Kalachakra tantra practice overcomes the obstacles to spiritual development. Since 1970, the Dalai Lama and other great Tibetan masters have given the initiation to over 1.5 million people worldwide. Introduction to the Kalachakra Initiation expands oral teachings Alex Berzin gave during several Kalachakra initiations to deepen participants' experience before and after the initiation. He explains the tantric theory, vows, commitments, how to visualize, and the thoughts and feelings participants need to generate at each step of the empowerment. It presents the variations in the Kalachakra initiation for the four lineages of Tibetan Buddhism, and relates Kalachakra teachings to karma, astrology, Tibetan medicine, the fabled land of Shambhala, and world peace.

Introduction to the Kalachakra Initiation, Alexander Berzin, Snow Lion Publications, Paperback, 200 Pages, $22.95

Alexander Berzin received a PhD from Harvard University in 1972 from the Departments of Far Eastern Languages and Sanskrit and Indian Studies. A member of the Translation Bureau of the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives since 1972, he is the author of numerous books and articles. He frequently travels to the Americas, Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, lecturing on Buddhism and Tibetan culture and helping to establish programs of co-operation between the Tibetan community and academic and religious institutions.

Foreword by Dalai Lama	11
	Preface	13
Chapter 1	Introduction to Tantra	17
	The Need for a Realistic Approach	17
	What Is Tantra?	18
	Deity Yoga	18
	Training the Imagination	19
	Using Visualization to Expand Our Capacities	21
	Generation and Complete Stage Practice	22
	The Role of Receiving Empowerment and Taking Vows	23
	Commitment	25
	Choosing a Tantra System	26
Chapter 2	Overview of Kalachakra
	Cycles of Time and Karma	27
	Liberation from Cycles of Time	30
	The Spread of Kalachakra	30
	Kalachakra and the Line of Dalai Lamas	32
	Kalachakra and World Peace	33
	Shambhala	34
	Assessing Our Preparation for Receiving Empowerment	34
	Overview of the Initiation	36
Chapter 3	External Kalachakra	39
	Kalachakra: The Clear Tantra	39
	The Textual Tradition	40
	Description of the Universe	41
	Space Particles and the Origins of a Universe	42
	The Location of Shambhala	43
	The Threat of Invasion	44
	Barbaric Hordes	45
	Levels of Meaning of Shambhala	46
	The Use of Hindu Images	47
	The Prophesy of a Future World War	48
	Preventing War through Sharing Technology	49
	Karma and Astrology	50
	Kalachakra Astrology	51
	Techniques for Predicting the Future	52
	Wartime and Peacetime Technology	53
	The Golden Age of Kalachakra and the Age of Aquarius	54
Chapter 4	Internal Kalachakra
	The Four Manners of Rebirth	55
	What Continues from One Lifetime to the Next	56
	Subtlest Creative Drops and Space Particles	57
	Devoid Forms	58
	Human Rebirth	59
	The Subtle Body	60
	The Four Subtle Creative Drops	61
	Correlation with Descriptions of Subtle Body in Other Systems	62
	Kalachakra and Tibeto-Mongolian Medicine	63
	The Correlation of Internal and External Cycles	64
	The Life-spirit Cycle and Good Health	65
	Alchemy	66
Chapter 5	Alternative Kalachakra	69
	Qualifications of a Kalachakra Master	69
	Improper Teachers	71
	Qualifications for Receiving Empowerment	71
	Deciding Whether to Attend the Empowerment	73
	The Mandala Used for Conferring Empowerment	74
	The Three Levels of Empowerment	75
	Approaching the Complexity of Kalachakra Practice	77
Chapter 6	Refuge Commitments and Bodhisattva Vows	79
	Studying the Commitments and Vows	79
	Actions to Adopt after Formally Taking Refuge	79
	Actions to Avoid and Ways to Show Respect	81
	General Refuge Commitments	82
	Taking Refuge and Following Other Religions or Spiritual Paths	83
	Actions for Never Losing Bodhichitta Resolve	85
	Root Bodhisattva Vows	86
	Maintaining Vows	90
	The Four Binding Factors for Losing Vows	91
	Weakening Vows	92
	Strengthening Weakened Vows	93
	Secondary Bodhisattva Vows	94
Chapter 7	Tantric Vows	97
	Overview	97
	Common Root Tantric Vows	98
	Kalachakra Root Tantric Vows	104
	Selected Points from the Secondary Tantric Vows	107
Chapter 8	Tamed Behavior and Closely Bonding Practices	111
	Modes of Tamed Behavior	111
	Overview of Closely Bonding Practices	116
	Common Practices for Bonding Closely with the Buddha-family Traits	117
	Practices Specific to Kalachakra for Bonding Closely with the Buddha-family Traits	118
	Six-session Yoga	120
Chapter 9	The Preparation Ceremony	123
	Keeping Our Level of Participation Private	123
	How to Visualize	124
	The Clear Light Basis for Visualization	125
	Confirming Our Ability to Visualize	126
	Visualizing the Mandala and Keeping Our Directional Orientation	127
	Textual Traditions of the Empowerment Ritual	128
	Entering the Site for the Ceremony	129
	Transforming Our Self-image with the Inner Empowerment	130
	Gender Issues in Visualization	132
	Concluding Procedures and Significance of Receiving the Inner Empowerment	133
	Taking Vows and Transforming the Elements of Our Body	134
	Purifying Body Speech and Mind and Determining Future Attainments	135
	Receiving Materials for Examining Our Dreams	136
	General Advice	138
Chapter 10	The First Day of the Actual Empowerment	139
	Preliminary Steps	139
	Visualizing Ourselves as a Couple and Taking Vows	140
	The Yoga Encompassing Everything	142
	Confidentiality	143
	Entering the Mandala Blindfolded	144
	Making Our Visualization More Firm	146
	Invoking Deep Awareness Beings	147
	Final Procedures Before Receiving the Main Empowerments	148
Chapter 11	The Second Day of the Actual Empowerment	151
	Theoretical Basis for Empowerment	151
	The Relation Between Buddha-nature and Empowerment for Purifying Obstacles	152
	Causal and Foundational Seeds	153
	Application to Kalachakra Empowerment	154
	Experiencing Blissful Awareness of Voidness During Empowerment	155
	Generating an Understanding of Voidness	156
	Theoretical Basis for the Seven Empowerments of Entering like a Child	157
	The Common Structure of the Seven Empowerments	160
	Final Appended Procedures	162
	Concluding Remarks	164
Chapter 12	Outline of the Initiation	167
	The Preparation Ceremony	167
	The First Day of the Actual Empowerment	170
	Entering Blindfolded, Remaining Outside the Curtain	170
	Entering Blindfolded into the Mandala Palace	171
	Entering as Someone Who Can See the Mandala	174
	The Second Day of the Actual Empowerment	174
	Bibliography	191