A double vajra mandala sets a double vajra on a lotus at the heart of a mandala palace. The double vajra (Sanskrit vishvavajra; Tibetan dorje gyadram, "crossed vajra") is two vajras crossed at right angles, so that four vajra heads point to the four directions. In Tibetan Buddhism it is the emblem of the Buddha Amoghasiddhi and of enlightened activity, and in many mandalas it is the foundation on which the palace stands.
How it is laid out
- The double vajra fills the centre: four vajra heads spread from a round hub, their curved prongs closing to a point. In our paintings it is gold-coloured, drawn with fine red lines.
- The lotus: an eight-pointed red or dark red lotus beneath it, the seat on which deities and sacred objects rest.
- The palace: a square seen from above, with a gateway in the middle of each side, each topped by an ornamented arch.
- The rings: bands of coloured squares and fine gold-coloured line work circle the palace.
- The colours: a rose or orange ground with a teal, blue or navy edge.
The vajra, single and double
The vajra (Tibetan dorje) began as the thunderbolt weapon of the Vedic god Indra. In Buddhism it joins the qualities of a diamond, which cannot be destroyed, and of lightning, which cannot be resisted, and it gives Vajrayana its name. Held with a bell in ritual, the vajra stands for method, or compassion, and the bell for wisdom.
The double vajra has a place of its own:
- Amoghasiddhi's emblem. Amoghasiddhi ("unfailing accomplishment"), the green Buddha of the north among the Five Dhyani Buddhas, heads the karma, or action, family. The double vajra is its sign and stands for the activity of the Buddhas.
- Beneath the palace. In many mandala paintings a great double vajra forms the ground of the whole palace. Its four heads show around the gateways, often in the colours of the four directions.
- In the hands of deities such as Namgyalma, the goddess of long life, who holds one at her heart.
A symbol, not a ritual
Our double vajra mandalas are decorative designs by Kathmandu painters. They are not the mandala of a particular practice, and no ritual belongs to them. In effect they bring the double vajra from beneath the palace to its centre, where a deity would sit. Our guide to mandalas explains the classic layout.
In a painting
A double vajra must be exactly symmetrical. Look for four heads of the same length and shape, set at true right angles; prongs that curve evenly and meet cleanly at each tip; a hub centred on the lotus; and petals of equal size all the way round. Straight palace walls, matching gateways and gold-coloured line work that stays crisp in the close-ups show the painter's care. At a glance, this is the mandala with a cross of four vajra heads at its centre.
