What is a phurba dagger?

Phurba – Three sided ritual dagger from Tibet – Old World Antiques. The Phurba, or Kila in Sanskrit, is linked to a whole cycle of legends and tantric rituals which all focus on dispelling demons and evil forces. It is a spiritual weapon. It is not sharp and is not meant to cause harm to living beings.

What is a phurba dagger used for?

The tantric use of the phurba encompasses the curing of disease, exorcism, killing demons, meditation, consecrations (puja), and weather-making. The blade of the phurba is used for the destruction of demonic powers. The top end of the phurba is used by the tantrikas for blessings.

Who is Vajrakilaya?

Vajrakilaya is one of the eight deities of Kagyé. Vajrakilaya is a wrathful form of the Buddha Vajrasattva. His distinctive iconographic trait is that he holds the dagger called phurba. Vajrakilaya is commonly represented with three faces of different colors in a crown of skulls.

What is a Buddhist Dorje?

The vajra also is a literal ritual object associated with Tibetan Buddhism, also called by its Tibetan name, Dorje. The vajra is held in the left hand and represents the male principle—upaya, referring to action or means. The bell is held in the right hand and represents the female principle—prajna, or wisdom.

What is a double Dorje?

A double Dorje, or vishvavajra, are two Dorjes connected to form a cross. A double Dorje represents the foundation of the physical world and is also associated with certain tantric deities.

What does Vajra mean in English?

noun. (in Buddhism and Hinduism) a thunderbolt or mystical weapon, especially one wielded by the god Indra. ‘The spokes of a peaceful Vajra meet at the tip whereas those of a wrathful vajra are slightly splayed at the end. ‘

What is a yidam?

Yidam is a type of deity associated with tantric or Vajrayana Buddhism said to be manifestations of Buddhahood or enlightened mind. Yidam is sometimes translated by the terms “meditational deity” or “tutelary deity”.

How is the Phurba Dagger used in Buddhism?

This dagger is a sacred object in Buddhist beliefs and is used in almost every shamanistic ritual. With its ties to the god Dorje Phurba or Vajrakilla, a wrathful deity of Tibetan Buddhism, the dagger is used to destroy violence.

Is there such thing as a phurba knife?

There are other objects of similar shape that can be considered Phurba, but a real Phurba is a knife with three different segments, one of which is a characteristic three-sided blade or point. These segments symbolize the three spirit worlds.

What kind of material is the phurba made of?

What Is Phurba Made Of? Designed after an ancient Vedic tool, the dagger is usually made of materials like wood, clay, bone and metals. As it concentrates on the sacred number 3, its decorations on the three-sided blade and handle, are always grouped into packs of 3.

Why is rock crystal important to the phurba?

In this phurba, a half-vajra projects from Vajrakila’s chignon, and a fully elaborated vajra serves as the hilt, below which project boars’ heads. Rock crystal, valued for its purity and ability to transmit light, is a prized material in this context and thus seen as analogous to the Buddha’s dharma and its immutable higher reality.