Kalachakra as the Teaching of Tibetan-Buddhist Tradition (Historiographical Essay)
PDF (Українська)

Keywords

Kalachakra, tantra, Vajrayana, Buddhism, ་Buddhist science, Tibet, Tibetology, historiography

How to Cite

Kalantarova, O. (2019). Kalachakra as the Teaching of Tibetan-Buddhist Tradition (Historiographical Essay). Multiversum. Philosophical Almanac, (1-2), 96-124. https://doi.org/10.35423/2078-8142.2019.1-2.05

Abstract

Kalachakra-tantra of the Tibetan-Buddhist tradition, which is the basis of not only certain religious practices, but also of Buddhist natural sciences (astronomical astrology and alchemical medicine), is the doctrine of Time. The article is devoted to the sequential review of the main researches of the Kalachakra doctrine that were undertaken by representatives of the tradition (since the X century, when Kalachakra appeared in the Buddhist space of India as a tantric doctrine), and by Western scholars (since the XVII century, when the Information about the cult of Kalachakra and about Buddhist sciences began fragmentarily to leak into the intellectual space of Europe). These researches could be divided into two directions: apologetic one and critical one, accordingly. In the apologetic studies, it was reflected the certain periods of the evolution of the Kalachakra-tantra practice and its affiliation to the group of the highest tantras of Vajrayana. To define the cultural and philosophical scale of the doctrine, in critical studies it were distinguished several main directions of the study of Kalachakra teaching: cosmological, astronomical-astrological, alchemical-medical, eschatological, religious-ritual and tibetological spheres. This approach to research of the Kalachakra-tantra historiography gives us the opportunity to see how the both research directions have met reaching certain limits to open the new level of study of the Kalachakra that could refresh the dialogue between Buddhism and science, where Kalachakra-tantra, which hesitates from physics to metaphysics, would play the leading role. In general, the article reviews basic studies of the Tibetan Kalachakra-Tantra teachings and attempts by Western scholars to understand the features of Buddhist natural sciences almost to this day. It has been found out how a meaningful foundation was gradually being created for further meaningful formation of the Kalachakra-Tantra terminological base in the West. This enabled the author of the article to state the approximation of the apologetic and critical directions of the study of teaching to a certain boundary that exists between scientific and religious thinking.

https://doi.org/10.35423/2078-8142.2019.1-2.05
PDF (Українська)

References

Berzin, A. (2016). Taking the Kalachakra Initiation. St. Petersburg: Nar-tang Publish House. [In Russian].

Vostrikov, A. I. (2007). Tibetan Historical Literature. St. Petersburg: Petersburg Oriental Studies. [In Russian].

Dandaron, B. D. (2006). Selected articles: Black Notebook. Materials for the Biography. Kukunor's History. V. M. Montlevich (Ed). St. Petersburg: Eurasia. [In Russian].

Daranatkha. (1869). History of Buddhism in India. V. Vasilyev (Trans.). Publish House of the Imperial Academy of Sciences. [In Russian].

Dolpopa, Sherab Gyaltsen. (2007). Buddhist Teachings of the Time of Krita-yuga. The Fourth Council. V. Batarov (Transl.) D. Ustyantsev (Ed). Moscow: Shechen. [In Russian].

Dylykovoa-Parfionovich, V. S. (2018). Kalachakra Tantra. Volume 1: The Universe. V. S. Dylykovoa-Parfionovich (Trans.). Moscow: Union Design. [In Russian].

Zhabon, Yu. Zh. (2002). Khogbug: The Source on the History of Tibetan Medicine. Moscow: BSC SB RAS.

Kalantarova, O. (2018). Culture of the Time in Tibetan Buddhism: Introduction to the History of Kalachakra. Naukovi zapysky NaUKMA, Istoriya i teoriya kulʹtury (Science Notes of NaUKMA, History and Theory of Culture). 1(2018), 53-61.

Kalantarova, O., & Korolj D. (2016). Civilizational and Ideological Transformations in Central Asia. Attempt of Culturological Analysis to B. I. Kuznetsov’s Works. Naukovi zapysky NaUKMA, Istoriya i teoriya kulʹtury (Science Notes of NaUKMA, Theory and History of Culture). 179(2016), 68-75. [In Ukrainian].

Kirti Tsenshaba Rinpoche. (2013). Practice of the Circle of Time – Kalachakra. Comment. M. Kozhevnikov (Trans.). St. Petersburg: Nartang Publish House. [In Russian].

Kuznetsov, B. I. (2003). Tibetan. Digest of articles. St. Petersburg: Eura-sia. [In Russian].

Kovalevskiy, O. (2015). The Buddhist Cosmology (2nd Edition). Moscow: LENAND. [In Russian].

Lysenko, V. G., Terentyev, A. A., & Shokhin, V. K. (1994). Early Bud-dhist Philosophy. Jainism Philosophy. History of Eastern Philosophy. М. Т. Stepanyats (Ed.). Moscow: Eastern Literature of the RAS. [In Russian].

Ostrovskaya, Ye. A. (2002). Tibetan Buddhism. St. Petersburg: Petersburg Oriental Studies, 2002. [In Russian].

Rinchendub, Budon. (1999). History of Buddhism (India and Tibet). E. E. Obermiller, & A. M. Donets (Trans.). St. Petersburg: Petersburg Oriental Studies. [In Russian].

Sanzhay-chzhamtso, Desrid. (2014). Vaidurya onbo (Garland of blue ber-yl): The Commentary on «Zhud-shi» – ornament of the teachings of the King of Medicine. D. B. Dashiev (Trans.). Moscow: Science – Oriental Literature. [In Russian].

Sidorov, S. (2012). Kalachakra «The Wheel of Time». Penza: The Golden Ratio. [In Russian].

Strelkov, A. (2011). The Legend of the Shambhala Buddhist Teachings of Kalachakra. Ulan-Ude: Udumbara. [In Russian].

Torchinov, Ye. (2005). Introduction to Buddhism. Lecture course. St. Pe-tersburg: Amphora. [In Russian].

Torchinov, Ye. (2018). Ways of the Philosophy of the East and the West: Knowledge of the Beyond. St. Petersburg: Ltd. Palmira Publish House; Ltd. Book on Demand, 2018. [In Russian].

Kharkova, Ye. Yu. (2009). Ten Classical Sciences in Tibetan-Buddhist Culture. Vestnik RKHGA (Bulletin of the RCA), 3, 97-108. [In Russian].

Chzhe Tsonkapa. (2011). The Great Guide to the Stages of the Mantra Path (Nagrim Chenmo). А. Kugyavichus (Trans.). A. Terentyev (Ed.). St. Petersburg: Nartang Publish House. [In Russian].

Chzhe Tsonkapa. (1992). The Great Guide to the Stages of the Path of Awakening (Lamrim Chenmo). А. Kugyavichus (Trans.). А. Terentyev (Ed.). St. Petersburg: Nartang Publish House. [In Russian].

Bryant, B. (2003). The Wheel of Time Sand Mandala: Visual Scripture of Tibetan Buddhism. New York: Snow Lion.

Baumann, B. (2008). Divine Knowledge: Buddhist Mathematics According to Antoine Mostaert's Manual of Mongolian Astrology and Divination. Leiden: Brill Academic Pub.

Burnouf, E. (1876). Introduction a l’histoire du buddhisme indien. Paris.

Csoma de Koros, A. (2015). Analysis of the Kanjur. Delhi: Sri Satguru Publications.

Dalai Lama. (2017). Science and philosophy in the Indian Buddhist clas-sics. The Physical World. Vol. 1. MA: Wisdom Publications.

Desideri, Ippolito. (2010). Mission to Tibet: The Extraordinary Eight-eenth-Century Account of Father Ippolito Desideri S. J. L. Zwilling (Ed.). MA: Wisdom Publications.

Dhargyey, Lharampa Ngawang. (2015). A Commentary on the Kalachakra Tantra. А. Wallace (Trans.). I. Vana Jakic (Ed.). Dharamsala: Library of Tibetan Works and Archives.

Eltschinger V. (2014). Buddhist Epistemology as Apologetics. Wien: Aus-trian Academy of Sciences Press.

Georgii, Augustini Antonii. (1762). Alphabetum Tibetanum. Romæ MDCCLXII: Typis Sacrae Congregationis de Propaganda Fide.

Günter Grönbold. (1996). The yoga of six limbs: an introduction to the history of ṣaḍaṅgayoga. L. Robert (Trans.). – NM: Spirit of the Sun Publications.

Henning, Edward. (2007). Kalachakra and the Tibetan Calendar. R. A. Thurman (Ed.). NY.

Hopkins, J. (2008). Tantric techniques. K. Vose (Ed.). NY: Snow Lion Publications.

Lamrimpa, Gen. (1999). Transcending time: the Kalachakra six-session guru yoga. B. Allan Wallace (Trans.). P. B. Firze (Ed.). MA: Wisdom Publications.

Laufer, B. (1913). The Application of the Tibetan Sexagenary Cycle. T'oung Pao, 14.1, 569-596.

Leidy, Denise Patry, & Robert, A. F. Thurman. (1997). Mandala The Ar-chitecture of Enlightenment. London: Thames and Hudson, 1997.

Lodro Taye, Kontrul. (2003). The Treasury of Knowledge (Book 1): Myriad Worlds. K. Rinpoche Translation Group (Trans.). Boston, MA: Snow Lion.

Mullin, G. (1991). The practice of Kalachakra. NY: Snow Lion Publica-tions.

Norsang Gyatso, Khedrup. (2004). Ornament of Stainless Light: an exposition of the Kalachakra tantra. G. Kilty (Trans.). Boston, MA: Wisdom publications.

Pallas, P. (1776). Sammlungen historischer Nachrichten über die Mongoli-schen Völkerschaften. St. Petersburg (1776-1801). Bd. 1.

Pallas, P. (1801). Sammlungen historischer Nachrichten über die Mongoli-schen Völkerschaften. St. Petersburg (1776-1801). Bd. 2.

Pelliot, P. (1913, Mai-Juin). Le cycle sexagenaire dans la tibetaine. Journal asiatique, 633-667.

Poussin, L. de la Vallee. (1909). Bouddhisme. Opinions sur l’Histoire de la Dogmatique. Lyon.

Ramble, Ch. (2013). The Assimilation of Astrology in the Tibetan Bon Religion. Extrême-Orient Extrême-Occident, 35, 199-232.

Roerich, G. (1932). Studies in the Kalacakra-tantra. Journal of Urusvati: Himalayan Research Institute of Roerich Museum, vol. II, 11-24.

Sopa, Lhundup, & Roger, R. Jackson. (1991). The Wheel of Time: Kalachakra in Context. NY: Snow Lion Publications.

Tucci, G. The Religions of Tibet. (1980). G. Samuel (Trans.). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.

Wallace, V. (2009). Medicine and Astrology in the Healing Arts of the Kālacakratantra. In As Long as Space Endures: Essays on the Kālacakra Tantra. E. A. Arnold (Ed.). NY: Snow Lion Publications.

Wallace, V. (2001). The inner Kalachakratantra. A Buddhist tantric view of the individual. NY: Oxford University Press.

Wessels, C. (1924). Early Jesuit Travelers in Central Asia, 1603-1721. Delhi: The Hague Martinus Nijhoff.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.