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金刚 (jīn gāng) — diamond; vajra (Buddhist ritual object / thunderbolt); (Buddhist) guardian deity warrior attendant

Definition

金刚 (jīngāng) literally means 'diamond-hard metal' but in Buddhism refers to the vajra ritual scepter and the guardian warrior attendants (金刚力士) who protect the Buddha.

noun
diamondvajra (Buddhist ritual object / thunderbolt)(Buddhist) guardian deity warrior attendant

Examples

  • 。
    Zhè kē jīn gāng shí fēi cháng zhēn guì.
    This diamond is very precious.
  • 金刚。
    Sì miào lǐ de jīn gāng lì shì sù xiàng hěn wēi yán.
    The guardian deity statue in the temple looks very majestic.
  • 金刚，。
    Tā shǒu lǐ wò zhe jīn gāng chǔ, xiàng zhēng lì liàng.
    The vajra in his hand symbolizes power.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

金jīnmetal
刚gānghard

金 is metal and 刚 is hard; together they picture metal that is hard, hence diamond or vajra.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

金 was drawn with marks for two pieces of metal, along with a part that gave its sound; it first meant copper, then metals and gold.

Open 金 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 剛; 刚 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 剛 was made by combining a picture-like sign with a sign that gave its sound; the simplified 刚 is a later shorthand.

Open 刚 →
Appears in
Religion & Belief

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