Bone Ornament: Ritual Symbols of Wrathful Vajrayana Deities

The Symbolic Meaning of Bone Ornaments in Wrathful Vajrayana Deities

In the Vajrayana school of Buddhism, wrathful deities are represented in some of the most symbolic and influential artworks and religious images. Their fierce looks, blazing rings of light, and commanding presence are intimidating to newcomers to Vajrayana. However, the fear that comes from their appearance must be considered in the context of everything else; the signature feature of their appearance—the bone jewelry they wear—holds much significance. What appears to be creepy bone ornaments is, in fact, also a symbolically developed tool used in Vajrayana ritual practice.

Bone ornaments can thus no longer be viewed as mere adjuncts to the image of wrathful deities; they are potent symbols of transformation, of the flow of time, and of the paths leading to the wisdom of awakening. When death and decay are associated with bones, their symbolism serves practitioners as a potent reminder of the reality of impermanence in every moment of life. As such, they are emblems of the surrender of self and symbolic examples of the overcoming of materialism, two key milestones along the path to full Enlightenment in Vajrayana Buddhism. These ornaments also represent the wisdom of transcending the illusion of permanence and are a movement towards the ultimate truth of emptiness. The bone decorations of the angered gods are not only symbols of death; they are also symbols of transformation and liberation, reflecting the understanding that nothing is everlasting and that everything is intertwined.

Historical and Cultural Context of Bone Ornaments in Vajrayana Buddhism

Bone ornaments are highly valued in Tibetan and Nepalese cultures in Vajrayana Buddhism. They represent spiritual transformation. These decorations were made in Tibet in the 8th century and drew on Buddhist concepts of the ever-changing nature of things and the native Bon tradition. Meditation on charnel grounds, using bones to signify one's acceptance of death and the impermanence of life, is a central practice for yoginis. This approach aided them in decoupling from the physical world and ego.

Both Nepalese and Tibetan cultures incorporate bone accessories, such as those worn by Mahakala and Vajrakilaya, as symbols of how anger or rage can be transformed into wisdom. The bone is often a reference to a skull to represent that fear and clinging can be transmuted into wisdom, and knowing that our death is imminent encourages us to release our attachment to this earth and give up our desires for the things we now possess. The bone ornaments continue to play a significant role in rituals today, helping people confront death and move toward freedom and enlightenment.

The Bone Ornaments of Wrathful Deities

The bone ornaments in the complex, depth-filled world of Vajrayana Buddhism are highly symbolic and crucial to the iconography of wrathful gods. These decorations are not mere show; all of them are symbolic of profound spiritual lessons and meditation designed to transform the ornaments' minds, showing that they appreciate wisdom and nothingness. The use of bone in these holy decorations suggests a persistent, ego-free, fear-free, and undetected nature. The art of frustrated Vajrayana gods displays a classic and famous set of bone ornaments. All of them bear their significant meaning.

1. Five-Skull Crown 

The Bone Crown, commonly depicted with five human skulls, is a symbol of how the five poisons of ignorance, desire, anger, pride, and jealousy may be transformed into the five wisdoms of enlightenment. It has five skulls, which symbolize the five poisons. The crown demonstrates that the deity can elevate himself above these negative feelings and convert them into the higher wisdoms of emptiness, discriminating wisdom, all-accomplishing wisdom, mirror-like wisdom, and equanimity.

2. A Garland of Skulls

The cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, which is symbolized by a bone necklace made of severed heads or skull beads, indicates that you have mastered samsara. This involves renouncing the ego, letting go of attachment to the physical body, and understanding that death is not something to be feared; rather, it is an integral part of the spiritual life that must be embraced. The necklace will serve as a constant reminder to the wearer that they can find freedom by relaxing their grip on life and death.

3. Bone Earrings 

The big, round earrings made of bone symbolize the forfeiture of worldly beauty. They demonstrate that dualistic perception does not exist and that good and evil, attractive and repulsive, are mere illusions. The earrings indicate that the angry god has transcended the superficiality of physical attractiveness to attain instinctive comprehension and spiritual insight.

4. Bone Armlets 

Bone armlets cover the upper arms and symbolize the possibility of regulating the karmic action and applying awakened power to beneficial effects. These armlets reveal that the deity may make reasonable decisions according to enlightened principles and employs its powerful energy to aid living things on their spiritual journey. They demonstrate that God rules all actions and ensures that everything is done in a wise and benevolent manner.

5. Bone Anklets 

Bone anklets signify grounded movement, a reminder to participants that even aggressive actions have their grounds in wisdom and emptiness. They symbolize the ability to navigate this world, to be aware of its impermanence, and to be self-reliant. The anklets reveal the deity's degree of groundedness. They ensure that even during the most fierce and powerful movements, they remain faithful to the current state of affairs.

6. Apron (Bone Skirt) 

The bone girdle, or apron, depicted as a belt or a skirt composed of small bones, is the symbol of cutting ties with sexual pleasure and the body. It means transcending desire and the material world. This decoration depicts that the god is absolutely unattached to the material world. The symbol supports the idea that true freedom can only be achieved by letting go of the concept of having a fixed body and material possessions.

Bone Ornaments in Male and Female Wrathful Deities

Bone: The Ritual Meaning of the Material

Bones in the Vajrayana ritual tradition are not addressed, nor is there fascination with the morbidity of bones. Instead, the focus is on spiritual and philosophical aspects. It reminds us that it is all temporary and of the Vajrayana tradition, where symbols are employed to express profound truths and transform the practitioner's mind.

1. Impermanence (anicca)—The Decadence of All Composites

Bones symbolize the impermanence of the material world, showing that everything we build will eventually decay. A key teaching within the teachings of Vajrayana Buddhism is that nothing is constant; all things in the material world are without permanence, and all forms, whether physical, mental, or emotional, are subject to decline. The decayed remains of the body reflect the transitory nature and weakness of the material world and help individuals understand that their lives in it will come to an end. The use of these bones as a representation of letting go of attachment to all that is temporary allows the practitioner to progress towards enlightenment.

2. Egolessness (anātman)—The Absence of a Permanent Self

"Bone" is also a synonym for "anatman," or "egolessness," a stable self. The body is made of interrelated, changing parts, not a soul. The bones that tend to outlast the body serve as reminders to practitioners that the self, like the body, is not permanent and destined to disappear. The teaching of anatman disrupts our identification with a fixed self by challenging the notion of a solid, everlasting self to identify with. Reflecting on the body and the self unreliability as illusions, the practitioners are invited to release the hold they have on the ego and embrace the wisdom of emptiness and oneness.

3. Fearlessness—Liberation from Clinging to Life and Form

Bone also symbolizes fearlessness by releasing life and shape. The Vajrayana way is very tolerant towards death, and the ornaments of bones are the symbol of the liberty that follows the confrontation of the terror of death. When meditating on the charnel grounds, practitioners are surrounded by the bodies of the dead; they do not experience fear but instead feel liberated by realizing that life's permanence is an illusion. Understanding the reality of death, practitioners have transcended their fear and attachment to the physical world. The disgruntled gods, wearing bone jewelry, symbolize this profound unfearfulness, urging the actors to abandon their fear, as death is not terminal but a means of awakening.

4. Change: Death as a Way to Wake Up

From a philosophical perspective, "bone" can also mean "change." In the Vajrayana philosophical tradition, death is not viewed as an end but rather as a transition on a larger path to enlightenment, which one must go through naturally and embrace rather than fear. To practitioners, the bones of an individual are tangible expressions of their body; therefore, the transition from fear of death to a more profound sense of freedom beyond their physical body and material possessions occurs when they embrace this realization. The overall process of finding enlightenment reveals a significant aspect of dying and shedding one's worldly chains to attain spiritual freedom.

5. The Echoes of Charnel-Ground Practices

Sitting among the dead in charnel grounds during meditation is also a significant practice of Vajrayana rituals. Through the practice, individuals are assisted in letting go of fear and attachment to confront the most valuable aspects of living, including death, change, and emptiness. The bone ornaments of wrathful gods appear very similar to activities in charnel grounds, which identify the initiator with the procedure of releasing the ego and any other connections. Gods with fierce expressions and bones on their bodies are not the end of life. They suggest letting go of attachment to form, the ego, and the idea of eternity.

6. The Impermanence of the Self and Liberation from Bondage

The ornaments on the bones, adorned by the medicine women who represent angry gods, ultimately reveal the truth: the body is empty, and true freedom is unattainable. Such decorations serve as reminders to practitioners that all the things we are so concerned with in the physical world—such as our bodies, our possessions, and our egos—will eventually come to an end. The enraged deities demonstrate to us that we cannot gain actual liberty by clinging to our bodies or earthly possessions; we must witness that everything is empty. Thus, the bones symbolize not only death but also awakening; this is why people should look beneath the surface and confront the harsh reality of life. These gods use bones as jewelry to encourage people to let go of their attachment to their bodies and egos and to embrace a new way of understanding the world that transcends everything, thereby liberating the mind.

Understanding Wrathful Deities in Vajrayana

Buddhism's Vajrayana uses the symbols of Wrathful Deities as symbolic representations of compassion in its enlightened state and often has forms, expressions, and actions indicative of ferocity. As in Tantric practice, the icons are also evidence of a greater state of enlightenment, meaning the state where one has transcended ignorance and the sense of separation from being bound to samsara, which creates suffering. The iconography of the wrathful deities comprises bone necklaces made from human skulls, which represent death, impermanence, emptiness, and other foundational Buddhist teachings about life. The use of these skulls de-emphasizes the fear of death and emphasizes the anticipation of death, thereby supporting the concept of impermanence among all forms of being. Human skulls and bones are used as constant reminders for all practitioners to reconcile with death. Therefore, practitioners of Vajrayana, through their practices, acquire a greater appreciation for the real and ongoing nature of existence, are more likely to let go of their attachments to material things, and are liberated from their suffering and attain enlightenment.

Notable Wrathful Deities with Bone Ornaments

1. Mahakala: Mahakala is among the renowned wrathful gods. Bone jewelry is frequently seen on him. His stern attitude symbolizes the elimination of barriers and the protection of the practitioners on their spiritual path.

2. Vajrakilaya: Vajrakilaya is an essential character of Vajrayana practice. He is a famous, furious figure who can slice through ignorance. His bone jewelry depicts that he is powerful enough to transform things.

3. Palden Lhamo: Palden Lhamo is a deity of protection, and she is commonly depicted wearing bone jewelry, indicating her intense concern and her ability to eliminate evil.

4. Yamantaka: Yamantaka is a wrathful incarnation of Manjushri associated with subduing the Lord of Death. He has conquered death and confusion, as evidenced by his scary shape adorned with bone ornaments.

5. Kalarupa: Kalarupa is the destruction of false beliefs and attachment to the impermanence of the world. His bone ornaments serve as the physical manifestation of this liberty.

Their fierce appearance and decorative symbols are reminders that the path to enlightenment requires people to confront and struggle with the most unpleasant truths. The bone ornaments are a physical representation of this important lesson, which teaches people how to turn fear and ignorance into wisdom and kindness.

Bone Ornaments as Visual Teaching Tools

Bone ornaments worn by wrathful deities are powerful visual teachings in Vajrayana that convey profound insights into change, death, and impermanence. These decorations highlight the inevitability of death, helping people come to terms with it while also encouraging them to remember that life is short. They also demonstrate that fear itself is caused by attachment to the body and ego and that, as long as the fear is confronted, practitioners may overcome it and approach closer to freedom. Bones associated with decay symbolize the transformation of feared death into wisdom. This process demonstrates that one is free by embracing change rather than rejecting it.
Ornaments on bones worn by enlightened creatures alter the way we contemplate death and decay, making them symbols of triumph over ignorance. The enraged deities are a lesson in letting go of the desires of solidity and seeing that all is empty. These decorations help us understand that it is not denying death and impermanence that can bring freedom, but transforming them into knowledge. By doing so, they help practitioners recognize the ultimate freedom that comes from abandoning fear and attachment.

Explore Our Collection of Wrathful Deities from Termatree.