Kālacakra ( dus kyi ‘khor lo) is a polysemic term in Vajrayana Buddhism that means “wheel of time” or “time cycles”.[1] “Kālacakra” is also the name of a series of Buddhist texts and a major practice lineage in Indian Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism. The root text of the Kalachakra Tantra was first revealed by the Buddha Shakyamuni as the magical manifestation of the Kalachakra deity to King Suchandra of Shambhala who traveled to India in order to request and receive this tantra. At the glorious Drepung stupa in South India, a year after his complete enlightenment, it is said that the Buddha displayed the Wondrous Lunar Mansion Mandala, performed the Kalachakra empowerment and taught the tantra to King Suchandra and countless other human and non-human beings.
Upon returning to the realm of Shambhala, King Suchandra began teaching and transmitting the Kalachakra Root Tantra. This tantra has then been passed down successively to the present 21st Kalkin of Shambhala. King Yashas, an emanation of Manjushri then composed the Condensed Kalachakra Tantra while his son, Kalkin Pundarika composed the primary commentary on the Condensed Kalachakra Tantra titled, Vimalaprabha or Stainless Light.
Then, as the legend is told, one day in the 10th century while walking along a path in northern India, the master Jamyang Dorje had a vision of his meditation deity Manjushri who instructed him to follow the path northwards. Along his way, Jamyang Dorje encountered an emanation of the 11th Kalkin of Shambhala who performed the entire Kalachakra empowerment and transferred this tantric lineage of realization onto him. After meditating for 6 months on the profound yogic practices that he received from the Kalkin, Jamyang Dorje was able to transport himself to Shambhala. While there in Shambhala, he studied the Kalachakra Tantra further with the Kalkin before returning to India. Upon his return, Jamyang Dorje became known as “Kalachakrapada the Elder.”
The way these teachings spread into Tibet.
Kache Banchen Dawa Gonpo, a direct student of Nalanpa came to Tibet three times. He gave the entire empowerment of Kalachakra, and translated by Dro She Rab Dra, he gave the teachings of Kalachakra Tantra and many other teachings such as the trilogy of Commentaries by Bodhisattvas. Then they were promoted gradually by the great accomplished masters such as Lama Lhaje Gonpa, Lama Droton Namtsek, Drupchen Yumo Mikyod Dorje, Saychok Dharmey Shora, Khepa Namkha Odser, Kyama Tulku Jobum, Semo Chewa Namkha Gyaltsen, Jam Serwa Sherab Odser, Kunchen Choeku Odser (1214-1292) and became known as Jordruk <the six practices>. In 1243 Shang Kunbang Thuje Tsondu was born. From many masters such as Kunchen Choeku Odser, he received more than seventeen different kinds of pure explanatory teachings and pith instructions on the six limbs of Kalachakra practice. By adopting these pith instructions into his own practice, he attained the state of accomplishment. As he was invited, in 1294 he went to a place called Jonang of Jomo Nakman Gyalmo founded a monastery there. Since then the lineage that was called Jordruk <the six practice > became known as Jonang. His student was Chang Sem Gyalwa Yeshi (1257-1320). The student of Chang Sem was Khetsun Yonden Gyatso (1260-1327). These three masters became known as the three first Lamas of Jonang. As it was prophesied in the scriptures like the Sura of the Great Drum and the Ushnishavijayi Tantra, Kunchen Jonangpa Sherab Gyaltsen, the direct student of Khetsun Yodan Gyatso, was born in 1292 in the town of Kayori to his father Yeshi Wangchuk and mother Tsultrim Gyan. At the age of eleven, he took monastic vows from Khen Tsultrim Odser and received the name Sherab Gyaltsen. He studied and mastered the great treaties such as Paramita <perfection>, Pramana <science of valid cognition> and Abhidharmakosha <treasury of Abhidharma> under teachers like Lama Kyitonpa. He went to almost all the monastic universities in Utsang <the central Tibet> and became perfect in all the three fields of giving teaching, debating and writing that he gained the title ‘Kunchen’ <all knower >. He studied and practiced accurately under Khetsun Yotan Gyatso and more than thirty other great Dharma masters that he gained the realization of the ultimate meaning of both Sutra and Tantra. His writings expressing his special views on the meaning of Sutras and Tantras spread everywhere and it drew debates from most of the scholars then as it was beyond their intellectual scope. However, these debates vanished like snow flakes landing on surface of an ocean that it became an indisputable tenet. Because of the request of many spiritual masters, he composed around ten volumes of teachings such as the Ocean of Definitive Meaning. He turned the wheel of Dharma extensively by combing Sutra and Tantra to numberless disciples. His activities for the welfare of Buddha Dharma and sentient beings like this were carried not only in Tibet, in other places like China and Mongolia, his activities gave the impression that the Victorious One himself was on the earth again. Then at the age of seventy, on the 6th date of the 10th month in the year of Female Metal ox, he passed away into Dharmadhatu <the ultimate sphere of reality>.
Then the lineage came down successively without interruption through Kunchen Chenpo’s direct student the manifestation of Bodhisattva Kshitigarbha Chokley Namgyal, Nyaponpa Kunga Pal, Drubchen Kunga Lodroe, Jamyang Kunchok Sangpo, Khedrup Namkha Choe Kyong, Padchen Namkha Palsang, Lochen Radna Bhada, Jetsun Kunga Drolchok, Khenchen Long Rig Gyatso and to Jetsun Taranata, the manifestation of Shri Chakrasamvara. During the time between 1575 and 1634, Jetsun Taranata or Kunga Nyingpo became an ornament of Great Madhyamika of the Ultimate Definitive Meaning. Since the age of 1, he had repeatedly said “I am Lama Drochok”, and based on the prophecy of the previous reincarnation, he was recognized as the reincarnation of Jonang Jetsun Kunga Drolchok and was enthroned in Choelong Changtse. He studied and practiced the teachings of both Sutra and Tantra under the tuition of some great teachers like the great master Khechok Champa Lundrup and the great abbot Khenchen Longrig Gyatso that he became one of the greatest Dharma teachers. He founded the Jonang Monastery and had numberless students. There are forty volumes of teachings that he translated and composed. With great kindness, he preserved and promoted the teachings of all the traditions of Jonang, Nyima, Kagyud, Sakya, Gedhan and others impartially so that the rays of the light of his activates shone on the entire land of Tibet, China, Mongolia, America, Russia, Singapore, Malaysia and other countries around the world.
The lineage came down unbrokenly through his successors, such as Kunga Rinchen Gyatso, Khedrup Lodroe Namgyal, Chalongpa Ngawang Trinley and to our root teacher, the one with three kindness of bestowing empowerment, imparting teachings and granting pith instructions. So this tradition, the doctrine of the definitive meaning, is continuously spreading and flourishing in all the places in the world today.
The Kalachakra Tantra and its commentary were then passed on from Kalachakrapada the Elder to his younger successor Shribhadra or “Kalachakrapada the Younger.” The lineage of these tantric teachings continued onto Nalendrapa (otherwise known as Bodhibhadra) and then to the Kashmiri master Somanatha. This succession of esoteric transmission passed from Somanatha to his disciple, the Tibetan translator Dro Lotsawa Sherab Drak. Dro Lotsawa together with Somanatha translated the root tantra along with the Stainless Light commentary from Sanskrit into Tibetan, initiating the Dro lineage of the Kalachakra Tantra in Tibet.