Gemstones and crystals have been treasured for their metaphysical properties since time immemorial. Diamond has the highest hardness and thermal conductivity of any natural material. A diamond is a carbon crystal whose atoms are arranged in a repeating pattern of 8 atoms called diamond cubic. Because this atomic arrangement is extremely rigid, it is not easily contaminated by impurities. The Sanskrit name of diamond is "vàjra", which translates to "dòrje" in Tibetan and "jìngang" in Chinese. Ancient Indo-Europeans associated diamond with lightning, that is the epitome of power, purity, and perfection. The Sanskrit name of lightning is "vìdyut", which translates to Tibetan as "glog" and to Chinese as "shandiàn". In Indo-Aryan art, diamond and lightning were conflated into a small scepter-like object simply known as "vàjra", an imaginary rendering of tektites and fulgurites, commonly known as "fossilized lightning". Tektites and fulgurites are natural tubes or clumps of vitrified sand and rock that sometimes form during meteorite impacts or when lightning discharges into ground. The vajra is composed of two ribbed spherical heads, which represent the opposing but complementary forces of yin and yang, as well as the Earth's magnetic field. The earliest mention of the vajra as a weapon is in the Rigveda. The Vedic god Indra came to be known as "the god of thunder" when he used a vajra to slay the demon Vrìtra. In Greek mythology, the god Zeus wielded a thunderbolt. As lightning is usually followed by thunder, so the vajra was replaced by a thunderous hammer in some iconographies. According to myth, the Chinese god Lèigong carries a drum and a mallet to produce thunder, while his wife Diànmu uses flashing mirrors to send lightning bolts across the sky. The thunderbolt symbolizes universal order, namely dharma, connected to the concepts of kàrma and vipàka. In Norse mythology, Thor was the god of thunder and lightning, brandishing a hammer called "Mjòllnir". The Russian word "mòlnija", meaning "lightning", and its doublet "molòt", meaning "hammer", are cognate with the English terms "mallet" and "maul", and in turn derived from ancient Indo-Aryan languages. In Tibetan mythology, Dorjesèmpa, also known as Vajrasàttva, holds a vajra in his right hand and a bell in his left. He is regarded as the first and foremost repository of ancient esoteric wisdom. The use of a vajra and a handbell as ritual tools is found throughout Vajrayana, or Tantric Buddhism. The vajra symbolically tears the veil of "màya", while the handbell dispels "àvidya". Legend has it that another Tibetan deity named Chanadòrje or Vajrapàni, followed the Buddha wherever he went, and used a vajra to protect him from demons during his wanderings. The intimate "yab-yum" embrace of Chanadòrje with his consort Vajrayògini is meant to symbolize the mystical union of wisdom and compassion. The cosmic vajra or "vìshva vàjra", consists of a pair of crossed vajras representing planet Earth surrounded by the elements water, wood, fire, and metal, also corresponding to the four directions. Vajrayògini is often depicted within of a red hexagram, where the interlocking triangles stand for the union of the spiritual and physical realms, which contain the five classical elements. The Vajra Sutra, commonly known as Diamond Sutra, is one of the most influential Mahayana scriptures in East Asia. The title refers to the power of the vajra to cut through hindrances and obscurations. Written in the 9th century, it is regarded as the earliest printed book, and the first with an explicit public domain dedication, as its colophon states that it was created for universal free distribution.
Awesome! Thank you for this. Pithy yet detailed.
Gemstones and crystals have been treasured for their metaphysical properties since time immemorial. Diamond has the highest hardness and thermal conductivity of any natural material. A diamond is a carbon crystal whose atoms are arranged in a repeating pattern of 8 atoms called diamond cubic. Because this atomic arrangement is extremely rigid, it is not easily contaminated by impurities. The Sanskrit name of diamond is "vàjra", which translates to "dòrje" in Tibetan and "jìngang" in Chinese. Ancient Indo-Europeans associated diamond with lightning, that is the epitome of power, purity, and perfection. The Sanskrit name of lightning is "vìdyut", which translates to Tibetan as "glog" and to Chinese as "shandiàn". In Indo-Aryan art, diamond and lightning were conflated into a small scepter-like object simply known as "vàjra", an imaginary rendering of tektites and fulgurites, commonly known as "fossilized lightning". Tektites and fulgurites are natural tubes or clumps of vitrified sand and rock that sometimes form during meteorite impacts or when lightning discharges into ground. The vajra is composed of two ribbed spherical heads, which represent the opposing but complementary forces of yin and yang, as well as the Earth's magnetic field. The earliest mention of the vajra as a weapon is in the Rigveda. The Vedic god Indra came to be known as "the god of thunder" when he used a vajra to slay the demon Vrìtra. In Greek mythology, the god Zeus wielded a thunderbolt. As lightning is usually followed by thunder, so the vajra was replaced by a thunderous hammer in some iconographies. According to myth, the Chinese god Lèigong carries a drum and a mallet to produce thunder, while his wife Diànmu uses flashing mirrors to send lightning bolts across the sky. The thunderbolt symbolizes universal order, namely dharma, connected to the concepts of kàrma and vipàka. In Norse mythology, Thor was the god of thunder and lightning, brandishing a hammer called "Mjòllnir". The Russian word "mòlnija", meaning "lightning", and its doublet "molòt", meaning "hammer", are cognate with the English terms "mallet" and "maul", and in turn derived from ancient Indo-Aryan languages. In Tibetan mythology, Dorjesèmpa, also known as Vajrasàttva, holds a vajra in his right hand and a bell in his left. He is regarded as the first and foremost repository of ancient esoteric wisdom. The use of a vajra and a handbell as ritual tools is found throughout Vajrayana, or Tantric Buddhism. The vajra symbolically tears the veil of "màya", while the handbell dispels "àvidya". Legend has it that another Tibetan deity named Chanadòrje or Vajrapàni, followed the Buddha wherever he went, and used a vajra to protect him from demons during his wanderings. The intimate "yab-yum" embrace of Chanadòrje with his consort Vajrayògini is meant to symbolize the mystical union of wisdom and compassion. The cosmic vajra or "vìshva vàjra", consists of a pair of crossed vajras representing planet Earth surrounded by the elements water, wood, fire, and metal, also corresponding to the four directions. Vajrayògini is often depicted within of a red hexagram, where the interlocking triangles stand for the union of the spiritual and physical realms, which contain the five classical elements. The Vajra Sutra, commonly known as Diamond Sutra, is one of the most influential Mahayana scriptures in East Asia. The title refers to the power of the vajra to cut through hindrances and obscurations. Written in the 9th century, it is regarded as the earliest printed book, and the first with an explicit public domain dedication, as its colophon states that it was created for universal free distribution.