Materials:
Lapis lazuli
Coral
Turquoise
Gold-plated copper
Himalayan crystal
Iron

Dimensions & Weight:
Length: 10 inches
Width: 10 inches
Bell diameter: 3.5 inches
Weight: 600 grams

Shipping Origin: Kathmandu, Nepal

Description:

This magnificent, gold-plated and jeweled double vajra-handled bell is inset with turquoise, coral, crystal and lapis lazuli. The bell’s clapper is iron.

Both the bell and vajra contain endless symbolism. The bell is wisdom and emptiness. Sound, as a metaphor for wisdom, suggests emptiness; in ancient belief, the relative universe arose from a sound. The vajra represents means, compassion, and the destruction of ignorance. 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). In Mahayana Buddhism, both wisdom and compassion – together – are the path to Enlightenment.

The Double Vajra (Visvavajra) has its origins in Buddhist myth:

In the emptiness of space, a mild wind began blowing. Over time, it filled the great Void, growing in power over eons until it coalesced into the vajra cross. This weighty, immutable object is said to be the foundation of the universe or Visvavajra (in Sanskrit, visva = universe). Depicted as an X or in vertical form (like a plus sign), it is also a symbol of protection.

The Double Vajra is formed from four lotus-mounted vajra-heads that emanate from a central hub towards the four cardinal directions and symbolizes the principle of absolute stability. Pointedly, the Double Vajra is a protective symbol that dispels evil, temptation, and deception from the four directions, dispels ignorance and invites wisdom, boosting power.