Dorje

The dorje, vajra in Sanskrit, is one of the central symbols of Tibetan Buddhism and gives the Vajrayana, the Diamond Way, its name. Vajra means diamond or thunderbolt: the diamond stands for the indestructible, the thunderbolt for that which penetrates everything. In the tradition, both are qualities of the awakened mind.

Its form follows traditional iconographic rules: two symmetrical halves with five or nine spokes, joined in the middle by a sphere that stands for emptiness as the origin of all phenomena. In ritual, the dorje is held in the right hand and the bell in the left. Together they stand for the union of compassion and wisdom. Guru Rinpoche, who according to tradition brought the Vajrayana to Tibet, also holds a dorje in his right hand in many depictions.

Our pieces show the dorje as a ritual object in brass or copper, engraved on singing bowls, gongs and bangles, as pendants, earrings and key rings, on table runners and cushion covers in silk brocade, on incense burners and wall decorations. The ritual objects, bangles, pendants and silk brocade pieces are handcrafted by Tibetan artisans in the Himalayas, so no two are exactly alike.