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General
Buddhism |
Namo Sri Kalachakraya
Hail to Lord Kalachakra
KALACHAKRA SYMBOLS
CONTENTS:
Introduction
Kalachakra and Vishvamata
The Kalachakra Mandala
As mentioned in the page on tantric symbols, a mandala is a symbolic representation of many aspects of a specific tantra. In the Kalachakra tantra, most elements (if not all) of the mandala refer to the universe (outer Kalachakra), the body and mind (inner Kalachakra) and the practice (initiation, generation and completion stages). The concept of "so above, so below" is even taken so far that also the aspects of the Kalachakra deity with his consort Vishvamata symbolize aspects of these three parts of the tantra. Every detail, like the deities and adornments of the building, refers to physical and mental aspects of Kalachakra (Inner Kalachakra), like the sense organs, elements and wisdom aspects, but also externally to time (deities for every day, moon phase) and the planets (Outer Kalachakra) and to aspects of the practice (Alternative Kalachakra).
The Kalachakra deity can be represented in several forms; the
most simple one is only Kalachakra with two arms and one face, others can include
his consort, Vishvamata, but most commonly one can see the full aspected deity
with four faces, twenty-four arms and two legs, embracing Visvamata.
"Vishva" means different aspects and "mata" is mother, so
it is the multiple-aspected mother. As is usual, the male deity Kalachakra symbolizes
method / bodhicitta / bliss and the consort represents the wisdom of emptiness.
They embrace each other to show the ultimate combination of method and wisdom,
or bliss and emptiness. In the Kalachakra context it refers to the Body of Empty
Form and Immutable Bliss. Vishvamata also symbolizes the wrathful aspect of
Kalachakra. (Click for a nice image on the Tibet
Art web page).
It should be noted that there are slightly different traditions to depict for
example the arms.
To name only some of the symbols contained in the arms and hands
of the deity:
- The six collar-bones refer to (in the outer Kalachakra) the
six seasons (spring, hot season, monsoon, fall [harvest], early winter and late
winter, as well as the six periods of the day and the night.
- The twelve shoulders symbolize the two times six cycles of the breath.
- The 24 arms refer to the 12 black and 12 white phases of a year (the 12 waxing
and the 12 waning phases of the moon), and the 24 half periods of the breath.
- Analogous to the 360 days of the year and - inner - analogous to the 360 periods
of the day which contain 60 draws of the breath each, Kalachakra has 360 bones
and joints and also 360 finger parts (three in each of the 5 fingers of the
24 hands).
- Even the colors of each finger have a deeper meaning: the yellow color of
the outside of the thumbs refers to the element earth, the white index finger
refers to water, the red middle finger refers to fire, the black ring finger
to air and the green pinks to space. The colors of the inside of the joints
refer to the trinity of mind (black), speech (red) and body (white).
The main deity stands on Mara and Rudra to symbolize
his victory over delusions:
Mara (who we have also met just before the Shakyamuni attained enlightenment)
is a well-known figure in Indian symbolism, often representing delusions and
the problems of samsara. Here, the aspects of Mara can be divided into: inner
delusions; the aggregates; death; and the "outer Mara" - the desire
god Karma Deva. (The first three are the inner Maras; like the three nectars
in the bowl of Shakyamuni refer to.) Mara is holding 5 flower arrows in the
first right hand, which have interesting meanings: making happy; making to want
again; making confused; emaciating and killing. In his second right hand is
a hook, like Kalachakra is holding; in his first left hand a bow and in the
second left hand a lasso. Rati is the goddess of Mara and symbolizes the female
organ and sexual desire, she is trying to lift Kalachakra's foot to put less
weight on her consort. .
Rudra is also called Ishvara, Mahadeva or Shiva. Rudra literally means "dreadful
or terrible one". Uma, the consort of Rudra, (in Tibetan "the middle way") is
also known as: Parvati (Lord Shiva's wife), Dhurga, Kali Ishvara or Palden Lhamo.
The deities stand in the centre of a lotus which represents amongst other things, renunciation. On top of the lotus are four discs; the white moon disc for bodhicitta; the red sun disc for the realization of emptiness, the black rahu disc for immutable bliss, the yellow kalagni disc for the empty form body.
The
best known form of the Kalachakra mandala is the sand mandala, for which coloured
sand grains are painstakingly placed. This sand drawing represents a 3-dimensional
palace of which every single detail has a symbolic meaning. To see a more
detailed image of the sand mandala, click on the image on the left.
In the Kalachakra tradition blue and black are interchangeable, so e.g. deities
of black color can be depicted as blue.
The complete mandala of Kalachakra is built up of several stories.
To explain what happens in this complex construction, we start from the centre
of the mandala, see the image below of the isolated Mind Mandala which
holds some 70 deities:
The central area surrounded by the black frame (vajra wall) is the Great
Bliss Mandala, representing the experience of Emptiness and Great Bliss.
It is located on the fourth floor of the complete body, speech and mind mandala
In the center is a green lotus, with on its central (black kalagni) disc, Kalachakra
and Vishvamata are represented as blue and yellow dots.
On the green lotus, each leaf is occupied by a Shakti. Two Shaktis are part
of Vishvamata. The 10 Shaktis refer to the 10 main energy channels at the heart,
but also the 10 perfections.
Around the lotus, on the blue floor of the Great Bliss Mandala are four implements,
representing the Buddha's Body, Speech, Mind and Exalted Wisdom.
The surrounding area within the green line contains black pillars.
This is the Exalted Wisdom Mandala, which represents the Subtle Mind
and is on the third floor of the mandala.
Between the pillars are the 8 pairs of Tathagatas, seated on lotus seats, and
vases (related to the inner offering). The female Tathagatas represent the Elements:
earth, water, fire and wind. (The elements of space and exalted wisdom are contained
as deities within Vishvamata.) The male Tathagatas represent the Aggregates:
form, feeling, discrimination, compositional factors. (The aggregates of consciousness
and exalted wisdom are contained as deities within Kalachakra).
The following area is divided in 4 quarts of different colors, showing the floor
of the Mind Mandala.
This outer area represents the Coarse Mind, located on the second floor, and
it is surrounded by a three-colored wall.
On the white ledge (lhanam) just within the wall, the 12 pairs of Bodhisattvas
are seated.The female Bodhisattvas symbolize the Sense Objects (touch, taste,
forms etc), and the male Bodhisattvas the Sense Organs and Consciousness (like
nose/smell, tongue/taste etc.).
In the entrance gates, the wrathful protecting deities are located. The males
represent the "Action Faculties": mouth, arm, leg, anus, urinal channel,
semen producing. The females represent the 6 Actions: speaking, holding, going,
defecating, urinating and emitting of semen.
In the four main directions, the porticos or entrance gates are depicted; in
fact, they stand upright in the full 3D mandala, but are "flattened"
for imaging in 2D.
Outside the mandala wall is also a white ledge, on which offering goddesses
are located.
The deities of the Mind Mandala are involved in the seven initiations; for more details see the page on Alternative Kalachakra.
The next image is a 3D-view of the Mind Mandala. Not all dimensions have been properly verified, but it should give a reasonably good impression. All ornamentation is left out to create a clearer image, but note that even the ornaments do have profound symbolic meaning. The deities are represented as cylinders in the correct color. A deity pair is represented as two half-cylinders.
The image below represents a simplified 2D version of the complete mandala, as in the sand mandala, but not containing any deities or ornaments. In the centre is the Mind Mandala, which is surrounded by the Speech and Body Mandala, which are similarly shaped.
Surrounding the central Mind Mandala is the Speech Mandala which represents the Enjoyment Body of the Buddha (sambhogakaya). This mandala houses 116 deities and lies on the first floor of the mandala. On the white ledge (lhanam) are 80 deities, the Yoginis of the Speech Mandala, they represent for example the 80 minor marks of a Buddha.
The Body Mandala represents the Form Body of the Buddha (rupakaya) and it surrounds the Speech Mandala. The Body Mandala is placed on the ground level. Including the deities in the surrounding cemetary grounds (depicted as wheels), it contains 536 deities. On the white ledge (lhanam) just inside the outer walls, are 12 animals (visible on the sand mandala, not here), depicting the 12 months of the year. Each carries a lotus with 28 petals on which a deity is placed, and a deity pair in the centre which represents new moon and full moon; together these represent the 30 lunar days in a month. The number 360 also refers to the sets of 360 breaths we take in 60 cycles every day (adding up to 21,600 breaths per day).
The Body Mandala is surrounded by crescent-shaped areas, which are the offering grounds. Next follow circles which represent the elements: earth (yellow), water (white), fire (pink/red), wind (grey/black) and space (green). The outermost circle is the "Great Protective Circle", "Mountain of Flames" or "Circle of Wisdom" which represents the wisdom element. The differently colored areas represent the five Wisdoms of the Buddha in the form of a rainbow.
The pink and grey circles are also known as the "Cemetery Grounds". The cemetaries are represented as eight-spoked wheels. Between these wheels, 88 Sanskrit syllables are placed (not depicted). It should be noted that there is a profound relationship between the Kalachakra tantra and the Sanskrit alphabet. Click to look at a large image (165kB) of the sand mandala.
(In the near future, I hope to place here a 3D image of the full Body, Speech and Mind mandala - do visit again!)
In the practice of Kalachakra, one strives at visualizing the complete mandala, including its hundreds of deities in perfect detail of the size of a small drop during the Generation Stage of the practice. Next, during the Completion Stage practices one gradually develops one's body and mind into that of an enlightened Buddha by controlling all energies of body and mind. This should give an idea of the level of concentration required for transforming oneself into a Buddha....
Very detailed depictions of the Kalachakra mandala and all the 722 deities can be found in the beautiful book 'Kalachakra', published by Tibet Domani, Italy 1996.
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Last updated: March 15, 2001
