Khakkhara
Buddhist staff / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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A khakkhara (Sanskrit: खक्खर; Tibetan: འཁར་གསིལ, THL: khar sil; Chinese: 錫杖; pinyin: xīzhàng; Japanese pronunciation: shakujō; Korean: 석장; romaja: seokjang; Vietnamese: tích trượng; "tin stick"), sometimes referred to in English as a pewter staff,[1][2] is a staff topped with metal rings traditionally carried by Buddhist monks, particularly in East Asian Buddhism.[3]
Originally used as a noisemaker to announce a monk's presence and frighten away animals, it was adapted for use as a rhythmic instrument during chanting and sutra recitation, and for use as a weapon.[4][5][6] It is also known as a "tiger pewter staff" (虎錫), due to its traditional use of driving away predatory animals.[citation needed] The earliest recorded description of a khakkhara is in the writings of the Chinese pilgrim monk Yijing who traveled between China, Indonesia, and India in the years 671 to 695 AD.[7]