Dorje – The Tibetan Buddhist symbol
At first glance, the Tibetan dorje symbol appears to be a weapon. But the dorje symbol is not a weapon, it is a ritual object. In Tibetan Buddhism, the dorje symbol is inseparable from the bell. In Tantric Buddhism, the bell represents the feminine and the dorje represents the masculine, or the dorje represents lightning and the bell represents a diamond. The bell can also represent the body, while the dorje represents the mind. In Buddhist ceremonies in Tibet, the bell and dorje are always used together. The dorje can be used to ring the bell. By holding the dorje and the bell together, the dorje is held in the right hand and the bell in the left hand.
The Tibetan Buddhist deity, Vajrasattva, is commonly shown holding the dorje in the right hand and the bell in the left hand. Other Buddhas who are represented by the dorje are Vajrapani and Padmasambhava. In Tibetan, dorje translates as “noble stone”.
The dorje symbol came to Tibetan Buddhism from Hinduism. In Sanskrit, dorje is called ‘vajra’. Vajra means “thunderbolt” or “diamond”, and vajra is indestructible. The vajra is like a diamond, because it can destroy, but it cannot be destroyed. The vajra represents spiritual power. In Hinduism, the vajra is the weapon of Indra (the god of rain, lightning, and the sky). The vajra symbol also destroys ignorance. The vajra is the symbol of Vajrayana Buddhism, one of the three main branches of Buddhism. Vajrayana Buddhism is also known as the ‘Path of Lightning’ or the ‘Path of Diamond’.
The vajra is often used as a tool in meditation. Practitioners can meditate on the vajra to achieve the ‘thunderbolt experience’. The experience of the ray is a symbol of union of the relative and absolute truths. Relative truth is what we experience in everyday life, conversely, absolute truth is the timeless state of being unified with nature and everything around us. You can also meditate on the symbol of the bell and the dorje, because we must balance the male and female elements within us to achieve enlightenment.
Each part of the dorje symbol has a certain meaning. The two dorje spheres joined in the middle represent the two sides of the brain. This dual nature in dorje itself can also represent body, mind, male, female, etc. As in other types of Eastern philosophy and religion, such as the yin yang symbol, this duality is represented in the dorje.
The spheres represent sunyata, the primordial nature of the universe. There are two sides of the dorje, and these represent two united lotus flowers, one side is for the phenomenal world (samsara), the other is for the noumenal world (nirvana). The three rings in the center of the dorje represent the spontaneous bliss of Buddha nature as emptiness, lack of effort and absence of signs. The eight upper petals represent the eight bodhisattvas and the eight lower petals represent their consorts. Above the lotuses, there are three rings. These rings represent the six perfections, patience, generosity, discipline, effort, meditation and wisdom.
The symbol of the double dorje is known as vishvavajra. It is also known as the double cross. This symbol is made when two dorjes are mounted together. The double dorje symbol is often used as a seal or seal, and is placed at the bottom of statues and pendants. When the dorje or the double dorje sign are worn as pendants, they remind the wearer of the indestructibility of knowledge.
In Hinduism, Indra’s ray has split ends. There is a legend that says that Shakyamuni took Indra’s vajra weapon and pressed the tips to make the dorje a peaceful instrument instead of a weapon.