Sharp Practice

by Robert Fitzgerald

Ritual daggers have long been vital accoutrements in the exercise of magic, sorcery and shamanic practice. As a means of subduing demonic forces, their essence is derived from their power to penetrate and transfix. In India and Tibet, they are the centre of a vast and ancient spiritual lineage of devotees, who use the dagger or phurba as a means of both exorcism and enlightenment.

Sharp Practice is a short exposition upon 'Dagger as Deity' as purely expressed within Bön animist practice and Vajrayana Buddhism. It further delineates the evolution of the Phurba as ritual weapon. Examining its deific essence, as well as its iconography, the book concludes with a rite dedicated to the Three Jewels, inspired by each tradition.

Genres: Buddhism

80 pages, Hardcover

Published August 20, 2019

Reviews

[Rodrigo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This small, but very informative book is an introduction to the mysticism of the phurba in both Vajrayana Buddhism and Bön. I found admirable the huge and intricate symbols in the ritual knives themselves. What I also found fascinating is the evolution of the ritual knife itself from its shamanistic roots in the practice of Bön Po to the more religious and sophisticated use of it in Tibetan Buddhism and Hinduism.

[Drew · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

A bit pricey for what amounts to roughly the size of a chapbook but still a nice succinct primer on the Phurba for those interested in the topic.