The Eight Auspicious Symbols of Vajrayana - Right Coiled White Conch Shell

The Eight Auspicious Symbols are one of the most common, yet very popular in the Tibetan Buddhism and culture for over thousands of years.

Eight Auspicious Symbols in the Sanskrit word is  "Ashtamangala". In the Tibetan language is known as "Tashee-tag-gyay" The Eight Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism is a genre of Buddhist symbolism. The symbols derive from Indian iconography and have become especially popular in Tibetan Buddhism. 

The Eight Auspicious Symbols are traditionally offered to Lama, teachers during long life ceremonies and are used in various forms of ritual art. It is believed that each of the Tibetan symbols represents one aspect of the Buddha’s teachings and when appearing all together their powers are multiplied. 

In this fascinating study,the Eight Auspicious Symbols are as follows:-

1. Right-Coiled White Conch Shell

2. Precious Parasol 

3. Victory Banner 

4. Golden Fishes 

5. Dharma Wheel 

6. Endless Knot 

7. Lotus Flower 

8. Treasure Vase

These eight symbols of good fortune represent the offerings made by the Gods, and Brahma to Shakyamuni Buddha immediately after he attained enlightenment. 

What do the eight symbols of Buddhism mean?

In Buddhism, these eight symbols of good fortune represent the offerings made by the gods to Shakyamuni Buddha immediately after he gained enlightenment.

1. The Right Coiled White Conch Shell

"Doong-kahr-yay-kyeel" in the Tibetan word, which represents the heavenly sound of the Buddhadharma Its beautiful sound is far-reaching and melodious; upon hearing it, it will awaken beings from ignorance. 

The white conch shells, which spiral to the right in a clockwise direction, are a rarity and are considered especially sacred. The right-spiralling movement of such a conch is believed to echo the celestial motion of the sun, moon, planets, and stars across the heavens. Today, the conch is used to call together religious assemblies. During the actual practise of rituals, it is used both as a musical instrument and as a container for holy water.

The Right White Conch Shell is a dependent arising announcing the sweet melody of the profound and extensive Dharma that fits the elements, level of mind, and wishes of sentient beings who are the objects to be subdued. It awakens transmigratory beings from the ignorant sleep of unknowing and persuades them to accomplish works for the benefit and happiness of themselves and others.

 

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Please help us develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you but all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us enhance our work and accomplish more for a better and brighter future.

 

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Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease.

But increase further and further.

 

Dedication of Merit

By this merit, may we then obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrongdoings

May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness, and death.

 

*Note

I do not own or infringe any copyright on the picture(s).

Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and/or studios

The picture(s) are intended for editorial use only.

 

Kalachakra - Adi Buddha

 

In Vajrayana Buddhism, the Adi-Buddha is the "First Buddha" or the "Primordial Buddha. Another common term for this figure is Dharmakaya Buddha.

Vajradhara, the main Adibuddha, depicted in the Sarma schools.

The term emerges in tantric Buddhist literature, most prominently in the Kalachakra. Adi" means "first", such that the Adibuddha was the first to attain Buddhahood. Adi" can also mean "primordial", not referring to a person but to an innate wisdom that is present in all sentient beings.

In Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, the term Adibuddha is often used to describe the Buddha Samantabhadra (in Nyingma), Vajradhara, or Kalachakra (in the Sarma schools). 

In the Nyingma (ancient) School

A painting depicting Samantabhadra in union with his consort, Samantabhadri.

In the Nyingma School, the Adi-Buddha is called Samantabhadra in Sanskrit, In Tibetan it is called Kuntu Zangpo. In the Nyingma tradition,  art often depicts Kuntu Zangpo as a naked blue Buddha. According to Dzogchen Ponlop:

The color blue symbolizes the expansive, unchanging quality of space, which is the ground of all arisings, the basis of all appearances, and the source of all phenomena. The absence of robes symbolizes a genuine reality beyond any dualistic, conceptual, or philosophical clothing. That is the dharmakaya Buddha: the genuine body of absolute truth. 

 In the Nyingma school's Dzogchen tradition, Samantabhadra ("All-Good") is not a God but "our timeless Pure Perfect Presence beyond cause and effect."  In Nyingma, Samantabhadra is also considered to be the source of all Dzogchen teachings.

Adi Buddha - Vajradhara

The Kunjed Gyalpo Tantra calls Samantabhadra the "All-Creating King" (Tibetan: Kunjed Gyalpo), because all phenomena are said to be manifestations or displays of Samantabhadra. According to Namkhai Norbu (A Tibetan Buddhist master of Dzogchen), this does not mean there is some being called Samantabhadra that creates the universe; instead, what it refers to is that all things arise from "the state of consciousness of Samantabhadra, the state of Dharmakaya." In this sense, Samantabhadra is seen as a symbolic personification of the ground or basis in Dzogchen thought.

Namkhai Norbu explains that the Dzogchen idea of the Adi-Buddha Samantabhadra "should be mainly understood as a metaphor to enable us to discover our real condition." He further adds that:

If we deem Samantabhadra an individual being, we are far from the true meaning. In reality, he denotes our potentiality, which, even though at the present moment we are in samsara, has never been conditioned by dualism. From the beginning, the state of the individual has been pure and always remains pure; this is what Samantabhadra represents. But when we fall into conditioning, it is as if we are no longer Samantabhadra because we are ignorant of our true nature. So what is called the primordial Buddha, or Adi Buddha, is only a metaphor for our true condition.

In the Longchenpa's Treasure Trove of Scriptures, explains that Samantabhadra—one of the most common Dzogchen names for the state of original buddhahood—is nothing other than the primordial, innate awareness that is naturally free, even before any notions of "buddhas" or "sentient beings" have emerged.

In Dzogchen thought, there are said to be five aspects of Samantabhadra. Longchenpa explains these as follows:

• Samantabhadra as teacher: "Means that all Buddhas, while residing in the forms of the Sambhogakaya and the Dharmakaya in Akaniṣṭha, promote the welfare of all sentient beings through sending forth countless emanations to all the distinct realms of those to be guided.
• Samantabhadra as ground: "Is the Dharmata of all phenomena — suchness. This is also called "Samantabhadra as nature". 
  
• Samantabhadra as adornment: "The appearance of all phenomena, which are self-arising as the play of the bearers of the nature of phenomena, This consists of all that is completely pure, in that its nature is illusory.
• Samantabhadra as awareness: "self-arising wisdom, the sugata heart," i.e., the Buddha-nature described in the Uttaratantra.
• Samantabhadra as realisation: "The fundamental, basic nature. Through realising it well, the eyes of freedom are found. This is also called "Samantabhadra as the Path."

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Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?  

 We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in the year 2008, we had been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 14 years.  We have exceptionally constrained supports and do not receive subsidized or funding from people in general. 

Please help us and to develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you, but to all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us to enhance our work and to accomplish for a better and brighter prospect to come. 

Thank you for reading, may you find peace and great bliss. With your support it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turning the Dharma wheels in the world.

Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease

But increase further and further.

Dedication of Merit

By this merit may we obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrong-doings.

May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness and death.

*Note

I do not own or infringe any copyright of the picture(s).

Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and or studios.

Picture(s) is/are intended for editorial use only.

Kalachakra - The Manifestations of Cyclic Existence and Nirvana

 

What is meant by Kalachakra?

The word Kalachakra means cycles of time, and the Kalachakra system presents three such cycles: external, internal, and alternative. The external and internal cycles deal with time as we normally know it, while the alternative cycles are practises for gaining liberation from these two.

Kalachakra is one of the many Tantric teachings and esoteric practises in Tibetan Buddhism. The tradition's roots are in India, but its most active history and presence have been in the monasteries of Tibet. The tradition is a form of nondualism, and it is believed that the Kalachakra was taught by the Buddha himself.

What is the Kalachakra practice?

It depicts a mythic reality whereby cosmic and socio-historical events correspond to processes in the bodies of individuals. These teachings are meant to lead to a transformation of one's body and mind into perfect Buddhahood through various yogic methods.

What is Kalachakra meditation?

In the practice of Kalachakra , and any other anuttarayoga tantra , there is a special way of meditating on voidness ( emptiness ) in which we meditate not just on the actual meaning of voidness , but also try to simulate doing this with a clear, light mind .

What are the stages of the Kalachakra Tantra? 

Like all Anuttara Tantras, the Kalachakra practise is divided into two stages: 

1. A generation stage where the primary concern is with the visualisation of oneself as a deity within the context of a mandala.
2. A completion stage where the primary concern is with the purification of one’s winds and drops within the central channel, a process that culminates in the attainment of Buddhahood.

Time and cycles

The Kalacakratantra revolves around the concepts of time (kala) and cycles or wheels (chakra). Conventionally speaking, this refers to the cycles of the planets, the cycles of human breathing, and the subtle energies in the body. 

Regarding the outer or external aspect of conventional reality, the wheel of time refers to the passage of days, months, and years (as well as the cycles of the zodiac), while with regard to the individual or inner aspect, it refers to "the circulation of pranas [vital airs] within the wheel of the nadis [subtle channels] in the body," which is linked with the 12 aspects of dependent origination and the 12 signs of the zodiac. These different cycles are interconnected and correspond to each other.

In the first chapter, it is stated that the world emerges from emptiness and the force of time, which is a kind of power that originates the universe.

Because of time (kalat), from the voids (sunyesu), originate wind, fire, water, and the earth; the continents, mountains, and oceans; the constellations, the sun, the moon, the host of star-planets, and the sages; gods, bhutas, and nagas; animals that have four types of birthplace; humans and hell beings also, on the manifold earth and below; originate in the middle of the void (sunyamadhye), like salt in water, and the egg-born in the middle of an egg.

The nonduality of two facets of a single reality—namely, wisdom (prajña), or emptiness (sunyata), and method (upaya), or compassion (karuna). The word "time" refers to the gnosis of imperishable bliss (aksara-sukha-jñana), which is called a method consisting of compassion, and the word "wheel" designates wisdom consisting of emptiness. Their unity is the Buddha Kalacakra

Thus, Kalacakra refers to the manifestations of cyclic existence and nirvana, as well as their causes. Kalacakra therefore represents a single unified reality (also called Adibuddha, Sahajakaya, Jnanakaya, Sahajananda, and Vajrayoga). When this reality manifests itself as numerous phenomena, it is called samsara. 

Adibuddha

In Vajrayana Buddhism, the Adi-Buddha is the "First Buddha" or the "Primordial Buddha". Another common term for this figure is Dharmakaya Buddha. 

Adibuddha : The original Buddha, eternal with no beginning and no end.

Adi Buddha (the primaeval Buddha) The original Buddha Buddhist. The primordial force in the cosmos from whom the five Dhyani Buddhas arose. The embodiment of the concept of emptiness. He is considered by some authorities to be identical with Vaharaja and Vajrasattva. His image, sitting on a lotus leaf, is often carried by other Buddhist deities.

However, the Kalacakratantra is clear that Kalacakra is itself empty of inherent existence (i.e., essence) and is not an independent phenomenon but one that is dependent on conditions (a classic Madhyamaka position). 

The cosmic body and the body of the individual are made up of various cycles of dependent origination. Furthermore, "each cycle of dependent origination, which comprises progressively smaller cycles of dependent origination, arises in dependence upon other cycles of dependent origination and is therefore itself empty of inherent existence."

The Kalacakratantra summarises its fundamental doctrines in the following passage:

Identitylessness, the maturation of karma, the three realms, the six states of existence, the origination due to the twelve-limbed dependence, the Four Truths, the eighteen unique qualities of the Buddha, the five psycho-physical aggregates, the three bodies, the Sahajakaya, and animate emptiness. The system in which these are taught is the clear and definite instruction of the Vajri.    

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Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?  

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in the year 2008, we had been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 14 years.  We have exceptionally constrained supports and do not receive subsidized or funding from people in general. 

Please help us and to develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you, but to all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us to enhance our work and to accomplish for a better and brighter prospect to come. 

Thank you for reading, may you find peace and great bliss. With your support it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turning the Dharma wheels in the world.

Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease

But increase further and further.

Dedication of Merit

By this merit may we obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrong-doings.

May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness and death.

*Note

I do not own or infringe any copyright of the picture(s).

Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and or studios.

Picture(s) is/are intended for editorial use only.

Kalachakra Tantra And Cosmology

The Kalacakra Tantra is divided into five chapters. The content of the five chapters is as follows:

• The first chapter deals with what is called the "outer Kalacakra" (the world system, loka-dhatu), which provides a cosmology based on Vaibhasika Abhidharma, Samkhya, the Puranas and Jain cosmology. The Kalacakra calendar, the birth and death of universes, our solar system and the workings of the elements are expounded. The myth and prophecy of the kingdom of Shambhala is also discussed.
• The second chapter deals with "inner Kalacakra," which concerns human gestation and birth, the functions within the human body, and the subtle body aspects, mainly the channels, winds, drops and so forth. Human experience is described by four mind states: waking, dream, deep sleep, and a fourth state which is available through the energies of sexual orgasm. The potentials (drops, bindus) which give rise to these states are described, together with the processes that flow from them.
• The third chapter deals with the requirements and preparation for meditation, mainly, the initiations (abhiseka) of Kalacakra.
• The fourth chapter explains the Sadhana and yoga (spiritual practices), both the meditation on the mandala and its deities in the generation stage, and the perfection stage practices of the "six yogas".
• The fifth chapter describes the state of gnosis (jnana), which is the result or fruit of the practice.

The Kalachakra is a polysemic term in Vajrayana Buddhism that means "wheel of time" or "time cycles". "Kālacakra" is also the name of a series of Buddhist texts and a major practise lineage in Indian Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism.

What is the significance of Kalachakra?

This is a sacred event where key Buddhist teachings are passed on to devotees. The word Kalachakra actually means "wheel of time" in Vajrayana Buddhism. Kalacakra also refers both to a patron tantric deity or yidam in Vajrayana and to the philosophies and yogas of the Kalacakra tradition. 

It depicts a mythic reality whereby cosmic and socio-historical events correspond to processes in the bodies of individuals. These teachings are meant to lead to a transformation of one's body and mind into perfect Buddhahood through various yogic methods.

Who teaches Kalachakra?

The Kalachakra Path is fully integrated with the foundational practices of the sutra tradition of Buddhism as taught by Shakyamuni Buddha, but in order to practice Kalachakra, it is necessary to be formally invited, which is the primary purpose of taking an initiation. As is evident, receiving an invitation to this great path is based on causes and conditions of both the receiver and the giver – simply attending the ceremony does not guarantee that one will receive true initiation. 

So too, the ceremony may form a connection to the path yet it is not the path. One can liken Kalachakra initiation to receiving a seed for practice however it is the practitioner that plants, nurtures and cultivates the seed.

Cosmology

The Kalacakra Mandala depicts the teachings of the tantra in visual and symbolic form.

In the Kālacakratantra's cosmology, samsara (cyclic existence) is made up of innumerable Buddha fields and of the five elements or properties (characterised by origination, duration, and destruction). 

The whole cosmos arises due to the collective karma of sentient beings, which produces vital winds (vayu) that mold and dissolve the atomic particles that make up the various inanimate things of the world and the bodies of sentient beings.

A key element of the Kalacakratantra is the correspondence between macrocosmic processes and microcosmic processes. The Kalacakratantra maps the various features and developmental processes of the world system to the various features of the human body. 

The phrase "as it is outside, so it is within the body" (yatha bahye tatha dehe) is often found in the Kalacakratantra to emphasise the similarities and correspondence between human beings (inner Kalacakra) and the cosmos (outer Kalacakra), as well as with the enlightened Kalacakra mandala of deities (alternative Kalacakra).

This correspondence comes about because both the cosmos and the bodies of sentient beings come into existence due to the efficacy of the habitual propensities of their minds. In this sense, the cosmos is like a cosmic replica of a sentient being's body. Thus, one can say that the cosmos and the individual are nondual and mutually pervasive, even in terms of their conventional existence. They are interconnected, and they influence each other. 

In terms of ultimate reality, the cosmos and the individual are also of the same nature, the nature of gnosis (jnana), which manifests in the form of emptiness (sunyata-bimba). Those who are free of the afflictive and cognitive obscurations nondually perceive the world as the form of emptiness in a nondual manner; that is, they perceive the world as an inseparable unity of form and emptiness. 

On the other hand, ordinary sentient beings, whose perception is influenced by afflictive and cognitive obscurations, see the world in a dual fashion, as something other than themselves. They see the world as an ordinary place inhabited by ordinary sentient beings. But in reality, the entire cosmos, with Mount Meru in its center, is a cosmic body of the Jina, a cosmic image or reflection (pratima) of the Buddha, having the nature of form. 

As such, it is similar to the Nirmanakaya of the Buddha. Therefore, according to this tantric system, one should attend to this cosmic image of the Buddha as one attends to the statue of the Buddha, created for the sake of worship.

Donations for our Buddhist research and development

Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?  

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in the year 2008, we had been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 14 years.  We have exceptionally constrained supports and do not receive subsidized or funding from people in general. 

Please help us and to develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you, but to all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us to enhance our work and to accomplish for a better and brighter prospect to come. 

Thank you for reading, may you find peace and great bliss. With your support it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turning the Dharma wheels in the world.

Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease

But increase further and further.

Dedication of Merit

By this merit may we obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrong-doings.

May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness and death.

*Note

I do not own or infringe any copyright of the picture(s).

Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and or studios.

Picture(s) is/are intended for editorial use only.

The Three Kalachakra Tantras - The Outer, Inner And Other Wheel of Time

The Kalachakra represents the finality of life and death and their endlessness. Seen as a symbol for creation and destruction, it is known as the wheel of time. The Kalachakra is important in understanding the measurements of time and dates in ancient India. This term is most commonly found in Vajrayana Buddhism.

The Three Kalachakra Tantra

The entire meaning of the subject matter of the Kalachakra tantra is included within the three Kalachakras, or Wheels of Time: the Outer Wheel of Time, the Inner Wheel of Time, and the Other Wheel of Time. 

• The outer wheel of time is the external world of the environment, and it is also called "the procession of the external solar and lunar days.
• The inner wheel of time is the human body, which is an inner jambudvipa, or earth surface. Likewise, the inner channels, elements, and movements of the winds are set forth as the Inner Wheels of Time. 
• The Other Wheel of Time is the story of the initiations and paths of Shri Kalachakra, together with their results. It is "other" than the preceding two wheels of time. The guru ripens the disciple's psycho-physical continuum with the initiations, and the disciple meditates on the path that consists of the generation process and the completion process. In this way, the yogi actualizes the result—the Buddha body,whicht is the divine image of emptiness. This is the other wheel of time.

What is the benefit of the Kalachakra mantra?

The purpose of the mantra is to purify the mind, body, emotions, and speech of the person. Through meditation on the mantra and the painting, one gains deep knowledge and insight.

 

What is the significance of the Kalachakra mandala?

It is seen as a gift to Mother Earth, a means to re-energise the environment and the universe. More than a symbol, the ritual of the Kalachakra mandala is a living enactment of the Buddhist cycle of change and a demonstration of one of the most spiritually advanced of all Buddhist cultures.

The Buddha's teaching of the Kalachakra is described in the Paramadibuddha, the Kalachakra, Basic Tantra:

The Basic Tantra also says: "Then Vajrapani's emanation, King Suchandra from famous Shambhala, miraculously entered into the splendid sphere of phenomena. First he circumambulated to the right, then he worshipped the teacher's lotus feet with flowers made of jewels. Placing his hands together, Suchandra sat before the perfect Buddha. Suchandra requested the Buddha for the tantra, redacted it, and taught it too.

The Kalachakra was taught by our teacher, the Buddha Shakyamuni. He showed the way of actualizing the highest perfect enlightenment underneath the bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya, India, at early dawn on the full moon of April or May. For one year, he taught the general Paramitayana. In particular, at Mount Vulture Heap, he turned the Dharma Wheel of the Perfection of Wisdom, the chief, ultimate Dharma Wheel of the Paramita system of the Mahayana.

On the full moon of March or April, the twelfth month counted from the time he obtained Buddhahood, the Buddha was teaching the Paramitayana at Mount Vulture Heap. At the same time, he manifested another form inside the great stupa of Shri Dhanyakataka, which is near Shri Parvata in south India, where he taught the Mantrayana.

Donations for our Buddhist research and development

Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?  

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in the year 2008, we had been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 14 years.  We have exceptionally constrained supports and do not receive subsidized or funding from people in general. 

Please help us and to develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you, but to all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us to enhance our work and to accomplish for a better and brighter prospect to come. 

Thank you for reading, may you find peace and great bliss. With your support it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turning the Dharma wheels in the world.

Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease

But increase further and further.

Dedication of Merit

By this merit may we obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrong-doings.

May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness and death.

*Note

I do not own or infringe any copyright of the picture(s).

Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and or studios.

Picture(s) is/are intended for editorial use only.

The Wheel of Time - Kalacakra

The Kalachakra is a polysemic term in Vajrayana Buddhism that means "wheel of time" or "time cycles". "Kālacakra" is also the name of a series of Buddhist texts and a major practise lineage in Indian Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism.

What is the significance of Kalachakra?

This is a sacred event where key Buddhist teachings are passed on to devotees. The word Kalachakra actually means "wheel of time" in Vajrayana Buddhism. Kalacakra also refers both to a patron tantric deity or yidam in Vajrayana and to the philosophies and yogas of the Kalacakra tradition. 

It depicts a mythic reality whereby cosmic and socio-historical events correspond to processes in the bodies of individuals. These teachings are meant to lead to a transformation of one's body and mind into perfect Buddhahood through various yogic methods.

Who teaches Kalachakra?

The Kalachakra Path is fully integrated with the foundational practices of the sutra tradition of Buddhism as taught by Shakyamuni Buddha, but in order to practice Kalachakra, it is necessary to be formally invited, which is the primary purpose of taking an initiation. As is evident, receiving an invitation to this great path is based on causes and conditions of both the receiver and the giver – simply attending the ceremony does not guarantee that one will receive true initiation. 

So too, the ceremony may form a connection to the path yet it is not the path. One can liken Kalachakra initiation to receiving a seed for practice however it is the practitioner that plants, nurtures and cultivates the seed.

The Buddha's teaching of the Kalachakra is described in the Paramadibuddha, the Kalachakra, Basic Tantra:

As the teacher demonstrated the Dharma on Vulture Heap according to the Perfection of Wisdom system, he also taught the mantra system at Shri Dhanyakataka. What teacher taught what tantra, when and where was he dwelling? What was the place, who was the worldly entourage, and what was the purpose?

"He taught the unexcelled Mahayana, the system of the Perfection of Wisdom, to the Bodhisattva on Mount Vulture Heap. Then at the same time the Tathagata dwelt together with Bodhisattvas and others in the great stupa, in the mandala of the sphere of phenomena. He dwelt in the house of universal vajra, in space, immaterial and very lucid, unpartitioned and radiant. He taught the tantra in the beautiful sphere of phenomena, for the merit and gnosis of human beings.

The initiation and empowerment required to practice

Qualified teachers for giving the Kalachakra initiation should have completed extensive practice (retreat) of the generation and completion stage practices. It is not enough simply to receive the initiation and then pass it on to others.

The Kalacakra tradition holds that Kalacakra teachings were taught in India by Gautama Buddha himself. According to modern Buddhist studies, the original Sanskrit texts of the Kalacakra tradition "originated during the early decades of the 11th century CE, and we know with certainty that the Sri Kalacakra and the Vimalaprabhā commentary were completed between 1025 and 1040 CE. 

Kalacakra remains an active tradition of Buddhist tantra in Tibetan Buddhism, and its teachings and initiations have been offered to large public audiences, most famously by the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso.

What are the three types of Kalachakra?

Overview of the Kalachakra Tantra Teachings and Practice

Kalachakra means The Wheel of Time. The root text, the Kalachakra Tantra, includes three levels of teachings: External Kalachakra, Internal Kalachakra and Alternative Kalachakra.

What is Kalachakra practice?

The Kalachakra system offers profound methods for transforming one's impure perceptions and experiences, and unveiling our deepest reality. Within the context of Buddhist Tantra, there are many systems which provide methods for attaining enlightenment.

What is Kalachakra meditation?

In the practice of Kalachakra , and any other anuttarayoga tantra , there is a special way of meditating on voidness ( emptiness ) in which we meditate not just on the actual meaning of voidness , but also we try to simulate doing this with a clear light mind .

What is kalacakra tantra?

Kalacakra-tantra, (Sanskrit: “Wheel of Time Tantra”) a chief text of divergent, syncretistic, and astrologically oriented a school of Tantric Buddhism, or Vajrayana, that arose in India in the 10th century.

What does Kalachakra symbol protect?

Kalachakra Symbol Protection. It is also believed to protect you from sickness, hunger, natural disaster, and inauspicious dates while traveling or while doing a business, including untimely death. The present Dalai Lama gives emphasis to Kalachakra Mandala for world peace.

Donations for our Buddhist research and development

Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?  

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in the year 2008, we had been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 14 years.  We have exceptionally constrained supports and do not receive subsidized or funding from people in general. 

Please help us and to develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you, but to all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us to enhance our work and to accomplish for a better and brighter prospect to come. 

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Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease

But increase further and further.

Dedication of Merit

By this merit may we obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrong-doings.

May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness and death.

*Note

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Dzogchen Lineages

 

The original Dzogchen lineage was transmitted from Dharmakaya Buddha Samantabhadra to Sambhogakaya Buddha Vajrasattva to Nirmanakaya Buddha Shakyamuni. In 626 B.C.E. our supreme Dharma teacher, Buddha Shakyamuni, was born southern Nepal, which in ancient times was northern India. At the age of thirty-five, Shakyamuni attained Buddhahood in Bodhgaya, India and began to teach the dharma in this world. 

For the next forty-seven years the Buddha's teachings flourished throughout the universe and as a result many sentient being attained enlightenment. At the age of eighty-two, Buddha Shakyamuni passed into nirvana. Thereafter, the Buddha Shakyamuni manifested in two wisdom emanations.

Dzogchen Khandro Nyingthig Lineage

In 90 A.B.B. (After Buddha's Birth), eight years after Buddha's Parirnirvana, the first emanation of the Buddha, Padmasambhava, came into this world and received the complete teaching from many enlightened masters. Padmasambhava taught the Dzogchen Khandro Nyingthig to numerous beings in India's eight great sacred places and China, and introduced and spread Buddhism throughout Tibet.

His main disciple, the Dakini Yeshe Tsogyal, also taught the Dzogchen Khandro Nyingthig to many practitioners who achieved the enlightenment of Buddha. This tradition was handed down through the ages and later passed from Longchen Rabjam through to Dzogchen Padma Rigdzin.

Today, the Dzogchen Khandro Nyingthig lineage lives in the heart of the Vajra master at Dzogchen monastery. Our master, the Great Natural Perfection Yogi Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche, is the twenty-fourth holder of the Dzogchen Khandro Nyingthig lineage.

Dzogchen Longchen Nyingthig Lineage

In 110 A.B.B., twenty-eight years after Buddha's Parinirvana, the second emanation of the Buddha, Prahevajra (Garab Dorje), came into this world and received teachings directly from Sambhogakaya Buddha Vajrasattva.

Pahevajra taught the Dzogchen Nyingthig to various beings for many years in India and in seventy-five sacred places of the Dakinis. His main disciple was Manjushrimitra. Manjushrimitra's main disciple was the Great Dzogchen master Shri Singha, who still lives in an enlightened state in the Holy Dzogchen Valley.

Hri Singha was born in Shokyam, northwest Asia, approximately 2,300 years ago (299 B.C.E.). Starting at the age of fifteen, he practiced and prayed for three years. Later, while traveling by camel toward the City of Golden Island, he had a pure vision of a compassionate deity who gave him guidance and made a prophecy. 

Inspired, he then traveled to the sacred Five-Peaked Mountain (Wu Tai Shan, Shanxi Province in China) and meditated for many years in order to attain ultimate wisdom. He prayed and prostrated there day after day, until a vision of an awe-inspiring deity appeared before him. Feeling tremendous devotion and respect, he recognized that this deity would guide him along the Path.

The deity was actually the compassionate Avalokiteshvara. He told the young sage, "If you really wish to become enlightened, go to Sosadvipa, Uddiyana, in northwest India, to meet Manjushrimitra, for you have a strong karmic connection with him from previous lives." Then Avalokiteshvara disappeared.

The young sage was filled with the aspiration to meet the Dzogchen master Manjushrimitra. After struggling over the difficulty of leaving his family, friends, and country, he departed for Uddiyana. On the long journey, through the miraculous power of the Dakinis, he overcame obstacles created by humans and non-humans alike.

Finally, he reached the holy place of Uddiyana. There, he met face-to-face with his mother-like master, Manjushrimitra, who gave him the Sanskrit Dharma name Shri Singha; Shri means glorious and Singha means lion.

For twenty-five years, Shri Singha studied and practiced the Dharma in India with Manjushrimitra and eventually became a great Siddha. From his guru, he received the transmission of the six million Dzogchen Tantras, the essence of the Buddhadharma that enables one to accomplish Buddhahood in one lifetime. Shri Singha became the sixth holder of the Dzogchen Nyingthig Lineage.

Before passing into nirvana, Manjushrimitra told Shri Singha to go to the Siltrom Snow Mountain of Rudam Canyon (now called the Holy Dzogchen Area located in Kham, eastern Tibet), as well as to the Five-Peaked Mountain to practice and propagate the Dzogchen Nyingthig teachings for the benefit of countless beings. Upon attaining nirvana, Manjushrimitra vanished from the top of the Sosadvipa Stupa in India.

Shri Singha uttered a deep, heartfelt prayer calling on his master, and suddenly Manjushrimitra reappeared in front of him. He gave Shri Singha a small treasure box containing the essential points of the Tantras, Gomnyam Drugpa (The Six Experiences of Dzogchen Meditation).

Following his master's instructions, Shri Singha then went to the Rudam Canyon. There, Shri Singha transmitted the Dzogchen teachings to numerous beings from many worlds and pure lands. His main disciples were Jnanasutra and Vimalamitra.

After many years of benefiting beings, Shri Singha transformed into a Rainbow Body and disappeared into the radiant Dharmata. His secret transmission, Dzir Bu Dunpa (The Seven Dzogchen Nails), was passed into the hands of Jnanasutra. Jnanasutra in turn gave the Dzogchen teachings to Vimalamitra, who then taught them in Tibet for many years. Hundreds of practitioners attained enlightenment of Rainbow Body. His main disciple was Tendzin Zangpo also taught the Dzogchen teachings to many practitioners.

Later, this Dzogchen lineage passed from Rigdzin Jigme Lingpa through to the Vajra masters of the Dzogchen Shri Singha University. Today, our master, the Great Natural Space Yogi Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche, is the thirty-third holder of the Dzogchen Longchen Nyingthig lineage.

Donations for our Buddhist research and development

Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?  

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in the year 2008, we had been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 14 years.  We have exceptionally constrained supports and do not receive subsidized or funding from people in general. 

Please help us and to develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you, but to all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us to enhance our work and to accomplish for a better and brighter prospect to come. 

Thank you for reading, may you find peace and great bliss. With your support it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turning the Dharma wheels in the world.

Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease

But increase further and further.

Dedication of Merit

By this merit may we obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrong-doings.

May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness and death.

*Note

I do not own or infringe any copyright of the picture(s).

Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and or studios.

Picture(s) is/are intended for editorial use only.