Skip to main content
dorje

dorje

1 9.9
A small metal object held in the hand during Tibetan Buddhist ceremonies to show spiritual strength
  • noun
  • /ˈdɔrˌjeɪ/
: dorje
  • She adorned the altar with a dorje, representing the enlightened mind.

Examples

  • It is painted with mandalas, lamaistic dorjes, and symbols representing "the clear light of the void."

    Fiction book (1993)
  • The monk held the dorje in his hand during the meditation ceremony.

  • In Tibetan rituals, the dorje symbolizes spiritual power and indestructibility.

Surface Forms

dorje singular
dorjes plural

Etymology

Dorje comes from Tibetan and from the older Sanskrit word vajra, which means 'thunderbolt' or 'diamond'. Think of a hard diamond or a powerful thunderbolt to remember that a dorje is a ritual object that stands for 'indestructibility', strength and the enlightened mind.