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The Vajra is a powerful weapon and symbol in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. In Hinduism, it was created from the spine of Rishi Dadhichi to defeat the demon Vritra. In Tibetan Buddhism, it represents pure knowledge and is constructed with various principles, including the eight historical bodhisattvas and five historical Buddhas. The symmetry between the two sides represents the symmetry between the absolute and relative truths.
In Hinduism, the Vajra is the powerful weapon of the king of gods, Indra. The Vajra is also a very powerful symbol in Buddhism, especially Tantric Buddhism. It also appears in Jainism, as a representation of the Thirthankar Dharmanatha.
In Hinduism, the Vajra plays a prominent role in many of the myths of Indra. The fullest story of the creation of the Vajra comes from later Hindu texts, after the introduction of the Trimurti and the subsequent decline of Indra’s power. It is said that Indra and the other gods were driven out of heaven by the demon Vritra, who took the form of a dragon and devoured all the waters of the world.
Unable to defeat Vritra on his own, Indra approached Brahma and asked him for help. Brahma told Indra that no weapon possessed by the gods could defeat Vritra, and that to do so he would have to create a spear from the spine of the great Rishi Dadhichi. Indra approached Dadhichi and explained that he needed his backbone to free the world. Dadhichi gladly accepted, noting that one day he would die anyway, and that it would be better to die in the service of humanity. He entered into meditation and his spirit left his body, which was devoured by the creatures of the forest, leaving only his spine. Indra took the spine and transformed it into the Vajra, with which he defeated Vritra.
In Tibetan Buddhism the vajra is called a dorje. It represents the masculine principle and a symbolic vajra is held in the right hand during many rituals. The vajra is said to be absolutely indestructible, representing pure knowledge that can destroy all ignorance. The symbolic vajra is constructed to demonstrate a number of various principles.
In the center is a flattened sphere, representing the true reality of the universe. The sphere is surrounded by three rings, representing effortlessness, signlessness, and emptiness, the three bliss of Buddhahood. From the rings spring two lotuses, with eight petals each. Eight of these petals represent the eight historical bodhisattvas and eight represent their historical consorts. Each lotus also contains three other rings. Three of these rings represent wisdom, meditation and effort, while three represent generosity, discipline and patience, together representing the six perfections.
Five prongs also spring from each of these lotuses. Five represent the five historical Buddhas, Amitabha, Amogasiddhi, Ratnasambhava, Akshobhya and Vairochana, while five represent their five consorts, Pandara, Tara, Vajradhatvishvari, Mamaki and Lochana. Together, these poles are said to represent the full ten perfections, encompassing the six already discussed, as well as aspiration, inner strength, skill, and purity of awareness. The outermost prongs also come from small sea monster heads, for a total of four. These heads are said to represent many different things, including the four elements, the four joys, the four karmas, and the four gateways to liberation. The symmetry between the two sides of the vajra is said to represent the symmetry between the two truths: the absolute truth and the relative truth of experience.
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