Really Old Tibet Tibetan Handmade Buddhist Thangka Mandala Painting Kalachakra

Really Old Tibet Tibetan Handmade Buddhist Thangka Mandala Painting Kalachakra

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Really Old Tibet Tibetan Handmade Buddhist Thangka Mandala Painting Kalachakra:
$450.00

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Old Tibet Tibetan Hand Painted Buddhist Thangka Mandala Painting

Kalachakra Image


This is a truly spectacular Tibetan hand painted Buddhist Thangka Mandala I picked up in Lhasa a few years ago. Thangka Mandala paintings, such as this, are hand painted by Buddhist monks in almost all temples in Tibet and Nepal. This Thangka Mandala portrays the Kalachakra. I have included more info about Kalachakra below. Whether you are a devout Buddhist practitioner, and art lover or just find yourself attracted to the masterpiece, why not buy it now. (Note, I have included more info about Thangka and Mandala below).

Measurements: Approx 22 inches X 16 inches

AGE: Circa 1920

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A \"Thangka,\" also known as \"Tangka\", \"Thanka\" or \"Tanka\" (Nepali Bhasa: पौभा) is aTibetansilkpainting withembroidery, usually depicting aBuddhistdeity, scene, ormandalaof some sort. The thankga is not a flat creation like anoil paintingoracrylic paintingbut consists of a picture panel which is painted or embroidered over which atextileis mounted and then over which is laid a cover, usuallysilk. Generally, thankgas last a very long time and retain much of their lustre, but because of their delicate nature, they have to be kept in dry places where moisture won\'t affect the quality of the silk. It is sometimes called a scroll-painting.

These thangka served as important teaching tools depicting the life of the Buddha, various influential lamas and other deities andbodhisattvas. One subject is TheWheel of Life, which is a visual representation of theAbhidharmateachings (Art of Enlightenment).

To Buddhists these Tibetan religious paintings offer a beautiful manifestation of the divine, being both visually and mentally stimulating.

Thangka, when created properly, perform several different functions. Images of deities can be used as teaching tools when depicting the life (or lives) of the Buddha, describing historical events concerning important Lamas, or retelling myths associated with other deities. Devotional images act as the centerpiece during a ritual or ceremony and are often used as mediums through which one can offer prayers or make requests. Overall, and perhaps most importantly, religious art is used as a meditation tool to help bring one further down the path to enlightenment. The BuddhistVajrayanapractitioner uses a thanga image of theiryidam, or meditation deity, as a guide, by visualizing “themselves as being that deity, thereby internalizing the Buddha qualities (Lipton, Ragnubs).”

Historians note thatChinese paintinghad a profound influence on Tibetan painting in general. Starting from the 14th and 15th century, Tibetan painting had incorporated many elements from the Chinese, and during the 18th century, Chinese painting had a deep and far-stretched impact on Tibetan visual art.[1]According toGiuseppe Tucci, by the time of theQing Dynasty, \"a new Tibetan art was then developed, which in a certain sense was a provincial echo of the Chinese 18th century\'s smooth ornate preciosity.\"[1]

Contents[hide]
  • 1History
  • 2Types
  • 3Process
  • 4Gallery
  • 5See also
  • 6References
  • 7External links
[edit]History

Thangka is aNepalese artform exported to Tibet after PrincessBhrikutiof Nepal, daughter of King Lichchavi, marriedSron Tsan Gampo, the ruler of Tibet[2][3]imported the images of Aryawalokirteshwar and other Nepalese deities to Tibet.[4]

[edit]TypesLarge thangka hanging on special wall atGyantse. 1938.

Based on technique and material, thangkas can be grouped by types. Generally, they are divided into two broad categories: those that are painted (Tib.) bris-tan—and those made of silk, either by appliqué or embroidery.

Thangkas are further divided into these more specific categories:

  • Painted in colors (Tib.) tson-tang—the most common type
  • Appliqué (Tib.) go-tang
  • Black Background—meaning gold line on a black background (Tib.) nagtang
  • Blockprints—paper or cloth outlined renderings, bywoodcut/woodblock printing
  • Embroidery (Tib.) tsem-thang
  • Gold Background—an auspicious treatment, used judiciously for peaceful, long-life deities and fully enlightened buddhas
  • Red Background—literally gold line, but referring to gold line on a vermillion (Tib.) mar-tang

Whereas typical thangkas are fairly small, between about 18 and 30inches tall or wide, there are also giant festival thangkas, usually Appliqué, and designed to be unrolled against a wall in a monastery for particular religious occasions. These are likely to be wider than they are tall, and may be sixty or more feet across and perhaps twenty or more high.

[edit]ProcessPainting Thangka in Lhasa, Tibet.

Thangkas are painted oncottonor silk. The most common is a loosely woven cotton produced in widths from 40 to 58 centimeters (16 - 23inches). While some variations do exist, thangkas wider than 45 centimeters (17 or 18inches) frequently have seams in the support. The paint consists ofpigmentsin a water solublemedium. Both mineral and organic pigments are used, tempered with a herb and glue solution. In Western terminology, this is adistempertechnique.[5]

The composition of a thangka, as with the majority ofBuddhist art, is highly geometric. Arms, legs, eyes, nostrils, ears, and various ritual implements are all laid out on a systematic grid of angles and intersecting lines. A skilled thangka artist will generally select from a variety of predesigned items to include in the composition, ranging from alms bowls and animals, to the shape, size, and angle of a figure\'s eyes, nose, and lips. The process seems very methodical, but often requires deep understanding of the symbolism involved to capture the spirit of it.

Thangka often overflow with symbolism and allusion. Because the art is explicitly religious, all symbols and allusions must be in accordance with strict guidelines laid out in Buddhist scripture. The artist must be properly trained and have sufficient religious understanding, knowledge, and background to create an accurate and appropriate thangka. Lipton and Ragnubs clarify this inTreasures of Tibetan Art:

“Tibetan artexemplifies thenirmanakaya, the physical body of Buddha, and also the qualities of the Buddha, perhaps in the form of a deity. Art objects, therefore, must follow rules specified in the Buddhist scriptures regarding proportions, shape, color, stance, hand positions, and attributes in order to personify correctly the Buddha or Deities.”

Maṇḍala(मण्डल) is aSanskritword meaning \"circle.\" In theBuddhistandHindureligious traditions theirsacred artoften takes a mandala form. The basic form of most Hindu and Buddhist mandalas is a square with four gates containing a circle with acenter point. Each gate is in the shape of a T.[1][2]Mandalas often exhibit radialbalance.[3]

These mandalas, concentric diagrams, havespiritualandritualsignificance in bothBuddhismandHinduism.[4][5]The term is ofHinduorigin and appears in theRig Vedaas the name of the sections of the work, but is also used in otherIndian religions, particularlyBuddhism. In theTibetanbranch ofVajrayanaBuddhism, mandalas have been developed intosandpainting. They are also a key part ofanuttarayoga tantrameditation practices.

In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of aspirants and adepts, as a spiritual teaching tool, for establishing asacred space, and as an aid tomeditationandtranceinduction. According to the psychologistDavid Fontana, its symbolic nature can help one \"to access progressively deeper levels of the unconscious, ultimately assisting the meditator to experience a mystical sense of oneness with the ultimate unity from which the cosmos in all its manifold forms arises.\"[6]ThepsychoanalystCarl Jungsaw the mandala as \"a representation of the unconscious self,\"[citation needed]and believed his paintings of mandalas enabled him to identify emotional disorders and work towardswholenessin personality.[7]

In common use, mandala has become a generic term for any plan, chart or geometric pattern that represents thecosmosmetaphysically or symbolically, amicrocosmof theUniversefrom the human perspective.[citation needed]

Contents[hide]
  • 1Hinduism
  • 2Buddhism
    • 2.1Early and Theravada Buddhism
    • 2.2Tibetan Vajrayana
      • 2.2.1Offerings
    • 2.3Shingon Buddhism
    • 2.4Nichiren Buddhism
    • 2.5Pure Land Buddhism
  • 3Christianity
  • 4Bora ring
  • 5Gallery
  • 6Mandala in political history
  • 7See also
  • 8Notes
  • 9References
  • 10External links
[edit]HinduismA Hindu Maṇḍala

Kolam The termKolamnormally refers to Hindu contexts and practices, whilemaṇḍalanormally refers to Buddhist contexts and practices.[citation needed]Yet the terms are also used interchangeably, andmaṇḍalais sometimes used as a cross-over term in Hindu contexts.

Ayantrais a two- or three-dimensional geometric composition used insadhanas, or meditative rituals. It is thought to be the abode of the deity. Eachyantrais unique and calls the deity into the presence of the practitioner through the elaborate symbolic geometric designs. According to one scholar, “Yantras function as revelatory symbols of cosmic truths and as instructional charts of the spiritual aspect of human experience\"[8]

Many situateyantrasas central focus points for Hindu tantric practice.Yantrasare not representations, but are lived, experiential, nondual realities. As Khanna describes:

Despite its cosmic meanings ayantrais a reality lived. Because of the relationship that exists in the Tantras between the outer world (the macrocosm) and man’s [sic] inner world (the microcosm), every symbol in ayantrais ambivalently resonant in inner-outer synthesis, and is associated with the subtle body and aspects of human consciousness.[9]

Note:maṇḍalais also the term used to describe any of the ten books ofRig Veda, a sacred Vedic and Hindu scripture (sruti).

[edit]BuddhismPainted 17th centuryTibetan\'Five Deity Mandala\', in the center isRakta Yamari(the Red Enemy of Death) embracing his consortVajra Vetali, in the corners are the Red, Green White and YellowYamaris,Rubin Museum of Art[edit]Early and Theravada Buddhism

The mandala can be found in the form of theStupa[10]and in theAtanatiya Sutta[11]in theDigha Nikaya, part of thePali Canon. This text is frequently chanted.

[edit]Tibetan VajrayanaChenrezig Sand Mandala created at theHouse of Commons of the United Kingdomon the occasion of theDalai Lama\'svisit in May 2008

Akyil \'khor), Tibetan for mandala inVajrayanaBuddhism usually depicts a landscape of the \"Buddha-land\", or the enlightened vision of a Buddha, which inevitably represents the nature of experience and the intricacies of both the enlightened and confused mind, or\"a microcosm representing various divine powers at work in the universe.\"[5]Such mandalas consist of an outer circular mandala and an inner square (or sometimes circular) mandala with an ornately decorated mandala \"palace\"[12]placed at the center. Any part of the inner mandala can be occupied by Buddhist glyphs and symbols,[13]as well as by images of its associated deities, which\"symbolise different stages in the process of the realisation of the truth.\"[14]

Kværne(1975: p.164) in his extended discussion ofsahaja, discusses the relationship ofsadhanainteriority and exteriority in relation to mandala thus:

\"...external ritual and internal sadhana form an indistinguishable whole, and this unity finds its most pregnant expression in the form of the mandala, the sacred enclosure consisting of concentric squares and circles drawn on the ground and representing that adamant plane of being on which the aspirant to Buddha hood wishes to establish himself. The unfolding of the tantric ritual depends on the mandala; and where a material mandala is not employed, the adept proceeds to construct one mentally in the course of his meditation.\"[15]

Mandalas are commonly used by tantric Buddhists as an aid to meditation. More specifically, a Buddhist mandala is envisaged as a\"sacred space,\"a \"Pure Buddha Realm,\"[16]and also as an abode of fully realised beings or deities.[14]While on the one hand, the mandala is regarded as a place separated and protected from the ever-changing and impure outer world ofsamsara,[17]and is thus seen as a \"Buddhafield\"[18]or a place of Nirvana and peace, the view of Vajrayana Buddhism sees the greatest protection fromsamsarabeing the power to see samsaric confusion as the \"shadow\" of purity (which then points towards it). By visualizing \"pure lands,\" one learns to understand experienceitselfas pure, and as the abode of enlightenment. The protection that we need, in this view, is from our own minds, as much as from external sources of confusion. In many tantric mandalas, this aspect of separation and protection from the outer samsaric world is depicted by\"the four outer circles: the purifying fire of wisdom, thevajracircle, the circle with the eight tombs, the lotus circle.\"[19]The ring ofvajrasforms a connected fence-like arrangement running around the perimeter of the outer mandala circle.[20]

The mandala is also\"a support for the meditating person,\"[19]something to be repeatedly contemplated to the point of saturation, such that the image of the mandala becomes fully internalised in even the minutest detail and can then be summoned and contemplated at will as a clear and vivid visualized image. With every mandala comes what Tucci calls\"its associated liturgy...contained in texts known as tantras,\"[21]instructing practitioners on how the mandala should be drawn, built and visualised, and indicating themantrasto be recited during its ritual use.

As a meditation on impermanence (a central teaching ofBuddhism), after days or weeks of creating the intricate pattern of a sand mandala, the sand is brushed together and placed in a body of running water to spread the blessings of the mandala.

A mandala can also represent the entire universe, which is traditionally depicted withMount Meruas theaxis mundiin the center, surrounded by the continents.[22]A \"mandala offering\"[23]inTibetan Buddhismis a symbolic offering of the entire universe. Every intricate detail of these mandalas is fixed in the tradition and has specific symbolic meanings, often on more than one level.

The mandala can be shown to represent in visual form the core essence of theVajrayanateachings. In the mandala, the outer circle of fire usually symbolises wisdom. The ring of 8charnel grounds[24]represents theBuddhistexhortation to always be mindful of death, and the impermanence with whichsamsarais suffused:\"such locations were utilized in order to confront and to realize the transient nature of life.\"[25]Described elsewhere:\"within a flaming rainbow nimbus and encircled by a black ring ofdorjes, the major outer ring depicts the eight great charnel grounds, to emphasize the dangerous nature of human life.\"[26]Inside these rings lie the walls of the mandala palace itself, specifically a place populated by deities andBuddhas.

One well-known type of mandala, in Japan is the mandala of the \"Five Buddhas\", archetypal Buddha forms embodying various aspects of enlightenment. Such Buddhas are depicted depending on the school ofBuddhism, and even the specific purpose of the mandala. A common mandala of this type is that of theFive Wisdom Buddhas(a.k.a. FiveJinas), the When paired with another mandala depicting theFive Wisdom Kings, this forms theMandala of the Two Realms.

[edit]Offerings

Whereas the above mandala represents the pure surroundings of a Buddha, this mandala represents the universe. This type of mandala is used for the mandala-offerings, during which one symbolically offers the universe to the Buddhas or to one\'s teacher. Within Vajrayana practice, 100,000 of these mandala offerings (to create merit) can be part of the preliminary practices before a student even begins actual tantric practices.[27]This mandala is generally structured according to the model of the universe as taught in a Buddhist classic text theAbhidharma-kośa, withMount Meruat the centre, surrounded by the continents, oceans and mountains, etc.

[edit]Shingon BuddhismJapanese
BuddhismSchools
  • Hosso
  • Kegon
  • Ritsu
  • Tendai
  • Shingon
  • Pure Land
  • Zen
  • Nichiren
Founders
  • Saichō
  • Kūkai
  • Hōnen
  • Shinran
  • Dōgen
  • Eisai
  • Ingen
  • Nichiren
Sacred texts
  • Avataṃsaka Sūtra
  • Lotus Sūtra
  • Prajñāpāramitā
  • Heart Sūtra
  • Infinite Life Sūtra
  • Mahāvairocana Sūtra
  • Vajraśekhara Sūtra
Glossary of
Japanese Buddhism
  • v
  • t
  • e

The Japanese branch of Vajrayana Buddhism --ShingonBuddhism—makes frequent use of mandalas in its rituals as well, though the actual mandalas differ. When Shingon\'s founder,Kukai, returned from his training in China, he brought back two mandalas that became central to Shingon ritual: theMandala of the Womb Realmand theMandala of the Diamond Realm.

These two mandalas are engaged in theabhisekainitiation rituals for new Shingon students, more commonly known as theKechien Kanjō(結縁灌頂). A common feature of this ritual is to blindfold the new initiate and to have them throw a flower upon either mandala. Where the flower lands assists in the determination of whichtutelary deitythe initiate should follow.

Sand Mandalas, as found in Tibetan Buddhism, are not practiced in Shingon Buddhism.

[edit]Nichiren Buddhism

The mandala inNichiren Buddhismis called amoji-mandala(文字曼陀羅) and is a paperhanging scrollor wooden tablet whose inscription consists ofChinese charactersandmedieval-Sanskrit scriptrepresenting elements of the Buddha\'senlightenment, protective Buddhist deities, and certain Buddhist concepts. Called theGohonzon, it was originally inscribed byNichiren, the founder of this branch ofJapanese Buddhism, during the late 13th Century. TheGohonzonis the primary object of veneration in some Nichiren schools and the only one in others, which consider it to be the supreme object of worship as the embodiment of the supremeDharmaand Nichiren\'s inner enlightenment. The seven charactersNam Myoho Renge Kyo, considered to be the name of the supreme Dharma, as well as theinvocationthat believers chant, are written down the center of all Nichiren-sectGohonzons, whose appearance may otherwise vary depending on the particular school and other factors.

[edit]Pure Land Buddhism

Mandalas have sometimes been used inPure Land Buddhismto graphically representPure Lands, based on descriptions found in theLarger Sutraand theContemplation Sutra. The most famous mandala in Japan is theTaima Mandala, dated to approximately 763 CE. TheTaima Mandalais based upon theContemplation Sutra, but other similar mandalas have been made subsequently. Unlike mandalas used inVajrayanaBuddhism, it is not used as an object of meditation or for esoteric ritual. Instead, it provides a visual pictorial of the Pure Land texts, and is used as a teaching aid.[citation needed]

Also inJodo ShinshuBuddhism,Shinranand his descendant,Rennyo, sought a way to create easily accessible objects of reverence for the lower-classes of Japanese society. Shinran designed a mandala using a hanging scroll, and the words of thenembutsu(南無阿彌陀佛) written vertically. This style of mandala is still used by someJodo ShinshuBuddhists in home altars, windowat the site of theMarsh Chapel Experimentsupervised byTimothy Leary

Forms which are evocative of mandalas are prevalent in Christianity: theceltic cross; therosary; thehalo; theaureole;oculi; theCrown of Thorns;rose windows; theRosy Cross; and thedromenonon the floor ofChartres Cathedral. The dromenon represents a journey from the outer world to the inner sacred centre where the Divine is found.[28]

Similarly, many of the Illuminations ofHildegard von Bingencan be used as mandalas, as well as many of the images ofesoteric Christianity, as andRosicrucianism.

[edit]Bora ringThis sectionneeds additionalcitationsforverification. Please helpimprove this articleby adding citations toreliable sources. Unsourced material may bechallengedandremoved.(November 2009)

ABorais the name given both to aninitiationceremony ofIndigenous Australians, and to the siteBora Ringon which the initiation is performed. At such a site, young boys are transformed into men viarites of passage. The wordBorawas originally from South-East Australia, but is now often used throughout Australia to describe an initiation site or ceremony. The term \"bora\" is held to be etymologically derived from that of the belt or girdle that encircles initiated men. The appearance of a Bora Ring varies from one culture to another, but it is often associated withstone arrangements,rock engravings, or otherart works. Women are generally prohibited from entering a bora. In South East Australia, the Bora is often associated with the creator-spiritBaiame.

Bora rings, found in South-EastAustralia, are circles of foot-hardened earth surrounded by raised embankments. They were generally constructed in pairs (although some sites have three), with a bigger circle about 22 metres in diameter and a smaller one of about 14 metres. The rings are joined by a sacred walkway. Matthews (1897)[29]gives an eye-witness account of a Bora ceremony, and explains the use of the two circles.

KalachakraFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaPart ofa seriesonTibetan BuddhismSchools[show]Glossary[show]Key figures[show]Practices and attainment[show]Major and overview[show]
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\"Kālacakra\" is usually used to refer to a very complex teaching and practice inTibetan Buddhism. Although the teaching is very advanced andesoteric, there is a tradition of offering it to large public audiences.

Contents[hide]
  • 1Kālacakra tradition
  • 2Text of the Kālacakra Tantra
    • 2.1Ground Kālacakra
    • 2.2Path and fruition
    • 2.3Astrology
  • 3History and origin
    • 3.1Original Teaching in India and Later Teachings in Kingdom of Shambhala
    • 3.3Spread to Tibet
  • 4Practice
    • 4.1Initiation
    • 4.2Kālacakra practice today in the Tibetan Buddhist schools
      • 4.2.1Gelugpa
    • 4.3Kagyu
    • 4.4Nyingma
    • 4.5Sakya
    • 4.6Jonang
  • 5Controversy
    • 5.1Prophesies on Holy War
    • 5.2Symbolical meaning
    • 6See also
    • 7References
    • 8Sources
    • 9External links

    Kālacakra tradition[edit]

    Kālacakra refers both to a patron Tantric deity oriṣṭadevatā, (Wylie:yi dam) of Vajrayana Buddhism and to the philosophies and meditation practices contained within theKālacakra Tantraand its many commentaries. TheKālacakra Tantrais more properly called theKālacakra Laghutantra, and is said to be an abridged form of an original text, theKālacakra Mūlatantrawhich is no longer extant. Some Buddhist masters assert that Kālacakra is the most advanced form of Vajrayana practice; it certainly is one of the most complex systems within tantric Buddhism.

    The Kālacakra tradition revolves around the concept of time (kāla) and cycles (chakra): from the cycles of the planets,[1]to the cycles of human breathing, it teaches the practice of working with the most subtle energies within one\'s body on the path to enlightenment.

    The Kālacakra deity represents abuddhahoodand thusomniscience. Since Kālacakraistime and everything is under the influence of time, Kālacakra knows all. Kālacakri, his spiritual consort and complement, is aware of everything that is timeless, not time-bound or out of the realm of time. InYab-Yum, they are temporality and atemporality conjoined. Similarly, the wheel is without beginning or end. The term \"wheel\" evoked herewith is a principal polyvalent sign, teaching tool, organising metaphor and iconographic device withinIndian religions. Some \"wheel\" cognates are theaṣṭamaṅgalasymbol of thedharmacakra,Vishnu\'sSudarshana Chakraand the theory ofsaṃsāra.

    Kālacakra refers to many different traditions: for example, it is related to and also to Jainism. The Kālacakra mandala includes deities which are equally accepted byHindus,Jainsand Buddhists.[2]

    The Kālacakra deity resides in the center of the mandala in his palace consisting of four mandalas, one within the other: the mandalas of body, speech, and mind, and in the very center, wisdom and great bliss.[3]The Kālacakra sand mandala is dedicated to both individual and world peace and physical balance. The Dalai Lama explains: “It is a way of planting a seed, and the seed will have karmic effect. One doesn’t need to be present at the Kalachakra ceremony in order to receive its benefits.”[citation needed]

    Text of the Kālacakra Tantra[edit]Kālacakra Deity with consortVisvamata

    The Kālacakra Tantra is divided into five chapters.[4]

    Ground Kālacakra[edit]

    The first two chapters are considered the \"ground Kālacakra.\" The first chapter deals with what is called the \"outer Kālacakra\"—the physical world– and in particular the calculation system for the Kālacakra calendar, the birth and death of universes, our solar system and the workings of the elements.

    The second chapter deals with the \"inner Kālacakra,\" and concerns processes of human gestation and birth, the classification of the functions within the human body and experience, and the vajra-kaya; the expression of human physical existence in terms of channels, winds, drops and so forth. Human experience is by some described in terms of four mind states: waking, dream, deep sleep, and a fourth state which is available through the energies of sexual orgasm. The potentials (drops) which give rise to these states are described, together with the processes that flow from them.

    Path and fruition[edit]

    The last three chapters describe the \"other\" or \"alternative Kālacakra,\" and deal with the path and fruition. The third chapter deals with the preparation for the meditation practices of the system: the initiations of Kālacakra. The fourth chapter explains the actual meditation practices themselves, both the meditation on the mandala and its deities in the generation stage practices, and the perfection or completion stage practices of theSix Yogas. The fifth and final chapter describes the state of enlightenment (Relijin) that results from the practice.

    Astrology[edit]

    The phrase \"as it is outside, so it is within the body\" is often found in the Kālacakra tantra to emphasize the similarities and correspondence between human beings and thecosmos; this concept is the basis for Kālacakraastrology, but also for more profound connections and interdependence as taught in the Kālacakra literature.

    In Tibet, the Kālacakra astrological system is one of the main building blocks in the composition ofTibetan astrological calendars.[5]The astrology in the Kālacakra is not like the Western system, in that it employs complicated astronomical calculations to determine, for example, the exact location of the planets.

    History and origin[edit]Mañjushrīkīrti Drakpa),King of ShambhalaOriginal Teaching in India and Later Teachings in Kingdom of Shambhala[edit]

    According to theKālacakra tantra,Suchandra,dharmarajaofShambhala, requested thatGautama Buddhateach him how to practice thedharmawithout renouncing worldly responsibilities.

    In response to his request, the Buddha taught the first Kālacakra root tantra inDharanikota(near modernAmaravathi) in 5th century B.C. of southEasternIndia, supposedly bilocating (appearing in two places at once) at the same time as he was also delivering thePrajñāpāramitāsutras atGriddhraj ParvatinBihar. Along with King Suchandra, ninety-six minor kings and emissaries from Shambhala were also said to have received the teachings. TheKālacakrathus passed directly toShambhala, where it was held exclusively for hundreds of years. LaterKings of Shambhala, Mañjushrīkīrti and Pundarika, are said to have condensed and simplified the teachings into theŚri KālacakraorLaghutantraand its main commentary, theVimalaprabha, which remain extant today as the heart of the Kālacakra literature. Fragments of the original tantra have survived; the most significant fragment, theSekkodesha, was commented upon byNaropa.

    Mañjushrīkīrti Drakpa) is said to have been born in 159 BCE and ruled over Shambhala, which had 300,510 followers of theMlecchareligion living in it, some of whom worshiped the sun. He is said to have expelled all the heretics from his dominions but later, after hearing their petitions, allowed them to return. For their benefit, and the benefit of all living beings, he explained theKālacakrateachings. In 59 BCE he abdicated his throne to his son, Puṇḍārika, and died soon afterwards, entering style=\"margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit;\">There are currently two main traditions ofKālacakra, the Ra lineage (Wylie:rva lugs) and the Dro lineage (Wylie:bro lugs). Although there were many translations of theKālacakratexts from Sanskrit into Tibetan, the Ra and Dro translations are considered to be the most reliable (more about the two lineages below). The two lineages offer slightly differing accounts of how theKālacakrateachings returned to India from Shambhala.

    In both traditions, theKālacakraand its related commentaries (sometimes referred to as theBodhisattvas Corpus) were returned to India in 966CEby an Indianpandit. In the Ra tradition this figure is known as Chilupa, and in the Dro tradition as Kālacakrapada the Greater. Scholars such as Helmut Hoffman have suggested they are the same person. The first masters of the tradition disguised themselves with pseudonyms, so the Indian oral traditions recorded by the Tibetans contain a mass of contradictions.[citation needed]

    Chilupa/Kālacakrapada is said to have set out to receive the Kālacakra teachings in Shambhala, along the journey to which he encountered the Kulika (Shambhala) king Durjaya manifesting asManjusri, who conferred the Kālacakra initiation on him, based on his pure motivation.

    Upon returning to India, Chilupa/Kālacakrapada is said to have defeated in debate Nadapada (Tib.Naropa), abbot ofNalanda, a great center of Buddhist thought at that time. Chilupa/Kālacakrapada then initiated Nadapada (who became known as Kālacakrapada the Lesser) into theKālacakra, and the tradition thereafter in India and Tibet stems from these two. Nadapada established the teachings as legitimate in the eyes of the Nalanda community, and initiated into theKālacakrasuch masters asAtiśa(who, in turn, initiated the Kālacakra masterPindo Acharya(Tib.Pitopa)).

    A Tibetan history, theDpag bsam ljon bzang, as well as architectural evidence, indicates that theRatnagiri, Odishamahaviharawas an important center for the dissemination of theKālacakratantrain India.

    TheKālacakratradition, along with all Buddhism, vanished from India in the wake of theMusliminvasions, surviving only inNepal.

    Spread to Tibet[edit]Kālacakra statue inAmerican Museum of Natural History,New York

    The Dro lineage was established in Tibet by aKashmiridisciple of Nalandapa named Pandita Somanatha, who traveled to Tibet in 1027 (or 1064CE, depending on the calendar used), and his translatorDroLotsawaShérap DrakWylie:\'bro lo tsa ba shes rab grags, from which it takes its name. The Ra lineage was brought to Tibet by another Kashmiri disciple of Nadapada named Samantashri, and translated byRaLotsawa ChörapWylie:rwa lo tsa ba chos rab.

    The Ra lineage became particularly important in theSakyaschool of Tibetan Buddhism, where it was held by such prominent masters asSakya Pandita(1182–1251),Drogön Chögyal Phagpa(1235–1280),Butön Rinchen Drup(1290–1364), andDölpopa Shérap Gyeltsen(1292–1361). The latter two, both of whom also held the Dro lineage, are particularly well known expositors of theKālacakrain Tibet, the practice of which is said to have greatly informed Dölpopa\'s exposition ofshentong. A strong emphasis onKālacakrapractice and exposition of the zhentong view were the principal distinguishing characteristics of theJonangschool that traces its roots to Dölpopa Shérap Gyeltsen.

    The teaching of theKālacakrawas further advanced by the great Jonang scholarTaranatha(1575–1634). In the 17th century, the government of the5th Dalai Lamaoutlawed the Jonang school, closing down or forcibly converting most of its monasteries. The writings of Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen, Taranatha, and other prominent zhentong scholars were banned. Ironically, it was also at this time that the Gelug school absorbed much of the JonangKālacakratradition.

    Today, Kālacakra is practiced by all schools of Tibetan Buddhism, although it appears most prominently in the Gelug lineage. It is the main tantric practice for the Jonangpa, whose school persists to this day with a small number of monasteries inKham,QinghaiandSichuan. Efforts are under way to have the Jonang tradition be recognized officially as a fifth tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.

    Practice[edit]Kalachakra Dance MaskInitiation[edit]

    Ancient mask from the kalachakra dances, where ten monks dress as the ten world deities and perform a dance of consecrating the location of the mandala in preparation for the initiation ritual, after asking the earth goddess for permission to erect it at a particular site.

    Monks attending the January 2003 Kālacakra initiation inBodh Gaya, India

    As in all vajryana practices, the Kālacakra initiations empower the disciple to practice the Kālacakra tantra in the service of attaining Buddhahood. There are two main sets of initiations in Kālacakra, eleven in all. The first of these two sets concerns preparation for the generation stage meditations of Kālacakra. The second concerns preparation for the completion stage meditations known as the Six Yogas of Kālacakra. Attendees who don\'t intend to carry out the practice are often only given the lower seven initiations.

    The Kālacakra sandMandalais dedicated to both individual and world peace and physical balance. The Dalai Lama explains: \"It is a way of planting a seed, and the seed will have karmic effect. One doesn\'t need to be present at the Kālacakra ceremony in order to receive its benefits.\"[7]

    Kālacakra practice today in the Tibetan Buddhist schools[edit]

    Butön Rinchen Drup had considerable influence on the later development of the Gelug and Sakya traditions of Kālacakra and Dölpopa on the development of the Jonang tradition on which the Kagyu, Nyingma, and the Tsarpa branch of the Sakya draw. The Nyingma and Kagyu rely heavily on the extensive, Jonang-influenced Kālacakra commentaries ofJamgon Ju Mipham Gyatsoand Jamgon Kongtrul, both of whom took a strong interest in the tradition. The Tsarpa branch of the Sakya maintain the practice lineage for the six branch yoga of Kālacakra in the Jonang tradition.

    There were many other influences and much cross-fertilization between the different traditions, and indeed the Dalai Lama asserted that it is acceptable for those initiated in one Kālacakra tradition to practice in others.

    Gelugpa[edit]TheDalai Lamapresiding over the Kālacakra initiation in Bodh Gaya, India, in January 2003.

    TheDalai Lamashave had specific interest in the Kālacakra practice, particularly theFirst,Second,Seventh,Eighth, and the current (Fourteenth) Dalai Lamas. The present Dalai Lama has given over thirty Kālacakra initiations all over the world, and is the most prominent Kālacakra lineage holder alive today. Billed as the \"Kālacakra for World Peace,\" they draw tens of thousands of people. Generally, it is unusual for tantric initiations to be given to large public assemblages, but the Kālacakra has always been an exception.

    The Dalai Lama,Kalu Rinpoche, and others have stated that the public exposition of this tantra is necessary in the current degenerate age. The initiation may be received simply as a blessing for the majority of those attending, however, many of the more qualified attendees do take the commitments and subsequently engage in the practice.

    Kālacakra Initiations given by XIV Dalai Lama

      1. Norbu Lingka, Lhasa, Tibet, in May 1954
    • 2. Norbu Lingka, Lhasa, Tibet, in April 1956
    • 3. Dharamsala, India, in March 1970
    • 4. Bylakuppe, South India, in May 1971
    • 5. Bodh Gaya, India, in January 1974
    • 6. Leh, Ladakh, India, in September 1976
    • 7. Deer Park Buddhist Center, Madison, Wisconsin, USA, in July 1981
    • 8. Dirang, Arunachal Pradesh, India, in April 1983
    • 9. Lahaul & Spiti, India, in August 1983
    • 10. Rikon, Switzerland, in July 1985
    • 11. Bodh Gaya, India, in December 1985
    • 12. Zanskar, Ladakh, India, in July 1988
    • 13. Los Angeles, USA, in July 1989
    • 14. Sarnath, India, in December 1990
    • 15. Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in July 1991[8]
    • 16. New York, USA, in October 1991
    • 17.Kalpa, Himachal Pradesh, India, in August 1992
    • 18.Gangtok, Sikkim, India, in April 1993
    • 19.Jispa, HP, India, in August 1994
    • 20. Barcelona, Spain, in December 1994
    • 22. Mundgod, South India, in January 1995
    • 22. Ulanbaator, Mongolia, in August 1995
    • 23. Tabo, HP, India, in June 1996
    • 24. Sydney, Australia, in September 1996
    • 25. Salugara, West Bengal, India, in December 1996.
    • 26. Bloomington, Indiana, USA, in August 1999.
    • 27.Key Monastery, Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, India, in August 2000.[9]
    • 28a. Bodhgaya, Bihar, India, in January 2002 (postponed).
    • 28b. Graz, Austria, in October 2002.
    • 29. Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India, in January 2003.
    • 30. Toronto, Canada, in April 2004.
    • 31.Amaravathi,Indiain January 2006.
    • 32. Washington, DC, USA, in July 2011.
    • 33.Bodh Gaya, India, in January 2012.
    • 34.LehLadakh,IndiaJuly 2014

    The 34th Kalachakra ceremony was held inLehtown ofJammu and Kashmir, India from July 3 to July 12, 2014. About 1,50,000 devotees and 3,50,000 tourists were expected to participate in the festival.[10]

    Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche(1926–2006), the9th Jebtsundamba Khutughtu,Jhado Rinpocheand the lateGen Lamrimpa(d. 2003) were also among prominent Gelugpa Kālacakra masters.

    Kagyu[edit]Kalu Rinpochein 1987 atKagyu Rintchen Tcheu LinginMontpellier,France

    The Kālacakra tradition practiced in the Karma andShangpa Kagyuschools is derived from the Jonang tradition and was largely systematized by Jamgön Kongtrül, who wrote the text that is now used for empowerment. The 2nd and 3rd Jamgon Kongtrul (1954–1992) were also prominent Kālacakra lineage holders, with the 3rd Jamgon Kontrul giving the initiation publicly in North America on at least one occasion (Toronto 1990).[11]

    The chief Kālacakra lineage holder for the Kagyu lineage wasKalu Rinpoche(1905–1990), who gave the initiation several times in Tibet, India, Europe and North America (e.g., New York 1982[12]). Upon his death, this mantle was assumed by his heart son,Bokar Tulku Rinpoche(1940–2004), who in turn passed it on to Khenpo Lodro Donyo Rinpoche. Bokar Monastery, of which Donyo Rinpoche is now the head, features a Kālacakra stupa and is a prominent retreat center for Kālacakra practice in the Kagyu lineage.

    Tenga Rinpochewas also a prominent Kagyu holder of the Kālacakra; he gave the initiation in Grabnik, Poland in August, 2005.

    Lopon Tsechuperformed Kālacakra initiations and buildKālacakra stupain Karma Guen buddhist center in southernSpain. Another prominent Kālacakra master is theSecond Beru Khyentse.

    Chögyam Trungpa, while not a noted Kālacakra master, became increasingly involved later in his life with what he termed Shambhala teachings, derived in part from the Kālacakra tradition, in particular, the mindtermawhich he received from theKalki.

    Nyingma[edit]

    Among the prominent recent and contemporary Nyingma Kālacakra masters areDzongsar Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö(1894–1959),Dilgo Khyentse(1910–1991), andPenor Tenfold Powerful symbol instained glass

    Sakya Trizin, the present head of the Sakya lineage, has given the Kālacakra initiation many times and is a recognized master of the practice.

    The Sakya master H.E.Chogye Trichen Rinpocheis one of the main holders of the Kālacakra teachings. Chogye Rinpoche is the head of theTsharpaSchool, one of the three main schools of the Sakya tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.

    One of the previous Chogye Trichen Rinpoches, Khyenrab Choje (1436–97), beheld the sustained vision of the female tantric deityVajrayoginiat Drak Yewa in central Tibet, and received extensive teachings and initiations directly from her. Two forms of Vajrayogini appeared out of the face of the rocks at Drak Yewa, one red in color and the other white, and they bestowed the Kālacakra initiation on Khyenrab Choje. When he asked if there was any proof of this, his attendant showed the master the kusha grass that Khyenrab Choje brought back with him from the initiation. It was unlike any kusha grass found in this world, with rainbow lights sparkling up and down the length of the dried blades of grass. This direct lineage from Vajrayogini is the \'shortest\', the most recent and direct, lineage of the Kālacakra empowerment and teachings that exists in this world. In addition to being known as the emanation of Manjushri, Khyenrab Choje had previously been born as many of theKings of Shambhalaas well as numerous Buddhist masters of India. These are some indications of his unique relationship to the Kālacakra tradition.

    Chogye Trichen Rinpoche is the holder of six different Kālacakra initiations, four of which, the Bulug, Jonang, Maitri-gyatsha, and Domjung, are contained within the Gyude Kuntu, the Collection of Tantras compiled by Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and his disciple Loter Wangpo. Rinpoche has offered all six of these empowerments to Sakya Trizin, the head of the Sakya School of Tibetan Buddhism.

    Rinpoche has given the Kālacakra initiation in Tibet, Mustang, Kathmandu, Malaysia, the United States, Taiwan, and Spain, and is widely regarded as a definitive authority on Kālacakra. In 1988 he traveled to the United States, giving the initiation and complete instructions in the practice of the six-branch Vajrayoga of Kālacakra according to the Jonangpa tradition in Boston.

    Chogye Rinpoche has completed extensive retreat in the practice of Kālacakra, particularly of the six-branch yoga (sadangayoga) in the tradition of the Jonangpa school according to JetsunTaranatha. In this way, Chogye Rinpoche has carried on the tradition of his predecessor Khyenrab Choje, the incarnation of the Shambhala kings who received the Kālacakra initiation from Vajrayogini herself. When Chogye Rinpoche was young, one of his teachers dreamed that Rinpoche was the son of the King of Shambhala, the pure land that upholds the tradition of Kālacakra. (See biography of Chogye Trichen Rinpoche in \"Parting from the Four Attachments\", Snow Lion Publications, 2003.)

    Jonang[edit]

    Once deemed heretical by the Gelug and even thought to be extinct, theJonangtradition has in fact survived and is now officially recognized by the Tibetan Government in exile as a fifth school ofTibetan Buddhism. Jonang is particularly important in that it has preserved the Kālacakra practice lineage, especially of the completion stage practices. In fact, the Kālacakra is the main tantric practice in the Jonang tradition.Khenpo Kunga Sherab Rinpoche[13]is one contemporary Jonangpa master of on Holy War[edit]

    The Kālacakra Tantra has occasionally been a source of controversy in the west because the text contains passages which may be interpreted as demonizingIslam. This is principally because it contains the prophecy of a holy war between Buddhists and so-called \"barbarians\" (Skt.mleccha). One passage of the Kālacakra (Śri Kālacakra I. 161) reads, \"TheChakravartinshall come out at the end of the age, from the city the gods fashioned onMount Kailasa. He shall smite the barbarians in battle with his own four-division army, on the entire surface of the earth.\"

    This prophecy could also be understood to refer in part to the Islamic incursions into central Asia and India which destroyed the Buddhist religion in those regions. The prophecy includes detailed descriptions of the future invaders as well as suggested violent ways for the Buddhist teachings to survive these onslaughts.[14][15]

    Symbolical meaning[edit]

    Though the Kālacakra prophesies a future religious war, this appears in conflict with the vows ofMahayanaandTheravadaBuddhist teachings that prohibit violence. According toAlexander Berzin, the Kālacakra is not advocating violence against people but rather against inner mental and emotional aggression that results in intolerance, hatred, violence and war. Fifteenth century Gelug commentor Kaydrubjey interprets \"holy war\" symbolically, teaching that it mainly refers to the inner battle of the religious practitioner against inner demonic and barbarian tendencies. This is the solution to violence, since according to the Kālacakra the outer conditions depend on the inner condition of themindstreamsof beings. Viewed that way, the prophesied war takes place in the mind and emotions. It depicts the transformation of the archaic mentality of violence in the name of religion and ideology into sublime moral power, insight and spiritual wisdom.[16]

    One interpretation of Buddhist teachings that portray military conflict - such as elements of the Kālacakra Tantra and theGesar Epic- is that they may be taught for the sake of those who possess a karmic tendency towards militancy, for the purpose of taming their minds.[who?]The passages of the Kālacakra that address religious warfare can be viewed as teachings to turn away from any religious justification of war and violence, and to embrace the precepts of love and compassion.

    The controversial passages about the holy war, which most probably had been incorporated into the Kālacakra tradition during the time of massive advances of Islam into northern India when Buddhism had been on retreat, were later in modern time hijacked and used by several adventurous schemers both on the Left and on the Right to justify their political agendas. These questionable activities as well as the above-mentioned passages from old Kālacakra texts about the holy war and the ritual use of sexuality, prompted Victor and Victoria Trimondi, two German writers and philosophers, to launch a radical critique of the entire Kālacakra tradition.[17]In contrast, Alexander Berzin, another prominent student of Tibetan Buddhism, seeks to provide a balanced and nuanced account of the same tradition.[16]

    Iconography[edit]

    Tantric iconography including sharp weapons, shields, and corpses similarly appears in conflict with those tenets of non-violence but instead represent the transmutation of aggression into a method for overcoming illusion and ego. Both Kālacakra and hisdharmapalaprotector Vajravega hold a sword and shield in their paired second right and left hands. This is an expression of the Buddha\'s triumph over the attack ofMaraand his protection of all sentient beings.[18]Symbolism researcher Robert Beer writes the following about tantric iconography of weapons and mentions thecharnel ground:

    Many of these weapons and implements have their origins in the wrathful arena of the battlefield and the funereal realm of the charnel grounds. As primal images of destruction, slaughter, sacrifice, and necromancy these weapons were wrested from the hands of the evil and turned - as symbols - against the ultimate root of evil, the self-cherishing conceptual identity that gives rise to the five poisons of ignorance, desire, hatred, pride, and jealousy. In the hands of siddhas, dakinis, wrathful and semi-wrathful yidam deities, protective deities or dharmapalas these implements became pure symbols, weapons of transformation, and an expression of the deities\' wrathful compassion which mercilessly destroys the manifold illusions of the inflated human ego.[19]

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