Shri Kalachakra (Tibetan: pal du kyi kor lo. English: the Wheel of Time): a non-dual Tantra retrieved from the hidden kingdom of Shambala.

Sanskrit: Kalachakra Tibetan: Du kyi kor lo Semi-wrathful in appearance, blue in colour, he has four faces, twenty-four hands and two legs. The main face is blue, right red, left white and the back face is yellow. Each has three eyes and an open mouth with slightly bared fangs. The first set of eight hands are blue in colour, second (middle) red and third (upper) yellow. The first pair of hands hold a vajra and bell crossed at the heart embracing the consort. The remaining right hands hold a sword, curved knife, trident, three arrows, vajra hook, damaru drum, hammer, wheel, spear, club and axe. The left hands hold a shield, katvanga staff, skullcup, bow, lasso, jewel, lotus, conch shell, mirror, vajra chains and the four-faced yellow head of Brahma. The Lord wears a long green scarf and a tiger skin as a lower garment. The consort, Vishvamata, is yellow, with four faces and eight hands. They are both adorned with crowns, necklaces, earrings, bracelets and various ornaments. The right leg of the Lord is straight and red, standing atop the figure of red Kamadeva. The left is bent and white, standing atop white Rudra. Above the layered discs of a white moon, red sun and dark blue Rahu (eclipse) they stand on a multi-coloured lotus blossom seat wreathed by the circular orange rays of pristine awareness fire.

At the top center is the primordial buddha Vajradhara, blue, with one face and two hands holding a vajra and bell at the heart. At each side are two kings of Shambhala wearing long garments and elaborate headdresses. Slightly below are two lamas wearing orange and red monastic robes. Two celestial figures, white in colour, soar against the dark blue sky.

At the left side is Sahaja Heruka Kalachakra, blue, with one face and two hands holding a vajra and bell embracing the consort. Vishvamata, yellow, holds a curved knife and skullcup. At the right is the tutelary deity Mahamaya, blue, with four faces and four hands holding a skullcup and katvanga staff and in the second pair a bow and arrow. The consort, Buddha Dakini, is light blue in colour, with one face and four hands holding the same objects as the Lord. Adorned with wrathful vestments, above a corpse, sun disc and pink lotus flower they stand in a dancing posture against an orb of red wisdom fire.

At the bottom center is the special protector for the Kalachakra cycle of Tantras, Vajra Vega (Tib.: dor je shug, Eng.: Vajra Strength). Very wrathful, blue in colour, with four faces, twenty-six hands and two legs he displays the same colours as Kalachakra. At the left is the tutelary deity form of Vajrapani, wrathful, blue, with one face and two hands holding an upraised vajra in the right and a bell in the left. Embracing the consort, green, they stand surrounded by fire. At the right is Hayagriva, red, with one face and two hands holding a stick and lasso.

The Kalachakra Mandala belongs to the non-dual anuttarayoga tantra practiced to a greater or lesser degree by all schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The concept of 'time' is used as the special metaphor to symbolize the process of transformation from mundane existence to complete enlightenment. From amongst the numerous lineages to enter Tibet the Rwa and Dro are the most famous. The Sakya school maintains seven distinct lineages of transmission. (See Guhyasamaja and Yogambara from the same set).

Rwa Lineage: Buddha Shakyamuni-Kalachakra, the Shambala king Suchandra, a line of 8 Shambhala kings ending with Manjukirti and Pundarika, a Manjushri emanation, Chilu Pandita, Pindo Acharya, Kalachakrapada the younger (Naropa), Manjukirti, Samantashri, Rwa Chorab, Rwa Yeshe Sengge, etc.

Jeff Watt 3-99

In the book A History of Tibetan Painting by David Jackson, he says; "Another interesting reference to the mKhyen-ris style from the autobiography of the 5th Dalai Lama refers to the commisioning around 1670/71 of a set of tangkas depicting mandalas (dkyil thang) from the Vajravali cycle. The political ruler (sDe-pa) undertook to sponsor it. Since sMan-thang-pa had been perfectly expert in peaceful deities and mKhyen-brtse in fierce deities and mandalas, in the Great Fifth's opinion it was essential that both lineages should not die out," (pp.159-160).