Vajrapāṇi is one of the earliest-appearing bodhisattvas in Mahayana Buddhism. He is the protector and guide of Gautama Buddha and rose to symbolize the Buddha's power.
Vajrapāṇi from Rig Sum Gonpo (Lords of the Three Families), collected by Sven Hedin in 1930, Efi Khalkha Temple, Chahar, Inner Mongolia. Housed in the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm.
Vajrapāni as Heracles or Zeus, second century
Vajrapani, protector of the Buddha
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is a person who has attained, or is striving towards, bodhi or Buddhahood. Often, the term specifically refers to a person who forgoes or delays personal nirvana or bodhi in
Vajrapani
…Vajrapāṇi (Sanskrit; Pali: Vajirapāṇi, 'holder of the thunderbolt', lit. meaning, "Vajra in [his] hand") is one of the earliest-appearing bodhisattvas in Mahayana Buddhism. He is the protector and guide of Gautama Buddha and rose to symbolize the Buddha's power. Vajrapāni is also called Chana Dorje…
A 9th-century relief depicting Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva, from the Candi Plaosan temple located in Central Java, Indonesia
Probable early image of a bodhisattva (Bimaran casket, 50 CE)
Gandharan relief depicting the bodhisattva (future Gautama Buddha) taking a vow at the foot of Dipankara Buddha, Art Institute of Chicago
6th century painting of Maitreya, Kizil Caves, Cave 224