Phurba
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The Phurba (Tib., pronounced 'pur-ba', alt. spelling phurpa) is a three-sided dagger, stake or nail like ritual implement traditionally associated with Tibetan Buddhism or Bon. In the himalayan shamanic tradition the phurba may be considered as axis mundi.
It is used as a ritual implement to signify stability on a prayer grounds during ceremonies, and only those initiated in its use may wield it. The Phurba, particularly those that are wooden are for shamanic healing, harmonising and energetic work and often have two nāga (Sanskrit for snake, serpent (symbolism) 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. Phurba may be constructed of many materials, eg.: wood, bone, horn and crystal, etc.
Traditionally, like the majority of Tibetan metal instruments, the phurba is often made from brass and iron (terrestrial and/or meteoric iron; refer tektite), as well as copper in some cases. The handle is often constituted by a vajra or dorje or weaving design. The pommel of the blade often bears three faces of Vajrakilaya or Dorje Phurbu one joyful, one peaceful, one wrathful, but may bear the an umbrella of the ashtamangala or mushroom cap, yidam like Hayagriva, Snow Lion (a unicorn without a horn: mythical being in essence similar to a unicorn, containing some commonly held attributes of dragons and visually like a Chinese Fu Dog or Nian and a manifestation, thought form or embodiment of benevolent joy and bliss & probably an historical adaptation of the now endangered snow leopard) or chorten amongst other possibilites.
As a tool of exorcism, the phurba is described as used to hold demons in place once they have been expunged from their human hosts. More esoterically, it is asserted that the phurba serves to bind and pin down negative energies from a person or group, in order for purification to be administered.
The phurba as an 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 violence, hatred, and aggression by tying them to the blade of the phurba and then vanquishing 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 epiphet Diamantine Dagger of Emptiness (refer Shunyata, Void, Space, Æther and 0 (number)).
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[edit] Cultural references
- Quincy uses a phurba as a weapon in the videogame Suikoden.
- The Ajanti Dagger from the film The Golden Child is a stylized phurba.
- A phurba also appears in the 1994 movie The Shadow (1994).
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Müller-Ebeling, Claudia and Christian Rätsch and Surendra Bahadur Shahi (2002). Shamanism and Tantra in the Himalayas. Transl. by Annabel Lee. Rochester, Vt.: Inner Traditions.
[edit] External links
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