Vajradhara: Why is He called the Primordial Buddha?

Vajradhara, also known as Dorje Chang, is reverd in Vajrayana Buddhism as the Primordial Buddha and the embodiment of the Dharmakaya, the formless, timeless truth body of enlightenment. He embodies the very nature of enlightenment which is common to all of the buddhas including Shakyamuni Buddha. Depicted in deep sapphire blue while holding the vajra and bell in union, Vajradhara symbolizes indestructible wisdom and boundless compassion. Vajradhara is strongly connected with an idea of the Adibuddha, the primordial Buddha, the embodiment of natural wisdom (tathagatagarbha), which is innate in all sentient beings. Although he was not historical, Adibuddha is a symbol of the immortal, omnipresent mind. Vajradhara in Tibetan Buddhism has been the pinnacle of this primordial wisdom, the origin of sutras, tantras and esoteric doctrines that are supposed to remind the individual that, in the case of enlightenment, they are not supposed to acquire knowledge, but to recognize the knowledge within them.

What is the Adibuddha/Primordial Buddha?

In Vajrayana Buddhism, the term Adibuddha refers to the “First Buddha,” the Primordial Buddha, or the original ground from which all enlightened beings and teachings arise. The Sanskrit word adi means first, primordial, fundamental, or existing from the very beginning. Importantly, Adibuddha is not a historical figure or a creator deity in a Western sense. Rather, it represents the innate, luminous nature of the mind known as tathagatagarbha, which exists primordially within every sentient being.

Tantric masters describe the Adibuddha as the original source of all wisdom, compassion, and emanation. In various traditions, the identity of the Primordial Buddha appears in different symbolic forms. Some consider one of the Five Dhyani Buddhas as the Adibuddha; others recognize deities like Vajrasattva, Vajrapani, or Samantabhadra (especially in the Nyingma tradition). In Nepal’s Newar Buddhism, Vajrasattva is venerated as the Adibuddha.

Regardless of the specific form, the Adibuddha always symbolizes the unborn, unconditioned, and omnipresent nature of enlightenment, the womb out of which all Buddhas are born and to which all paths lead.

Read More About Vajradhara and Vajrasattva: The Vajra and Bell Holders

Vajradhara The Primordial Buddha: Essence of All Buddhas

In Tibetan Buddhism, particularly in the later Sarma schools and the expansive Vajrayana tradition, Vajradhara (Dorje Chang) is considered the source of all enlightened manifestation. His name, which translates to "Holder of the Vajra" or "Bearer of the Diamond Thunderbolt", is an emblem of the unbreakability, indestructibility of awakened wisdom. Beyond being a single Buddha among many, Vajradhara is known as the Adibuddha, the Primordial Buddha, the embodiment of the Dharmakaya, or Truth Body, the formless, eternal essence of the enlightenment of all. The awakening of the historical Buddhas, according to the traditional teachings that are found in the texts of the ancestors and are passed on orally by those who instruct them, is this same primordial awareness.

Since Vajradhara is the supreme and pure being of the awakening process, all other buddhas, including Shakyamuni and the numerous tantric incarnations, are perceived as the manifestation or interpretation of his unlimited wisdom and mercy. Most Vajrayana texts and verbal traditions identify Vajradhara as the vehicle of the most esoteric teachings, such as the tantras, Mahamudra teachings, and fundamental practices that have been transmitted across generations by enlightened masters. In most of his representations, he is in calm deep-blue, without companions, and at other times in yabyum (union), the word signifying the inseparable unity of wisdom skillful means. He took his place at the heart of the Refuge Tree in the Kagyu tradition, and is adored as the primordial master, the one who directly passed on the Vajrayana transmissions to the great Mahasiddha Tilopa, bringing the lineage of blessings of the Golden Rosary to the present day.

Vajradhara thus stands at the very heart of Vajrayana Buddhism, not only as a great deity, but as the personification of awakened consciousness itself, the protector of the last resort, the generator of all activity of enlightenment. The contemplation of Vajradhara is the contemplation of the substance of the buddhahood pure, infinite and radiantly established in each being.

Why is Vajradhara Known as the Primordial Buddha?

Among Tibet’s major Vajrayana lineages, Vajradhara (Dorje Chang) is widely recognized as the Primordial Buddha, the ultimate, primordial expression of enlightenment. In these traditions, Vajradhara embodies the Dharmakaya, the formless “Truth Body” of Buddhahood, representing absolute reality beyond birth, death, time, and conceptual thought. Because of this, he is considered the source of all tantric teachings, including the highest yogas of Mahāmudrā and the profound esoteric tantras.

According to classical Vajrayana lineage accounts, many tantras and transmissions were received directly from Vajradhara by the Indian Mahasiddhas, especially Tilopa, who then passed these teachings into the Kagyu tradition. Vajradhara is thus regarded not only as the primordial Buddha but as the root guru and original transmitter of the Vajrayana path. Unlike the historical Shakyamuni, who appears in the Nirmanakaya (manifested body), Vajradhara represents the eternal, sky-like awareness from which all Buddhas manifest.

In many thangka paintings and meditation practices, Vajradhara appears in deep sapphire-blue color, holding vajra and bell in the gesture of union, symbolizing the indivisibility of wisdom and method. This iconography expresses why he is considered primordial: it is not his “personhood” but his timeless nature that makes him the Adibuddha.

Thus, Vajradhara is known as the Primordial Buddha because he represents the:

• Source of all enlightened manifestations
• Dharmakaya, the ultimate truth and essence of enlightenment
• Root of Vajrayana transmissions and tantras
• Innate awakened nature is present in all beings
• Timeless, unborn wisdom (śūnyatā) that is the ground of all reality

In essence, Vajradhara is the limitless, original awareness, the foundation of all Buddhas, teachings, and enlightened activity.

The Three Kayas: Understanding Vajradhara’s Identity

To appreciate Vajradhara’s role, it helps to briefly understand the doctrine of the “Three Bodies” (Trikaya) of a Buddha:

• Dharmakaya - The “Truth Body,” the unconditioned, formless reality or ultimate wisdom. Vajradhara represents this absolutely. 
• Sambhogakaya - The “Enjoyment Body,” a subtle, luminous form perceivable to advanced practitioners. The transcendental or celestial emanations of enlightenment. 
• Nirmanakaya - The “Manifestation Body,” the physical, historical forms accessible in time and space (like Shakyamuni Buddha).  

In this framework, Vajradhara, as Dharmakaya, is the root source: all enlightened manifestations emerge from his primordial realization. Because of this, many great tantric masters, including lineage holders of major Tibetan traditions, relate their transmission to Vajradhara, receiving empowerments and teachings said to originate from him. 

Vajradhara’s Symbolism & Iconography

Click Here To View Our Vajradhara Art 

When depicted, Vajradhara usually appears as a dark-blue deity, sometimes adorned with jewelry and garments, holding a vajra (diamond-thunderbolt) in one hand and a bell (ghanta) in the other, often crossed at the heart in the “vajra position.”

• Dark Blue Body Color: The blue color reflects the infinite purity and emptiness of reality and the sky or space, symbolizing vast, boundless awareness.

• Vajra and Bell (Crossed at the Heart): The vajra represents unshakable clarity, indestructible wisdom; the bell represents compassion or the feminine principle of wisdom. Their union (vajra + bell) symbolizes the inseparable union of wisdom and compassion, the two profound symbols of enlightenment. The crossed-arm gesture (Vajrahūṃkara mudrā) symbolizes the perfect inseparability of wisdom and method, the union at the heart of Vajrayāna practice.

• Vajra Posture (Vajraparyanka Pose): He sits cross-legged on a lotus and moon disc seat. The lotus symbolizes purity, while the moon disc represents cool, clear awareness. This posture reflects stability, meditative absorption, and unshakable presence.

• Five-Jeweled Crown: Represents the Five Dhyāni Buddhas and their five corresponding wisdoms. Indicates his status as the Primordial Buddha from whom all enlightened forms emerge.

• Bodhisattva Ornaments: Vajradhara is adorned with eight jeweled ornaments and five silk garments, symbolizing his Sambhogakāya (enjoyment body) aspect. These ornaments and silks indicate his ability to emanate countless forms in both subtle and manifest realms to benefit beings.

• Lotus Seat and Moon Disc: The lotus reflects purity untouched by samsaric defilements. The moon disc beneath him represents the cool, calm luminosity of wisdom. Combined, they signify that Vajradhara arises from the pure ground of primordial enlightenment.

In Tibetan-Buddhist art and thangka tradition, meditating on Vajradhara’s form is not mere decoration: it’s a profound reminder that all forms of enlightenment celestial, historical, or potential arise from one inseparable root.

Vajradhara and the Tantric Lineages: Root of Vajrayāna Transmission

In the tantra-based schools of Tibetan Buddhism, especially the Kagyu School and many Sarma (later) lineages, Vajradhara is considered the source of all Vajrayāna teachings. 

For example, the great Indian Mahasiddha Tilopa is said to have received the tantric teachings directly from Vajradhara. From there, the teachings passed to Naropa, Marpa Lotsawa, Milarepa, and later Tibetan masters, forming the lineage that preserved and transmitted Vajrayana wisdom across centuries. 

Because of this, Vajradhara is often called the root guru (in an ultimate sense) of tantric Buddhism: every authentic empowerment, each transmission, is traced metaphorically back to him. In some traditions, the blessings and “lineage power” one receives through generation, empowerment, and teaching are viewed as deriving from Vajradhara’s timeless Dharmakaya realization. 

Read More About Vajradhara Lineage Tree : Sacred Sakya Refuge for Meditation and Enlightenment

Vajradhara: Symbolism for Practitioners

Vajradhara is revered in Vajrayana Buddhism as the Primordial Buddha, the embodiment of the timeless, formless wisdom from which all other buddhas arise. Vajradhara, unlike historical or heavenly buddhas, symbolizes the Dharmakaya, the final nature of reality, being beyond birth and death, beyond form and concept. The deep blue of his body is a symbol of the boundless space, and the vajra and bell he holds is the symbols of the inseparable unity of wisdom and compassion which is the very essence of enlightenment.

For practitioners, Vajradhara is not just a god but the ground of all awakening. He is the natural, radiant intelligence that all practitioners already have. Studying Buddhism and Mahamudra lineages gives him the status of the origin of all tantric teachings, the individual who introduced the great mysteries of Vajrayana to great masters such as Vajrapani and Tilopa. To realize Vajradhara is to realize that the many deities of the Buddha are actually one ultimate truth, which is the constancy and permanence of the state of enlightened mind.

Practices Related to Vajradhara & Their Benefits

• Guru Yoga on Vajradhara: Practitioners visualize Vajradhara as the ultimate teacher, merging their mind with his awakened wisdom.
• Mahamudra Meditation: Many Kagyu lineages begin and end with Mahamudra instructions with Vajradhara, who embodies the mind's natural, unshakeable clarity.
• Deity Yoga (Yidam Practice): The practice of imagining oneself as Vajradhara helps the practitioners to see themselves as having a buddha-nature and dissolving self-grasping.
• Ngondro(Preliminary Practices): Vajradhara is also used to bless and cleanse the practitioner before they start the Vajrayana path.
• Recitation of Vajradhara Mantras: To stabilize meditation, clear obstacles and enhance insight.
• Lineage Invocation Rituals: Practitioners call upon Vajradhara to enhance their connection with an unbroken line of enlightened masters.

Benefits of Practicing with Vajradhara 

1. Awakening Primordial Wisdom: Vajradhara practice assists in discovering the natural clarity of mind the "mirror-like wisdom" seeing things as they are.

2. Purification of Emotional and Mental Turbulence: It is said that by touching Vajradhara all confusion, aggression, and inner instability disappear and calmness and steady awareness is present.

3. Deepening Meditation & Concentration: The visualization of the Vajradhara is a form of stabilizing the mind to improve concentration, as well as to facilitate higher levels of meditation such as Mahamudra.

4. Strengthening Lineage Blessings: Practitioners feel supported by the enlightened masters who transmitted the teachings, increasing confidence and devotion.

5. Integration of Wisdom and Compassion: His vajra (wisdom) and bell (compassion) symbolize the union that leads to full awakening; meditating on him helps cultivate both qualities.

6. Realization of Buddha-Nature: Vajradhara represents the true nature already present within each person. By practice with him, it becomes more real and momentary.

7. Removal of Obstacles on the Path: Traditional Vajrayana texts teach that invoking Vajradhara clears karmic hindrances and protects the practitioner as they advance.

Conclusion: Vajradhara The Heart of Vajrayana

Vajradhara is the center of Vajrayana Buddhism, not as a figurative character, but as the embodiment of the awakened mind itself. Being the Primordial Buddha, he is the Dharmakaya, the formless truth body beyond space and time, and the physical reality. Vajradhara represents the fused state of wisdom and compassion, the indivisibility of these two inseparable aspects of enlightenment, through his intense sapphire-blue figure and through the combination of vajra and bell. To the practitioners, he is the root guru and the internal realization that they want to discover within themselves.

Practices like Guru Yoga, Mahamudra, or meditation, deity yoga, recitation of mantras and invocation of lineages are some of the ways that allow the practitioners to connect with this primordial awareness. Such practices bring into awareness the clarity within, cast out the emotional storm, and enhance the blessings of the continuous Vajrayana lineage. Finally, Vajradhara shows the practitioners that enlightenment is not an outside object that they need to acquire, but rather the radiant, eternal reality of their own mind, which needs not be acknowledged, embodied, and lived.