Himalayan Art Resources

Item: Vajradhara Buddha - (solitary)

རྡོ་རྗེ་འཆང། སངས་རྒྱས། 金刚持
(item no. 24921)
Origin Location Tibet
Lineages Buddhist
Size 52cm (20.47in) high
Material Metal
Collection Private
Notes about the Central Figure

Classification: Deity

Appearance: Peaceful

Gender: Male

Interpretation / Description

Vajradhara, Buddha (Tibetan: dor je chang, sang gye. English: the Vajra Holder, Enlightened One). The primordial buddha, personification of the dharmakaya - truth body of enlightenment and progenitor of the Vajrayana system of Buddhism.

Sanskrit: Vajradhara Tibetan: Dor je chang

'Master of all-pervasive pristine awareness,
Unmoving great bliss of dharmata,
Unsurpassed treasure of wishing jewels;
Homage to the great Vajradhara.' (Nyingma liturgical verse).

The Sarma schools hold Vajradhara as the secret form of Shakyamuni Buddha and the combined essence of all buddhas of the ten directions and three periods of time gathered as one. It is from Vajradhara that such meditational deities as Guhyasamaja, Shri Hevajra and Chakrasamvara arise. According to the Nyingmapa School Vajradhara is an activity emanation of buddha Samantabhadra.

Jeff Watt [updated 4-2023]

Secondary Images
Related Items
Thematic Sets
Sculpture: Tsang Province Atelier, Tibet
Sculpture: Tsang Province Atelier (Vajradhara)
Buddhist Deity: Vajradhara Main Page