Dalai Lama Kalachakra
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Dalai Lama Kalachakra
Kalachakra festival is celebrated in Bodh Gaya. It is the place where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment. Kalachakra basically means the cycle of time and the system represents three cycles namely internal, external and alternative. A large number of people come together to celebrate the festival which lasts for 10 days and people find inner peace in the teachings of Buddhism. It is one of the largest festivals of Buddhists, its main aim being peace and harmony. There is schedule for each year and the festival lasts for a total of 10 days. It was initiated by Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Buddhism, which gives a brief of all the disciples of Buddhism.
Significance
The Kalachakra is a tantric teaching of Tibetan Buddhism. It aims at realizing Buddhist nature by inner transformation combining myth and history together. Although the most active history of this practice lies in the monasteries of Tibet, its traditional roots are still in India. It is in a traditional form called Kalachakra Laghutantra. It revolves around cycles and time where the cycles involve the cycles of planets and cycles of human breathing.
The whole subject matter of Kalachakra tantra comprises of three Wheels of Time namely the Outer Wheel of Time, the Inner Wheel of Time and the Other Wheel of Time. The Outer Wheel of Time also known as “The procession of the external solar and lunar days” comprises of the external world of the environment. The Inner Wheel of Time includes human body, inner channels, elements and movements of the wind. The initiations, paths and results of Shri Kalachakra forms the Other Wheel of Time.
The Kalachakra was first taught by the Buddha Shakyamuni under the Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya in India. He gave the teachings for a year to the general Paramitayana. It is believed that King Suchandra from Shambhala (a Tibetan Kingdom) miraculously appeared there and wrote down the verse of Kalachakra Tantra. He then returned to Shambhala and composed a commentary of the same tantra. He even erected Kalachakra Mandal of precious substances. Many great kings appeared in the dynasty and caused the shining of the profound dharma of Kalachakra in Tibet. It was eventually reintroduced in India and the story is told in Ra tradition and Dro tradition.
Certain qualifications are required for both the Guru and Disciple in receiving the initiations. The aim of the initiations is to achieve the state of Shri Kalachakra which includes empowering the disciple to practice yoga of the Kalachakra tantra. Up to eleven initiations are given by the Guru.
Why the festival is celebrated?
The main aim of the festival celebrated at Bodh Gaya is world peace and harmony. Kalachakra uses the energy of the body and takes them on a path of enlightenment. The person also vows to be kind to every other human being involving the rebirth of the disciple. Through this festival, the teachings are offered to a large number of audiences. The celebration not only gives initiations to the qualified disciples but also take people through the journey of self realisation and awareness. Even the curious observers can get an insight of the Buddhist teachings.
Celebrations
The Kalachakra festival aims at providing both inner and outer peace and includes various activities like meditations, prayers, chants, vows and dances. It is celebrated on a large scale with Dalai Lama giving separate sessions of his teachings to a huge audience. The initiations by Dalai Lama are believed to generate positive energy from the body. The first festival of Kalachakra was held in 1954 initiated by the 14th Dalai Lama.
The whole schedule of the various teachings is also given on the official Dalai Lama website concluding with the empowerments on the The Wheels of Teachings on Manjushri Empowerments in Bodh Gaya, Bihar. Registration is welcomed on the website itself.
The seating arrangement depends on the first come first basis. The conventional practice is to sit on a seat on the very first day, mark it with a cushion or piece of clothing and sit there for the whole duration of the teachings. Most of the teachings are primarily in Tibetan language. Official translations are provided in various languages including Chinese, English, Hindi, Japanese, Korean etc.
Ritual
The monks prepare the mandala in the first eight days of the celebrations. After the preparation, people are allowed to see the sand mandala. The sand mandala is prepared using 14 different colours at the beginning of the festival and is the star highlight of the whole celebration. The impermanency of things is shown by undoing the sand mandala at the end of the festival. A ritual is performed by the monks releasing positive energy to the entire world. Kalachakra attracts a large number of people from across the world. It is the best way to attain peace of mind and connect with inner self.
