Hand Painted Vajrapani ThangkaHand painted in Nepal by Tibetan artisans on canvas. Suitable for framing. Vajrapi (from Sanskrit vajra, "thunderbolt" or "diamond" and pi, lit. "in the hand") is one of the earliest bodhisattvas of Mahayana Buddhism. He is the protector and guide of the Buddha, and rose to symbolize the Buddha's power. Vajrapani was used extensively in Buddhist iconography as one of the three protective deities surrounding the Buddha. Each of them symbolizes one of