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. Tibetan Buddhism is the body of religious Buddhist doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet, the Himalayan region (including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and Sikkim), Mongolia, Buryatia, Tuva and Kalmykia (Russia), and northeastern China (Manchuria: Heilongjiang, Jilin). ... Bon can refer to: Abbreviation for Business Object Notation The Bon programming language The original spiritual tradition of Tibet and Tibetan people, called Bön A village in Chad The late singer of AC/DC, Bon Scott This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages... Perspective view of the Himalaya and Mount Everest as seen from space looking south-south-east from over the Tibetan Plateau. ... Mount Kailash, depicting the holy family of Shiva and Ganesha The axis mundi (axis of the world or world axis), in religion or mythology, is the world center and/or the connection between heaven and Earth. ...

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. Mary Magdalene in prayer. ... Specifically, Shaman (saman) is a term in Evenk, Manchu and other Manchu-Tungus languages for an intellectual and spiritual figure; who usually possess power and influence on other peoples in the tribe and performs several functions, one of which is analogous to the function of a healer in other cultures. ... Healing is the process whereby the cells in the body regenerate and repair to reduce the size of a damaged or necrotic area. ... In international law, harmonisation refers to the process by which different states adopt the same laws. ... A naga guarding the Temple of Wat Sisaket in Viang Chan, Laos Nāga () is the Sanskrit and Pāli word for a minor deity taking the form of a very large snake, found in Hindu and Buddhist mythology. ... The Sanskrit language ( , ) is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, and one of the 22 official languages of India. ... For other uses, see Snake (disambiguation). ... Serpent is a word of Latin origin (serpens, serpentis) which is ultimately derived from the Sanskrit term serp, that is normally substituted for snake in a specifically mythic or religious context, in order to distinguish such creatures from the field of biology. ... // Chinese dragon, colour engraving on wood, Chinese school, 19th Century The dragon is a mythical creature typically depicted as a large and powerful serpent or other reptile, with magical or spiritual qualities. ... This list of deities aims at giving information about deities in the different religions, cultures and mythologies of the world. ... Rod of Asclepius The Rod of Asclepius is an ancient Greek symbol associated with astrology and healing the sick with medicine. ... The Caduceus Two caduceuses without wings as decoration of door portal in Ztracená street in Olomouc (Czech Republic). ... Hermes bearing the infant Dionysus, by Praxiteles Hermes (Greek IPA: ), in Greek mythology, is the Olympian god of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of orators and wit, of literature and poets, of athletics, of weights and measures and invention and commerce in general... Buddhist symbolism appeared from around the 3rd century BCE, and started with aniconic symbolism, avoiding direct representations of the Buddha. ... The swastika (from Sanskrit , from su well, and asti being, thus good fortune or well-being) is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles in either left-facing () or right-facing () direction. ... The name sauwastika is a variant of swastika. ... Himalayan can refer to: Himalaya, the mountains: Himalayan (cat), the type of cat Himalayan, the breed of rabbit This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... Tantric can refer to: Tantric yoga, also known as tantra The Louisville, KY hard rock band Tantric This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Iconography usually refers to the design or creation of images and more specifically to the historical study of art which aims at the identification, description and the interpretation of the content of images. ... In literature, a motif is any recurring element that has symbolic significance. ...

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. This article is becoming very long. ... Terrestrial literally means of the earth and is used in a variety of contexts: In biology and in the general sense, terrestrial means indicates ground-dwelling (compare aquatic). ... A tektite Tektites (from Greek tektos, molten) are natural glass objects, up to a few centimeters in size, which — according to most scientists — have been formed by the impact of large meteorites on Earths surface, although a few researchers favor an origin from the Moon as volcanic ejecta. ... Vajrasattva holds the vajra in his right hand and a bell in his left hand. ... Dorje is a Tibetan word referring to a ritual object held in the right hand of a Lama while preforming religious ceremonies. ... Tweed loom, Harris, 2004 Woven sheet Weaving is an ancient textile art and craft that involves placing two sets of threads or yarn made of fiber called the warp and weft of the loom and turning them into cloth. ... See also: Hilt (band) and Peter Hilt The hilt of a sword is its handle, consisting of a guard, grip and pommel. ... Buddhist symbolism appeared from around the 3rd century BCE, and started with aniconic symbolism, avoiding direct representations of the Buddha. ... The relative sizes of the Cap (pileus) and Stalk (stipe) vary widely. ... In Vajrayana Buddhism, a Yidam (Tibetan) or Ishtadevata (Sanskrit) is a fully enlightened being who is the focus of personal meditation, during a retreat or for life. ... In Hinduism, Hayagriva is a minor avatar of Vishnu. ... The gentle and pensive virgin has the power to tame the unicorn, in this fresco in Palazzo Farnese, Rome, probably by Domenichino, ca 1602 The unicorn is a legendary creature usually depicted with the body of a horse, but with a single – usually spiral – horn growing out of its forehead... This article deals with dragons as dealt with in The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, a series of novels by Patricia Wrede. ... Categories: Fictional dogs | Stub ... Southern Chinese lion dance portraits the Nian In Chinese mythology, Nian (年獸) is a beast that comes in spring. ... Medical Meaning The symptoms or observable conditions which are seen as a result of some disease. ... The term and concept of meme (pronounced in IPA; from the Greek word μνήμη for memory) first appeared in the 1976 book by Richard Dawkins, The Selfish Gene. ... Embodiment is the way in which human (or any other animals) psychology arises from the brains and bodys physiology. ... Definition Benevolence characterizes the true goodness of the mind, the unbiased kindness to do good. ... Look up joy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article should belong in one or more categories. ... Binomial name Uncia uncia Schreber, 1775 Synonyms Panthera uncia The Snow Leopard (Uncia uncia [1] or Panthera uncia [2]), also known in some instances as the Ounce, is a large cat native to the mountain ranges of central and south Asia. ... Categories: Buildings and structures stubs | Buildings and structures ...

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. Saint Francis exorcised demons in Arezzo, fresco of Giotto Exorcism (from Late Latin exorcismus, from Greek exorkizein - to adjure) is the practice of evicting demons or other evil spiritual entities from a person of which they have possessed (taken control of). ...

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)). Vajrayogini or Vajravarahi (Tibetan: dor je phag mo, English: the Vajra Sow) is a tantric Buddhist deity whose sadhana (practice) originated in India between the 10th and 12th century. ... A blessing (from to bless, Old English bleodsian or bletsian) originally meant sprinkling with blood during the pagan sacrifices, the Blóts (reference: AHD). ... Śūnyatā, शून्यता (Sanskrit, Pali: suññatā), or Emptiness, is a term for an aspect of the Buddhist metaphysical critique as well as Buddhist epistemology and phenomenology. ... Look up Void in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Void can refer to: Aether as the source of all elements, the quintessence. ... Space has been an interest for philosophers and scientists for much of human history. ... Look up aether on Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 0 (zero) is both a number — or, more precisely, a numeral representing a number — and a numerical digit. ...

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).

Suikoden ) is a Japanese RPG videogame series created by Konami. ... The Golden Child (1986) is an American action comedy film directed by Michael Ritchie and starring Eddie Murphy. ... The Shadow is a 1994 motion picture based on the character of the same name created by Walter B. Gibson in 1937. ...

See also

• iconography

Iconography usually refers to the design or creation of images and more specifically to the historical study of art which aims at the identification, description and the interpretation of the content of images. ...

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.

External links

• Ritual Implements in Tibetan Buddhism: A Symbolic Appraisal