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Kalachakra 2017 initiation: 10 tips for pilgrims traveling to Bodh Gaya. by Tashi

Tips for Kalachakra 2017

09 December 2015

Where will the Kalachakra 2017 takes place?  The 34th Kalachakra 2017 initiation  will be held in Bodh Gaya, the holy Indian town where Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment.  This is the fifth Kalachakra initiation to be held in Bodh Gaya. His Holiness the Dalai Lama would preside over the proceedings. The dates will be from  3rd to 14th January 2017 Thousands of devotees from all around the world are expected to congregate at this town during those 12 days. Nearly 300,000 visitors attend the previous Kalachakra initiation held in Ladakh in 2014. The experience would most certainly be overwhelming for a first-timer, especially for an outsider who is unfamiliar with the hustle and bustle of India. Here are a list of things to know to get yourself well-equipped to attend the ceremony: How do I get a visa? In its efforts to boost tourism, the Government of India introduced the e-tourist visa scheme for foreign nationals who visit the country for a short duration. Interested individuals can apply for a visa online and have to carry a printout of the e-Tourist visa at the time of travel. For detailed information about Indian e-Tourist visa, please click here. Do I have to register for Kalachakra 2017? Yes. Pilgrims are required to register for Kalachakra 2017. Foreign nationals, Tibetans and Indians are required to submit photocopies of their passports or identity cards to obtain a pass for the Kalachakra teaching. Interested individuals are requested to visit the official Kalachakra page when it come online regularly for more information about the procedure. You may also register through your travel agent or Dharma center. Do I have to pay for registration for Kalachakra 2017? There is no registration fee for Kalachakra teaching and the teachings are open to everyone. How is the weather like? The weather in January in Bodh Gaya is pleasant with average temperatures ranging from 18 – 22 degree Celsius. The nights might get a bit cold with temperatures dipping below 10 degrees once in a while. The monsoon season lasts from June to September and one doesn’t have to worry about rains during January. In fact, January is one of the best month to visit Bodh Gaya. What are my stay options? Thanks to the regular influx of tourists from all corners of the world every year, Bodh Gaya has very good accommodation facilities. Ranging from two star to five star, a variety of hotels that suit the budgets and requirements […]

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Omalaya to organize a Kalachakra 2017 journey by Stéphanie

27 November 2015

Omalaya is organizing a unique journey for the Kalachakra 2017 festival. It is the 34th time that the Dalai Lama is giving the initiation. Omalaya, experts in the field of spiritual travel, bring to you a wonderful opportunity to participate in the ceremony. The Guide – Hermit Tsephel Gelong Tsephel is monk,Yogi and Hermit.He will share his knowledge of meditation and the experiences of Buddha’s own realization with the pilgrims. Tsepel would talk not just about the Kalachakra 2017 Bodhgaya​ Teaching and empowerment but also give tips on how to lead a happier life, how to engage the world we live in more compassionate ways and how to explore our inner self to find more peace. The experience – Unique If  you wish attend the teachings and empowerment rituals of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, we invite you to join us inwhat will be a journey of a life-time. This tour would be ideal for you if you are a spiritual wannabe, a keen Buddhist, an avid tourist or just an observer of the biggest gathering of the Tibetan Vajrayana sect of Buddhism. The site – Bodh Gaya It is said that the Buddha attained enlightenment on the sacred ground of Vajrassna beneath the sacred Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya. It is here that the Buddha became one with  Mother earth’s universal and infinite energy. Since then, Bodh Gaya has been the centre of Buddhist universe and most important site of  Buddhist pilgrimage. Kalachakra 2017 will take place for the fifth time in Bodh Gaya to celebrate life, peace and the 80th birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Here is a list of things you must know if you are travelling to Bodh Gaya to attend Kalachakra 2017. For detailed information about our Kalachakra 2017 journey, please click here. For more information about the other journeys we organize, please click here.

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Long-life empowerment ceremony in Kalachakra initiation by Julianne

Long life empowerment ceremony

18 May 2015

Kalachakra initiation is a very important ceremony in Buddhist tradition. It is an intense process of prayers, rituals and rites through which pupils are empowered to attain Buddhahood. The initiation is given by his Holiness the Dalai Lama and the entire ceremony lasts for 12 days. Usually the final day of the Kalachakra initiation is dedicated to a long-life empowerment ceremony. Prayers are given so that his Holiness and all the participants may all have a very long, happy and fulfilling life. According to Buddhist traditions, it is believed that if a spiritual leader dies it is because inhabitants of another realm want him to come and share his wisdom and knowledge with them. In order to postpone this moment and lengthen his stay on this world, special prayers and offerings are made on the final day. The three deities associated with long life are Amitayus, White Tara and Ushnishavijaya. Among these deities,  Tara is associated with purity and the special quality of removing obstacles in people’s lives and thereby enhancing the quality and longevity of their life. It is on this deity that the Kalachakra empowerment rituals are usually performed. Once the empowerment ceremony is completed, long-life offerings are made to the Dalai Lama. The offering involves chanting of a lineage prayer and a show of respect by the Monks and the Oracles. It is quite common to see a few devotees get possessed during this event and such devotees to get an opportunity to pay their respects to his Holiness. Members of various communities too take this opportunity to give offerings to his Holiness. The ceremony witnesses participants from all around the world. The last Kalachakra initiation was held in Ladakh in northern India and was attended by over 150000 people. The next Kalachakra initiation is scheduled to be held from 14 to 25 January, 2016 in Bodh Gaya , India. You too can participate in the Kalachakra initiation and the long-life empowerment ceremony. For more information, please click here. To watch our video about Kalachakra 2016, please click here.

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A guide to the Kalachakra Mandala by Julianne

The Kalachakra mandala

07 May 2015

The term mandala literally means a circle or sphere. In religious context it means wholeness, unity or completion. The Tibetan equivalent for mandala is gyilkhor. It is a combination of two words gyil meaning centre and khor meaning surroundings. Hence, in Tibetan tradition, mandala means the centre and the surroundings which cannot exist independent of each other but they complement each other and when combined together they form a totality. The term Kalachakra is derived from two words Kala meaning time and Chakra meaning wheel. This concept is symbolized as a deity which signifies ‘the wheel of time’ whereby the events of the universe are considered to be cyclical in nature and therefore life itself is ephemeral in nature. In case of the Kalachakra mandala, it includes the deity Kalachakra seated at the centre of his palace and many other components and symbols, each with a significant meaning, occupying the surroundings. Kalachakra is made up of five fundamental concepts namely great bliss, wisdom, body, mind and speech. The mandala is a huge palace constructed in such a way that it reflects each of these concepts: The ground level has 4 huge entrances to the palace and it represents the Body mandala. The Speech mandala is located on a platform inside the body mandala and it is also similar in structure to the body mandala. Within the speech mandala, the Mind mandala is erected which has two more levels representing wisdom and great bliss. The Wisdom mandala rises nearly 25 arm-spans above the mind mandala. Finally, the Great bliss mandala is located on a platform in the wisdom mandala and consists of a magnificent green lotus that acts as the seat of the Kalachakra deity and his consort Vishvamata. The grand five-storey palace houses 722 deities in all with the principal deity and his consort present together in a blissful state at the top storey. It is quite common two see two-dimensional images of the Kalachakra mandala in various Buddhist temples. These images are a representation of the floor plan of the palace of the Kalachakra deity. The mandala images are commonly used by Buddhist practitioners as a tool to aid them in the path towards spiritual enlightenment.

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Kalachakra temple in Dharamshala by Julianne

The Kalachakra mandala

30 April 2015

The Kalachakra temple is located inside the Thekchen Chöling temple complex in Mcleodganj in the hill state of Himachal Pradesh in India. The temple complex also houses the Namgyal monastery, the private chambers of his Holiness the Dalai Lama and the famous Tsuglakhang temple. Opened in the year 1992, the Kalachakra temple is a symbol of the concept in Buddhist religion known popularly as ‘The wheel of time’. Kalachakra is a combination of two Sanskrit words Kāla (meaning: time) and Chakra (meaning: wheel). Kalachakra is a notion that Buddhist philosophies and even the Hindu religion strongly believe in. According to this notion, Time is considered to be a cyclical concept whereby the timeline of the world is divided into certain ages or epochs and they repeat after one another in a circular pattern. In the Buddhist tradition, there are important rituals associated with Kalachakra. At the temple, monks perform Kalachakra empowerment procedures that they believe would enhance the spirituality of the environment and further the cause of peace and harmony among human beings. Apart from being the site for Buddhist rites and rituals, the Kalachakra temple is also a regular venue for public meetings and discourses conducted by his holiness the Dalai Lama. The temple is perhaps one of the best examples of Kalachakra-based architectural style. A huge mural adorns the wall and at the centre of the wall, the principal god of Buddhism – Shakayamuni Buddha is portrayed in a Kalachakra avatar. Surrounding the image of Shakayamuni are the frescos of seven hundred and twenty two deities. The Kalachakra consists of four aspects namely wisdom, body, mind and speech. The image of the Buddha at the centre represents wisdom while the deities surrounding him represent body, mind and speech. It is reported that the Dalai Lama himself personally monitored the progress of the mural painting right from the start to finish. The adjacent walls features the portraits of the 14th Dalai Lama and thirty two Shamblala kings of whom the first seven are called Maharajas (Great kings) and the rest are known as Kalkis. Images of Tibetan deities such as Guru Padma Sambhava, Milarepa, Palden Lhamo, Yamantaka, Atisha and Tsongkhapa can also be seen in this temple.

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A short movie about the “Kora” by Stéphanie

24 April 2015

A short movie about the “Kora”, which is a Tibetan word to describe the circumambulation around a sacred object. In this video, the Kora is happening around the residence of His Holiness the Dalaï Lama in Dharamshala. A contemplative walk surrounded by prayer flags, mantras and prayer wheels. OM MANI PADME HOUNG…

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