Sacred objects

Vajra

The vajra, the thunderbolt and diamond sceptre of Tibetan Buddhism: what it means, how it is used with the bell in ritual and how it grew from the weapon of the Vedic god Indra.

Also called Dorje · Diamond sceptre · Thunderbolt

In brief

I.Vajra means both “thunderbolt” and “diamond”: something irresistible and indestructible.
II.In the Vedas it was the weapon of Indra, king of the gods.
III.In Tibetan Buddhism it stands for the unbreakable awakened mind and for skilful compassion.
IV.In ritual a lama holds the vajra in the right hand and a bell in the left.

Chapter I

What it means

The vajra is a short sceptre with prongs curving together at each end around a central ball. Its name means “thunderbolt” and “diamond”: the power of lightning and the hardness of a gem that cuts everything but cannot itself be cut.

In Buddhism it stands for the awakened mind, which nothing can break, and for the compassionate action that springs from it. In ritual it is paired with a bell, the sign of wisdom; together they stand for the union of method and wisdom that leads to awakening.

Chapter II

Where it comes from

In the Rig Veda, the oldest Hindu scripture, the vajra is the weapon with which the god Indra slew the serpent Vritra and released the waters. Buddhist art first showed it in the hand of Vajrapani, a protector of the Buddha.

As tantric Buddhism developed in India, the vajra became its central emblem and gave its name to the whole tradition, Vajrayana, which spread to Tibet from the 8th century.

Chapter III

Where you see it today

Vajras and bells are used daily in Tibetan, Bhutanese and Mongolian monasteries. A great vajra stands at the top of the steps to the Swayambhunath stupa in Kathmandu. The double, crossed vajra is used as a seal and appears on the emblem of Bhutan.

Questions people ask

Why is it paired with a bell?

The vajra stands for method, or compassion, the bell for wisdom. Held together, in the right and left hands, they show that awakening needs both.

What is Vajrayana?

The “thunderbolt vehicle”, the form of Buddhism that developed in India from about the 6th century and became the main tradition of Tibet. It takes its name from the vajra.

Sources and further reading

Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Vajrayana”
Robert Beer, The Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols (Serindia, 2003)
Peter Harvey, An Introduction to Buddhism (Cambridge University Press, 2nd ed. 2013)
Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Religious symbolism and iconography”

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