The vajra, dorje in Tibetan, is a short metal scepter used in the rituals of Vajrayana Buddhism. In Sanskrit the word means both "thunderbolt" and "diamond." The usual form, made of brass or bronze, has four prongs at each end curving around a central fifth to form a lotus-bud shape.
From Indra's thunderbolt
In the Vedas, the vajra is the indestructibly hard thunderbolt the god Indra hurls at his enemies. Indra entered Buddhism as Shakra, and over time the name passed to a ritual weapon with a handle at the center. Britannica relates that the 8th-century master Padmasambhava used it to conquer the non-Buddhist deities of Tibet.
Thunderbolt, diamond and the best of stones
Britannica explains both senses. Like a thunderbolt, it cuts through ignorance. Like a diamond, it can destroy but cannot be destroyed. In Vajrayana it stands for the indestructible, unchanging nature of the enlightened mind. The Tibetan word joins do, stone, and je, best or highest: the best of stones, or in the Rubin Museum's words, "lord among stones."
Sources differ on the English. Himalayan Art Resources notes that "diamond" and "adamantine" are now generally no longer used as translations, though they still help describe what the vajra means.
The vajra and the bell
The vajra is almost always paired with a bell, the ghanta (dril bu in Tibetan), whose handle is half a vajra. The vajra stands for skillful means, or compassionate action, and the bell for wisdom, the understanding of reality. Together they stand for the union of the two in the enlightened mind.
In ritual the vajra is held in the right hand and the bell in the left. The Met describes both hands moving in prescribed gestures that serve as a commentary on the recitation. When the arms cross, the Asian Art Museum explains, the two are united, a sign of enlightenment. The museum adds that using these implements in practice calls for initiation. Himalayan Art Resources names the mala as the third principal ritual object, covered in our guide on how to use mala beads.
The double vajra
The double vajra, or vishvavajra, is a vajra doubled into a cross with four equal arms. It is the symbol of the karma family of Amoghasiddhi, whose name means Unfailing Accomplishment. In painted mandalas a large double vajra forms the ground, its prongs reaching past the four gates. Bhutan's national emblem shows a double vajra above a lotus.
Vajrayana, the Diamond Vehicle
Vajrayana takes its name from the vajra. Britannica translates it as "Thunderbolt Vehicle" or "Diamond Vehicle," with the vajra signifying what is absolutely real and indestructible in a human being. Deities carry it in their names and their hands. Vajrapani, "in whose hand is the vajra," raises it in his right hand in his wrathful form, and Vajrasattva, the "vajra being," holds it at his heart. Another name for the path is Mantrayana, the Vehicle of the Mantra, for its use of sacred formulas such as Om Mani Padme Hum.
The Vajra at Buddha.store
A bell and vajra set, with vajra designs from our necklaces and pendants, bracelets and rings:
