An antique 19th Century or earlier tsakli painting in mineral pigments depicting a '9-pronged' open vajra or dorje of blue meteorite iron within a white mandorla with a lotus throne as its base. The open prongs of the vajra represent its wrathful quality of destroying anger, which may identify it with the dark blue Buddha Akshobya, whose name means 'the immutable one' and who is the Lord of the Vajra Family, representing the transmutation of anger into spacious or mirror-like wisdom.
The dorje or vajra is the quintessential symbol of the 'diamond vehicle' or vajrayana Buddhist path. It symbolises the impenetrable, immovable, indivisible and indestructible state of enlightenment or Buddhahood of the enlightened mind. The vajra symbolises the male principle of skilful means, and is always held in the right, or male hand. The vajra represents the indestructible reality of Buddha's vajra mind as the unshakeable throne or ground of enlightenment. It is also regarded as prime symbol of 'shunyata' or emptiness - absorbing the unbreakable qualities of the diamond, the indestructible power of the thunderbolt and the indivisible transparent clarity of empty space.
9.3 x 11.6cm