The Kalacakra Tantra-Kalacakra means "wheel of time"-is a tradition of Buddhist theory and practice whose root text treats a fantastic expanse of knowledge ranging from observations of the cosmos to investigations of meditative states and vital bodily energies. In the Tibetan-speaking world, a public Kalacakra initiation remains the most sought-after event in the life of a devout Buddhist. The Fourteenth Dalai Lama has long had a strong connection with the Kalacakra Tantra; he brought the initiation to the West in 1981, performing it in the U.S., Switzerland, Spain, and Australia. This volume has been created to celebrate his long involvement with the Kalacakra teachings.

The twenty-five contributors, scholars who have made tantric studies their specialty, have contributed translations of works by great Indian and Tibetan Kalacakra masters, analyses of historical figures, methods of practice, essays on medicine, ritual expertise, and ethical discipline. The collection also includes practical advice for Western students and practitioners from contemporary Tibetan Kalacakra masters.

"The practitioner's role in creating world peace is not simply a passive one but rather a creative process for the benefit of all beings. Clearly this is why His Holiness has emphasized the Kalacakra teachings."--Edward A. Arnold

"I welcome this rich volume of learned studies by all sorts of scholars and practitioners of the Kalacakra arts and sciences, assembled by the Namgyal Institute of Ithaca to honor and celebrate His Holiness the Great Fourteenth Dalai Lama.... May it please not only His Holiness but also all people who are interested in a positive world, a realized Shambhala or Land of Peace, where everyone, no matter what their religion or race or gender or culture, keeping them all and upgrading them all, can live in peace, enjoy their hard-earned human lifetime, and seek its essential potential by educating himself or herself in all the arts of wisdom, kindness, love, and joy!"--Robert A.F. Thurman, author of Why the Dalai Lama Matters

Paperback, 480 Pages