The Subtle Mystery Within the Vajra Realm

Within the vast and intricate pantheon of Tibetan Buddhism, Vajradharma and Vajradhara stand out as ultimate pillars of the highest tantric teachings, embodying the most profound philosophical truths of the Vajrayana path. These two deities are often depicted in similar postures, both holding the same symbolic implements and conveying the same ultimate realization. However, their proper names, doctrinal meanings, and spiritual functions are distinct and uniquely significant.

Confusion with the two is not unusual. Even the most seasoned practitioners and artists may mistake them from time to time, mainly when relying solely on appearance. Both are crowned Buddhas, both cross the vajra and bell at the heart, and both emanate the calmness and power of the fully awakened state. However, look one step deeper into some details, and differences begin to emerge that contain profound meanings about the very nature of enlightenment and how enlightenment is revealed under the different forms of tantra.

In this article, we will explore in depth the origins, iconography, and meaning of Vajradharma and Vajradhara, unraveling their relationship, their differences, and why the distinction is essential for practitioners and interested viewers of Himalayan Buddhist art.

Who is Vajradhara?

The Primordial Buddha in Vajrayana

Vajradhara is considered by many to be the original Buddha - the supreme expanse of the Dharmakaya, or truth body that is beyond form, duality, and boundaries. In the Vajrayana,  the Dharmakaya is the unconditioned essence of all Buddhas, the ultimate state of the awakened mind. While the Shakyamuni Buddha presented himself in the human world as the Nirmanakaya (emanation body) and taught the sutras, he appeared alongside and ultimately was Vajradhara as he explained the Tantric direct methods that lead to enlightenment in an instant.

In many Vajrayana lineages, particularly in Kagyu, it is clear to see where Vajradhara is the primordial start of Mahamudra instructions and imparted the highest tantras to noted masters like Tilopa, Naropa, and Marpa - not just a symbolic figure but the actual spring of the river of Vajrayana.

Iconography of Vajradhara

Vajradhara Depicted In Thangka

• Body color: Peaceful dark blue representing the vast and infinite appearance of the Dharmakāya.
  

• Face and hands: One face and two hands in the gesture folded across the heart- the right hand holding a vajra and the left holding a bell; these are symbols of non-duality or simultaneous unity in ultimate nature and non-duality of compassion (skillful means) and wisdom (emptiness).
  

• Ornaments: Complete adornment, crown of gold and gems, hair ribbons, earrings, necklace, and bracelets; these represent the harmony of the Buddha’s qualities of enlightenment. Nothing shines as brightly as the gold, jeweled, and colored ornaments with perfect perfection.
  

• Attire: Upper garment, green silk; lower garment, red and orange silk; these colors demonstrate unity of compassion, wisdom, and skill, conducive to action.
  

• Posture and seat: Seated in the Vajra posture on a throne sitting on a moon disc on a lotus sitting on a lion — means pure, stable, and bright dignity.
  

• Aura: Framed in a inner red nimbus (halo) of green areola (aura).
  

• Backdrop: Often has the “six ornament” design to remind practitioners of the six perfections (pāramitās).

• Attendants:

• Left side: Peaceful blue figure standing while holding a vajra in the right hand and a bell in the left hand - shows peaceful compassion.

• Right side: Wrathful blue figure holding a curved knife in the right hand and skullcup in the left hand - shows wrathful compassion that fiercely defends the teachings.

Vajradhara’s Role in Practice

For Vajrayana practitioners, Vajradhara is more than a devotional icon; he is the ultimate guru. For many guru yoga practices, including those in the Kagyu school, visualization of Vajradhara is an essential part of the practice. He serves as the embodiment of one's own teacher and, thus, the ultimate transmission. Therefore, at the time of meditating on Vajradhara, practitioners access the unbroken flow of enlightened mind and receive blessings or a source of inspiration to recognize their primordial nature.

From a Tantric perspective, Vajradhara represents the complete transmission of the highest yoga tantras. He is the confluence point of all teachings, master of the vajra seat, and represents unconditioned truth without a second.

Who is Vajradharma?

The Tantric Form of Shakyamuni Buddha

Vira Vajradharma Depicted in Statue

(Photo from Himalayan Art Resources)

Vajradhara is the primordial Buddha, while Vajradharma is usually considered to be a tantric manifestation of Shakyamuni Buddha, the historical teacher who lived in India 2,500 years ago, and represents Shakyamuni in his esoteric manifestation, when he gives the most hidden Vajrayana teachings to advanced disciples.

Vajradharma is, in some cases, the central deity in specific mandalas and transmission cycles in some traditions and is usually considered the main deity for the Sarma schools (the "New Translation" traditions) of Tibetan Buddhism. Vajradhara fully abides in the timeless nature of the Dharmakaya, but Vajradharma has a more engaging function where he interacts with disciples and gives tantra methods.

Iconography of Vajradharma

• Body color: Radiant red, glowing like the light of the setting sun.
  

• Face and expression: One face that is youthful and without a care embodies the ageless perfection of enlightenment.
  

• Hand gesture: Holds a vajra in the right hand and a bell in the left hand, crossed at the heart, the same symbolic mudra of non-duality seen in Vajradhara.
  

• Hair and crown: Hair in a crown knot, displays royal dignity & spiritual mastery.

• Ornaments: Dressed in silks & jewels and bone ornaments — a tantric reminder to transcend both worldly and sacred limitations.
  

• Posture: Legs folded in meditation equal subtlety, indicating unshakable stability, perfect meditative absorption.

• Seat: Sitting on a lotus seat, purity untouched by the stains of samsara.

Vajradharma’s Role in Practice

Vajradharma is activated in particular empowerments and advanced tantric sadhanas. Vajradharma symbolizes the Buddha's potential to become whatever is most helpful to assist disciples, even one who is a nearly identical version of Vajradhara in posture. 

Vajradharma will have a central position in some mandalas as the lord of the mandala palace, surrounded by deities representing the aspects of enlightened activity. For the practitioner, meditating upon Vajradharma affirms the inseparability of the historical Buddha and the tantric truth, and the harmonizing of the world of forms with the not-form ultimate reality.

Vajradharma vs. Vajradhara: A Comparative View

Shared Vajrayana Roots

Vajradhara (Left) and Vira Vajradharma (Right) Depicted In Thangka

Ascendance to Vajradharma and Vajradhara does occur within the highest dimensions of Vajrayana iconography and teaching. Both hold the vajra and bell in at crossed pose, both emanate complete union of wisdom and compassion, both as perfected forms of Buddha, both adorned with royal ornaments, both as essential parts of advanced tantric forms of practice, and the hearts of mandalas and essence of enlightenment.

Key Differences

Why the Confusion Happens

What strikes a viewer first is the visual similarity: both divinities cross the vajra and bell at the heart, and both are seated in vajra posture and adorned with royal jewelry. For someone without impulse characteristics, colours, contexts, or mandala roles, telling them apart may be impossible. 

Furthermore, both names begin with “Vajra-” and both combine the prefix with a suffix related to dharma, which reinforces the impression of them maybe being a variation of the exact figure; without the benefits of learning their canonical roles, iconographic differences included, they seem to be interchangeable — although each possesses a unique meaning, too.

Practices and Teachings Across Traditions

Vajradhara in Practice

Vajradhara is a key figure of guru yoga practices in the Kagyu tradition. Practitioners visualize Vajradhara either above their heads or in front of them, representing the pure, unbroken mind of the entire guru lineage. The meditation will usually involve merging one's mind with Vajradhara's mind, receiving blessings via beams of light, and then ultimately dissolving into non-dual awareness.

In the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, Vajradhara is identified as the source of certain Highest Yoga Tantra transmissions, for example, in the Guhyasamāja cycle, where he functions as the master of esoteric instruction, though it is not as common to visualize Vajradhara as it is in Kagyu practices.

The Nyingma tradition most often considers Samantabhadra as the original Buddha; occasionally, it does, however, refer to Vajradhara in specific terma revelations, referring to him as the essence - or meaning - of Dzogchen teachings.

The terms when presenting Vajradhara are considered the top, of top instructions, as they emphasize the recognition of the true nature of mind, a pinnacle view that was solidified in Mahamudra, which tends to be correlated to the path of trekchö in Dzogchen.

Vajradharma in Practice

Vajradharma is prominent mainly in the Sarma schools—Sakya, Kagyu (in certain sub-lineages), and Gelug—in regard to empowerment in accordance with tantra, where the historical Buddha is shown in his esoteric form. In this regard, he is not the original source of all tantra, but the manifest teacher, who is giving specific Vajrayana transmissions.

In sadhanas, Vajradharma is visualized as radiant red in color with a crown and clothed in bone ornaments, holding a vajra and bell at the heart. The primary focus of meditations is transforming desire into wisdom, to transform and use the passionate energy of samsara as the fuel towards awakening. In some yidam cycles, Vajradharma presides over mandalas where each surrounding deity embodies a perfected quality of enlightenment.

Transmission Across Traditions

• Kagyu: Vajradhara is the highest figure in the lineage of Mahamudra; Vajradharma occurs in some ritual empowerment contexts.
  

• Sakya: Vajradharma is regarded more significantly within the Hevajra-related empowerment transmissions; Vajradhara, here, is seen as a symbolic representation at the ultimate peak of Tantric realization.
  

• Gelug: Both have presence in contexts of Highest Yoga Tantra; however, the doctrinal and ritual usage is noted as distinct between the two. Vajradhara as the primordial source and Vajradharma as Shakyamuni in terms of Tantric representation.
  

• Nyingma: Vajradhara is sometimes regarded as interchangeable and equal to Samantabhadra within some termas; Vajradharma is a far less common representation, although it can be merged with other schools.
  

Vajradharma and Vajradhara in Himalayan Buddhist Art

While Himalayan thangka painters and sculptors are careful to make the distinction between these two figures, they have many similarities. One is usually color: Vajradhara is shown in deep lapis blue, surrounded by vivid jewel-toned fabrics, while Vajradharma has warm crimson tones and glowing fiery red backgrounds.

With the statue, there is also a tactile difference - Vajradhara has a much smoother, peaceful face, while Vajradharma's visage has more vitality, youthfulness, and a little more life. In mandalas, Vajradhara can often show up at the pinnacle of a lineage tree, while Vajradharma can take a central seat in specific tantric assemblies.

Collectors and practitioners also want to appreciate the differences, as they have different meanings for meditation and devotion. Labeling one as the other makes a difference not only to its meaning, but it can also disturb the meaning behind its intended flow of practice.

The Spiritual Significance of Understanding Their Difference

Understanding the difference between Vajradharma and Vajradhara is much more than an exercise in scholarly exactitude or iconographic specialization – it is a protection for the quality of Vajrayana practice. A crucial component of the tantric path is the accuracy of the visualization, and as an aspect of one's practice, it is not optional. Visualization accuracy is the link between the practitioner's mind and the enlightened mind being visualized. Every point of color, ornament, and mudra is laden with meaning symbolically and energetically. If one meditates or visualizes the wrong form, there is some risk that the quality of blessing will be diminished, and therefore, perhaps even the purity of a lineage's transmission may be unsure.

It is essential to look at the stillness of Vajradhara's deep blue as pointing to the unborn, undying nature of mind - and as a direct entry into the Dharmakaya - while the vibrant presence of Vajradharma's red is a transmission of the transformative, activated power of enlightened activity, teaching the alchemy of turning desire into wisdom. If one confuses the two, it is likely that one might direct their actual aspiration the wrong way, like tuning into the wrong radio frequency when the signal you are trying to find that frequency for is soft and subtle and hardly ever appears in the world.

Separating them shows us more than just technical correctness; it develops an appreciation for the complicated mandala offered by Vajrayana and the multitude of enlightened forms. Each figure — no matter if it is cosmic and timeless like Vajradhara or existed historically like Vajradharma — is a purposeful guide to beings coincident with their abilities and karmic maturity. To recognise their differences is to see the Buddha's compassion in high definition — a multi-dimensional appreciation of wisdom meeting the beings where they are.

Conclusion: Two Faces of the Indestructible Truth

Vajradharma and Vajradhara can be confused, but they are two radiant pathways of access into the same indestructible reality, like two mirrors that are both looking into the vastness of the same open sky, with a different narrowness as to which mirror offers which view; where you stand will shape each view. Vajradhara points to the timeless, formless source, or unconditioned source, the Dharmakaya, which transgresses birth and death, beyond the moment. Vajradharma introduces the form of Shakyamuni Buddha as a beneficiary figure—who appears with physical attributes—to give the most esoteric instructions to someone ready to receive them.     

Together, they reflect a profound truth of Vajrayana—enlightenment is here and there, transcendent, in the limitless expanse of ultimate reality and immanent, as the presence of a teacher in your own reality—Vajradhara is eternal, Vajradharma is the sun that rises and illuminates your way.

To know them deeply is to respect all of the manifestations of awakened activity, beginning with the primordial source beyond form, and up to the compassionate manifestations that walk and breathe within form. To walk and engage with this realization allows the practitioner to be in a lived dilemma — are you being with the timelessness of wisdom or the immediate engagement of compassion? You are suspended like enforcement, as both are doing the same: holding this vajra of unshakable wisdom and bell of unbreakable compassion, just as both have been, along with countless others since time immemorial, Vajradhara and Vajradharma.

Thangkas Courtesy of Himalayan Art Resources