The Kalachakra mandala is one of the most complex images in Tibetan Buddhist art. It shows, from above, the palace of the deity Kalachakra, whose name means "Wheel of Time".
The Kalachakra teaching
The Kalachakra Tantra appeared in India in the early 11th century and became one of the major teachings of Tibetan Buddhism. It connects the outer world (the movements of the planets and the cycles of time), the inner world of the body, and the path of meditation, and treats them as reflections of one another. Kalachakra initiations are among the few tantric teachings traditionally given to very large public gatherings.
How to read the mandala
- The palace: nested square walls, one inside another, each with a gateway in the middle of each side. They are usually explained as the mandalas of enlightened body, speech and mind, with the palace of wisdom and great bliss at the centre.
- The centre: a lotus where Kalachakra and his consort Vishvamata stand in union. In many paintings the centre is a small lotus or a symbol rather than the figures. The full mandala is said to hold 722 deities.
- The gateways: ornate T-shaped gates facing the four directions, each with a Dharma wheel and deer above it in many paintings.
- The rings: outside the palace, circles stand for the elements (earth, water, fire and wind), then a ring of vajras and a ring of flames that protect the space.
- The corners: offerings of the senses, clouds or small figures fill the space between the circle and the square frame.
Sand and paint
Monks also build Kalachakra mandalas from coloured sand for an initiation, then sweep them away as a lesson in impermanence. A painted mandala keeps the same design for meditation and study.
The Kalachakra monogram
Some paintings include, or centre on, the "ten powerful syllables" (Namchu Wangden), a monogram of interlaced letters that sums up the Kalachakra teaching in a single emblem.
What to look for
A fine Kalachakra mandala has straight, even walls, perfect symmetry, and clear detail in the gateways and rings, even at a small size. Ours range from about 55 × 55 cm to over a metre across.
