Vajrapani

Deity in Buddhism / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Vajrapāṇi (Sanskrit; Pali: Vajirapāṇi, meaning, "Vajra in [his] hand") is one of the earliest-appearing bodhisattvas in Mahayana Buddhism. He is the protector and guide of Gautama Buddha and rose to symbolize the Buddha's power.

Quick facts: Vajrapāṇi, Sanskrit, Pāli, Chinese, Japanese...
Vajrapāṇi
Vajrapani_American_Museum_of_Natural_History.jpg
Tibetan depiction of the wrathful Vajrapāṇi
Sanskritवज्रपाणि
Vajrapāṇi
Pāliवजिरपाणि
Vajirapāṇi
Chinese金剛手菩薩
(Pinyin: Jīngāngshǒu Púsà)
Japanese金剛手菩薩こんごうしゅぼさつ
(romaji: Kongōshu Bosatsu)
Khmerវជ្របាណិ
(vach-cheak-baa)
Korean금강수보살
(RR: Geumgangsu Bosal)
Mongolian scriptОчирваань
TagalogBaklapani
Thaiพระวัชรปาณีโพธิสัตว์
(Phra Watcharapani Phothisat)
Tibetanཕྱག་ན་རྡོ་རྗེ་
Wylie: phyag na rdo rje
THL: chak na dorje
VietnameseKim Cương Thủ Bồ Tát
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Venerated byTheravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana
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Vajrapāni is also called Chana Dorji and Chador and extensively represented in Buddhist iconography as one of the earliest three protective deities or bodhisattvas surrounding the Buddha. Each of them symbolizes one of the Buddha's virtues: Manjushri manifests all the Buddhas' wisdom, Avalokiteśvara manifests all the Buddhas' immense compassion, and Vajrapāni protects Buddha and manifests all the Buddhas' power [1] as well as the power of all five tathāgatas (Buddhahood of the rank of Buddha).[2]

Vajrapāni is one of the earliest Dharmapalas of Mahayana Buddhism and also appears as a deity in the Pali Canon of the Theravada school. He is worshiped in the Shaolin Monastery, in Tibetan Buddhism and in Pure Land Buddhism (where he is known as Mahasthamaprapta and forms a triad with Amitābha and Avalokiteśvara). Manifestations of Vajrapāni can also be found in many Buddhist temples in China, Taiwan and Japan as Dharma protectors guarding monastery and temple gates. Vajrapāni is also associated with Acala, where he is serenaded as the holder of the vajra.[3]