Theos-Talk Archives (August 2009 Message tt00068)

Dear friends

My views are:

Thanks John.

Now I am not claiming great knowledge about the Kalachakra or the esoteric Kiu-ti mentioned by HPB. So permit me to ask the members some questions...

While I am still here at the forum, I would like to hear from anyone and also you: Which of the Kalachakra versions (with commentaries) today would you consider to be the one most closely resembling H. P. Blavatsky's The Secret Doctrine? Is it Buton's version?


- - - - - - -
1.
Here are some of the versions of Kalachakra mentioned by Vesna Wallace. 
"In his History of Indian BudÂdhism, Taranatha mentions one of the last of the Indian Buddhist panditas, VaÂnaratna, from eastern Bengal, who in 1426 was the last Indian pandita to reach Tibet through Nepal. Having reached Tibet, he taught and co-translated several works of the Kalacakra corpus from Sanskrit into Tibetan. According to the Blue Annals, the best of the initiations and precepts of the Kalacakratantra came at that time from VaÂnaratna." 
........
"It is difficult to determine with certainty the parts of India in which the first auÂthors of the Kalacakra tradition resided. The Tibetan accounts, however, indicate that even though the Kalacakra tradition initially may have started in south India, the Kalacakratantra's sphere of influence in India was confined to Bengal, Magadha (Bihar), and Kashmir, wherefrom it was transmitted to Nepal, Tibet, and eventually to Mongolia, where Kalacakra was instituted as the protective deity of the Mongol nation. "
http://www.wordtrade.com/religion/buddhism/tibkalacharkatantraR.htm

(The Blue Annals are online and tells quite interestingly that VaÂnaratna taught the complete KÄlacakra and its commentary.)
"Vanaratna (d. 1468) was one of the last Indian teachers to teach extensively in Tibet. âgos lo tsÄba himself received teachings directly from the Vanaratna, including the complete system of KÄlacakra teachings. Vanaratna is particularly noted for the refinements he made to tantric practices. For example, 'gos credits Vanaratna with restoring certain generation and completion stage precepts that had become obscured (R 802). In another case, Vanaratna changes one Cakrasamvara practice to "without signs" (mtshan ma med pa) instead of "with signs" (mtshan ma dang bcas pa)."......."His transmission in Tibet included teachings on the Vajravarahi Cycle, the KÄlacakra and its commentary, and the Samvara Cycle. He also wrote a commentary on the Sri-Cakra-Samvarapancakramavrtti."


2.
Now we know from H. P. Blavatsky's writings, that Tsong Kha Pa's teachings are very important. From an unpublished article in the HPB Collected writings we have:

"THE SECRET BOOKS OF âLAM-RIMâ AND DZYAN

The Book of Dzyanâfrom the Sanskrit word âDhyÃnaâ (mystic meditation)âis the first volume of the Commentaries upon the seven secret folios of Kiu-te, and a Glossary of the public works of the same name. Thirty-five volumes of Kiu-te for exoteric purposes and the use of the laymen may be found in the possession of the Tibetan Gelugpa Lamas, in the library of any monastery; and also fourteen books of Commentaries and Annotations on the same by the initiated Teachers.
Strictly speaking, those thirty-five books ought to be termed âThe Popularised Versionâ of the Secret Doctrine, full of myths, blinds, and errors; the fourteen volumes of Commentaries, on the other handâwith their translations, annotations, and an ample glossary of Occult terms, worked out from one small archaic folio, the Book of the Secret Wisdom of the World*âcontain a digest of all the Occult Sciences. These, it appears, are kept secret and apart, in the charge of the Teshu-Lama of Shigatse. The Books of Kiu-te are comparatively modern, having been edited within the last millennium, whereas, the earliest volumes of the Commentaries are of untold antiquity, some fragments of the original cylinders having been preserved. With the exception that they explain and correct some of the too fabulous, and to every appearance, grossly-exaggerated accounts in the Books of Kiu-teâ âproperly so calledâthe Commentaries have little to do with these. "
http://www.katinkahesselink.net/blavatsky/articles/v14/mb_007.htm


I wonder which Monasteries has similar "cylinders" hidden in their libraries?


3.
I throw an excerpt from another place on Tsong Kha-Pa's alleged relation to the Kalachakra:
"It was Buton's disciple Cho gyi bel who taught the Kalachakra to Tsongkhapa (1357-1419), the founder of the Gelukpa school, and thus it is Buton's two-fold lineage which been passed down through this sect to the present day. Other traditions did continue, for example in the Nyingma and Sakya schools, but the Kalachakra found perhaps its greatest expression in the Gelupka school, whose successive Panchen lamas and Dalai lamas became the most famous expounders of the Kalachakra, and both of whom play leading parts in the Legend of Shambhala. Therefore we will concentrate on the Gelupka version of the Legend. (to be continued)"


4.
Buton or Buton Rinchen Drub was a famous Buddhist in his day:
"After his death he strongly influenced the development of esoteric studies and psychic training in Tibet for centuries. The purpose of his works were not to cultivate paranormal magical abilities but to attain philosophical enlightenment, a belief that all earthly phenonoma are a state of the mind. He remains to this day one of the most important Tibetan historians and Buddhist writers in the history of Buddhism and Tibet"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buton_Rinchen_Drub

5.
Buton's Shalu Monastery:
"Buton's activity inevitably attracted a great deal of attention to the monastery and brought in other Buddhist interllectuals around Tibet and India to study in the grounds amounting to some 3000 by 1360. After his death the monastery became an important epicentre of esoteric studies and psychic training for centuries. The avowed purpose of lamas who cultivated paranormal abilities were not to become magicians or miracle workers but to attain philosophical enlightenment, a belief that all earthly phenonoma are a state of the mind. Shalu Temple became known throughout the far east for its dedication to these philosophies and its enlightenment of the Buddhist faith."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E1%B9%A2alu_Monastery




M. Sufilight

----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Augoeides-222@comcast.net 
  To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Monday, August 10, 2009 9:20 AM
  Subject: Re: Theos-World Kalachakra History


    Morten, 
  Thanks for the link, plenty of good reading found there. 
  John 

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: "Morten Nymann Olesen" <global-theosophy@stofanet.dk> 
  To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Sunday, August 9, 2009 10:25:26 AM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific 
  Subject: Theos-World Kalachakra History 

  Dear friends 

  My views are: 

  Some of you might want to have a look at the following words translated by Glen Mullin. 

  Kalachakra History 
  http://kalachakranet.org/kalachakra_tantra_history.html 

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