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Vajradhara (Sanskrit: वज्रधर, lit. 'Diamond-holder'; Tibetan: རྡོ་རྗེ་འཆང, Wylie: rdo rje 'chang, THL: Dorje Chang; Chinese: 金剛總持; pinyin: Jīngāng zǒng chí; Javanese: Kabajradharan; Japanese: 持金剛仏; Vietnamese: Kim Cang Tổng Trì) is the ultimate primordial Buddha, or Adi-Buddha, according to the Sakya,[1] Gelug and Kagyu schools of Tibetan Buddhism.[2] It is also a name of Indra, because "Vajra" means diamond, as well as the thunderbolt, or anything hard more generally.
In the evolution of Indian Buddhism, Buddha Vajradhara gradually displaced Samantabhadra, who is the 'Primordial Buddha' in the Nyingma, or 'Ancient School.' However, the two are metaphysically equivalent. Achieving the 'state of Vajradhara' is synonymous with complete realisation.
According to the Kagyu lineage, Buddhā Vajradhara is the primordial Buddha, the Dharmakaya Buddha. He is depicted as dark blue in color, expressing the quintessence of buddhahood itself and representing the essence of the historical Buddha's realization of enlightenment.[3]
As such, Buddha Vajradhara is thought to be the supreme essence of all (male) Buddhas; It is the Tantric form of Sakyamuni which is called Vajradhara. Tantras are texts specific to Tantrism and are believed to have been originally taught by the Tantric form of Sakyamuni called Buddha Vajradhara. He is an expression of Buddhahood itself in both single and yabyum form. Buddha Vajradhara is considered to be the prime Buddha of the Father tantras[4] (tib. pha-rgyud) such as Guhyasamaja, Yamantaka, and so on.
From the primordial Buddha Vajradhara/Samantabhadra Buddha /Dorje Chang were manifested the Five Wisdom Buddhas (Dhyani Buddhas):
Buddha Vajradhara and the Wisdom Buddhas are often subjects of mandala.
Buddha Vajradhara and Samantabhadra Buddha are cognate deities in Tibetan Buddhist cosmology with different names, attributes, appearances and iconography. Both are Dharmakaya Buddhas, that is primordial Buddhas: Samantabhadra is unadorned, that is depicted without any attributes; conversely, Buddha Vajradhara is often adorned and bears attributes, which is generally the iconographic representation of a Sambhogakaya Buddha. Both Buddha Vajradhara and Samantabhadra are generally depicted in yab-yum unity with their respective consorts and are primordial Buddhas, embodying void and ultimate emptiness.
- ^ "Buddha Vajradhara, Originating Deity of the Sakya Lineage".
- ^ Getty, Alice (1914). The gods of northern Buddhism, their history, iconography, and progressive evolution through the northern Buddhist countries, Oxford: The Clarendon press, pp. 4-6.
- ^ Images of Enlightenment: Tibetan Art in Practice
- ^ Father Tantra