Description
Please Note: Due to the unique characteristics of each statue, the nature of our designs, weights, measurements and colors shown are approximate and are intended as a guide only.
• The ritual bell and vajra dorje are ritual object associated with Tibetan Buddhism. They are the symbol of the Vajrayana school of Buddhism. Vajrasana is the location where the Buddha attained enlightenment. Vajra is a Sanskrit word meaning both thunderbolt and diamond. Additionally, it is a weapon won in battle which is used as a ritual object to symbolize both the properties of a diamond (indestructibility) and a thunderbolt (irresistible force). Vajra dorje and bell are attributes of many Buddhist deities and as ritual objects are used in tantric rituals and practices.
• In Tibetan ritual, the vajra dorje often is used together with a bell. The vajra is held in the left hand and represents the male principle, upaya, action or means. The bell is held in the right hand and represents the female principle, prajna, wisdom. A double dorje, or Vishvavajra, are two dorjes connected to form a cross. A double dorje represents the foundation of the physical world and is also associated with certain tantric deities. Numerous other ritual objects, potentially all, can be marked with the vajra or more commonly the half-vajra. For example see the vajra hammer with a half vajra adornment. Vajras are also found with Buddhists of South-east Asia, particularly Java, and with the Shingon Buddhists of Japan.
• The five-pronged vajra (with four makara, plus a central prong) is the most commonly seen vajra. The image of this Buddha collectible object is a beautiful vintage handmade five-pronged ritual bell and vajra dorje set. This bell is made in Nepal of highest quality bronze which makes excellent long and clear sound. You can recognize such high quality ritual bells by clear carving. There is an elaborate system of correspondences between the five elements of the noumenal side of the vajra, and the phenomenal side. One important correspondence is between the five “poisons” with the five wisdoms. The five poisons are the mental states that obscure the original purity of a being’s mind, while the five wisdoms are the five most important aspects of the enlightened mind. Each of the five wisdoms is also associated with a Buddha figure.
• There are many different types of vajra. They basically fall into two broad categories. Those with “closed prongs” are suitable for all practices, while the “open prongs” are only meant for specialized practices, given out by a qualified teacher, and generally wrathful. As a Buddhist scepter in Vajrayana Buddhism it is a small object, generally made of metal. When the vajra scepter is held in the upraised right hand of the deity Vajrapani, in wrathful form, the vajra is understood to be a weapon, like a lightening bolt in the hands of Zeus and Indra, or the club of Heracles – the divine hero of Greek Mythology. It is a throwing weapon intended to stun the victim who is the target after which they are bound with the vajra lasso that is held in the left hand of Vajrapani.
