Item: Vajradhara Buddha - with the 84 Mahasiddhas

Vajradhara, Buddha (Tibetan: dor je chang, sang gye. English: the Vajra Holder, Enlightened One). The primordial buddha, personification of the dharmakaya - truth body of enlightenment and progenitor of the Vajrayana system of Buddhism.

Peaceful in appearance, blue in colour, with an attractive face, he has the two hands folded across the heart in the gesture of non-duality. The right hand holds a vajra sceptre and the left a vajra-handled bell. Beautifully adorned with a five-pointed crown of gold. With gold jewels, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, anklets and a girdle, he wears an upper garment of green. The lower body is attired in a red and green skirt trimmed with blue. Seated in vajra posture with the legs interlocked atop a moon disc and multi-coloured lotus and white snow lion supported throne.

Surrounding the central figure arranged in registers are the Eighty-four Mahasiddhas according to the system of Vajrasana.

"Master of all-pervasive pristine awareness,
Unmoving great bliss of dharmata,
Unsurpassed treasure of wishing jewels;
Homage to the great Vajradhara."
(Nyingma liturgical verse).

Jeff Watt [updated 8-2022]

Sanskrit: Vajradhara Tibetan: Dor je chang