Topic: Phurba

[erik]

I bought a Phurba pendant from Melbourne. When I saw it, it felt very right!

The Phurba (Tib., pronunciation between 'pur-ba' & 'fur-pu', alt. transliterations: phurpa, phurbu or phurpu) is a three-sided dagger, peg, stake or nail like ritual implement traditionally associated with Tibetan Buddhism or Bön. The Sanskrit term for phurba is kilaya. The phurba or kilaya is one of many iconographic representations of divine attributes of Vajrayana [1] or Hindu deities, respectively. When consecrated and bound for usage [2], the phurba are a nirmanakaya manifestation of Dorje Phurba or Vajrakilaya. One of the principal methods of working with the phurba and to actualize its essence-quality is to pierce the earth with it; sheath it; or as is common with shaman, to penetrate it vertically, point down into a basket, bowl or cache of rice (or other soft grain if the phurba is wooden). [3] The terms employed for the deity and the tool are interchangable in Western scholarship. In the Himalayan shamanic tradition the phurba may be considered as axis mundi. Müller-Ebelling, et. al. (2002) affirm that for the majority of Nepalese shaman, the phurba is cognate with the 'world tree', either in their visualisations or in initiatory rites or other rituals.

The phurba is used as a ritual implement to signify stability on a prayer grounds during ceremonies, and only those initiated in its use, or otherwise empowered, may wield it. The energetic of the phurba is fierce, wrathful, piercing, affixing, transfixing. The phurba affixes the Elemental Process of Space to the Earth, thereby establishing an energetic continuüm. The Phurba, particularly those that are wooden are for shamanic healing, harmonizing and energy work and often have two nāgas [4] (Sanskrit for snake, serpent and/or dragon, also refers to a class of supernatural entities or deities) entwined on the blade, reminiscent of the Staff of Asclepius and the Caduceus of Hermes. Phurba often also bear the ashtamangala, swastika, sauwastika and/or other Himalayan, Tantric or Hindu iconography or motifs.

The phurba as peg or nail is of the energetic of affixation: uniting all that which is disparate or disassociated.
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Energetic & ritual usage

As a tool of exorcism, the phurba may be employed to hold demons or thoughtforms in place (once they have been expelled from their human hosts, for example) in order that their mindstream may be re-directed and their inherent obscurations transmuted. More esoterically, the phurba may serve to bind and pin down negative energies or obscurations from the mindstream of a person or thoughtform (or tulpa) of a group, project etc., in order for purification to be administered.

The phurba as an iconographical implement is also directly related to Dorje Phurba or Vajrakilaya, a wrathful deity of Tibetan Buddhism who is often seen with his consort Dorje Phagmo or Vajravarahi. He is embodied in the phurba as a means of destroying (in the sense of finalising and then freeing) violence, hatred, and aggression by tying them to the blade of the phurba and then transmuting them with its tip. The pommel may be employed in blessings. It is therefore that the phurba is not a physical weapon, but a spiritual implement, and should be regarded as such. The Phurba often bears the epithet Diamantine Dagger of Emptiness (see Shunyata, Void, Space, Æther and 0 (number)).

As Müller-Ebelling, et. al. (2002: p. 55) states:

    The magic of the Magical Dagger comes from the effect that the material object has on the realm of the spirit. The art of tantric magicians or lamas lies in their visionary ability to comprehend the spiritual energy of the material object and to willfully focus it in a determined direction.

As Müller-Ebelling, et. al. (2002: p. 55) states:

    The tantric use of the phurba encompasses the curing of disease, exorcism, killing demons, meditation, consecrations (puja), and weather-making. The blade of the phuba is used for the destruction of demonic powers. The top end of the phurba is used by the tantrikas for blessings.

As Beer (1999: p.277-278) states, transfixing phurba, scorpion and Padmasambhava:

The sting of the scorpion's whip-like tail transfixes and poisons its prey, and in this respect it is identified with the wrathful activity of the ritual dagger or phurba. Padmasambhava's biography relates how he received the siddhi of the phurba transmission at the great charnel ground of Rajgriha from a gigantic scorpion with nine heads, eighteen pincers and twenty-seven eyes. This scorpion reveals the phurba texts from a triangular stone box hidden beneath a rock in the cemetary. As Padmasambhava reads this terma text spontaneous understanding arises, and the heads, pincers, and eyes of the scorpion are 'revealed' as different vehicles or 'yanas' of spiritual attainment. Here, at Rajgriha, Padmasambhava is given the title of 'the scorpion guru', and in one of his eight forms as Guru Dragpo or Pema Drago ('wrathful lotus'), he is depicted with a scorpion in his left hand. As an emblem of the wrathful phurba transmission the image of the scorpion took on a strong symbolic meaning in the early development of the Nyingma or 'ancient school' of Tibetan Buddhism...". (NB: original text not meta-enhanced.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phurba

[erik]

Vajra Kilaya (Phurba)

[erik]

"Dorje Phurba (rDo rJe phur bu – Vajrakilaya) is shown here in union with Dorje Phagmo (rDo rJe phag mo – Vajra Vaharahi). Dorje Phurba, which means 'thunderbolt nail', obliterates the minions of aggression by plunging the self-existent dagger of non-duality into the heart of hatred wherever it hides and whomever hides it within themselves. Within the space of his vajra-destructiveness, dualised beings are unable to cling to callous imperatives."

[erik]

Dorje Phurba is the Tibetan name for Vajra Kilaya - a being whose name translates as Adamantine Dagger. The spiritual practices which invoke Dorje Phurba are very ancient, and indeed, extremely powerful. Dorje Phurba rites are often associated with the subjugation of the most malevolent obstacles and entities. These obstacles may manifest in a wide variety of ways, including plague and pestilence, wars and invasions, drought and famine and of course as problem causing entities that in English might be referred to with terms such as "demon" or "ghost" (hence the association of the phurba rituals with exorcism). Dorje Phurba pierces and subdues the ignorance that is the root of anger, hatred, aggression, fear and pride.

Penetrating with the dagger of non-dual awareness to the root of these and other negative emotional or intellectual afflictions alleviates the problems by transforming them. In other words, negativity is nullified by Dorje Phurba's vajra wrath. Fighting fire with (enlightened) fire, might be a fitting analogy. It isn't possible to adequately profile a tantric yidam such as Dorje Phurba in such a limited space, but suffice to say that this is an august presence of intense power and pristine Buddha nature manifesting in a form which cancels negativity by liberating it.

Here Vajrakilaya is shown with consort. They are a powerful force in subduing obstacles in general, but obstacles to realization in particular - especially anger and aggression.