Preserving the Jonang-Kalachakra Tradition through embodied art forms

About this Program

The Embodied Sacred Arts Initiative is a visionary endeavor dedicated to the preservation and revitalization of the 1,000-year-old Jonang Kalachakra lineage. We believe that ancient wisdom should not be confined to “museum relics” or intellectual study alone. Instead, this initiative transforms profound spiritual truths into living, breathing pathways to liberation.  

This initiative helps to bring into balance the masculine and feminine aspects present in all humanity expression through sacred ritual, sound and form.  From the precise resonance of mantra to the monumental scale of sacred architecture, we provide practitioners with dynamic supports for global transformation.  We sponsor and support skilled practitioners and yogis from the Jonang tradition to collaborate and share essential aspects of their living heritage. This includes teaching sacred chanting rhythms, ritual music, hand mudras, and ceremonial dances—precise expressions of Kalachakra practice preserved for centuries. These exchanges are vital to maintaining the vibrancy and accuracy of the lineage’s ritual culture and ensuring its flourishing worldwide.

 

This program also includes many visual projects that serve as a “living library,” translating complex, abstract tantric philosophies into tangible forms that ensure the tradition’s precise iconography is preserved and not lost to time. By creating 3D mandalas, thangka paintings, stupas and statues, we provide practitioners with essential geometric blueprints for meditation and visualization, making the profound inner dimensions of the Kalachakra accessible to the physical senses.

Our Sacred Sound Projects

• Finding Your Sacred Voice: An initiative dedicated to unlocking the transformative potential of sound. By mastering the resonance of mantra and liturgy, practitioners purify internal subtle energies and broadcast a frequency of wisdom to shift global consciousness toward harmony.
• Umze Training Course: Specialized instruction on becoming a “chant leader.” This course trains practitioners to serve as the heartbeat of the group, holding the authentic rhythm and melody that allows the sangha to merge into a single stream of intention.
• The Dzokden Sound of Dharma Library: A growing digital archive of sound offerings from practitioners worldwide, ensuring the authentic melodies and rhythms of the Jonang lineage are preserved for future generations.
• 24-Hour Mantra Recitation: A global annual event held every April to celebrate Khentrul Rinpoche’s birthday, uniting volunteers and practitioners in a profound 24-hour continuous sound offering.

Our Visual Arts Projects

• The Shambhala Dharma Kings Thangka Project: A collection of 60 visionary thangkas depicting the thirty-two Rigdens and future Shambhala rulers, created for the 2027 Global Shambhala Tour to help manifest the Golden Age.
• The 3D Kalachakra Mandala: A magnificent, two-meter gold-plated 3D mandala designed to provide an immersive, living experience of the Kalachakra universe.
• The Kalachakra Temple (Austria): The ongoing beautification of a custom-built shrine in Garanas which houses a magnificent 24-armed Kalachakra statue.
• Vajra Vega Wheel of Protection: Utilizing modern 3D technology to create precise models of this protective imagery, bridging traditional mastery with modern innovation.
• Dolpopa’s Seeing Liberation Stupas: The global placement of replicas of the 14th-century Great Stupa of Jonang; these “liberation through seeing” monuments are designed to purify karma upon sight.
• The Wish-Fulfilling Stupa (Australia): A monumental stupa at the Land of Shambhala to be filled with one billion Tsa Tsas, accumulating vast merit and positive energy for the world.
• Drolmi Kazug Fortune Palace (USA): A sacred structure dedicated to the 21 Taras, designed to harmonize astrological influences, remove obstacles, and cultivate the conditions for spiritual and material prosperity.
• Healing Deity Statue Park (Australia): An inclusive, Rimé (non-sectarian) sanctuary at the Land of Shambhala featuring healing deities from the world’s diverse faith traditions.

Our Aspiration and Why This is Important

To manifest a Golden Age of peace and harmony, we must first create the outer conditions that reflect our inner ultimate potential.  Dzokden is committed to creating the vital causes and conditions for collective wisdom to flourish. We offer these sacred arts to foster a direct, non-conceptual experience of peace and beauty that can plant the seeds of enlightenment and purify lifetimes of negative karma. By bridging timeless mastery with modern technology, we ensure this sacred legacy remains a living experience for all of humanity.