutan.

In the Hindouisme

Will vajra is the weapon of the god Indra; it acted in the beginning of the lightning. A legend reports the birth of the instrument will vajra, arms with the weapons: the gods had entrusted their arsenal to the first ascetic, Dadhichi. This one, after having accurately kept it for one long period, wished to turn over to its practice. Using of its capacities of yogi, it dissolves the weapons in water which it drank. It is shortly after that the Asura Vritra defied Indra. This one then took again its weapons, but they had been absorbed by the ascetic and the immoler was the only solution to recover them. With regret but encouraged by Dadhichi itself, Indra was carried out and manufactured will vajra it with its spinal column. The extraordinary circumstances of its manufacture made it possible to the god to obtain the victory, because it was that Vritra had obtained Shiva the promise which it could not be killed that by an exceptional weapon, made of a matter different from that of the usual weapons. In addition to the fact that its power is without equal, will vajra it cannot be misused and always returns to its owner.

Will vajra of Indra can present itself in various forms, a bored circle of a hole or a kind of cross for example. In the Rig-Veda , it is about a roughcast bludgeon of multiple points. According to a Buddhist legend, it is Shakyamuni which transformed the weapon into peaceful tool by bringing the end closer to the points.

The ritual association of will vajra and of the bell finds its origin in the legend of the goddess Durga, who would have received with her birth will vajra it hands of Indra and the bell of the horn of her Airavata elephant.

In Buddhism

Will vajra, arms without similar, represents the Upaya, effective means which destroy ignorance. The formed symbol of two will vajras cross names will visvavajra (will vajra of the universe), in Tibetan dorje gyatram or “double will vajra. ” Its name Sanskrit is related to a cosmogonic myth which claims that it was the first object of the universe to take form starting from the wind. It is the symbol of the effective action par excellence, and the attribute of the transcendent Buddha Amogasiddhi, head of the household of the karma (action). The sign of will vishvavajra is printed on the base of the statues to mark their completion.

In the ritual ones, will vajra it is often employed with the bell ghanta. It then symbolize respectively the masculine and the female one, the effective action (upaya) - or compassion - and the wisdom.

The prefix will vajra or dorje (tib.: rdo rje, lord of the stones) can be added in front of many terms, expressing their association with the ritual tantric or their transcendent aspect. Many deities bear a name prefixed by Vajra and are represented with one will vajra in hand:

  • Vajrasattva holds it in its right hand with the height of the heart; in its left hand, it holds the bell turned over on its knees.
  • Vajrapani, its courroucée form, holds up one will vajra in its right hand.
  • the Dharmakaya Vajradhara holds one will vajra in each one with its hands which it holds cross on the chest.
  • Akshobhya, adibouddha of the family of will vajra, holds it in the left hand, whereas line it takes the ground with witness.
  • Padmasambhava holds also one will vajra. In its Mantra, its title of Vajra Guru is read Bézar Guru . This single use of bézar for will vajra was explained by an error of pronunciation, but some proposed that it is about a Persan term meaning “antidote”.
The divinities of wild aspect hold sometimes in hand one will vajra open whose branches are not folded up, resembling one weapon more.

Symbolic system of the form

The form of will vajra ritual can vary slightly. Thus, the ornamentation can be simplified; in particular, the number of the rings can be reduced and the Makara S stylized or absent. Will vajra usual comprises five branches at each end, but there exist models with nine, three, even a single branch.
will vajra It is a symmetrical object composed of two pyramidal heads representing the mount Meru, connected to the center. These two indissociable parts are the Samsara and the nirvana, and the central sphere the vacuity (Sunyata) where their opposition is cancelled.
At the beginning of each head is three rings representing the three characteristics of the natural of Buddha (vacuity, absence of characteristic and spontaneousness), which form the base of a lotus with eight petals. The sixteen petals of the two symmetrical lotuses represent the sixteen methods of vacuity. If there are two layers of petals, one can consider that the eight higher petals represent the eight large Bodhisattva S and the eight lower petals their parèdres.
With the edge of the lotuses, one finds three rings beaded which represent the six perfections (patience, generosity, discipline, effort, meditation, wisdom). The circle which seals the lotuses inside is regarded as a lunar circle representing the Bodhicitta, spirit of bodhisattva.
Enfin comes the four folded up branches which join at their top the fifth central branch. They account for the five Skandha S, that of the conscience being in the center. If will vajra it is held vertically, the higher branches are the Buddhas of meditation and the branches lower their parèdres. One can as consider as the lower branches are the five poisons (negative feelings) and the branches higher five wisdoms which transform them into positive aspects. Together, the ten branches of will vajra ordinary can represent the ten directions or the ten stages towards the state of Buddha. The current Nyingmapa considering nine stages, the central branch can be counted as only one continuous branch and not like two.
the external branches can leave the mouths of Makara S, watery creatures fantastic, which can prendrent various significances: four pure elements, four activities etc
The other ritual accessories can have a handle in the form of half will vajra.

See too

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