金刚持是印度梵语意译名称，音译“伐折罗陀罗”，藏语称“多吉羌”。关于其身份和地位有多种不同的说法：一种认为他是本初佛，即最原始的佛陀；一种认为他是报身佛；一种认为他是法、报、化三身的总集；一种认为他总摄了五方佛的智慧与功德，称他为“第六金刚持”或“金刚总持”。但不管怎样他都是藏传佛教崇奉的“最高”尊神。在藏传佛教各教派中，噶举派对金刚持尤为崇奉，噶举派尊金刚持为本初佛，在表现噶举派题材的唐卡和其他绘画形式中，金刚持往往被置于上方中央，而受到特殊的礼敬；同时噶举派还将金刚持奉为本派的鼻祖，认为噶举派全部教法皆源于金刚持，金刚持后帝洛巴、那诺巴、玛尔巴、米拉日巴、冈波巴次第相传，最终成就了西藏噶举派的庞大体系。（以上摘自“龘藏”）
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Vajradhara, Buddha (Tibetan: dor je chang, sang gye. English: the Vajra Holder, Enlightened One). The primordial buddha, personification of the dharmakaya - truth body of enlightenment and progenitor of the Vajrayana system of Buddhism.
The New (Sarma) Schools, from the 11th century onward, believe that Vajradhara is the secret, or inner, form of Shakyamuni Buddha and the combined essence of all the buddhas of the ten directions and three periods of time gathered as one. In Anuttarayoga Tantra it is Vajradhara who emanates forth the forms of the Five Symbolic Buddhas and Vajrasattva followed by the meditational deities such as Guhyasamaja, Shri Hevajra and Chakrasamvara.
According to the Nyingma Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism Vajradhara is an activity emanation of buddha Samantabhadra.
