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Vajradhara is the primordial buddha, the dharmakaya buddha. Vajradhara, depicted
as dark blue in color, expresses the quintessence of buddhahood itself. Vajradhara
represents the essence of the historical Buddha's realization of enlightenment.
Historically, Prince Siddhartha attained enlightenment under the bodhi tree in
Bodhgaya over 2500 years ago and then manifested as the Buddha. According to
Buddhist cosmology, he was the Fourth Historic Buddha of this fortunate eon.
Prince Siddhartha's achievement of enlightenment, the realization, or wisdom of
enlightenment itself, is called the dharmakaya, the body of truth. When he
expresses that realization through subtle symbols, his realization is called the
sambhogakaya, the body of enjoyment. When such realization manifested in more
accessible or physical form for all sentient beings as the historical Shakyamuni
Buddha, it is called the nirmanakaya, the body of manifestation.
The dharmakaya, synonymous with Vajradhara Buddha, is the source of all the
manifestations of enlightenment. Vajradhara is central to the Kagyu lineage
because Tilopa received the vajrayana teachings directly from Vajradhara, the
dharmakaya buddha. Thus, the Kagyu lineage originated from the very nature of
buddhahood. That realization of the nature was in turn transmitted within the
Golden Rosary by Tilopa.
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