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Kalachakra for World Peace - The Spiritual Event
General explanation of
the spiritual term
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Starting from the
premise that religions are models for explaining the
Divine and are made comprehensible through the process of
interpretation, the world religions are faced with the dilemma that having
been conceived for a specific cultural group, incorrect explanations develop
out of this process of interpretation among numerous other cultural groups.
Kalachakra means: Cycles (Wheel) of Time and describes the
synchronization of the outer and inner (one’s own) worlds.
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The Kalachakra is an ancient system for awakening the positive forces within
both individual and
community. Its basic concept is independent of any single religion or nation
and is concerned solely with
the fundamental ethical values of the individual with relation to the whole.
The Dalai Lama takes this into
consideration by giving lectures during the Kalachakra
in which he
explains the world in terms of the importance of leading a peaceful life,
showing compassion to
others and ultimately experiencing joy.
Today, we can take
the primary colors - dark blue, red, golden yellow
and transparent
white - in the
sand mandala (which represents a bird’s eye view of the palace) as
a symbolic connection with
man’s different skin colors.
The historical roots of the Kalachakra text reach far back into the past
(at least 5,000 years) and
have been preserved and protected with considerable accuracy as a tradition
in Tibet. This is why
Tibetan Buddhist iconography is used in the text.
In terms of content,
the Kalachakra text is divided into three large chapters.
I. The
External Kalachakra describes the universe, the cycles of
the universe, the planets of our solar
system and the earth. It also tells of the kingdom of Shambhala (Shangrila)
and gives exact
instructions for the calculation of planetary orbits and the calculation
of a calendar as well as containing
a very "modern” description of cosmology which correlates to
astronomy and quantum physics.
II. The
Inner Kalachakra describes the human cycles from the development
of the fetus via birth all
the way to death and the intermediate state, and also explains the cycles
of the body (similar to
the concept of biorhythms) and a very complex medical system.
III. The
Alternative Kalachakra describes how individuals, regardless
of the religion or tradition they
have been brought up in, can bring these external and internal cycles into
harmony with each other
and synchronize the two.
In other words, parts 1 and 2 of the Kalachakra text form an encyclopedia
of knowledge from a
distant time which, however, displays surprisingly modern elements, similar
in many ways to the
models offered by physics and biology today.
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Part 1, the External Kalachakra, describes
the kingdom of Shambhala
(Shangrila), whose inhabitants come close to the human ideal.
Shambhala is the pure land which lies hidden beyond snowcovered
mountains and where all mysteries are explained. In Shambhala,
joy is the predominant emotion and everything unfolds in a state of
purity. According to the Kalachakra, Shambhala was transported from
Earth into another dimension after its entire population took part in the
Kalachakra ritual following a threat from outside.
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When the time is ripe, Shambhala will become visible on Earth once more
and
make the whole of mankind happy.
The third part of the Kalachakra text consists of instructions on, and
assistance in, recognizing the
complex relationship between the phases of the earth and our own phases
and synchronizing them
for the sake of our own development and for the benefit of others.
The third part describes how we can define ourselves by means of our ethical
values and inherent
positive forces and therefore contribute in a small but meaningful way
to the whole. In spite of the
complexity of the overall system, the first steps (the first six rungs
on a twelve-part ladder) are so
simple that anyone taking part in the Kalachakra, whatever their religion,
can understand them and
follow them.
The third part contains the ritual in which a palace of the mind is constructed
whose inhabitants hold
the answers to most of life’s questions.
It is also said that everyone who experiences the ritual will be reborn
in Shambhala in their next life,
if only as a fly.
The Initiation Ceremony
During the last four days
of a Kalachakra initiation the Dalai Lama himself guides
participants on their
journey through the Kalachakra Palace.
Everyone (regardless of religion or nationality..) is allowed to attend
this explanation of life,
and no preparatory Buddhist or Yoga exercises are required. All are welcome
and everyone is able
to understand what is happening.
The explanation takes the form of a spiritual tour through the palace and
a series of dialogs with its
inhabitants covering many potential "fundamental life situations” and
how to deal with them
positively or benefit from them.
At the same time, this mnemonic tool, of which the mandala forms a part,
can also be used to
internalize instructions for the synchronization of one’s life.
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Once the tour is
complete, the participants are empowered to cast a
spiritual glance at Shambhala, into the heart of the universe or into
their inner selves: everyone will experience this differently. The journey
through the palace can be a mystical or joyful experience,
or an experience of some other kind, but no one will be immune to its
positive effects. To put it in a much simplified, secular way,
the Kalachakra for World Peace is like a 10-day training in individual
peace, positive thinking, harmony and tolerance.
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