Kalachakra is the deity of Highest Yoga Tantra class. Its initiation is given only to selected disciples who are qualified and have a foundation experience of renunciation, Bodhichitta and correct view of Emptiness. In Nepalese tradition too, the initiation of Kalachakra is performed very often by learned Vajracharya priests. Receiving empowerment of this deity is a rare event these days.
It is said that one year after Shakyamuni Buddha attained Enlightenment; he was requested by King Chandrabhadra of Shambhala to teach the Kalachakra Tantra. The Buddha then manifested himself in the form of Kalachakra meditational deity in South India and gave the full teachings and initiation of his Tantra.
Kalachakra teaching was then transmitted through a line-age of seven kings and 25 propagators. The Kalachakra initiation sessions have been performed several times by His Holiness the fourteenth Dalai Lama at the present time also. Those who have received this initiation may use this meditational deity for Yidam practice.
Kalachakra has four faces, twenty four arms and two legs. His front face is blue with bare fangs; right face is red, left white and rear yellow each with three eyes. His blue face expresses wrathfulness. The deity is adorned with many jewel ornaments, such as the earrings, the necklace, the crown, the bangles and anklets and so on. Kalachakra is dressed in a tiger skin.
Among his 24 arms, 12 arms are on either side. The first four arms black, the middle red, and the last four arms are white. The first of the black arms embraces the consort and holds a Vajra in the hand, the second a sword, the third a trident, and the fourth a cleaver. The first of the right red hands holds an arrow, the second a long handled Vajra hook, the third a Damaru, and the fourth a hammer. Again, the first of the right white hands holds a wheel, the second a sword, the third a stick, and the fourth an axe. The first of the left black hands holds a bell, the second a shield, the third a Khatvanga, the fourth the Kapala i.e. skull cup. The first of the left right hands holds a bow, the second a lasso, the third a precious jewel, and the fourth a white lotus. The first of the left white hands holds a white conch, the second a mirror, the third an iron chain, and the fourth the head of the deity Brahma, held by the hair.
The Kalachakra has only two legs. The right one is red and left one is white symbolizing the right energy channels containing blood and left energy channels containing white Bodhichitta, the consort of Kalachakra is called Visvamati. She is yellow in color and has four faces each with three eyes. The other three faces are white, black and red. She has eight arms, four each on the either side. The first right hand embraces Kalachakra, the second a Vajra hook, the third a Damaru, and the fourth a rosary. The first of her left hands embraces Kalachakra and holds a Kapala filled with blood, the second hand holds a lasso, the third a lotus, the fourth a precious jewel. The consort wears a crown and is adorned with five types of ornaments. She is in union with the deity Kalachakra.
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