Transcending Time: An Explanation of the Kalachakra Six-Session Guruyoga

338 Pages·1999·16.748 MB·English

by  Gen Lamrimpa, B. Alan Wallace, His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Kalacakra with consort Vi5vamii.rii..
Photo by Ptttr Ntbtl
Transcending Time
The Kalacakra Six-Session Guru Yoga
Gen Lamrimpa
(Ven. Lobsang Jampal Tenzin)
Translated by
B. Alan Wallace
Edited by
Pauly B. Fitze
Foreword by
His HoLINEss THE DALAI LAMA
WrsooM PuBLICATIONS • BosTON
WISDOM PuBLICATIONs
199 Elm Street
Somerville MA 02144 USA
© 1999 Gen Lamrimpa and B. Alan Wallace
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechani
cal, including photography, recording, or by any informacion storage and retrieval system or
technologies now known or later developed, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Library ofC ongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Gen Lamrimpa, 1934-
Transcending time : the K.alacak.ra six-session guru yoga I Gen
Lamrimpa ; foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama ; translated by B.
Alan Wallace; edited by Pauly B. Fitze.
p. em.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN o-8617I-I52-1 (pbk. : alk. paper)
I. K.alacak.ra (Tantric rite) 2. Yoga (Tantric Buddhism)
I. Wallace, B. Alan.
BQ7699.K34G46 1999
294·3'4436-dc21 99-19501
ISBN o-8617I-I52-1
04 03 02 01 00
6 5 4 3 2
Cover image: Vajradhara, 17th century, from the collection of Shelley and
Donald Rubin. Photo courtesy of Moke Mokotoff.
Designed by: Jennie Malcolm
Wisdom Publications' books are printed on acid-free paper and meet the guidelines for the
permanence and durability of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity
of the Council on Library Resources.
Printed in the United States of America
Contents
Foreword ix
Editor's Acknowledgments XI
Preface X111
Introduction I
Homage 9
PART I PREPARING FOR PRACTICE
I Reflections on the Path I3
2 Receiving T antric Teachings 20
3 Overview of the Kalacakra T antra 25
PART 2 THE KALACAKRA Six-SESSION GuRu YoGA
4 Beginning the Practice 37
5 Guru Yoga 54
6 Recollections and Practices 75
7 Receiving Initiation 88
8 The Seven Self-Entries of a Child I04
9 The Higher and Greatly Higher Initiations I27
10 The Purification of Death I4I
II Generating Oneself as Kalacakra I 55
I2 Deepening Your Understanding I68
I3 Hooking the Hearts of All Kalacakras I78
I4 Bindu Yoga and Subtle Yoga I84
I5 Mantra Recitation 188
16 Offerings I94
17 Praise and Dedication I98
PART 3 COMPLETION STAGE PRACTICES
18 The Nature of Phenomena 205
19 The Six-Phase Yoga 212
20 Questions and Answers 239
Dedication Prayer 263
A Lucid Presentation of the Kalacakra Six-Session Guru Yoga 265
Charts 277
Glossary 301
Notes 305
Bibliography 309
Index 313
To be read only by those who have received the Kalacakra initiation.
May this be an expression ofg ratitude
And reverence and love for the Revealer,
And the spiritual mentors, for preserving this
Precious body ofw isdom, and may the
Blessings received be passed on to all who
Read this, and thereby to all beings.
Publisher's <.Acknowledgment
The publisher gratefully acknowledges the contribution of the students of
Gen Lamrimpa (Venerable Lobsang Jampal Tenzin), who, through the
Dharma Friendship Foundation Education Fund, helped make production
of this book possible.
cp'oreword
THE DALAI LAMA
The Kalacakra Tantra is a Buddhist practice belonging to the
class of highest yoga tantras, which are among the most profound teachings
of the Bodhisattva Vehicle. According to tradition, Buddha Sakyamuni
appeared in the south of India as Kalacakra and set forth this tantra at the
request of King Sucandra of Sambhala.
King Sucandra then propagated the teachings of Kalacakra widely
among the citizens of Sambhala. The tradition is said not to have reap
peared in India until shortly before it was brought to Tibet in the eleventh
century. Thereafter, until the upheavals of the present century, it thrived
not only among Tibetans, but also among their neighbors in the Mongo
lian regions to the north, as well as in Sikkim, Bhutan, and Nepal and the
Himalayan regions to the south and west.
For those who attend the initiation and wish to cultivate a daily practice
of meditation based upon it, it is common to begin by performing a
method of six-session guru yoga. This typically presents a concise review of
the important points of the generation stage yogas of the Kalacakra path,
within the context of a prayer to the spiritual master and meditation.
Practices of this nature are called "six-session yogas" because they are meant
to be recited and contemplated three times during the day and three times
at night.
However, we should not limit our practice to this minimal level of
endeavor. The six-session yoga provides the basis for our daily meditation
in which we should try constantly to expand our familiariry with the prac
tice of Kalacakra.
An increasing number of individuals who do not have access to the orig
inal Tibetan commentaries are taking interest in this practice. Therefore, it
Foreword ix
is indeed timely that a book has been prepared containing an explanation
of the practice of the .Kdlacakra Six-Session Guru Yoga, based on his own
experience, by Gen LamrimpaJampal Tenzin. I offer my prayers that it will
enable readers to deepen their understanding and appreciation of this sub
lime teaching of the Buddha.
A(!~-_)
'
T enzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama
Foreword x