Critical Forum for the Investigation of the Kalachakra Tantra and the Shambhala

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Dear All,

 

The appended article states that:

 

" At all levels, the Kalachakra Tantra fosters the postulation of (and

negotiation with) a conceived " enemy " and – completely at odds with the original

teachings of the historical Buddha or the ethical demands of Mahayana Buddhism –

advocates war between " good " and " evil " , between the " faithful " and the

" unbelievers. "

 

It is the case with all the incarnations and prophets that the people that came

after them edited their teachings over time, to be for all intents and purposes,

the opposite of what was originally taught. Today people need to be reminded

that every branch of religion comes from the same Tree of Life and therefore

they essentially agree with each other. Any teaching that goes against that

essential agreement is not the pure truth as given by the incarnations and

prophets, but was made up by another source.

 

That is definitely the case with the 'Kalachakra Tantra' of Tibetan Buddhism as

shown in this expose.

 

regards to all,

 

violet

 

 

 

Critical Forum for the Investigation of the

Kalachakra Tantra and the Shambhala Myth

 

In Sanskrit, Kalachakra means " The Wheel of Time " , but it is also the name of

the supreme Tibetan " Time God " . The Kalachakra Tantra is held to be the last and

the most recent (10th century) of all the tantra texts that have been revealed,

and is considered by the lamas to be " the pinnacle of all Buddhist systems " .

 

Over more than 25 years, many hundreds of thousands have been " initiated "

through the Kalachakra Tantra by the XIV Dalai Lama. Of these, large numbers are

illiterate people from India. But even the " educated " participants from the West

barely know anything about what this ritual actually entails, since alongside

its public aspect it also has a strongly guarded secret side. In public, the XIV

Dalai Lama performs only the seven lowest initiations; the subsequent eight of

the total of 15 initiations continue to remain top secret.

 

There is no talk of these eight secret rites in the pamphlets, advertisements or

brochures, and especially not in the numerous affirmations of the XIV Dalai

Lama. Here, the Kalachakra Tantra appears as a dignified and uplifting

contribution to world peace, which fosters compassion with all living beings,

interreligious dialog, interracial and intersubjective tolerance, ecological

awareness, sexual equality, inner peace, spiritual development and bliss for the

third millennium ( " Kalachakra for World Peace " ). The motto for the whole show is

quoted from the XIV Dalai Lama: " Because we all share this small planet earth,

we have to learn to live in harmony and peace with each other and with nature. "

The highly focused, extremely tantric initiation of Tibetan Lamaism thus garners

the kudos of a " transcultural and interreligious meeting for world peace " .

 

But are the Kalachakra Tantra and the Shambhala myth truly pacifist? Do they

really encourage harmony and cooperation among people? Do they make any real

contribution to freedom and justice, equality of the sexes, religious tolerance

or ethnic reconciliation? Are they a comprehensive, politically humanist,

democratic and nonviolent contribution to world peace?

 

Over the past few years, increasing criticism has been leveled at Tibetan

Buddhism, the history of Lamaism, conditions among the Tibetans in exile and the

XIV Dalai Lama himself, criticism which is not from the Chinese quarter.

Historians from the USA have begun questioning the widespread glorifying

whitewash of Tibetan history (Melvin C. Goldstein, A. Tom Grundfeld). Critical

Tibetologists have raised accusations of deliberate manipulation by official

Tibetology (Donald S. Lopez Jr.). Tibet researchers have investigated the

" dreams of power " that are activated and exacerbated by the " Tibet myth "

nurtured by Lamaists (Peter Bishop). Prominent politicians have had to admit the

evidence of their own eyes that the Chinese are not committing " genocide " in

Tibet, as the Tibetans in exile continue to claim (Antje Vollmar, Mary

Robinson). Former female Buddhists have condemned, on the basis of personal

experience and with great expertise, the systematic and sophisticated oppression

and abuse of women in Tibetan Buddhism (June Campbell). Psychologists and

psychoanalysts have investigated the aggressive and morbid character of Lamaist

culture (Robert A. Paul, Fokke Sierksma, Colin Goldner). From within the Dalai

Lama’s own ranks, overwhelming evidence of his intolerant, superstitious and

autocratic nature has been amassed since 1997 (Shugden Affair). Lamaism’s

rituals have also been subjected to strong criticism. The humanistic,

peace-loving, tolerant and ecumenical intentions of the Kalachakra Tantra and

the Shambhala myth it contains have been interrogated in a comprehensive study

(Victor and Victoria Trimondi). Biting criticism of the XIV Dalai Lama and his

system founded on magic has also been broadcast in German, Swiss and Austrian

television (Panorama, 10 nach 10, Treffpunkt Kultur). In Munich, on the occasion

of a visit by the Tibetan religious potentate (in May 2000), there was even a

split in the SPD, whose " pro-Dalai Lama " wing had invited the Tibetan " God-King "

to a gala event. The media as a whole has been equally divided: the Dalai Lama

has been accused of, among other things, having an undemocratic and autocratic

leadership style, suppressing any political opposition, acting to repress

religious minorities; letting policy be determined by possessed oracles rather

than through dialog and debate, deliberate falsification of the history of

Tibet, maintaining uncritical relationships with former members of the SS and

neo-nazis, defaming critics and conducting misogynist rituals. Felix Austria –

this criticism seems to have floated by the beautiful mountains of Austria like

a slim cloud that hardly turns a head.

 

Here are some of the points raised by the critics of the Kalachakra Tantra and

the Shambhala myth it contains that the Critical Forum Kalachakra is putting

forward for discussion:

 

The secret rites of the Kalachakra Tantra may not, under pain of medieval

punishment for body and soul, be discussed with the uninitiated. The " head and

heart " of whoever reveals its occult secrets " will burst asunder " and they will

burn in the deepest hell. There are good reasons for this, then in the the eight

highest initiations there is talk of things that stand in complete contradiction

to a humanist system of values (Michael Henss – Kalachakra – ein tibetisches

Einweihungsritual – Zurich 1985, 46).

 

The Kalachakra-Tantra is anything but pacifist, rather, it prophesies and

promotes a bloody religious war for world domination between Buddhists and

non-Buddhists (Shambhala myth).

 

The text explicitly names the " leaders " of the three monotheistic religions

(Judaism, Christianity, Islam) as opponents of Buddhism: " Adam, Enoch, Abraham,

Moses, Jesus, the White-Clad one [Mani], Muhammad and Mathani [the Mahdi] " . The

Kalachakra Tantra describes them as " the family of the demonic snakes " (Shri

Kalachakra I. 154).

 

Thus, the Kalachakra Tantra is opposed to all religions of Semitic origin, and

for this reason has been pressed into service by right-wing radical and

anti-Semitic circles for their racist propaganda.

 

The Kalchakra Tantra invokes a global war between the Islamic and the

non-Islamic world in which the followers of Mohammed are presented as the

principal enemies of the Buddhists. The original text refers to Mecca, where the

" mighty, merciless idol of the barbarians " lives as a " demonic incarnation "

(Shri Kalachakra I. 154).

 

Murderous super-weapons possessed by the Buddhist Shambhala Army and employed

against " enemies of the Dharma " are described at length and in enthusiastic

detail in the Kalachakra Tantra (Shri Kalachakra I. 128–142). Modern Lamaist

interpretations of these military arsenal fantasies indulge in spectacular

comparisons to the weaponry of the 20th and 21st centuries.

 

The Buddhist art of war in the Shambhala battles is obviously at odds with basic

human rights, and is instead described in the original text as " merciless " and

" cruel " . " The supremely ferocious [buddhist] warriors will cast down the

barbarian horde " and " eliminating " them " together with their followers " . (Shri

Kalachakra I. 163/165).

 

All the participants in a Kalachakra initiation (i.e., also those in Graz) have

the questionable privilege of being reborn as " Shambhala Warriors " in order to

be able to participate in the prophesied apocalyptic battle as either infantry

or officers, dependant on rank. High lamas of particular lineages have already

been assigned to commanding positions (E. Bernbaum – Der Weg nach Shambhala –

Auf der Suche nach dem sagenhaften Königreich im Himalaya – Hamburg 1982, 252,

35).

 

According to a vision of the Tibetan Lama Kamtrul Rinpoche, it is the

reincarnated Dalai Lama himself, who as wrathful field marshal will lead the

Buddhist army into the Shambhala battle (Rudra Chakrin) to conquer all evil in

the universe. Propagandists for the Kalachakra Tantra peddle a primitive martyr

cult that resembles that of the Moslem jihad warriors: he who falls in the

Shambhala war is rewarded with guaranteed entry to the Shambhala paradise (E.

Bernbaum – Der Weg nach Shambhala – Auf der Suche nach dem sagenhaften

Königreich im Himalaya – Hamburg 1982, 253).

 

At all levels, the Kalachakra Tantra fosters the postulation of (and negotiation

with) a conceived " enemy " and – completely at odds with the original teachings

of the historical Buddha or the ethical demands of Mahayana Buddhism – advocates

war between " good " and " evil " , between the " faithful " and the " unbelievers " .

 

The Kalachakra-Tantra contains a Buddhocratic doctrine of state which is even

more " theocratic " than the fundamentalist Islam concept of theocracy; the

Buddhist " Chakravartin " (world ruler) is seen as a direct " incarnation " or

" emanation " of the Supreme Buddha (Adi Buddha), as a walking " God-Man " on earth,

whilst the " Caliph " is only God’s (Allah’s) " representative " on earth, who does

not even have the rank of a " prophet " .

 

At the pinnacle of the authoritative Buddhocratic Kalachakra state, on the " Lion

Throne " resides an absolute " Priest-King " (Chakravartin), who unites in his

person religious, political, juridical and military might. There is absolutely

no civil " separation of powers " here. Those familiar with the constitutional

position of the Dalai Lama in traditional Tibet (up until 1959) know that the

office of the Tibetan " God-King " corresponded to that of a Chakravartin in

miniature. The highly questionable and half-hearted democratization reforms that

the XIV Dalai Lama has introduced among the Tibetans in exile would be

obliterated afresh through the Buddhocratic, state political consequences of the

Kalachakra Tantra teachings.

 

The right to a Buddhocratic world supremacy is an explicit demand of the

Kalachakra Tantra. Here too we find a fundamentalist correspondence to Islamist

ambitions to global domination. If both systems are set to confront another as

deadly enemies in a bloody apocalyptic battle, then this is a consequence of the

logic of their theocratic-cum-Buddhocratic absolutism.

 

Modern Buddhocratic visions for our planet which are welcomed by the XIV Dalai

Lama are built upon the foundations of the Kalachakra Tantra. See in this regard

Robert A. Thurman’s book – Revolution von Innen – Die Lehren des Buddhismus oder

das vollkommene Glück (1999), where the author develops the authoritative

political theory of a " Buddhaverse " . As early as 1979, Thurman, described by

Time magazine as the " spokesman of the Dalai Lama " in the USA, saw the Tibetan

religious leader in a dream enthroned as a " Time God " over the Waldorf Astoria

Hotel in New York, while the great swarm of notables - mayors, senators, company

directors and kings, sheiks and sultans, celebrities and stars buzzed around

him; caught up in the maelstrom of the 722 dancing deities of the Kalachakra

Tantra swarmed around him just like bees in pinstripes around a huge hive.

 

In the secret higher stages of initiation the Kalachakra Tantra demands the

unconditional and unlimited surrender to the absolute will of the administering

guru (in this case the Dalai Lamas as Kalachakra master). The " ego

consciousness " and the personality of the initiand are extinguished step by

step, so as to transform him into a human vessel for the in part warlike and

aggressive tantric deities and Buddhist figures. Hence, the Kalachakra Tantra

brings no " ennoblement " , " transfiguration " or " integration " of the individual,

but rather its systematic " elimination " in the interests of a codified religious

pattern.

 

In the eight secret higher initiations of the Kalachakra Tantra, extreme mental

and physical exercises are used to push the initiand into a state beyond good

and evil. The original text thus requires the following misdeeds and crimes of

him: killing, lying, stealing, infidelity, the consumption of alcohol, sexual

intercourse with lower-class girls. As in all the other tantras, here too these

requirements can be understood both symbolically and literally. Even the XIV

Dalai Lama finds it legitimate for a Kalachakra adept to kill a person under

special circumstances, " who are harmful to the [buddhist] teaching " . He insists,

however, that this be " motivated by compassion " (Dalai Lama – The Kalachakra

Tantra – Rite of Initiation - London, 1985, S. 348 ff.).

 

In the highest magical initiations, what are known as " unclean substances " are

employed. The Kalachakra Tantra recommends the consumption of the meat of

various taboo animals. Human meat (maha mamsa) is also employed as a ritual

substance. It is usually taken from the dead and, writes the tantric grand

master and Shambhala King, Pundarika, in his traditional Kalachakra commentary,

is the " meat of those who died due to their own karma, who were killed in battle

due to evil karma or and due to their own fault, or that of robbers and so forth

who were executed " . He continues with the advice that it is sensible to consume

these substances in the form of pills. The flesh of innocent people, who have

been killed as sacrifices to the gods, out of fear, as part of an ancestor cult,

out of desire (greed) or for money, is laden with " unspeakable sin " and may not

be used in the rituals. " But which falls in the bowl unasked-for is without

unspeakable sin " – and may therefore be put to use. (In: John Ronald Newman -

The outer wheel of time: Vajrayana Buddhist cosmology in the Kalacakra Tantra -

Madison 1987, 266 f.).

 

Numerous ritual objects employed in the ceremonies are made from corpses (bowls

made from human skulls, trumpets made of leg bones, bone necklaces). A glance at

the great Kalachakra thangka (wall tapestry) which will be hanging above the

throne of the XIV Dalai Lama during the whole of the ceremony in Graz is enough

to convince one of the wrathful character of this ritual. The Time God

" Kalachakra " depicted there together with his consort, the Time Goddess

" Vishvamata " in sexual union while standing, hold in their total of 32 hands 24

objects of an aggressive, morbid or warlike nature (hooks, sword, machete, drums

and vessels made of skull bowls, a scepter whose peak is adorned with three

severed human heads, etc.)

 

In the secret higher initiations of the Kalachakra Tantra sexual magical rites

take place, the aim of which is to transform " sexuality " into worldly and

spiritual power. The real or imaginary women (both are possible) used in these

represent particular forms of energy, whereby age plays an important role. One

begins with ten-year-old girls. Up to the age of 20, the female sexual partners

represent positive characteristics. If they are older they are regarded as the

bearers of the negative energies of scorn, rage, hate etc. and as " demonesses " .

In the 8th to 11th levels of initiation into the Kalachakra Tantra sexual magic

experiments are made with just " one " woman; in the 12th to 15th levels, the

so-called Ganachakra, a total of 10 women take part in the ritual along with the

master and the initiand. It is the pupil’s duty to offer his Lama the women as a

" gift " . " Laity " who are to be initiated into the ritual are supposed to offer up

their female relatives (mother, sister, wife, daughter, aunt, etc.). One can

read in the Kalachakra Mûlatantra that " If the pupil does not hand these wisdom

consorts over to his master, in order to protect his family, then [the master]

may not perform this ritual. " Consecrated monks and novices, however, may make

use of unrelated women from various castes. In the secret ritual itself the

participants experiment with the masculine and feminine seed (sperm and

menstrual blood). In the Kalachakra Tantra women are regarded as mere " energy

donors " for the male practitioners and once the ritual is over they have no

further role to play (see in this regard Nâropâ – Iniziazione Kâlacakra – Roma

1994).

 

In the current age, which according to the teachings of Lamaism is hastening

towards an apocalyptic end (Kali yuga), the Kalachakra Tantra has a particularly

destructive and aggressive character. It includes special rites which are

supposed to accelerate the general decline through symbolic acts. " What is

Kalachakrayana [the Kalachakra Way]? " – asks one of the leading experts in the

field of Tantrism, the Indian Shashi Bhusan Dasgupta, and tellingly answers,

" The word kala means time, death and destruction. Kala-Chakra is the Wheel of

Destruction. "

 

These are just some of the problematic aspects that critics object to in the

Kalachakra Tantra and the Shambhala Myth it contains. They ought to provide

sufficient grounds to question whether this ritual can still be seen as having a

humanistic, peaceful, tolerant, freedom-loving and ecumenical character. In

addition, the Shambhala myth integrated into the Kalachakra Tantra has – insofar

as it has been accorded historical and ideological relevance – led to extremely

aggressive behavior patterns, megalomaniac visions, conspiracy theories and

terrorist activity. But above all it exercises a special fascination for

neo-fascist circles and provides a source of ideological inspiration for them.

 

In the wars between Byelorussians, Bolsheviks and Mongolians, the Shambhala myth

was associated with ideas of the return of Genghis Khan at the beginning of the

twenties. The Mongolians saw themselves in this conflict as " Shambhala

warriors " . Their military actions were extremely bloodthirsty.

 

The Italian fascist and right-wing extremist philosopher of culture, Julius

Evola, saw in the mythic realm of Shambhala the esoteric center of a sacred

warrior caste and suspected that the palace of the world king, whose escutcheon

was the swastika, could be found there. He held lectures on these views for the

the SS " Ahnenerbe " .

 

In the occult literature (the " Nazi mysteries " ), " masters " from Shambhala are

depicted as the hidden string pullers who are supposed to have participated in

the " magical " creation of the Nazi regime (Trevor Ravenscroft, Louis Pauwels and

Jacques Bergier u. a.).

 

In the ideological SS underground of the post-War period and in the " SS

mysticism " of the nineties, the mythical kingdom of Shambhala is seen as a

sanctuary for an aggressive and morbid " Nazi religion " (Wilhelm Landig, Jan van

Helsing u. a.).

 

The Shambhala myth is one of the ideological pillars of " esoteric Hitlerism " .

This is the worldwide, racist, occult doctrine of the Chilean diplomat, Miguel

Serrano, and the Indian by adoption, Savitri Devi ( " Hitler’s Priestess " ).

 

With his concept of the Shambhala warrior, the now deceased Tibetan Lama,

Chögyam Trungpa (1940-1987), laid the first foundations for a potential

" Combative Buddhism " , already found in large parts of East Asia, in the West.

Instead of monasteries, Trungpa’s Shambhala warriors live in military camps,

meditation is accompanied by military parades, in place of the begging bowl his

pupils carry weapons and rather than monastic robes they wear military uniforms.

The master himself no longer moved around in Buddhist style, with yellow and red

monastic robe and walking staff and sandals, but rather rode forth on a white

horse (in accordance with the apocalyptic prophecy of the Kalachakra Tantra) in

peaked cap, tunic and high boots. The Shambhala coat of arms can be seen on the

saddle of a horse in a photo of the martial Trungpa.

 

The Shambhala Myth provides the ideological basis for the terrorism of the

Japanese apocalyptic guru, Shoko Asahara. He derives his apocalyptic visions

from the teachings of the Kalachakra Tantra. His intention is to accelerate the

onset of the Shambhala war and this is his justification for his poison-gas

attacks on the Tokyo Underground. Asahara was the first leader of a sect to make

the " uninvolved " from outside of his own organization the target of his deadly

attacks and thus opened the floodgates for the religiously motivated

international terrorism that has become the number one topic in the world

community.

 

Even if these fascist and terrorist interpretations of the Shambhala myth are

erroneous, it is therefore all the more pressing that the XIV Dalai Lama and his

followers lay bare the Kalachakra ritual in all its detail, correct possible

distortions, projections and misuses, and distance themselves publicly from its

more problematic contents, that or edit them out of the traditional texts.

Instead, however, there have in the past been numerous friendly meetings between

the Tibetan religious leader and former SS figures (Heinrich Harrer, Bruno

Beger), the founder of " esoteric Hitlerism " , Miguel Serrano, and the terrorist,

Shoko Asahara, whom even after the Tokyo attacks he described as his " friend,

albeit an imperfect one " . Only later did he distance himself from him. It is the

duty of the city of Graz, the provincial government of Styria, the various

political factions, the media, the intellectuals and not least the Christian

institutions, to begin a broad public discussion of this ritual, so as not [to]

be drawn into something which is diametrically opposed to their original

intentions.

 

Then, according to statements in numerous international media reports, Tibetan

Buddhism is the " trend religion " of our time. Through the XIV Dalai Lama,

through both his charismatic appearances and his ostensibly humanist speeches

and writings, a gigantic, unreflective cultural import of Eastern concepts into

the West is taking place, one which displays fundamentalist characteristics and

serves as an ideological foundation for various fundamentalist camps and can

continue to so serve in the future. The Buddhist leader appeals to people’s deep

need for harmony and peace, but the history of Lamaism itself, the contents of

the Tibetan tantras and their complex of rituals, even the conditions which

prevail among the Tibetans in exile, are anything but peaceful and harmonic.

There are passages in the Kalachakra Tantra which brazenly call for a " war of

the religions " , which are intolerant and aggressive. In Tibetan Buddhism we have

an archaic, magic-based religious system, which has remained to a large extent

untouched by the fundamentals of the Western Enlightenment. This is also the

reason it is so attractive for right-wing extremists. For centuries it has led

to social injustices that any freedom-loving citizen of today would be forced to

reject. The equality of the sexes, democratic decision making and ecumenical

movements are in themselves foreign to the nature of Tantric Buddhism, although

the XIV Dalai Lama publicly proclaims the opposite.

 

In a reaction to 11 September 2001, Der Spiegel drew attention to aggressive

elements and fundamentalist currents in the three monotheistic religions in an

article entitled " Religious Mania – The Return of the Middle Ages " . As is so

often the case in such cultural critiques, Buddhism was spared. This is untrue!

All of the topics criticized in this article (battles against unbelievers and

dissidents, religious wars, armament fantasies, theocratic visions of power,

apocalyptic predictions, misogyny, etc.) are to be found in a particularly

concentrated degree in the Kalachakra Tantra.

 

The Critical Forum Kalachakra (CFK) demands that a wide-ranging cultural debate

over the Kalachakra Tantra and the Shambhala myth. The CFK collects

informations, distributes and translates documents.

 

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© Copyright 2003 – Victor & Victoria Trimondi

 

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