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Namo Kalachakraya !
Hail to Kalachakra
INNER KALACHAKRA - Our Body and Mind
CONTENTS:
The Samkhyas
Conception, Birth and Growing Up
Death
Cycles of the Breath
The Main Three Energy Channels
Chakras
Energy / Winds
The Four Drops
Bibliography
Much of the symbolism of Kalachakra refers actually to the philosophy
of the Samkhyas, Enumerators or Forders (living at the time of the Buddha).
(See also #1)
#2: The father of the Buddha ruled the city where the sage Kapila once had taught
{Kapilavastu}. Kapila was the founder of the so-called Sankhya philosophy, from
which the Buddha took his departure. Like Jainism and Buddhism, the Sankhya
is non-Vedic, and like Jainism, but not like Buddhism, it treats of two contrary
principles: 1. matter, which it terms prakriti; and 2. the monad, which it terms
purusha, "the person". In the Sankya view, there is no actual contact between
the two.
Obviously, one of the major differences between Buddhist philosophy and others
- like Samkhya - is the emptiness of the self, the monad, the person.
The Samkhyas accepted 24 suchnesses, or "causal powers of the creation":
#3: {from the Rig Vedas, possibly Samkhya?}: The 5 sense organs, plus the 5
sense objects, plus the 5 action faculties, plus the 5 elements {or "forms of
matter", the last being ether}, plus sense consciousness, Buddhi {discrimination},
citta {feeling/heart} and Ahamkara {"I"} are the 24 causal powers of the creation.
These 24 basic principles, which complete the creation of Maya, are nothing
but ignorance. As ignorance only consists of imagination, the creation has no
real existence, but is just a mind-game of the highest being.
#2: In the Samkhya system of Kapila, the five elements are linked to the five
senses: respectively space or ether to hearing; wind or air to touch; fire to
sight; water to taste; earth to smell.
In general, in the Kalachakra practice one purifies the 36 bases of purification,
they are:
6 aggregates; represented by the 6 male Tathagatas (the 6 Dhyani Buddhas)
6 elements; the 6 female Tathagatas (consorts of Dhyani Buddhas as main deities)
6 inner sources (sense organs and mental sense); 6 male Bodhisattvas
6 outer sources (forms, smell, tangibles etc.); 6 female Bodhisattvas
6 action faculties (mouth, arm/hand, leg etc.); 6 wrathful Males
6 actions of action faculties (speaking, taking etc.); 6 wrathful Females
By practising the Path, one purifies these 36 bases into the 36 deities. See also the page on Alternative Kalachakra and the Kalachakra Mandala.
The following refers to the way in which one builds up the visualisation of
Kalachakra in the sadhana.
#4 (Freely translated) A bardo being (symbolised by the subtle mind and energy
as HUM and HI) is attracted by a couple making love. It enters the mouth or
the crown of the man, and enters via the penis into the mother's womb. There,
it mixes with the white bodhicitta (semen) and the red bodhicitta (blood/ovum),
giving rise to a new being: the indestructible drop at the heart centre (symbolised
by HAM).
During the maturation process, part of the white bodhicitta rises from the heart
via the central channel to the crown chakra, from where it can spread into the
rest of the body. Similarly, a part of the red bodhicitta sinks to the navel
chakra, where it gives rise to the increase of the red bodhicitta. While the
child is in the womb, it does not yet know the four states of being: awake,
dreaming, deep sleep and ecstatic bliss. Only shortly before birth, when the
body is fully developed, the baby is "awakened" by the songs of the four goddesses
or female Buddhas (or Tathagatas). Now the winds {energies} of the four goddesses,
and with that the four states of being, enter the foetus, activating the 10
main winds (of karma) in the foetus, causing birth. (Earlier, these 10 main
winds did not move.)
The winds leave the blissful situation in the central channel via the navel
into both side channels and through the nostrils. This is the moment that the
new-born baby starts breathing. Simultaneously, the sense organs start functioning
and the child attains the action faculties (speaking, walking etc.). Contrary
to other tantric teachings, the Kalachakra Tantra teaches that also after birth
certain winds flow through the central channel: the "winds of deep awareness".
#4: {Freely translated} The death process according to the Kalachakra tradition
starts with the disappearance of the sense consciousnesses, and only mental
consciousness and the life-sustaining wind remain.
The disappearance of types of consciousnesses causes the atoms of the individual
elements to not hold together anymore. Like at the dissolution of a universe,
fire dissolves into water, earth into water, water into air, air into space
and space into consciousness. This gives rise to the visions of: smoke, mirage,
fireflies and butter lamp during the death process.
#5: The difference in dissolution of internal elements at death of Kalachakra and other Tantras, is because the Kalachakra teachings are for people with the elements in a certain order. Different disciples require different teachings; if the practice brings you realisations, Kalachakra is for you!
#4: The mental consciousness and the life-sustaining wind enter the central
channel at the heart chakra. The knots around the central channel loosen up
and allow the white bodhicitta to flow down from the crown into the "indestructible
drop" {indestructible during life} at the heart. During this flowing down, the
dying person observes the "white vision". Next, the rising of the red bodhicitta
from the navel to the heart, gives rise to the appearance of the "red increase".
Now the white and red bodhicitta completely encapsulate the indestructible drop,
which the dying person experiences as complete darkness.
At this stage, the most subtle wind and mind manifest themselves as the
"clear light of death". This clear light of death is similar to the "actual
clear light", but not the same. The actual clear light can only be experienced
by a highly realised yogi in the completion stage. This distinguishes the death
process from enlightenment.
After the appearance of the clear light of death, the most subtle mind
and wind leave the indestructible drop and the body via one of the orifices,
thereby entering the bardo state. At this stage, the white bodhicitta leaves
the body via the sex organ, and the red bodhicitta via the nostrils. Rebirth
occurs due to the karmic imprints or impulses that use the winds as mounts.
#6: The cycles of breath are in terms of which nostril it is going primarily through; because your breath does not flow equally through both nostrils most of the time. ... In the course of a day and a night, it shifts back and forth twelve times; like the twelve month of the year. Even within cycle within one nostril, it will sometimes go through the top of the nostril, to the right left, bottom or centre. Five for each twelve, that makes sixty, which is similar to the 60 year cycle that the calendar is based on. During each of the twelve cycles, one breathes 1800 times in and out. This adds up to 21,600 breaths per day.
For a review of differences between the energy channels etc. as taught in the Guhyasamaya system and Kalachakra, see #7.
{Mainly free translated from #4:} According to tantra, there are thousands
of invisible channels (Nadi; rtsa) in a human body, through which the winds
or energies (prana or vayu; rlung) flow. Two of the three main channels are
at the left and right of the central channel. The central channel (dbu ma) leads
from the brow-chakra (between the eyebrows), just under the skull to the crown-chakra;
then it bends down just in front of the spine via the throat-chakra, the heart-chakra
and the navel-chakra (actually 4 finger-widths under the navel). From there,
it leads to the sexual organ, and a second part leads to the anus. The two side
channels form a sort of knot around the central channel at the location of each
chakras, hindering the free flow of energy in the central channel. The left
channel turns clockwise and the right channel counter-clockwise around the central
channel.
According to the tradition of the first Dalai Lama, the two side channels go
left and right of the central channel, down to the navel-chakra. (According
to #7, the side channels cross over the central channel at the navel). The top
part of the central channel (Avadhuti) is green, and refers to the element space,
the breath and Rahu. The right channel (Pingala, ro ma) is red, refers to fire,
blood and sun; the left channel (Ida, rkyang ma) is white and refers to water,
the production or holding of semen and the moon. Below the navel-chakra, the
central channel (chön ma, "channel with conch") turns blue and refers to
wisdom, (emitting) semen and Kalagni - and bends forward to the sexual organ.
The right channel {seems to} bend to the back (but also to the left, acc to
#7), turns yellow and refers to earth and faeces. The left channel {seems to}
bend forwards (and to the right according #7), turns black and refers to air
and urine. {Note that according to Ven. Thubten Lodroe the dividing point is
the heart chakra} {See drawing #4.}
Note that according #7, that in the Kalachakra system, winds already move in
the central channel before death or practising tantra.
{Mainly free from #4} At the chakras, the side channels form knots around the
central channel which hinders the free flow of air through the central channel.
Also here, many different channels connect to the side channels {note differences
between Kalachakra and other tantras}:
- at the brow chakra, Wheel of Wind; 16 channels branch off (16 Tathagatas of
the mandala)
- at the crown chakra, Wheel of Great Bliss, 4 channels (Kalachakra, Vishvamata
and 2 Shaktis who are absorbed in Vishvamata)
- at the throat chakra, Wheel of Enjoyment, 32 channels (24 Bodhisattvas and
8 protectors of the Mind Mandala)
- at the heart chakra, Wheel of Phenomena, 8 channels (8 Shaktis)
- at the navel chakra, Wheel of Emanation, 64 channels (64 goddesses of the
Speech Mandala)
- at the sexual chakra, Wheel of Guarding the Bliss, 32 channels (protectors
of the Body Mandala
These above branch-channels, are just main branches, they split again into more channels. When the branches are visualised they resemble the spokes of an open umbrella. At the crown centre., the umbrella is "right-side-up", at the throat "upside-down", at the heart, "right-side-up" and at the navel "upside-down". The total number of nadis in the body varies from 21,600 to 72,000 in the various tantras. In Kalachakra each hair on the head also counts as a channel, then many millions are counted.
{Mainly free from #4 and #8} The winds which pulsate through this system of
channels are like mounts of consciousnesses, and allow the actual mental and
physical processes. According to Kalachakra, there are 10 main winds, which
are related to the elements and directions; these are represented by the 10
Shaktis.
| Wind Name | Direction | Direction | Shakti |
Constituent |
| as in # 4 | as in # 9 | |||
| vitalizing / life sustaining | above navel | above heart | Jnanaparamita | space |
| downward voiding | below navel | below heart | Prajnaparamita | bliss |
| fire-accompanying / equally abiding |
E | E | Dhyanaparamita | wind |
| upward moving | S | S | Upayaparamita | fire |
| pervasive | N | N | Pranidhaparamita | water |
| serpent / naga | W | NW (W?) | Balaparamita | earth |
| turtle | SE | SE | Danaparamita | wind |
| chameleon | NE (SW?) | SW | Shilaparamita | fire |
| devadatta; gods gift | NE | NE | Kshantiparamita | water |
| dhamnajaya; wealth victor |
NW | NW | Viryaparamita | earth |
#4: In case 12 winds are counted, then the downward voiding wind is divided into 3.
- The vitalising or life-sustaining wind abides at the heart and it forms the
link between life (vital force) and the body.
- The downward-clearing wind is located at the genital area controls the movement
of the red and white bodhicitta (female and male "drops" - blood/ovum and semen),
urine and faeces. A malfunctioning of this energy can cause f.i. diarrhoea.
- The fire-accompanying wind, abiding at the navel - the fire refers to the
gastric heat -, separates nutriments from the waste in one's food and drink.
- The upward-moving wind, abiding at the throat, causes all vocal activity and
swallowing.
- The pervasive wind, pervades the entire body and causes walking, leaning etc.
However, in #10, it says that .."the pervasive wind in the Kalachakra system,
mainly flows through the nostrils"; opposite to above general description.
- The Damnajaya wind (also called norlegyal), causes the body to change from
one moment to the next and thus is said to be present even in a corpse.
{Free from #9) Basic to the process of utilizing pivotal states and cleansing transformation of them is a presentation in the Kalachakra system, of the four drops that are the bases of potential and of defilement, and hence bases to be utilised and purified. The drops themselves are material, the size of a mustard seed and composed of the basic white and red constituents.
There are two sets of four drops {note that usually only the first set is mentioned}:
The first set is located at:
(1) the forehead (or crown)
(2) throat
(3) heart
(4) navel
The second set is located at:
(1) the navel
(2) secret place (the base of the spine)
(3) centre. of the sexual organ
(4) tip of the sexual organ.
The two sets are co-ordinated in that:
(1) the drops at the forehead and the navel produce the state of wakefulness
(2) the drops at the throat and the base of the spine produce the state of dreaming
(3) the drops at the heart and the centre. of the sexual organ produce the state
of deep sleep
(4) the drops at the navel and the tip of the sexual organ produce the state
of absorption (bliss).
One drop at the navel contains within it two different predispositions producing
the waking state as the fourth of the upper set of drops and producing the state
of absorption as the first of the lower set of drops.
At the time of wakefulness, the winds - upon which consciousness is mounted
as on a horse - of the upper part of the body collect at the forehead, and the
winds of the lower part of the body collect at the navel. Due to the collection
of winds in those places and due to each drop's containing pure and impure potencies,
mere appearances of objects and appearances of impure objects are respectively
produced. ... Through cleansing, that is, removing, the capacity in the drops
at the forehead and the navel to produce the appearance of impure objects, the
mere appearances of objects can be utilised in the path, whereby there come
to be appearances of empty forms. ... the material of the drops does not constitute
the obstructions and does not serve as the basis for the karmic infusion of
the obstructions. Rather, the very subtle wind and mind that are located in
these two sets of four places are the bases infused by our deeds with karmic
potencies. (See also #7.)
The rest of the above description is summarised in the following table:
| Upper Drops | Lower Drops | State | Producing | Purifying | Into |
| brow | navel | awake | mere appearances | body impure objects |
appearance of empty form vajra body |
| throat | secret area | dreaming | sounds | speech mistaken speech |
invincible sound vajra speech |
| heart | centre sex organ | deep sleep | non-conceptuality | mind unclarity |
non-conceptual vajra mind exalted wisdom |
| navel | tip sex organ | absorption | bliss | absorption | immutable bliss emission of vajra exalted wisdom bliss |
It should be noted that the same four states are found in the
Mandukya Upanisad of pre-Hindu origin, and there the following, similar relationship
is intended (see also Foundations of Tibetan Mysticism by Lama Anagarika Govinda):
#1: Kalacakra Sadhana and Social Responsibility, David Reigle, Spirit of the
Sun Publications 1996.
#2: Oriental Mythology by Joseph Campbell, Penguin 1962
#3: Kaibalaya Darschanam by Priya Nath Swami (Publication data unknown)
#4: Das Mandala by Martin Brauen (Dumont 1992) (Later appeared in many languages.)
#5: Commentary given by Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche December 1989, Bodh Gaya India
#6: Introduction to Kalachakra, commentary by Dr. Alex Berzin June 28 - 30,
1985 at Institut Vajrayogini, France
#7: Highest Yoga Tantra, Daniel Cozort, Snowlion 1986
#8: Kalacakra Tantra by Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey (Library of Tibetan Works and
Archives, 1983)
#9: The Kalachakra Tantra, Rite of Initiation. Tenzin Gyatso the Dalai Lama
and Jeffrey Hopkins (Wisdom, 1985)
#10: Bridging the sutras and the tantras, Dalai Lama I, Glenn Mullin
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Last updated: January 26, 2001
