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Shambhala in the Kalachakra Tantra

6 Comments August 8, 2010 – 5:30 am | Permalink |

Kalachakra an!ala, courtes" o# $imala"anArt%org

By Nick Trautz

&e o#ten hear a'out the connection 'et(een )ham'hala an! the Kalachakra tra!ition%&hile the Kalachakra initiation has 'een gi*en +u'licall" '" teachers like $is $olinessthe alai -ama an! $is $oliness Penor .in+oche, it is less common to ha*e e/+osure to

the Kalachakra antra source material in translation% his "ear, ha*e en o"e! the goo!#ortune o# stu!"ing the Kalachakra te/ts as +art o# m" gra!uate +rogram in 4u!!hist)tu!ies% thought it might 'e interesting to share some o# (hat ha*e learne! a'out)ham'hala in the Kalachakra tra!ition%

The History of the Kalachakra

he Kalachakra is an enc"clo+e!ic collection o# *a ra"ana 4u!!hist kno(le!ge,inclu!ing material on astrolog", the human 'o!", ritual, an! me!itation +ractice% heKalachakra tra!ition gaine! +rominence in n!ia sometime in the earl" 11th centur",making it the last o# the tantric tra!itions to !e*elo+ in n!ia% he Kalachakra e*entuall"

!isa++eare! along (ith 4u!!hism in n!ia, 'ut #lourishe! in the i'etan (orl!, (here itis still stu!ie! an! +ractice! to!a"%

he Kalachakra s"stem !ra(s on 'roa! in#luences in #ormulating its content, enough sothat the te/t at times must !e#en! itsel# #rom critics (ho !on t recogni e some o# itsmaterial as 4u!!hist% 4ut in general, the Kalachakra has +ro*en its signi#icance as ama or source o# *a ra"ana kno(le!ge, an! is +resent across i'etan 4u!!hist lineages%

http://shambhalatimes.org/2010/08/08/shambhala-in-the-kalachakra-tantra/#commentshttp://shambhalatimes.org/2010/08/08/shambhala-in-the-kalachakra-tantra/http://shambhalatimes.org/files/2010/08/kalachakra-mandala-courtesy-of-himalayanart.jpghttp://shambhalatimes.org/2010/08/08/shambhala-in-the-kalachakra-tantra/#commentshttp://shambhalatimes.org/2010/08/08/shambhala-in-the-kalachakra-tantra/

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7il!e! statue o# a(a )ang+o at the 7esar Palace in 7olok

he Kalachakra te/ts that #orm the 'asis o# the Kalachakra tra!ition consist o# the Abridged Kalachakra Tantra the Sri Kalachakra 9, an! its commentar", Stainless Light

Vimalaprabha in )anskrit9% he original an! su++ose!l" ol!er root tantra is uote! inthese te/ts, 'ut no *ersion o# it has e*er 'een #oun!%

hese te/ts tell the stor" o# the Kalachakra antra s origins at the time o# the 4u!!ha% nthe #inal "ear o# the 4u!!ha s li#e, a king #rom a northern king!om tra*ele! to

han"akataka in southeastern n!ia to stu!" the harma% he )anskrit name o# that king

(as )ucan!ara, a(a )ang+o in i'etan% $is king!om (as calle! )ham'hala%

he te/t s+eci#ies that )ham'hala (as a king!om ;north o# the .i*er )ita%< &hile noconsensus e/its among scholars regar!ing the historical realit" o# )ham'hala, se*eralscholars 'elie*e that )ham'hala (as an historical king!om o# a !i##erent name circa850 12509, locate! in +resent !a" =in iang +ro*ince o# north(estern China an! in easternK"rg" stan, an! that the .i*er )ita re#ers to the arim .i*er% he arim .i*er 'asin has

'een the home to se*eral (ell kno(n 4u!!hist an! 4on king!oms, an! there isclimatological e*i!ence that this area (as once #ar less ari! than it is no(> the ruins o#stu+as are #oun! throughout this *ast region, no( mostl" 'urie! un!er !esert san!s%

n n!ia, the king o# )ham'hala, a(a )ang+o, (as searching #or !harma teachings that(oul! not re uire him to take monastic *o(s% n res+onse to this re uest, the 4u!!haa++eare! to a(a )ang+o an! 'esto(e! the Kalachakra teachings: outer, inner an! secretteachings that !e+ict a sacre! (orl! consisting o# (is!om an! com+assion%

a(a )ang+o returne! to )ham'hala an! taught the Kalachakra #or three "ears 'e#ore +assing the lineage to his son% )i/ succee!ing kings hel! the Kalachakra teachings an!taught them #or one hun!re! "ears each% &e re#er to these as the )e*en harmara as o#

http://shambhalatimes.org/files/2010/08/dawazangpo.jpg

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)ham'hala% he Kalachakra tra!ition regar!s each o# these kings as emanations o#s+eci#ic 'o!hisatt*as, 'eginning (ith a(a )ang+o as ?a ra+ani%