White Copper Manjushri Wisdom Sword Vajra Pendant

The sword in Manjushri’s hand stands for prajna. It cuts through affliction rather than through people, which is why it is called the sword of wisdom. His mount is a lion, for fearlessness in teaching. Mount Wutai is recognised as his domain, which is another layer of history and has nothing to do with this pendant. Among the four great bodhisattvas, Manjushri holds wisdom, and is usually shown with a youth’s face and a young body. The sword is lifted overhead in a position of descent, not of having already struck.

Sword and vajra on one piece need a hierarchy. Sword above, vajra below, joined by a waisted section in the middle, and the weight stops floating. Each implement carries its own fine line, and the depths have to differ or the two read as one mass from a distance. The blade needs a ridge, because break the ridge line and the light scatters. The prongs of the vajra must be symmetrical, since one thick and one thin shows the moment you turn it. The back is left flat, which keeps it from digging at the chest and saves work.

The silver version is cupronickel in its own colour: cold, with clear lines. The gold is warm, good against dark clothes and muddy against pale. Gold is a surface treatment, and where it wears it shows white, so it lasts longer outside clothing than against skin. The silver oxidises over time, darkening in the seams first, and the places you cannot reach take on a pleasant age. Both weigh the same; the difference is that one finishing step. When choosing, put both on the same cloth rather than looking at either alone.

A drop that reaches the middle of the chest is steadiest. Point down, it doesn’t poke; point up, some say it looks like drawing the blade, which is a matter of taste. Don’t use too fine a chain, because the sword has edges and a fine link frays against them. If the hole in the hilt is small, choose a thin cord and knot it after threading. It is more comfortable outside a sweater and not cold in winter. Take it off to exercise; a sword tip against the collarbone is not a light knock.

Manjushri governs wisdom, and some buy this for a student sitting exams. The shop won’t take that up: exams are settled at the desk, not by a piece of copper. As a gift, "for a quiet mind" is more honest than a wish. Asked which way the sword should point, "whichever way looks right to you" is the answer, since the rules are not that fine. A subject is a subject and daily life is daily life; don’t muddle the two. Give it in a plain box, not bright red, which clashes with copper. Line the box with felt, because copper scratches against a hard wall.