For an alternative understanding of the Kalachacra, you might want to read what the Dalai Lama has to say about it on his website or in book s like this one:The wheel of time: the Kalachakra in context By Geshe Lhundub Sopa, Roger Jackson, John Newman, Beth Lee Simon

as well as this excerpt from wikipedia:

Controversy
The Kalachakra Tantra has occasionally been a source of controversy in the west because the text contains passages which may be interpreted as demonizing Islam. This is principally because it contains the prophecy of a holy war between Buddhists and so-called "barbarians" (Skt. mleccha). One passage of the Kalachakra (Shri Kalachakra I. 161) reads, "The Chakravartin shall come out at the end of the age, from the city the gods fashioned on Mount Kailasa. He shall smite the barbarians in battle with his own four-division army, on the entire surface of the earth."

Though the Kalachakra prophesies a future religious war, this appears in conflict with the vows of Mahayana and Theravada Buddhist teachings that prohibit violence. According to Alexander Berzin, the Kalachakra is not advocating violence against people but rather against inner mental and emotional aggression that results in intolerance, hatred, violence and war. Fifteenth century Gelug commentor Kaydrubjey interprets "holy war" symbolically, teaching that it mainly refers to the inner battle of the religious practitioner against inner demonic and barbarian tendencies. This is the solution to violence, since according to the Kalachakra the outer conditions depend on the inner condition of the mindstreams of beings. Viewed that way, the prophesied war takes place in the mind and emotions. It depicts the transformation of the archaic mentality of violence in the name of religion and ideology into sublime moral power, insight and spiritual wisdom.[9]

Tantric iconography including sharp weapons, shields, and corpses similarly appears in conflict with those tenets of non-violence but instead represent the transmutation of aggression into a method for overcoming illusion and ego. Both Kalachakra and his dharmapala protector Vajravega hold a sword and shield in their paired second right and left hands. This is an expression of the Buddha's triumph over the attack of Mara and his protection of all sentient beings.[10] Symbolism researcher Robert Beer writes the following about tantric iconography of weapons and mentions the charnel ground:

Many of these weapons and implements have their origins in the wrathful arena of the battlefield and the funereal realm of the charnal grounds. As primal images of destruction, slaughter, sacrifice, and necromancy these weapons were wrested from the hands of the evil and turned - as symbols - against the ultimate root of evil, the self-cherishing conceptual identity that gives rise to the five poisons of ignorance, desire, hatred, pride, and jealousy. In the hands of siddhas, dakinis, wrathful and semi-wrathful yidam deities, protective deities or dharmapalas these implements became pure symbols, weapons of transformation, and an expression of the deities' wrathful compassion which mercilessly destroys the manifold illusions of the inflated human ego.[11]

This prophecy could also be understood to refer in part to the Islamic incursions into central Asia and India which deliberately destroyed the Buddhist religion in those regions. The prophecy includes detailed descriptions of the future invaders as well as suggested (non-violent) ways for the Buddhist teachings to survive these onslaughts.[12][13]

One interpretation of Buddhist teachings that portray military conflict - such as elements of the Kalachakra Tantra and the Gesar Epic - is that they may be taught for the sake of those who possess a karmic tendency towards militancy, for the purpose of taming their minds.[who?] The passages of the Kalachakra that address religious warfare can be viewed as teachings to turn away from any religious justification of war and violence, and to embrace the precepts of love and compassion.

Another portion of the Kalachakra teachings describes women in a very negative way. In his teaching of the Kalachakra in Illinois in 1999, the Dalai Lama even paused in his rendition of the teachings to almost apologize for the seeming harshness of the text regarding women and noted that this part was directed to monks who should avoid women. Further controversy, especially in the West, centers on the sexual dimension of the teachings and the graphic representation of the united couple in Kalachakra paintings. The ecstatic state of sexual union is an elementary part of the Kalachakra practice but all are warned against this actual practice because base human factors can so easily enter what should be a pure practice.

Alchi,
As a non-buddhist I appreciate your explanation and interpretation of the Kalachakra Empowerment as a symbolic tale. However, it seems to have very close similarities to the End Times rhetoric of fundamentalist Christianity and some of the Wahabi Muslim treatises on holy war or jihad--which could and have been generously interpreted as simply symbolic until such time as those in power need to whip up the believers to become bloodthirsty, when those same texts suddenly morph into 'revealed truth'.
I find that incredibly manipulative and quite frankly, a medieval approach to power that has no place in a democratic system. We live in a complex global political climate, such teaching is so simplistic as to be downright dangerous, which is more than enough reason IMO, to keep religion out of politics.

I was aware of the historical Nazi connections to Tibet but not that the Dalai Lama is still keeping faith with Beger and still claims a friendship of sorts with the Aum sarin gas killer---- nothing like keeping a foot in both camps, eh, just in case the time comes when that 'revealed truth' might come in handy and genocide is again on the table?

To call the Tibetan government-in-exile democratic is a massive stretch, since that government currently wields no political power at all. My understanding is that it is the monastic leaders who select the powerholders, the Tibetan people have not been consulted. That is correctly termed a theocracy, not a democracy.
The government-in-exile might declare itself to be putatively democratic, but currently that again is a symbolic interpretation until such time as the Tibetan people get a vote on it.
To me this is sounding more and more like that other medieval power, the Papacy.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/09/2010 03:46PM by Stoic.

Hi Stoic,

I'm not here to defend the Dalai Lama, but I think you should check his records regarding his commitment to democracy and the inner workings of the tibetan government in exile a bit more thoroughly.
Regarding the kalachackra, there is an apocalyptic aspect to it of course as well as a saviour figure in the persona of Maitreya who will come at the end of times. This is part of the ancient buddhist mythology shared by many buddhist traditions not just the Tibetans. But don't worry, he will come (according to the texts) when man will have a life expetency of 80000 years, so it's not for tomorrow!

Best,

What is and is not a democracy--it hinges not on what the monastics declare it to be but on the expressed wishes of the Tibetan people who have yet to be consulted, thus it cannot be democratic:

[en.wikipedia.org]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/11/2010 01:08AM by Stoic.

Tibetan parliament's website: [www.tpprc.org]

[www.youtube.com]

Penn and Teller on the Dalai Lama

Alchi,
This is teaching about democracy, or what the religious and moral view of democracy might be--in the same way that the Dalai Lama teaches that "his religion is kindness"--it is an abstraction until you see that democracy or that kindness in action.

Politics is the art of the possible, it is solely in the realm of action, not intention.

A country is not democratic until it is run on democratic principles, just as a person is not kind, no matter what he claims, until that kindness is evidenced in the way he acts.

What the Dalai Lama is presiding over in Dharamsala is a well-intentioned 'talking shop', since he has no political power and will not have any democratic political power until the Tibetan people get a say in the matter--in which case they may well opt for some other leader and some other way of organising themselves--as is their democratic right.

Currently the Dalai Lama is attempting to put a democratic gloss onto his leadership, he has not yet been elected by the people he purports to lead, he was selected by the monastic leaders for his position.
The basic principle of democracy is simple-- of the people, by the people, for the people, not 'of the religious elite, by the reincarnated god-king, for the glorification of the pre-existing power hierarchy'.

The glaring absence of the people in this supposed democratic leadership is not so remarkable when you realise that the Tibetan people have always occupied the position of serfs, essentially non-persons with no voice and no choice, under their religious masters.

Thanks, indiaspark, for the Penn and Teller video. It prompted me to watch a lot more footage on YouTube and I found this 6 part documentary on the changing circumstances of the Tibetan serfs.

It is produced by the Chinese state so has an obvious bias and an interest in presenting a glowing picture of modern day Tibet, but the archive footage and historical narrative is supported by other sources in the West (recently released documents) as being accurate. It provide a counter to the one-sided story that the exiled Tibetan upper classes have so far promoted via their Hollywood celebrity devotees:

[www.youtube.com]

A US newsreel snippet on the real Dalai Lama:

[www.youtube.com]

and for some light relief, the Dalai Lama Latte:

[www.youtube.com]

You are talking about a governement in exile. As far as I know, the Tibetans in exile are pretty happy with the way the DL and the "government" is looking after their common interests. You are speculating about the future and what kind of political setup the Tibetans will have if the DL was in charge of an unoccupied Tibet. I am sorry to let you know that this future is unfortunately not going to happen.
I understand your skepticism but it seems that you are idealising " democracy" as a kind of holy grail of human universal development. The truth is that western version of "democracy" is far from being perfect and imposing our view of what "democracy" should be like in another cultural context is an intelectual minefield.
I don't if you have ever been in contact with Tibetan culture or Tibetan refugees, but from my personal experience I have seen a lot of respect and thankfulness for what the DL has achieved for his people (Inside and outside Tibet.)
All of this is really interesting but I don't know if this is really relevant to a forum about "Cults, Sects and New Religious Movement"!