Lanterns Up

Kalachakra is a Sanskrit term used in Tantric Buddhism that means “time-wheel” or “time-cycles”. The Kalachakra tradition revolves around the concept of time and cycles: from the cycles of the planets, to the cycles of human breathing, it teaches the practice of working with the most subtle energies within one’s body on the path to enlightenment.

The Kalachakra deity represents a Buddha and thus omniscience. Since Kalachakra is time and everything is under the influence of time, Kalachakra knows all.

The Kalachakra mantra, which is shown as OM AH HUM HOH HAM KSHAH MA LA VA RA YA HUM PHET, consists of seven individual syllables combined together with three other components to make a total of ten very powerful elements within the image. The ten powers are described as ten existences – body, awareness, space, wind, fire, water, earth, stable, moving, and the gods unseen and uncreated. So, the Kalachakra symbol means “The one with ten powers”, which is the best known symbols of the Kalachakra system. It is carved onto pendants, rings, bracelets, etc. for the use of protection against spirit harm.

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