Tibetan Ritual Implements: The Phurba.

Another common term is སེང་ལྡེང་གི་ཕུར་པ་ (खदिरकील: Khadira phurba). Phurbas made from Khadira wood (a type of sandalwood in a broad sense) are the most favored type in various South Asian texts. The extremely hard Khadira wood is beloved by deities as both decoration and building material, and its unique properties can be used to disrupt the minds of enemies and destroy their bodies. In ancient Tibetan texts such as *ITJ.331*, the Khadira phurba can rescue those who have lost their minds. It is important to note that the functions of the phurba mentioned above also appear in the folk beliefs of the Kathmandu Valley, a region considered the source of the Vajrakilaya teachings transmitted to Tibet. In short, the southern side of the Himalayas views the phurba as a practical tool, while on the northern side, its symbolism is deepened, with philosophical discussions and textual interpretations ultimately defining the phurba as a "symbolic object."

The worship and practice of the deity Vajrakilaya in Tibet can be traced back to the biographical myths of Padmasambhava and his Tibetan disciples, and this tradition was further supplemented and developed after the 10th century. Given that earlier descriptions of Vajrakilaya's divine attributes and rituals were associated with the Nyingma tradition, scholars from other sects (skeptical of ancient traditions) began to question the orthodoxy of the "Vajrakilaya teachings." In the 11th century, the Tibetan royal scholar Shiwa Ö (ཞི་བ་འོད་) argued that the emergence of Vajrakilaya was a creation of the indigenous tradition (i.e., originating from local religion), a view that became widely circulated. By the 13th century, Sakya Pandita (ས་པཎ་；1182-1251) was the first to discover the original texts (though incomplete) on the "Vajrakilaya teachings" and translated them into Tibetan. At this point, the debate over the orthodoxy of the "Vajrakilaya teachings" temporarily subsided.

18th century, Rubin Museum of Art collection.

 

Padmasambhava propagated the Vajrakilaya teachings
near Kathmandu at "Yangleshö" (ཡང་ལེ་ཤོད་).

*Yangleshö Cave*, modern reconstruction.

There are five common questions about the phurba.  
1. Do phurbas made of different materials have different functions?  
Answer: Phurbas made of different materials indeed have distinct practical effects. Early phurbas were primarily made of wood and were often used in mandala arrangements and architectural settings, but they do not preserve well. Iron phurbas are considered weapons capable of killing various demons. Phurbas made of meteoric iron (གནམ་ལྕགས་) are believed to possess "thunderbolt" power and are revered as sacred implements. Bone phurbas are often used for black magic. Phurbas made of precious materials (such as crystal and rhinoceros horn) are generally used for offerings to masters and monasteries. While phurbas of different materials have some unique functions, overall, they all symbolize indestructibility and immense power, and can be used in special contexts such as exorcism, ritual dances, and weather control.  

2. Are all deities with a phurba-shaped lower body considered Vajrakilaya deities?  
Answer: First, there are over a dozen main Vajrakilaya deities in Tibet, not all of which have a phurba-shaped lower body. For example, some have four legs and three faces, such as the Sakya tradition's Vajrakilaya deity Dorje Shönnu (རྡོ་རྗེ་གཞོན་ནུ་). It is important to emphasize that not all deities with a phurba-shaped lower body are Vajrakilaya deities. For instance, the wrathful guru manifestation of Padmasambhava, Guru Dragpur (གུ་རུ་དྲག་ཕུར་), is not considered a Vajrakilaya deity (though often confused as one).

3. What do the wrathful deity heads at the top of the phurba symbolize?  
Answer: Although the wrathful deity heads at the top of the phurba vary slightly in form due to differences in materials and rituals during crafting, according to texts from the Nyingma, Sakya, and Kagyu traditions, the wrathful deity heads typically consist of three figures: Amritakundali (center - blue - mind), Yamantaka (left - white - body), and Hayagriva (right - red - speech). These three wrathful heads symbolize the eradication of ignorance, anger, and desire in the Buddhist context. In addition to the standard wrathful deity heads, there are phurbas with heads of various Buddhist beings (the Garuda-headed phurba being particularly notable), depending on the ritual context.  

4. What is the meaning of the wings behind the Vajrakilaya deity?  
Answer: The phurba has the function of controlling weather and subduing earthly beings (such as nagas). The wings behind the phurba implement and the Vajrakilaya deity belong to Garuda, the natural enemy of nagas. Nagas often cause physical ailments (such as leprosy) and mental disturbances (disrupting practitioners' minds), and the phurba, through its fierce piercing, can pacify such obstacles.

5. What symbolic meanings are embodied in the design of the phurba?  
Answer: The handle of the phurba symbolizes wisdom, while the blade symbolizes skillful means. The three-sided blade is often adorned with flames, symbolizing the destruction of all phenomena and the nature of emptiness. In some contexts, the three-sided blade corresponds to the "eradication of the three poisons" represented by the three wrathful heads at the top. In the "Mount Meru Phurba" wielded by Vajrakilaya, the flames manifest physically. The phurba not only pierces demons but also burns them to ashes, leaving no trace. The blade typically emerges from the mouth of a makara (a sea creature symbolizing oceanic power), with nagas clinging to its surface. It is important to note that the symbolic meanings of the phurba's design vary across teachings and lineages, so practitioners should carefully consult the relevant texts.