Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is the Kalachakra?
A. The Kalachakra for World Peace is a multi-faceted, rich, and profoundly meaningful event,
the largest Buddhist ritual open to the public given by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. His Holiness has offered the Kalachakra to large groups of people around the world.
When you attend the entire 11-day cycle of the Kalachakra, you will see the building of the great Kalachakra sand mandala; extensive opening rituals with prolonged periods of beautiful harmonic chanting; ritual dances to prepare the hall as a sacred ground; three days of teachings from His Holiness, presenting the foundations of Buddhist thought, so that each person has a basis for understanding; 3 days of the actual empowerment ceremony, which includes 11 levels of initiation; and a concluding day in which the mandala is dissolved, a ceremony expressing our wishes and prayers for His Holiness to enjoy a long and healthy life, and a long-life blessing for all in attendance are conducted.
For a thorough and scholarly description of the history of the Kalachakra, dating back to the original teaching by Shakyamuni Buddha, please visit the website of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at http://www.dalailama.com/teachings/kalachakra-initiations. If you scroll down to the end of that page, you will also find a list of Kalachakra empowerments conferred by His Holiness.
In brief, the word Kalachakra or "Wheel of Time", refers to the presentation of cycles of time which are unique to the Kalachakra Tantra. The word “tantra” means an "everlasting stream of continuity." This understanding of time is used in the Kalachakra as the basis for its precise system to achieve liberation from suffering and enlightenment. The Kalachakra is multi-leveled, and addresses circumstances and forces in the outer world, in our inner world, and in the realm of reality arising from extremely subtle energies.
The foundations of Kalachakra rely upon the basic Buddhist tenets of the Four Noble Truths. The initiation confers on the practitioner permission to begin the study and practice of the Kalachakra Tantra. Engaging in the practice with the motivation to free all beings from suffering, and with the proper internal and external conditions, one who is willing to study and practice in a mindful way can realize the path to enlightenment.
Here is a wonderful summary, from the exceptionally informative pages on the Kalachakra found in the Berzin Archives:
"Thus, His Holiness says that the main reason for offering the Kalachakra empowerment is to bring a large, diverse group of people together to spend a week or more together in a peaceful atmosphere. In this peaceful atmosphere, His Holiness gives the preliminary teachings, usually on a text dealing with compassion, love, or ethics. This, he says, is the most important part of the event, because it stimulates people to think about these issues, just as the King of Shambhala intended. Consequently, the people attending live together in harmony at least for the duration of the Kalachakra event. This makes a strong impression on them, which contributes, on a larger scale, to world peace.
The preliminary teachings on love and compassion are followed by the actual empowerment ceremony, usually spanning three days. As His Holiness says, only some people will be sufficiently prepared to take the initiation. After all, receiving an empowerment like this requires taking vows and committing ourselves to a daily practice: it is a big step. His Holiness does not expect that too many people will do that and there is no pressure for anybody to do it. Everybody makes that decision for him or herself and keeps it private; there is no need to tell anyone. We can be there and put a red ribbon around our foreheads and take sips of water when it is passed around, but that does not mean that we actually receive the empowerment. So, nobody needs to feel uncomfortable. However, as His Holiness says, even if we are observers, and most people will be, we can still benefit from the ritual itself. The ritual contains many steps, which even observers can participate in and benefit from.
That is a little background about the tradition of giving the Kalachakra initiation to such a large group of people. It is interesting how over history, for some reason, let’s call it a karmic reason, Kalachakra attracts the largest number of people of any Buddhist event. So, it is a wonderful opportunity no matter what our level of interest, motivation, or commitment might be."
Q. Do I have to be Buddhist to come to the Kalachakra?
A. For those who are not Buddhists, or for those who do not wish to
take the empowerment formally with its commitment to a brief daily spiritual practice,
you can attend the empowerment simply to receive the immense blessing.
Everyone who attends shares the blessing of observing this ancient ritual, taught by the Buddha himself in India. Everyone who attends participates in offering the Kalachakra as a universal prayer for the development of world peace, as well as inner harmony arising from wisdom, compassion and ethical behavior.
Q. What can I bring or not bring to the Kalachakra?
To make certain that you enjoy attending the Kalachakra, and that you are well-prepared, we would like to offer some updated and detailed information. Read the details here.
Q. Will there be webcasts of the Kalachakra?
Yes! Please visit the Media page for webcast information.
Q. Can I come some of the days but not others?
A. Yes. Tickets will be sold in groups. On December 1st you will be able to purchase tickets for the entire 11 days or the first seven, which include the preparatory teachings. His Holiness has said the teachings are the most important part to attend. By late spring of 2011, if space is still available, you will be able to purchase tickets for the last four days, and in June, depending on availability, tickets for individual days will go on sale.
Q. When will tickets go on sale and how much will they cost?
A. During from September to December, we will have a period of fund-raising, including pre-sale of tickets to sponsors, both individuals and organizations. On December 1, general admission tickets for the entire 11 days as well as the first seven days of teachings and rituals will go on sale. Their price will be determined by the success of our fund-raising and sponsorship appeals. Please join in helping us reduce ticket costs.
Q. Will there be any commitments or obligations if I am there for the Empowerment part?
A. If you attend the Kalachakra with the intention to take the empowerment formally, you will have a lifelong commitment to a brief daily practice.
As pointed out in the Kalachakra section of the Berzin archives :
"...receiving an empowerment like this requires taking vows and committing ourselves to a daily practice: it is a big step. His Holiness does not expect that too many people will do that and there is no pressure for anybody to do it. Everybody makes that decision for him or herself and keeps it private; there is no need to tell anyone. We can be there and put a red ribbon around our foreheads and take sips of water when it is passed around, but that does not mean that we actually receive the empowerment. So, nobody needs to feel uncomfortable. However, as His Holiness says, even if we are observers, and most people will be, we can still benefit from the ritual itself. The ritual contains many steps, which even observers can participate in and benefit from."
Q. What is an empowerment?
An empowerment, sometimes called an initiation, is a ceremony conducted by a qualified teacher for the purpose of helping students open a connection which allows them to practice in a specific way.
You can attend an empowerment to gain permission do a specific practice, such as a set of prayers and visualizations (sadhana) to a specific Buddha, such as Medicine Buddha or Tara. Permission is sometimes given to people to attend the empowerment without making any commitment to practice, but just to receive the blessings of attending. This is the case with this Kalachakra. It is open to all, to be taken either as a commitment to do a daily practice or simply to receive the blessing of attending it.
