Vajrapada
| Key Term | vajrapada |
|---|---|
| Hover Popup Choices | vajrapada; vajra points; vajra subjects; vajrapadas; vajra point |
| In Tibetan Script | རྡོ་རྗེའི་གནས་ |
| Wylie Tibetan Transliteration | rdo rje'i gnas |
| Devanagari Sanskrit Script | वज्रपद |
| English Standard | vajra subjects |
| Karl Brunnhölzl's English Term | vajra points |
| Dan Martin's English Term | adamantine topics |
| Term Type | Noun |
| Source Language | Sanskrit |
| Basic Meaning | Literally, vajra-footing, or base. In the context of the Ratnagotravibhāga, this is the name given to the seven subjects that are addressed in the treatise. These seven are the buddha, dharma, sangha, the element (dhātu), enlightenment (bodhi), enlightened qualities (guṇa), and enlightened activities (karma). |
| Has the Sense of | Vajra is a difficult word to translate, though it is often rendered as "adamantine" and can at times simply refer to a diamond. In the Ratnagotravibhāga the seven main topics of the treatise are called "vajra" subjects, because they are difficult to penetrate through an understanding that is arrived at through merely hearing or contemplating. In other words, they require direct experience. |
| Definitions | |