Kalachakra Empowerment
The 7 Empowerments of a Growing ChildLet the Guru Create a Bridge to Reveal Your Buddha Nature
The Kalachakra Empowerment is not simply a ceremony — it is a gateway to profound inner transformation and a deep connection to the Vajrayana path. Receiving this empowerment from an authentic vajra master marks an extraordinary step on the journey to enlightenment. Among all Vajrayana initiations, Kalachakra is one of the most rare and profound, belonging to the category of Highest Yoga Tantra, the pinnacle of the tantric path. It is uniquely offered here within the lineage the view of Great Madhyamaka, specifically the view of other-emptiness (Zhentong), which represents the definitive meaning of all the Buddha’s teachings.
This sacred empowerment was first bestowed by Buddha Shakyamuni himself, who manifested as the Kalachakra deity at the stupa of Amaravati, India, at the request of King Suchandra of Shambhala, a high-level bodhisattva and emanation of Vajrapani. At that time, only highly realized bodhisattvas could receive the empowerment — likely due to the limited merit and spiritual capacity of beings on our Earth. The Kalachakra teachings were preserved in the hidden realm of Shambhala, where they flourished uninterrupted. They were later reintroduced into our world by Kalachakrapada the Elder, a master of immense faith and devotion who, through his pure dreams and visions, received these teachings directly from the Shambhala Dharma King.
Today, encountering the Kalachakra Tantra, receiving its empowerment, and having the opportunity to practice its path within a human lifetime is a staggeringly rare karmic fortune, likened to finding a wish-fulfilling jewel in the depths of a vast ocean. While His Holiness the Dalai Lama has generously bestowed the Kalachakra Empowerment many times in recent decades, Khentrul Rinpoche emphasizes that this rare accessibility is not guaranteed to last. In all of the three times and ten directions, Tantra rarely appears, and the conditions we currently enjoy are fleeting.
There are two surviving lineages of Kalachakra transmission today: the Drö lineage and the Ra lineage. Shar Khentrul Jamphel Lodrö holds both of these transmissions. Moreover, only one living lineage — the Jonang tradition — fully preserves the Kalachakra teachings and the complete path through the Completion Stage Yogas to full enlightenment. Thus, while it is rare for this tantra to appear at all in the world, it is even rarer to encounter a master who can not only transmit the empowerment but also guide you through every stage of realization to Buddhahood.
Understanding Empowerments
Many people are not clear on the different types of empowerment, what they mean and who is qualified to give and receive them. Rinpoche helps us think through this topic.
Why This Empowerment Matters
Before we can authentically practice the Kalachakra Generation Stage, our minds must be empowered — much like fertile soil is needed before planting seeds. The empowerment ripens our minds, establishes a sacred connection with the lineage, and gives us the strength to practice successfully.
This process plants the seeds of wisdom and compassion by:
- Removing internal and external obstacles
- Establishing Bodhicitta (the enlightened motivation)
- Awakening our capacity to experience our own Buddhanature
Even if we don’t fully realize its depth the first time, each experience brings us closer to that realization.
Collectively, the Kalachakra Empowerment is not just about liberating all sentient beings as limitles as space — it is about helping to establish a Golden Age of Peace in our world so that their conditions can be happier and more abundant on that process to enlightenment. The Kalachakra teachings embody the profound principle that inner and outer worlds are inseparably connected. As practitioners transform their inner confusion into wisdom, they directly influence the fabric of external reality, laying the causes for a more harmonious, peaceful era on Earth. The prophecy of Kalachakra speaks of a future time when bias, materialism, ignorance, and division will be overcome, ushering in a period of spiritual flourishing led by wisdom and compassion. By receiving the empowerment, you are not only committing to your own awakening — you are taking a step to make our own earth a better place. Thus, the Kalachakra Empowerment matters because it has a direct karmic link to bring about a world where peace is not a dream, but a living reality.
One Time is Not Enough
Many people mistakenly believe that attending once is enough. In truth, each time you take the empowerment, it ripens you further:
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Your karma shifts
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Your merit increases
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Your understanding deepens
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Your subtle obstacles dissolve
Even if you believe you received the empowerment “completely” the first time, taking it repeatedly strengthens your connection to your enlightened nature. Each empowerment is a living, evolving transmission. Khentrul Rinpoche has received this empowerment more than 40 times. Every time you take this you are renewing samaya and strengthening your connection.
Empowerment is not just a permission — it’s an ongoing transformation, a samaya connection with a Tantric Guru, and a multi-life seed for transformation.
GOLDEN AGE
Connection between Kalachakra, World Peace and the Golden Age
Be a Part of the Revolution – Inner Peace to Manifest Outer Peace
The Kalachakra tantra prophesied a profound vision not just for individual enlightenment, but for the collective awakening of humanity on this earth. Rooted in the understanding of the profound interconnection between inner and outer worlds, Kalachakra reveals that true world peace begins within each person’s mind. As more beings purify their obscurations and embody wisdom and compassion while holding the aspiration for a Golden Age of Prosperity and abundance on this planet, the karmic seeds are sown for an era where harmony, understanding, and loving society naturally arise. The Bodhisattva who abide in the sublime Realm of Shambhala will come help us overcome bias, discrimination, ignorance, excessive materialism and conflict, so that our the radiant qualities of love, clarity, and peace will flourish across the earth. Practicing Kalachakra today is a direct way to participate in creating this Golden Age for all beings.
7 Empowerments of a Growing Child
This is the first set of Kalachakra Empowerments. It is open to everyone and often give in the public to anyone who registers. While highest yoga Tantra initiations are usually private, the Kalachakra has a history from Shambhala of being given publilcy to everyone in order to create conditions to unify a whole world.
How to Prepare for the Empowerment
Traditionally, students prepare for the Kalachakra Empowerment by completing the common preliminaries (Ngöndro) of the Kalachakra path. These practices help cultivate Bodhicitta, purify obscurations, and train the mind to become receptive to the blessings of the Guru and the Deity. While many people attend the Kalachakra Empowerment without having completed the Ngöndro — and some even take refuge for the very first time during the ceremony — the more you prepare, the more deeply you will be able to receive the empowerment’s profound blessings.
To prepare yourself fully for the Kalachakra Generation Stage Empowerment, you should:
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Generate Refuge and Bodhicitta: Establish unwavering trust in the Three Jewels and commit yourself to the mind of enlightenment.
- Purify External and Internal Obstacles: Through practices such as Vajrasattva you clear the obstacles that could hinder the empowerment from taking root.
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Commit to Tantric Vows and Ethical Discipline: These vows are not burdens — they are the profound supports that make your transformation possible.
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Be Ready to Uphold the Kalachakra Commitments: This includes the Five Buddha Families’ pledges, the Uncommon Kalachakra Pledges, and the Twenty-Five Conducts that integrate sacred view into daily life.
- Understand You are Creating Samaya: You are connecting with this Guru who is the Master
By taking these steps, you are preparing to unveil your own sacred truth.
What does it mean to receive an Empowerment?
Receiving an empowerment is not about having a dramatic vision or a mystical experience — although such signs can occur. The true sign that you have received an empowerment is a transformation in your mindstream, no matter how subtle. Trust the process: if you have the correct motivation, faith in the master, at minimum you used our book provided to you so you understand what is happening in the ceremony and you receive the empowerment ceremony, you have received it at the minimum level guaranteed.
Don’t Let Vows Hold You Back
Vows are Your Opportunity – Not a Burden
Taking vows during the Kalachakra Empowerment is not just a requirement — it is a profound opportunity and sacred commitment. These vows act like training wheels when learning to ride a bicycle: at first, we may not be perfect in holding them, but through practice, mindfulness, and perseverance, we grow into true adepts who embody the vows effortlessly. They guide our conduct, stabilize our mind, and continually point us back to our Buddha nature. In the Kalachakra system, we commit to several layers of vows: the Refuge Vows, the Bodhisattva Vows, the Common Tantric Commitments of the Five Buddha Families (which reinforce pure perception and sacred view), the Uncommon Pledges specific to Kalachakra (which align us with the unique methods of this tantra for transforming body, speech, and mind), and the Twenty-Five Conducts of Kalachakra (which help integrate the vows into daily life). Though keeping them perfectly may seem daunting at first, every sincere effort strengthens the causes for our enlightenment — until eventually, like a rider who no longer needs training wheels, we naturally uphold the view, conduct, and realization of the Vajra Path.
EVENTS
2025 Kalachakra Empowerment for the Golden Age of World Peace and Harmony
The next Kalachakra empowerment is scheduled to be in the San Francisco Bay Area of California at the Tibetan Association of Northern California from October 1 – 6th. Khentrul Rinpoche will not be giving this empowerment gain until 2028. This is a rare and precious opportunity to receive the Kalachakra Empowerment in an environment specially prepared to awaken your sacred potential. You will stand before a three-dimensional Kalachakra Mandala, be surrounded by thangkas of the deities from the mandala, and receive blessed sand from the creation of the Mandala itself — all powerful conditions to deepen your connection to the enlightened reality.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is qualified to give this Empowerment?
Not every lama or master is authorized to bestow the Kalachakra Empowerment authentically. An authentic lineage master who has actualised these teachings in their own mindstream and has gained actual attainments through generation and complete stage practice to confer the Kalachakra initiation to others. Only such a teacher has the capacity to transmit the blessings of an unbroken lineage, connecting us back to the original source. These are the blessings which create the conditions for realizations to arise in our own mind. Kalachakra Yidam should be their primary practice and they should have done retreat with this Yidam.
A qualified Kalachakra Vajra Master must:
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Have received the complete Kalachakra Empowerments and teachings from a pure lineage.
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Have completed the Kalachakra Generation Stage retreat.
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Have received guidance in the Completion Stage practices, particularly the Six Vajra Yogas.
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Hold unbroken tantric vows and have deep realization of the path.
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Be recognized by their lineage masters as an authentic guide.
Receiving the empowerment from a master who has not completed these requirements puts your spiritual journey at risk. Authenticity matters.
Which lineage does Khentrul Rinpoche hold and give the empowerment within?
Khentrul Rinpoche holds both the Drö and Ra lineage of the complete Kalachakra tantra. He focuses on the Jonang-Shambhala tradition.
How many times do I take this empowerment?
Taking this empowerment once means you can start practicing one of the sadhanas. However, Khentrul Rinpoche encourages everyone to take this empowerment as many times as they can to strengthen their connection to the precious qualities of this unbroken lineage. Each time you take the empowerment you believe that you received it fully. That doesn’t mean that each time you actually had the karmic capacity to get the same benefit. As you practice and gain more merit, you may become aware of the empowerments on a different level.
“Like our body requires food to sustain us daily, unless we are perfect, we need to repeatedly empower ourselves and our qualities through this long and incredible unbroken lineage. We have to do it again, because unless we are perfect, we are likely to break it all the time” Khentrul Rinpoche
What is the difference between the Innate Kalachakra Jenang and the Kalachakra Empowerment (Wang)?
What is the Wrathful Kalachakra Empowerment (Vajra Vega Jenang)?
Vajra Vega, the wrathful form of Shri Kalachakra and the King of the Wrathful Deities, is the protector aspect in Kalachakra. The essence of Vajra Vega is that he represents the non-conceptual primordial wisdom which arises when the winds enter into the central channel. This is the method by which the root ignorance of conceptuality is cut.
Receiving the Vajra Vega Jenang provides the blessings of Vajra Vega to connect with this aspect of Kalachakra.
I have received this from another teacher, do I have to take it from Khentrul Rinpoche to practice with Dzokden?
If you have received a Kalachakra empowerment from a different lineage to Jonang, you do not need a kalachakra empowerment to start the Ngondro or the Diety Yoga. You do need to receive an empowerment from Khentrul Rinpoche in order to participate in the Dzokden higher empowerments, some restricted practices and retreats.
Related Books
Unveiling Your Sacred Truth: The External Reality
By Khentrul Rinpoche
In this first of three books, Rinpoché explores the external reality of the world that we encounter on a daily basis. Through a wealth of practical advice, he provides us with a variety of methods for working with the many ups and downs that we face. He then encourages us to probe deeper into the very nature of our experience in order to develop insight into what is truly important to us and how to make the most of the precious opportunities that this life has to offer.
Unveiling Your Sacred Truth: The Internal Reality
Khentrul Rinpoche
Sections on Bodhicitta, Purification, Merit Accumulation and Guru Yoga
Rinpoché explores the internal reality of our personal experience in a way that emphasises our fundamental nature of love and compassion. On the basis of this authentic source of refuge, Rinpoché shows us how to integrate the distinctive philosophy of Zhentong Madhyamaka in order to reveal our sacred truth in accordance with the vast teachings of the Bodhisattva Maitreya. He then provides us with the practical instructions for engaging with the Kalachakra Preliminaries.
Seven Empowerments of a Growing Child
By Khentrul Rinpoche
All first-time Kalachakra empowerment participants will receive an empowerment booklet at the ceremony for personal use and should not be shared. This booklet acts as a guide for participants, including prayers and visualisations, so that participants are able to understand and follow the ceremony.
What do I Practice After the Empowerment?
If you are new Buddhism or the Jonang Lineage, start the Jonang Kalachakra Ngondro. If you have already practiced the Ngondro, receiving the Seven Empowerments of a Growing Child opens the door to the Kalachakra Generation Stage.
After the ceremony, you will be authorized to:
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Engage in the Generation Stage Deity Yoga of Kalachakra
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Recite the Kalachakra Mantra to purify the subtle winds and consciousness
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Practice pure view, seeing all phenomena as arising from enlightened mind
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Strengthen your connection to the Enlightened Mandala of Kalachakra
- Practice the Kalachakra Tsok Feast monthly
Through these practices, you create the conditions necessary to eventually take the 4 Higher Empowerments which are the gateway to engage in the Six Vajra Yogas and realize complete Buddhahood.