vajra

listen to the pronunciation of vajra
English - English
One of the five central Buddhist principles, representing indestructible substance that cuts and penetrates through emotional instability or uncertainty

Those five principles or buddha families are called vajra, ratna, padma, karma, and buddha.

A Buddhist ceremonial mace and symbol, usually interpreted as a diamond or thunderbolt

At the centre is a five-pronged vajra draped and bound with a coloured silk scarf, representing one of the Five Buddha wisdoms or activities.

{i} Indra's thunderbolt
a raaga in which one or more of the 7 swaras is missing in either the ascending or descending scale The missing swara is a vajra swara For example, in SRGPDS, ma and ni are vajra
> A Sanskrit word, literally meaning `diamond' or `thunderbolt', the vajra symbolized the supreme power of the divine Indra, King of the Gods, in Vedic Hinduism It was transvalued as a symbol of compassion in Mahayana Buddhism In esoteric sects, the vajra represents the victorious power of knowledge over ignorance
Often translated as a diamond or as a thunderbolt, it is a symbol used in ritual or found in the hands of various Mahayana deities They represent either the clear insight (such as a lighting bolt cutting through a darkened sky), or pure understanding (such as the clarity of a diamond)
Indras's thunderbolt
Five-pronged ritual object extensively employed in the ceremonies of Tibetan Buddhism. It is fashioned out of brass or bronze, the four prongs at each end curving around the central fifth to form a lotus-bud shape. In Sanskrit the word means both thunderbolt and diamond: like a thunderbolt it cuts through ignorance, and like a diamond it destroys but is itself indestructible. Originally a symbol of Indra, it was used to conquer the non-Buddhist deities of Tibet. In ritual use, it is often employed in conjunction with a bell in the execution of mudras
The "diamond" scepter used in Tibetan and other types of Buddhist ritual, symbolizing compassion The "diamond" scepter used in Tibetan and other types of Buddhist ritual, symbolizing compassion
(Sanskrit word meaning "thunder" or "diamond"): strong determination and willpower