Kila (Purba) – ritual dagger with a stone support
See it in the Museum
Chapel
Orientation 3
Display 5
ABR 064
Code: ABR 064
Country: Tibet
Style:
Date: 1800 - 1900
Dimensions in cm WxHxD: 4.8 x 14 x 4.8
Materials: Silver and stone
Vajrakila (dorje purba) – The ritual dagger
Vajrakila (dorje purba in Tibetan), the "adamantine dagger" is the name of a ritual peg or dagger with a pyramidal blade used by all religious schools in Tibet.
The ritual object purba is directly related to Dorje Phurba or Vajrakila, an eponymous wrathful deity embodying the awakened activities of all Buddhas. Vajrakila is one of the most important meditation deities in the ancient Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. He is embodied in the purba as a means of destroying all obstacles and hindrances on the path to Buddhahood, his faces appearing on the pommel of the dagger. These wrathful activities consist of the overcoming and liberation of violence, hatred, and aggression then transmuted into wisdom. The dagger is also employed to bestow blessings. According to Tibetan tradition, the cult and practice of wrathful deity Vajrakila was introduced from India to Tibet during the 8th century by the tantric master Padmasambhava.
This silver dagger rests on a triangular support with the effigy of an obstructing spirit where the blade embeds itself. The ritual implement is finely decorated with gilding and many inserts (pearl, turquoise, and coral). The black threads attached to the handle correspond to certain wrathful rituals.
Vajrakila (dorje purba in Tibetan), the "adamantine dagger" is the name of a ritual peg or dagger with a pyramidal blade used by all religious schools in Tibet.
The ritual object purba is directly related to Dorje Phurba or Vajrakila, an eponymous wrathful deity embodying the awakened activities of all Buddhas. Vajrakila is one of the most important meditation deities in the ancient Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. He is embodied in the purba as a means of destroying all obstacles and hindrances on the path to Buddhahood, his faces appearing on the pommel of the dagger. These wrathful activities consist of the overcoming and liberation of violence, hatred, and aggression then transmuted into wisdom. The dagger is also employed to bestow blessings. According to Tibetan tradition, the cult and practice of wrathful deity Vajrakila was introduced from India to Tibet during the 8th century by the tantric master Padmasambhava.
This silver dagger rests on a triangular support with the effigy of an obstructing spirit where the blade embeds itself. The ritual implement is finely decorated with gilding and many inserts (pearl, turquoise, and coral). The black threads attached to the handle correspond to certain wrathful rituals.