kalachakra

This past weekend began the tantric Kalachakra initiation by His Holiness Penor Rinpoche in New York. Some of my friends from Ottawa are attending, and I would surely have gone with them if I'd not moved to France and been too pregnant to fly. As my friend Andréa put it, this is quite a psychedelic event, and a very powerful teaching to take in.

Kalachakra literally means ­'Wheel of Time'. Kalachakra is a Buddha figure, representing the whole of time, as well as a system of thought and practice within Vajrayana Buddhism. Here is an image of Kalachakra and his consort, Vishvamata.

This is another image, with details noted.

The system called Kalachakra centres on the concepts of beginningless time and of cycles, such as the cycles of the body, cycles of the cosmos, and so on. The outer Kalachakra teachings relate to the world or the universe; the inner teachings relate to the body; and the secret teachings are the instructions for tantric Kalachakra mandala practice. It is thus a teaching on the interrelationship between body, mind, and world.

Day One of the initiation consists of preparation ceremonies. Days Two to the end (may be two to five or more days) are empowerment days. After the all-important refuge and bodhisattva and tantric vows, the empowerment of the Kalachakra Tantra begins. Very generally, this consists of visualizations of the self as various enlightened forms, and entering the mandala of Kalachakra, in which one performs purification and awakens potential for bodhicitta, the enlightened mind. This is an image of the mandala of Kalachakra, with its walls and doors and chambers.

The benefits of Kalachakra practice are many. Through correct understanding and diligent practice, one purifies and cleanses oneself. But this is not the ultimate goal. We seek to benefit all sentient beings. We use the energy of such practices as this as fuel for developing compassion toward all, and dedicate the priceless merit to the happiness of all.

His Holiness Penor Rinpoche is the eleventh throneholder of Palyul lineage, and head of Namdroling monastery in South India and its more than four hundred branch monasteries. He was also Supreme Head of the Nyingmapa school (of which Palyul is only a part) until he retired in 2003. In addition to special events like the Kalachakra, he offers month-long retreats at Palyul Ling Retreat Centre in upstate New York every year.