Kritik am Buch „The Shadow Of The Dalai Lama ... - Neues von Shi De

people, who have been killed as sacrifices to the gods, out of fear, as part of an ancestor
cult, out of desire (greed) or for money, is laden with "unspeakable sin" and may not be
used in the rituals. "But which falls in the bowl unasked-for is without unspeakable sin" –
and may therefore be put to use. (In: John Ronald Newman - The outer wheel of time:
Vajrayana Buddhist cosmology in the Kalacakra Tantra - Madison 1987, 266 f.).
Numerous ritual objects employed in the ceremonies are made from corpses (bowls
made from human skulls, trumpets made of leg bones, bone necklaces). A glance at the
great Kalachakra thangka (wall tapestry) which will be hanging above the throne of the
XIV Dalai Lama during the whole of the ceremony in Graz is enough to convince one of
the wrathful character of this ritual. The Time God "Kalachakra" depicted there
together with his consort, the Time Goddess "Vishvamata" in sexual union while
standing, hold in their total of 32 hands 24 objects of an aggressive, morbid or warlike
nature (hooks, sword, machete, drums and vessels made of skull bowls, a scepter whose
peak is adorned with three severed human heads, etc.)
In the secret higher initiations of the Kalachakra Tantra sexual magical rites take place,
the aim of which is to transform "sexuality" into worldly and spiritual power. The real
or imaginary women (both are possible) used in these represent particular forms of
energy, whereby age plays an important role. One begins with ten-year-old girls. Up to
the age of 20, the female sexual partners represent positive characteristics. If they are
older they are regarded as the bearers of the negative energies of scorn, rage, hate etc.
and as "demonesses". In the 8th to 11th levels of initiation into the Kalachakra Tantra
sexual magic experiments are made with just " one" woman; in the 12th to 15th levels,
the so-called Ganachakra, a total of 10 women take part in the ritual along with the
master and the initiand. It is the pupil’s duty to offer his Lama the women as a "gift".
"Laity" who are to be initiated into the ritual are supposed to offer up their female
relatives (mother, sister, wife, daughter, aunt, etc.). One can read in the Kalachakra
Mûlatantra that "If the pupil does not hand these wisdom consorts over to his master, in
order to protect his family, then [the master] may not perform this ritual." Consecrated
monks and novices, however, may make use of unrelated women from various castes. In
the secret ritual itself the participants experiment with the masculine and feminine seed
(sperm and menstrual blood). In the Kalachakra Tantra women are regarded as mere
"energy donors" for the male practitioners and once the ritual is over they have no
further role to play (see in this regard Nâropâ – Iniziazione Kâlacakra – Roma 1994).
In the current age, which according to the teachings of Lamaism is hastening towards an
apocalyptic end (Kali yuga), the Kalachakra Tantra has a particularly destructive and
aggressive character. It includes special rites which are supposed to accelerate the
general decline through symbolic acts. "What is Kalachakrayana [the Kalachakra
Way]?" – asks one of the leading experts in the field of Tantrism, the Indian Shashi
Bhusan Dasgupta, and tellingly answers, "The word kala means time, death and
destruction. Kala-Chakra is the Wheel of Destruction."
These are just some of the problematic aspects that critics object to in the Kalachakra Tantra and the
Shambhala Myth it contains. They ought to provide sufficient grounds to question whether this ritual
can still be seen as having a humanistic, peaceful, tolerant, freedom-loving and ecumenical character.