His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be attending the annual Kalachakra Ritual held in Washington, DC from July 6th through the 16th, 2011. The Dalai Lama has been an outspoken advocate for the people of Tibet and has continued to bring attention to the forced exile of 100,000 Tibetans living in McLeod Ganj, Dharamshala, India. It is in this province of India that the exiled Tibetan government has remained since 1959, when a failed uprising against the Chinese government forced them to leave Lhasa, Tibet.
His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, has traveled extensively throughout the world bringing the teachings of the Tibetan Buddhist faith and philosophy into mainstream awareness. Meeting with leaders of all faiths, scientists, philosophers, and world political leaders, the Dalai Lama has opened up a dialogue which is aimed at furthering religious and political tolerance between all peoples of the world.
Modern History of the Kalachakra Ritual
The Kalachakra Ritual is considered by Tibetan Lamas to be the apex of Buddhist teachings. Its first recorded performance outside of Tibet by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama was in 1970 in Dharamshala, India. It has since been performed numerous times in countries all around the world, including the United States. There are numerous other practitioners from the various lineages in Tibetan Buddhism that have also performed Kalachakra initiations throughout the world. However, the current Dalai Lama continues to be the most well known of all Kalachakra practitioners. Recently, the ritual has become known for its message of unification and tolerance for all mankind and is now billed as the “Kalachakra for World Peace”.
Events Scheduled for Kalachakra 2011
During the ritual, attendees have the opportunity to receive the first seven initiations as a step on the path towards tantric practice or simply as a blessing. If from there one wishes to continue the practice there are four more initiations inherent to Kalachakra practice. From July 6th through the 8th, His Holiness and several monks from the Namgyal Monastery will perform rituals to prepare and bless the site of the Kalachakra ritual. The Dalai Lama is scheduled to give preliminary teachings about the Kalachakra from July 9th through the 11th . On July 12th, the Kalachakra Ritual Dance will be performed and on the 13th through 15th the Kalachakra empowerment will be given by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The 16th will conclude the ceremonies with a prayer for the long life of the Dalai Lama.
Randall Inhoff - Randall has been living and working in Wisconsin for the past 30 years. He is a practitioner of zen buddhism and an avid motorcyclist.
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