Vajra
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The vajra is a legendary and ritualistic tool, symbolizing the properties of a diamond and a thunderbolt. It is also described as a "ritual weapon". It is used symbolically by the dharmic traditions o
A Tibetan bell and dorje (vajra) are inseparable ritual tools
Indra's vajra as the privy seal of King Vajiravudh of Thailand
Five Vajrayana ritual objects at Itsukushima Shrine, Japan: a five-pronged vajra (五鈷杵, gokosho), a one-pronged vajra (独鈷杵, tokkosho), a vajra tray (金剛盤, kongōban), a three-pronged vajra (三鈷杵, sankosho), and a five-pronged vajra bell (五鈷鈴, gokorei).
Chinese five-pronged vajra (jīngāngchǔ 金剛杵) and ghanta (jīngānglíng 金剛鈴), made during the Xuande period of the Ming dynasty. In Chinese Buddhism, these instruments are usually utilized during esoteric rituals that incorporate tantric elements, such as the Yujia Yankou (瑜伽焰口) and the Shuilu Fahui (水陸法會).
Vajrayana
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Vajrayāna, otherwise known as Mantrayāna, Guhyamantrayāna, Tantrayāna, Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, is a vehicle of the Mahāyāna Buddhist tradition that emphasizes e
Vajra
…to placate Vayu. Indra imbued the limbs of Hanuman with the power of his celestial thunderbolt. In Buddhism, the vajra or dorje is the symbol of the Vajrayana, one of the three major schools of Buddhism and most identified with Tibetan Buddhism. Vajrayana is translated as "Thunderbolt Way" or "Diamond Way…
A vajra and bell (ghanta), which are classic ritual symbols of Vajrayāna Buddhism
Mahasiddhas, Palpung monastery. Note the figure of the great adept Putalipa at center, seated in a cave and gazing at an image of the meditational deity Samvara and the figure at the bottom left holding a skull-staff (khaṭvāṅga) and a flaying knife (kartika).
Vajra Realm Mandala, based on the tantric Vajrasekhara Sutra, and symbolizing the final realization of Vairocana Buddha in Shingon
Naked tantrikas dancing and eating from skull cups (kapalas), closeup of a Chakrasamvara mandala