New and original computer-generated diagrams and English-language explanations of the Kalacakra worldly cosmos, especially useful during visualisations of the Mandala offering and generation stage practises are now available to view.
These have been designed according to the main commentaries by Taranatha (Meaningful to See and One Hundred Blazing Lights) and Bamda Gelek Gyatso. The images, based on translations by Adele Tomlin and designed by Felipe Zabala, are now published in the new book ‘The Chariot that Transports to the Four Kayas‘ (LTWA, 2019). This is the first time such graphic diagrams from the Jonang and Dro Kalacakra tradition, in proportion to the scale and in accordance with the colours cited in these texts, have been published in a book format.
Edward Henning created several 3D images of the Kalacakra Worldly Cosmos, see his website here.
The colour, 2D images available are:
FIGURE I: The worldly cosmos, a side view
FIGURE II: The worldly cosmos, a view from above
FIGURE III: An alternative image of the worldly cosmos, according to the tradition of
FIGURE IV:Mount Meru, the eighteen continents, oceans and mountains and the ‘great golden ground’
FIGURE V: The twelve continents on the ‘great golden ground’
FIGURE VI: The abodes of the six classes of sentient beings (including their divisions) in the worldly cosmos
FIGURE VII: An above view of the nine-heap Mandala offering within the Dro Kalacakra tradition
FIGURE VIII: The seed syllables for the guru yoga practice
These images will also be reproduced in the forthcoming publication of my English translations of ‘Meaningful to See’ and its Supplementary Commentary, ‘One Hundred Blazing Lights’ by Jetsun Taranatha. These texts were translated according to the oral instructions of Jonang elected head in exile, Chokyi Nangwa Rinpoche.
I have reproduced FIGURE I and II here below as a taster of what is in the book. Many thanks to Felipe Zabala for creating these images for free. Any mistakes or errors are all mine, please forgive them. May these images and translations be of benefit and may the Kalacakra lineages and tradition flourish and bring peace, harmony and awakening in the world!
Kalacakra worldly cosmos according to the Jonang and Dro tradition –
from above, proportional to scale cited
For more on the meaning and measurement of the term ‘yojana’, please see the footnotes in the book. The publication is restricted access to those with the requisite empowerment and teachings.
Dakini Translations and Publications མཁའ་འགྲོ་མའི་ལོ་ཙཱ་བའི་འགྱུར་དང་འགྲེམས་སྤེལ། 