Batyr Elistaev, About the Bell and the Vajra
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Batyr says that the bell is a symbol of compassion and love of all Buddhas, whereas the vajra is that of their wisdom. The unity of love, compassion and wisdom symbolizes the attainment of enlightenment. In the center of the vajra is a ball which symbolizes a primordial space from where everything emerged, including our world. The bell symbolizes emptiness. Our mind can comprehend the emptiness of all phenomena and that the material world around us is not the only reality. It is through this realization that one can attain enlightenment. The aim of Buddhist practices is to awaken and develop consciousness. When consciousness sets free from the confines of our intellect (with which we perceive the material world around us), people realize the subjectivity of ‘I’. Buddhahood awakens inside us as soon as we comprehend this and understand emptiness. According to Buddha, there are three ways to attain Buddhahood. There is one way for people with inferior capabilities, one for individuals with mediocre capabilities, and one for those with high capabilities. For people from the first group, their main aim is to get reborn in the world of humans or half-gods. For people from the second group, their main aim is to become saints. And those from the last group, their aim is to become bodhisattvas. All beings that have not attained Buddhahood live in six different worlds.