The phurba, Buddhist ritual dagger
Phurbas are ritual daggers associated with deities in Buddhism vajrayana. Composed of a blade, a handle and a pommel, these sculpted daggers are often made of brass and metal, but also of wood like here. The pommel of the phurbas often represents the three faces of vajrakila (joyful, peaceful, angry), but can also represent the Tibetan snow lion, a stupa... The blade traditionally has three faces which meet at the tip. They symbolically represent the power of the dagger to transform the negative energies of the "three poisons": attachment/envy/desire, illusion/ignorance/misconceptions, and aversion/fear/ hatred.
Technically, the phurba is intended in rituals to pierce the earth, vertically. Phurbas are known to symbolize peace and stability, and are used to ward off demons. t2> Padmasambhava is considered the inventor of the phurba. In the 8th century, Padmasambhava is said to have used the phurba in order to bless the land on which he established the Samye Monastery. In Tibet, tents have always had a special role because the nomadic culture is very present there, and planting tent poles in the ground could be interpreted as a sacrifice of the land. Thus, the appearance of the phurba could derive from these spikes used to fix these tents to the ground. In rituals, only shamans and other specific individuals are allowed to use a phurba. The blade of these magical daggers is not truly sharp, having a spiritual rather than destructive purpose.
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