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Ritual Implements in Tibetan Buddhism: A Symbolic Appraisal
Nitin Kumar, Editor Exotic India Art
Rites and rituals are an essential part of Tibetan religion and
reflect its practical side. Not restricted to temples alone, they
are performed in a variety of places and circumstances, for a
myriad of purposes. Daily ceremonies are conducted in temples,
although they are perhaps not so elaborate as those that take
place in Hindu temples in India and Nepal. Throughout the year,
too, special rituals are performed to propitiate deities, to
precipitate rain, to avert hailstorms, diseases, and death, to
ensure good harvests, to exorcise demons and evil spirits, and of
course to destroy the passions of the mind and, ultimately, the
ego. All these practices-whether occult, magical, or shamanistic,
require various implements which are as important as the images
of the deities in whose service they are employed. Each such
object is pregnant with symbolic meaning and is frequently imbued
with magical power and potency.
Many of these ritual implements also occur as hand-held
attributes of various important Buddhist deities. Many of these
weapons and implements have their origins in the wrathful arena
of the battlefield and the funerary realm of the cremation
grounds. As primal images of destruction, slaughter, sacrifice,
and necromancy, these weapons were wrested from the hands of evil
and turned-as symbols-against the ultimate root of evil, the
self-cherishing ego. In the hands of wrathful and semi-wrathful
deities, protective deities, the siddhas and the dakinis, these
implements became pure symbols, weapons of transformation, and an
expression of the deities' wrathful compassion, which mercilessly
destroys the manifold illusions of the inflated human ego.
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Some of the important ritual implements are:
1). The Vajra or Thunderbolt, also known in Tibetan as dorje.
2). The Bell, known in Sanskrit as the Ghanta, and in Tibetan as
dril bu.
3). The Phurpa (Ritual Dagger)
4). The Skull Cup, known as kapala in Sanskrit.
5). The Curved Knife or Chopper.
The Vajra
The Vajra is the quintessential symbol of Vajrayana Buddhism,
which derives its name from the vajra itself. The Sanskrit term
vajra means 'the hard or mighty one', and its Tibetan equivalent
dorje means an indestructible hardness and brilliance like the
diamond, which cannot be cut or broken. The vajra essentially
symbolizes the impenetrable, immovable, immutable, indivisible,
and indestructible state of enlightenment or Buddhahood.
The form of the vajra as a scepter or a weapon appears to have
its origin in the single or double trident, which arose as a
symbol of the thunderbolt or lightning in many ancient
civilizations of the Near and Middle East. Parallels are
postulated with the meteoric hammer of the Teutonic sky-god Thor,
the thunderbolt and scepter of the Greek sky-god Zeus, and the
three thunderbolts of the Roman god Jupiter. As a hurled weapon
the indestructible thunderbolt blazed like a meteoric fireball
across the heavens, in a maelstrom of thunder, fire and
lightning.
In ancient India, the vajra, as a thunderbolt, became the chief
weapon of the Vedic sky-god Indra. It controlled the forces of
thunder and lightning, breaking open the monsoon storm clouds,
bringing the welcome rains to the parched plains of an Indian
summer. According to legend, Indra's thunderbolt was fashioned
from the bones of the great Rishi Dadhichi, who was decapitated
by Indra in sacrifice. Dadhichi's 'indestructible' skull-bones
gave Indra the most powerful of weapons, by the energy of which he slew innumerable of his enemy demons.
In mythological descriptions,
Indra's thunderbolt or vajra is shaped either like a circular
discus with a hole at its center, or in the form of a cross with
transverse bladed bars. The Rigveda, the most ancient text in the
world, identifies the vajra as a notched metal club with a
thousand prongs. What is significant is that all these
descriptions identify the vajra as having open prongs, unlike the
Buddhist one, which has closed prongs. According to a Buddhist
legend, Shakyamuni took the vajra weapon from Indra and forced
its wrathful open prongs together, thus forming a peaceful
Buddhist scepter with closed prongs. The Buddhist vajra hence
absorbed the unbreakable and indestructible power of the
thunderbolt.
The Buddhist vajra may be represented with one to nine prongs. It
is designed with a central shaft that is pointed at each end. The
middle section consists of two lotuses from which may spring, at
each end, for example, six prongs of the dorje. Together with the
projecting and pointed central shaft, each end thus becomes seven
pronged. The outside six prongs face inwards towards the central
prong. Each of these outside prongs arise from the heads of
makaras (mythical crocodiles), which face outwards. The mouths of
the makaras are wide open and the prongs emanate from the mouth
like tongues of flame.
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The vajra is generally two-sided but the vishvavajra or the
double thunderbolt has four heads representing the four dhyani
Buddhas of the four directions namely, Amoghasiddhi for north,
Akshobhya, who presides over the east, Ratnasambhava, lord of the
south, and Amitabha who reigns over the west. It is the emblem of
the crossed vajra that is inscribed upon the metal base that is
used to seal deity statues after they have been consecrated.
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The vajra is indeed the most important ritual implement and
symbol of Vajrayana Buddhism. It is so important that many of the
Vajrayana deities have the word vajra prefixed to their names,
two of them being Vajradhara and Vajrasattva.
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When used in ritual, the vajra is paired with the bell. It
represents the masculine principle and is held in the right hand, and
the bell, held in the left hand, represents the female principle.
More on this follows.
The Bell
The bell is the most common and indispensable musical instrument
in tantric Buddhist ritual. Gods and apotheosized lamas alike
hold this popular symbol, along with the thunderbolt in their
hands. The bell has an elemental function and its sound, like
those made by the trumpet and the drum, is regarded as
auspicious; it is said to drive away evil spirits. Like the
church bell, the Buddhist hand bell sends the message to evil
spirits that they must stay away from the consecrated area where
the ritual is being performed.
As already mentioned, in ritual the bell is paired with the
vajra. The vajra represents the compassion of the Buddha, the
masculine principle; and the bell represents wisdom, the female
principle. To achieve enlightenment, those two principles must be
combined. The bell is visualized as the Buddha's body, the vajra
is visualized as his mind, and the sound of the bell is
visualized as Buddha's speech in teaching of the dharma.
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The use of the bell and vajra differs according to the ritual
performed or the sadhana chanted. The vajra can be used for
visualization or evocation of deities; ringing the bell can be
used to request protection or other actions from a deity, or it
can represent the teaching of dharma, and can also be a sound
offering. As one example of their use, during meditation on the
deity Vajrasattva, the vajra is placed on the chest of the
practitioner, meaning that Vajrasattva is brought to the
meditator, and they become one and inseparable. Ringing the bell
then represents the sound of Buddha teaching the dharma and
symbolizes the attainment of wisdom and the understanding of
emptiness.
While chanting, the vajra is held in the right hand, which faces
down, and the bell is held in the left hand, which usually faces
up, and they are moved in graceful gestures. Sometimes the hands
are held with the wrists crossed over each other, against the
chest. This represents the union of the male and female
principles.
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The Phurpa
A phurpa, sometimes called a "magic dagger", is a tantric ritual
object used to conquer evil spirits and to destroy obstacles. It
is utilized in magic rituals by high level tantric practitioners.
The word phurpa is used primarily in Central Tibet, while the
word phurbu is used more often in Kham, Amdo and Ladakh.
The component phur in the word phurpa is a Tibetan rendering of
the Sanskrit word kila, meaning peg or nail. The phurpa is an
implement that nails down as well as binds. It was thus by
stabbing a phurpa into the earth, and thereby nailing and binding
the evil spirits, that Padmasambhava, regarded as the inventor of
this implement, consecrated the ground on which the Samye
monastery was established in the eighth century. Whatever the
original shape of the Indian kila may have been (none has
survived), it seems very likely that in Tibet the form of the
phurpa, with its three-sided blade, was suggested by the pegs
that were driven into the earth to hold the rope stays of the
tent. Due to the essentially nomadic nature of life in ancient
Tibet, the tent was an important part of their routine. While
traveling it was used by all, the peasants, the traders, the
royalty, nobility and even the exalted monks. Indeed, the peg of
the tent is the prototype of the phurpa. Its triple blade is
really not a dagger but a peg, precisely the kind of peg used to
secure tents.
The triple blade of the phurpa symbolizes the overcoming or
cutting through of the three root poisons of ignorance, desire,
and hatred, and also represents control over the three times of
past, present and future. The triangular shape represents the
element of fire and symbolizes wrathful activity. The tenacious
grip of the makara-head at the top of the blade represents its
ferocious activity.
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When using the phurpa, the practitioner first meditates, then
recites the sadhana of the phurpa, and then invites the deity to
enter the phurpa. As he does so, the practitioner visualizes that
he is frightening and conquering the evil spirits by placing the
evil under the point of the phurpa. Or sometimes the practitioner
visualizes throwing the phurpa in order to impale and subdue the
spirits. The success will depend on the practitioner's
spirituality, concentration, motivation, and his karmic
connections with the deity of the phurpa and the evil spirits.
The Skull Cup
The skull cup, known as kapala in Sanskrit, is fashioned from the
oval upper section of a human cranium. It serves as a libation
vessel for a vast number of Vajrayana deities, mostly wrathful.
As a ritual implement, the selection of the right skull is of
immense importance for the success of the ritual. The skull of a
murder or execution victim is believed to possess the greatest
tantric power; the skull of one who has died from a violent or
accidental death, or from a virulent illness, possesses a medium
magical power; the skull of a person who died peacefully in old
age has virtually no occult power. The skull of a child who died
during the onset of puberty also has great potency, as do the
skulls of miscegenated or misbegotten child of unknown paternity,
born from the forbidden union of castes, out of wedlock, from
sexual misdemeanor, or particularly from incest. The 'misbegotten
skull' of a seven or eight-year-old child born from an incestuous
union is considered to possess the greatest power in certain
tantric rituals. Here the vital force or potential of the skull's
'previous owner' is embodied within the bone as a spirit,
rendering it as an effective power object for the performance of
tantric rituals.
As the libation vessel of the Vajrayana practitioner, the skull
cup essentially parallels the clay pot (kumbha in Sanskrit) of
the Vedic sacrifice, the alms bowl of the Buddha, and the sacred
water vase (Kalasha in Sanskrit) of the bodhisattvas. As a
receptacle for sacrificial offerings presented to wrathful
deities, it parallels the precious tray containing auspicious
substances-the jewels, flowers, or fruit presented to peaceful
deities. In its most benign symbolism, as the begging bowl or
food vessel of an ascetic, the skull cup serves as a constant
reminder of death and impermanence.
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In the iconography of wrathful protective deities the skull cup,
held at the level of the heart, may also be paired with the
curved knife or chopper which may be held above the skull cup.
Here the chopper is the weapon that severs the life veins and
vital organs of demonic enemies, and the cup is the oblation
vessel in which the blood and organs are collected as the deity's
sustenance. Descriptions of the contents of a wrathful deity's
kapala include warm human blood, blood and brains, blood and
intestines, human flesh and fat, the heart or the heart and lungs
of an enemy, the heart of Mara and the blood of Rudra.
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But it is not only the wrathful deities who hold the skull-cup.
Certain other deities may hold other attributes within their
skull cups. Padmasambhava, for example, holds a skull cup
described as an ocean of nectar, in which floats a longevity
vase.
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The Curved Knife or Chopper
The chopper is one of the most prominent weapons used by
Buddhism's angry deities, both male and female. Continuously
brandished by them or simply carried in their hands, its purpose
is to chop up disbelievers.
This curved flaying-knife is modeled on the Indian ' knife of the
butchers', used for skinning animal hides. The gibbous crescent
of its blade, which terminates in a sharp point or curved hook,
combines the flaying implements of a cutting-knife and scraping
blade, and the piercing activity of a dagger or pulling-hook. The
blade's crescent is used for cutting through flesh and scraping
it clean, separating the outer and inner as 'appearance and
emptiness'. The sharp hook or point of the blade is used for the
more delicate acts of flaying: the initial incising of the
carcass, the pulling out of veins and tendons, and cutting around
the orifices of the skin.
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An interesting but somewhat disturbing legend is related about
the Mahakala 'protector chapel' at Samye monastery in Central
Tibet. Traditionally, this forbidding chapel was kept locked for
most of the year and entry into its precinct was rarely
permitted. The attendant monk who supervised the chapel would
each year ceremoniously replace an iron chopper and wooden
chopping board which had become blunt and worn down by its
nocturnal activities. Even though the chapel was locked and
empty, at night the screams of the ethereal miscreants hacked
under Mahakala's chopper could be clearly heard from outside the
chapel.
In Mahakala's symbolism the curved knife cuts through the life
veins of enemies such as oath-breakers and hindering spirits; and
his skull cup is filled with the heart-blood of these enemies.
This crescent shaped chopper, held by deities such as Mahakala,
corresponds in shape to the cavity of the skull cup and functions
to make 'mincemeat' of the hearts, intestines, lungs, and
life-veins of enemies hostile to the dharma, which are then
collected in the skull cup. As mentioned, a similar crescent
shaped hand cleaver is used in oriental cuisine to chop meat and
dice vegetables.
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Just as the thunderbolt is typically paired with the bell, so do
the chopper and skull cup generally accompany each other. The
symbolism of the two pairs may be the same. Since the chopper is
the instrument for cutting through the fog of ignorance, it
represents method, the masculine principle, while the cup
symbolizes wisdom, the feminine principle. In many ways, the
chopper serves the same purpose as the dorje or the phurpa and is
employed in rituals of exorcism by priests and shamans.
Broadly speaking, the category of ritual objects in Tibetan
religion includes nearly all objects that serve a religious
function. The extensive variety and uses of ritual objects should
be noted as one of the defining elements of Tibetan art, for no
other culture has generated so wide a range of such implements.
The great breadth also holds true for the materials they are made
from. These include various metal alloys, precious metals,
especially silver, jewels, wood, sculpted butter, and even human
bones and ashes, taking the ritual well beyond the usual range of
materials familiar among most religious traditions.
Most ritual objects are used in temples by initiated lamas who
alone have the right and duty to perform the various rituals. In
this and in many other ways the customs are not different from
those of Judaism and Christianity, in which the rabbi or priest
performs most acts of worship.
Aesthetically appealing and visually resplendent, Tibetan ritual
implements are indeed fascinating, as much for their exquisite
craftsmanship as for their rich forms and symbolism.
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