Materials:

Gold-plated copper

Himalayan crystal

Lapis lazuli

Turquoise

Coral

Dimensions & Weight:

Vajra Length: 12 inches

Vajra Width: 3 inches

Base Length: 9.8 inches

Base Depth: 5 inches

Stand with Vajra Height: 5 inches

Weight: 1.2 kilograms

Shipping Origin: Kathmandu, Nepal

Description:

This extraordinary eight-sided gold-plated copper Vajra, inlaid with lapis lazuli, coral and turquoise with tips and centerpiece of Himalayan crystal, rests on a stand decorated with insets of turquoise.

The Vajra symbolizes analytical knowledge that disintegrates the grasping of consciousness. The Vajra represents means and compassion. Vajra is a Sanskrit word meaning both thunderbolt and diamond, and it is used as a ritual object to symbolize both the properties of a diamond (indestructibility) and a thunderbolt (irresistible force). This magnificent piece is a must have for any serious collector or devout Buddhist practitioner.

In the tantric traditions of Buddhism, the vajra is a symbol for the nature of reality, or sunyata, indicating endless creativity, potency, and skillful activity. Not surprisingly the Vajra can be found in the depictions of many Buddhist icons. When seen in the hands on a doubtlessly capable deity, it signifies that the Buddha is able to apply remarkable skills and techniques to his or her application of the Dharma. One who meditates on the Vajra may achieve the “thunderbolt experience” wherein the practitioner experiences a merging between the relative and absolute truths.

Dorje is Tibet’s word for Vajra, which is also a common name for boys in that country. The formation of the Vajra symbol begins with a sphere that represents Sunyata, or the void (emptiness, or enduring entity of existence). From each of the ends bloom two lotuses with eight petals. The lotus, of course, can represent many things, but here it is mostly representative of enlightenment. The sixteen petals stand for the sixteen modes of emptiness. These petals can also represent the eight bodhisattvas and their female counterparts.