Do you enjoy the sound of thunder? ⚡️ Vajrasattva is both a highly accomplished bodhisattva and a primordial buddha who is often invoked to purify the errors made during ritual and other religious practices. His name means “vajra being,” and he is the personification of the vajra, an important ritual implement and symbol. The vajra is a symbol of power and indestructibility of the enlightened mind. The vajra symbolizes the properties of a thunderbolt, power, and a diamond, indestructibility. At first glance this sculpture appears to represent the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, who has a lotus as his symbol. However, closer inspection reveals that the figure once held a vajra upright between two fingers of his right hand. A break on the lotus further indicates that there was once a bell attached to it. These subtle details reveal that this is in fact Vajrasattva. It’s time to #MeetTheDeities! Each week, we’ll highlight one of these figures, and explore how they’re represented in Himalayan art. _________ Vajrasattva; Tibet; Copper alloy with cold gold and blue pigments; Rubin Museum of Art, Gift of Dr. David Nalin; C2009.13 #Vajrasattva #Deity #TibetanBuddhism #HimalayanArt #RubinMuseum