Kalachakra
/ˈkɑːləˌtʃɑːkrə/noun
A Vajrayana Buddhist tantric tradition and its central teaching concerning cycles of time, cosmology, and spiritual transformation.
Did you know?The Kalachakra Tantra links cosmic, astronomical, and bodily cycles, making time itself—not merely space or spirits—the central object of tantric contemplation.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kʷel-
“To turn, move around, or revolve; the ancient root behind the wheel-related element.”
Vedic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
kāla
“Time; in some contexts, the appointed moment or death.”
Vedic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
cakra
“Wheel, disk, circular object, or cycle; also used for a royal or cosmic symbol.”
10th–11th Century
Sanskrit
Kālacakra
““Wheel of Time,” the name of a tantric Buddhist system and its foundational tantra.”
11th–12th Century
Tibetan
dus kyi ’khor lo
““Wheel of time,” the Tibetan translation and name for the Kalachakra tradition.”
Modern English
English
Kalachakra
“A Buddhist tantric tradition, teaching, and initiation system centered on time, cycles, and awakening.”