There are two sections to the Kalachakra initiation, the preparatory procedures and actual initiation. The preparatory section has six parts.
Setting the motivation involves the disciples purifying themselves by taking a bath symbolised by sipping a handful of water and offering prostration. The master performs a ceremony of sending out a ritual cake, which symbolizes dispelling any obstructions to the initiation. The disciples then make a mandala offering holding flowers in their hands clasped at their hearts and set their motivation, thinking,’ May I attain the state of a Buddha for the sake of all sentient being,’ and forsake any wish to achieve Buddhahood, in order to achieve pleasure in this or future lives for their own benefit.
The manner of generating this wish is explained by the master’s citing a verse-’The secret mantra etc…,’ at which point the disciples should cultivate a proper motivation. The bestowal of the inner initiation concerns the master’s visualizing himself in the form of Kalachakra deity in union with his consort and then granting them initiation. The purpose bestowing the inner initiation is to symbolize the vajra master’s appointing a spiritual heir amongst his followers just as a king would appoint someone from his own family to be his regent.
The disciples make a request to the Vajra master to admit them to the city of liberation all sentient begins from the ocean of fear and suffering of birth, aging, sickness, and death. The master recites a verse,’ The torrents of birth, aging, sickness, and death…’ whose lines the disciples must repeat thrice while reflecting on their meaning in accordance with the master’s explanation. Then the master utters a verse,’ O child come here…’ in which he says he will reveal the meaning of the secret mantra and that the disciples should pay attention. This is to stabilize the disciples’ faith in the doctrine of secret mantra.
This concerns taking pledges to abide by the precepts in order to receive the esoteric initiation. The disciples must receive two sets of vows, firstly, the common Mahayana or Bodhisattva vows and secondly, the vows of the secret mantra vehicle. While accepting the common Mahayana vows, the disciples seek refuge in the Three Jewels from the depth of their hearts placing all their faith and hope in them. Then, they confess all the negativity they have accumulated in their past lives and rejoice in the virtues of others. Employing such powerful means, the disciples generate a strong intention to attain Buddhahood for the sake of other guests. They then contemplate the meaning of the verse, ‘I take refuge in the Three Jewels…’ while repeating it three times. This completes receiving of vows of the common vehicle.
The vows of the secret mantra vehicle are received through Contemplating the meaning of the words, ‘All the Buddhas Aid the supreme secret vows… ‘The disciples request the master to bestow the secret mantra vows of the uncommon vehicle through repeating the lines, ‘All buddhas and Bodhisattvas please listen to me… ‘three times. At this point the disciples take firm pledges to free all those not freed, to liberate all those unliberated and to establish them in the state of liberation by guiding them properly through all the pledges of the five buddhas families, collectively and individually, in this way, they receive the secret mantra vows. Next the disciples visualise OM at their foreheads, HUM at their hearts, HAM at their crowns, HO at their navels and KSHA at their secret organs, thinking that these syllables have transformed into the female deities of the buddha families in the entity of the three bodies and the method and wisdom aspects of the path. Holding the vajra in his hand the master touches it to the three points of the disciples thereby bestowing blessings upon them.
Scented water, blessed through the power of meditation should be seen as of the nature of the wisdom of bliss and emptiness, although its form is simply water- The master then pours it into the disciples’ cupped left hand while he chants mantras. The disciples should sip this water three times, thinking that having done so the water filled with wisdom completely flushed away all their negativities and conceptual propensities, and that they are thoroughly purified.
The two pieces of kusha grass should be fresh. The long and short pieces of grass are of the nature of pristine awareness and on the conventional level represent clear dreams. The disciples should imagine the kusha grass as having the quality of producing undistorted thoughts. The longer kusha grass is to be placed under the mattress and the shorter under the pillow. These two pieces of kusha grass should be received with folded hands. Since kusha grass is a purifying substance, through the power of mantras and seed syllables said over it, it purifies inauspicious dreams, performs the activity of removing distorted conceptions, brings clarity to the minds of disciples and has the potential to induce clear dreams indicating whether or not someone has the propensity to receive the initiation.
The protection cord is a string of three red coloured threads measuring the horizontal and vertical span of a disciple’s body and twisted together. The cord has three knots representing the nature of Vajra body, speech and mind and is blessed by their mantras and meditation. Therefore, the cord has power to protect disciples from obstacles. It should be tied around either of the disciples’ upper arms, while the master recites the mantra.
Here, the disciples visualise the six syllables OM AH HUM HOH HAM KSHA at their forehead, throat, heart, navel, crown AND the secret organ, while the respective mantras are recited ateach stage- Vajrasattva is invoked, the disciples receive the triple blessings of body, speech and mind and the supreme feat is bestowed upon them.
Thinking, Just as an Udumbara flower is extremely difficult to find, so is it rare for a Buddha to manifest and yetrarer still to meet with his teachings’, generate a great sense of joy thinking, ‘Having met with the secret teachings, I have become a fit vessel for achieving ultimate unsurpassable bliss.’ The meaning of this is revealed by the line, ‘If I stay in the womb… and the Buddhas in the world.., and so forth.’ The master explains the meaning accordingly and the disciples are instructed to generate great joy.
Dividing the night into four parts, disciples should examine their dreams in the last part before dawn. After the master has instructed the disciples to be mindful of whatever dreams they have at this time, they offer a Mandala and the session is concluded. The disciples place the longer piece of kusha grass under their mattress and the shorter one under their pillow before they go to bed- They lie down in the lion’s posture on their right side with the palm of their right hand under their right cheek, the left arm resting upon the left thigh. Then before actually falling asleep the disciples should strongly remind themselves that they have to examine their dreams. And they should not forget to recite the mantras or generate wholesome thoughts in accordance with the master’s instructions. This is how they should go to sleep.
Should a disciple dream, between the onset of dawn and sunrise, of temples, celestial abodes, umbrellas, women attired in fine clothes, or of crossing seas and oceans, or the pronouncement of auspicious and soothing words from the sky, they are considered to be good dreams, whereas signs contrary to the above are considered to be bad. Should a bad omen occur in a disciple’s dreams, then he or she should try to mitigate it through meditation on selflessness.
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