Vajrapani doesn’t, to many newcomers to Buddhism, look very Buddhist at all. He is a Bodhisattva who represents the energy of the enlightened mind, and his mantra also symbolizes that quality.
Vajrapani is pictured dancing wildly within a halo of flames, which represent transformation.
He holds a vajra (thunderbolt) in his right hand, which emphasizes the power to cut through the darkness of delusion. Vajrapani looks wrathful, but as a representation of the enlightened mind, he’s completely free from hatred.
Vajrapani’s mantra is simply his name, which means “wielder of the thunderbolt”, framed between the mystical syllables Om and Hūṃ. This mantra helps us to gain access to the irrepressible energy that Vajrapani symbolizes. A familiarity with Vajrapani does, of course, help here, although the sound of the mantra is itself rather energetic.
Click below to listen to an audio recording of the Vajrapani mantra, chanted by Bodhipaksa:
Vajrapani is a member, along with Avalokiteshvara and Manjushri, of the trinity of Bodhisattvas known as the Three Family Protectors. The Buddha family of which Vajrapani is the protector is the Vajra (thunderbolt) family, which includes Akshobya (the lord of the Vajra family) and Yamantaka.
Vajrapani (Holder of the Thunderbolt) represents the energy of the enlightened mind, and energy that breaks through delusion. He dances wildly within a halo of flames, which represent the transformative power of Awakening. He holds a vajra (thunderbolt) in his right hand, which emphasizes the power to cut through the darkness of delusion.
Non-Buddhists (and Theravadin Buddhists) seeing Vajrapani for the first time may wonder how such a wrathful-looking figure could possibly fit with the peaceful associations they have with the Buddhist tradition, although such figures are actually very common in the Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions.
Of course it’s not really possible adequately to represent the qualities of Enlightenment in any image, and so even the peaceful forms of Buddhas and bodhisattvas are to some extent misleading.
Enlightened beings do not, in reality, sit around all day on lotuses smiling serenely. The Buddha himself was fearlessly active in engaging with the other religious figures and philosophers of his day. His fearless approach to life is perhaps characterized mostly clearly by his encounter with Angulimala, who was an infamous bandit who killed his victims and added a finger from each to the garland he wore around his neck (his name means “Garland of Fingers”). Although warned to stay away from this dangerous figure, the Buddha insisted on going into the forest to confront Angulimala, who converted to Buddhism, became a monk, and eventually became Enlightened.
Therefore, it’s just as appropriate to represent an Enlightened being as dancing wildly, naked and fearless.
Another way of looking at the apparent fierceness of Vajrapani and other “wrathful” figures is to consider what a Buddha looks like from the point of view of that part of ourselves that doesn’t want to change. We may, at some level, want to meditate, to live ethically, and so on, but other parts of us are profoundly threatened by the possibility of change.
Our habits can form a kind of “sub-personality” that can try to hijack our lives. After all, habits of denial, craving, and aversion face extinction if we continue to practice the path of mindfulness and compassion, so it’s not surprising that they sometimes put up a protest. From the point of view of those powerful and yet primitive parts of ourselves, Enlightenment, rather than looking attractive, seems to be threatening and demonic.
Because of this dual nature, Vajrapani has his peaceful forms as well, and early depictions of him, while muscular and athletic, are nothing like the wild figure depicted above.
Vajrapani has his origins in the Pali canon, as a Yaksha, or nature spirit. In this story, in the Digha Nikaya, a Brahmin (priestly) youth named Ambattha, is first of all rude to the Buddha, believing him to be of a lower social caste, and then refuses to answer a question the Buddha — who is unfailingly polite in the encounter — puts to him about his ancestry.
After Ambattha refuses to answer the question twice, the Buddha reminds him that there is a traditional belief that if you refuse to answer the question of an enlightened one three times, your head will split in seven pieces. Of course this never happens, but “Vajirapani” (the Pali form of his name) appears, ready to make good on the ancient prophecy. Ambattha is of course terrified and promptly answers the Buddha’s question.
Vajrapani also has his mythic roots in Indra, the Indian thunder god. He’s thus connected to Zeus and Jupiter, who, along with Indra, are all variants of the same thunderbolt-wielding sky-deity. (“Dyaus” is Sanskrit for “sky,” and Indra is also known as “Indra Dyaus.” “Zeus” is the Greek form of Dyaus. Jupiter is “Dyaus-piter” or “sky father.”)
The earliest depictions of Vajrapani, as we noted above, are not particularly wrathful. In this image, from the second century, both the Buddha (seated) and Vajrapani (standing) are sculpted in classic Greek style. Vajrapani here is shown as a powerful muscular figure protecting the Buddha, and his iconography is essentially that of Herakles (Hercules). The characteristics he shares with the later form are the vajra (thunderbolt), his powerful frame, and his semi-nakedness, which is typical of a Greek athlete.
In later forms, as Vajrapani becomes more other-worldly, he is shown as being dark blue in color. He perhaps borrows this color from Akshobhya, the head of the Vajra Family. But this is also the color of a thunder cloud.
He represents the power, energy, and fearlessness of the Buddhas. He stands in (or rather is caught in) the warrior pose that will be familiar to those who practice Hatha Yoga. In his outstretched right hand he wields a vajra, and his left hand holds a lasso with which to bind demons.
Vajrapani wears a loin-cloth around his hips. The cloth is made from the skin of a tiger. He is adorned with the five-pointed Bodhisattva crown, but the crown bears five skulls. He has a necklace hanging to his belly, but he also has a snake around his neck. Snakes and dragons are associated with clouds and rain, fitting in with Vajrapani’s origins as a god of thunder.
Vajrapani has a bulging third eye in the center of his forehead. Just as Ambattha’s hairs stood on end when he encountered Vajirapani, so the bodhisattva’s hair flies wildly in the air.
Although Vajrapani and other similar figures are often described as “wrathful” it’s important to realize that they do not represent ordinary anger, but simply the power and fearlessness of the awakened mind. There is no place in Buddhist practice for “righteous anger,” and despite his appearance Vajrapani is a profoundly compassionate figure.
View Comments
There are two versions of mantra:
1. Peaceful form: Om Benza Pani Hum
2. Wrathful form: Om Bezar Tsan Dra Ma Ha Ro Kha Na Hung Phet
Could anyoe clarify, Tanks Advance.
My comment would be to go up to Jayarava's comment of Sept. 07. He pretty much clears it all up. I would like to add I've heard your 'Benzar' pronounced what seems to me to be Banzar. With the multiple dialects of Tibet there must be subtle variations over each mountain range!!!
dear bodhipaksa,
i'm a little confused about the pronunciation of "hum" is it hung or hoom.
the devanagri skrip reads as hoom. i've always found this confusing as this is such a principal sound found in so many mantras. could you help me with this.
warmly,
mani
Hi Mani,
There's a pronunciation guide in the article. (Ahem. If in doubt, read the article).
Huṃ is pronounced as "hoong." The dot under the m indicates open-mouthed nasalization. Usually when you say m (as in English "hum") you put the lips together, but in huṃ the mouth is open and the outbreath resonates in the nasal cavities. It resembles certain sounds in French, as with a word like chanson, where the final vowel is nasalized.
I hope this helps.
All the best,
Bodhipaksa
Hi Bo Dhi Pa Ksa,
Above, you mention how making sounds is an individual thing. I would like to expand that to the rest of the 'senses' and their features in the mind of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching. Especially in the 'hearing' feature...the brother who first informed me how to pronounce the Om Ah Aum Banzar Guru Padma Se Ta Hung mantra had heard it pronounced Om Ah Aum Banzar Guzu Bema Se Ta Hung. So that's what I got started with in reciting. Hewas very acutely and emphatically intent on me 'getting it right'. Then, months later, receiving a CD with Master reciting this mantra, and with my listening skills peeked, lo and behold; Master was saying Om Ah Aum Banzar Guru Padma Se Ta Hung!
I've learned that Bema is the pronounciation for Padma in Chinese and the brother is indeed Chinese. He'd also said that Guzu was another way of saying Guru. Of course I've been sticking with Master's way of saying the Guru Rinpoche mantra since hearing it clearly. But I would like to think my brother simply has a 'different' hearing faculty in his mind than me. This of course sends me off into the consideration of our senses being particular to each of us perhaps due to genetics, culture and who knows what else. Like you say, It is a big world. And there are many variations. Consider the native language you grow up with. The vowels and consonates vary all over. And Chinese has sounds that do not exist in English what to say of Sansrit, and Tibetan.
I think the dibate could clarifiy by distinguish if the mantra belongs to the sutra or the tantra. If the mantra is found in the Sutras, that mantra does not require wang or lung (empowerment and/or tranmission respectively).
Mostly all the wrathful mantras requires at least the lung or transmission. That is one of the conditions in the tantra or vajrayana way. One of the samayas...
Some peaceful mantras are found in the sutras. Those mantras are not necessarily involved in the empowerment, but some of them are. Even, there are some peaceful mantras related to terma teachings that need specifically the lung of that terma in order to be kept (chanted/recited or practiced)
Best regards,
Rinchen.
Oh, Badzar is also a tibetan word for vajra. The vajra as a symbol...some say 'diamond' and also 'lightening bolt', each reflecting on the 'light' feature. Anyway, I seem to remember from way back in the Mahabharata, the war is raging and the 'bad side' has decided to break out the ultimate weapon: the vajrapani!!! This is when Krsna makes Arjuna and his brothers wait on the far edge of the valley. Krsna, Arjuna's charioteer then proceeds into the midst of the battle and annihilates everything. At Los Alamos when the very first atomic bomb was set off, this very part of the Mahabharata flashed into Oppenheimer's mind, and he then realized what Krsna did. Yet this does not explain this ultimate weapon, the vajrapani, but it shows how important it was for Krsna to ast as he did to prevent its deployment.
Now, Vajrapani is credited with coming down to earth on a mountaintop in [I think] Ceylon/Sri Lanka and giving the vajrayana to 8 masters [not really sure about the number present-I just like 8's] while Vajradhara is credited with giving it to Garab Dorje [Prahevajra]. With the vajrayana's focus on the union of emptiness and clarity, I'm reflecting that 'The Ultimate Weapon' for ending wars, conflicts, and strife is the Vajrapani: Release from the tensions of grasping and striving, hoping and fearing, and whatever else....
Bodhipaksa, In Tulku Thondup's THE PRACTICE OF DZOGCHEN he makes a reference by quote to the Arya Bodhipaksa Nirdesa Sutra. Perhaps you can turn me on to this sutra in English??? Sure hope so. I too am a Manjusri freak and see where he is immenant in this sutra. Or at least give me more info on it than just the couple of parargraphs in Tulku Thondup's book. I'm going to Hong Kong the 30th and they have a great buddhist bookstore there. Maybe I can find it. Wish me luck.
Also, what about Vajrakilaya, or vajrakila, or vajrakumura? Seems like he must be kin to vajrapanin and vajradhare along with vajrasattva. Got his mantra handy? I'll be asking my master about it soon. I'll let you know how it goes a la Qin Hai Tibetan Buddhism from the Dorjechen himself...an emanation of Manjusri.
Hi Mondo,
There's a traditional list of 37 Bodhipaksa Dharmas, although I don't know if that's what the Nirdesa is about -- I've never seen it. If you do come across it, please let me know!
I have a book about Vajrakila/Phurba -- the Adamantine Tent-Peg. I think it was "Cult of the Deity Vajrakila" by Martin J. Boord. It was a most interesting book, and I was fascinated by such things at those times (early 90's). My spiritual tastes are a bit more "vanilla" now! It's long out of print, by the way. There's a more recent book by Khenpo Namdrol Rinpoche that I haven't read. He has many mantras. Here's what Boord has to say about one of them:
I'm now more involved in observing the impermanence of my experiences :)
Thanks for your response. Ran across 'something' about enunciating Phat. It is enunciated with intense sound...loud even. Then I heard that is also the case with Ha as in swo ha and also Hung. Always the last syllable can be enunciated emphatically. Why? Here's a mondo idea about this: With a loud enunciation, first you inhale before hand and then using the full set of lungs, depress the abdomine/solar plexus expelling the breathe upwards...all while focusing on the heart chakra sending this Mind up the Central Channel up through the 1,000 petaled lotus Chakra and on up to teh dhyanan buddhas and beyond. Phat pronounced by my Master sounds like HUT. When he said it I was reminded of how in the Marine Corps when an officer walked into a room, someone would always say, "10-HUT!!!"...attention in English. At attention one's spine is supposed to be straight. When doing the mantra, bend the head over as if in a bow thereby pointing that soft spot at the top of the head north...up. I project, after doing a few hundred thousand of these this way the light will dawn. Also, the indocrine system's adrenal glands are only signalled via the solar plexus. With crunching in the solar plexus to emphatically pronounce these 'last syllables' there is a sensation of 'ripples up the spine'. Seems to be a union of prajna-yama and man-tra effecting movement of the heart chakra flowing up the central channel. Pretty much the entire abdomine crunches as the solar plexus initiates the pulse of the breathe upwards.