Kalachakra 25

Kalachakra for World Peace Bendigo with Khensur Jhado Rinpoche

At The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion and Atisha Centre ~ September October 2025 

• Public Lecture TBC
• Initiation  Sunday 14 Monday 15 September 
• Retreat  Monday 15 September to Sunday 19th October 

Khensur Jhado Rinpoche will give teachings for three evenings at the beginning of the retreat and will return at the end of the retreat for the fire puja.

KALACHAKRA BENDIGO 2025 - A RARE OPPORTUNITY

The Kalachakra tantra is part of the Mahayana Vajrayana tradition that flourished in Tibet.

It is very rare to have a great master give the powerful Kalachakra Initiation. Kalachakra has a special connection with world peace and it is traditionally conferred on a large number of participants. It creates a blessing for the surrounding area, country and beyond wherever it is held. 

Kalachakra was first conferred by Buddha Sakyamuni himself, to the king of Shambala, to protect from war and harm. The people of Shambala practiced well and preserved the lineage that exists for us today. His Holiness the Dalai Lama was the Vajra Master for Australia's and only Kalachakra Initiation on the basis of a sand mandala, in Sydney, in 1996 with nine days of preliminary teachings.

It was our late Spiritual Director, Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche, who expressed a heartfelt wish for the Great Stupa to organise a Kalachakra initiation and retreat, to celebrate and consecrate the instalment of The Great Stupa’s new Kalachakra Ceiling. 

We are fortunate that His Eminence Khensur Jhado Rinpoche has agreed to come and give the initiation and some instruction to guide Kalachakra Mind Mandala Retreat. We have not had a Kalachakra approximation retreat in Australia or this part of the world, so we are delighted to host this event.  We feel our Buddhist community is ready for it. And Jhado Rinpoche, seeing our estimate of interest, was pleased saying “It's excellent that so many want to accomplish the approximation retreat.” 

ABOUT THE TEACHER

Khensur Jhado Rinpoche (Tenzin Jungne) was born in 1954 to a nomadic family in the area of Namtso Lake, north of Lhasa, Tibet. Rinpoche was recognized at the age of 3 and enthroned as the 6th incarnation of the abbot of Jhado Monastery.
From 1992 Rinpoche taught at Namgyal Monastery in Dharamsala, the personal monastery of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. And then in 1997, Rinpoche was appointed as abbot. He served Namgyal Monastery, in that capacity, until 2004.

Jhado Rinpoche is a highly esteemed lama in the Geluk lineage today. He has had an excellent monastic college education, received many oral transmissions and empowerments from His Holiness the Dalai Lama and his two main tutors, as well as from many great teachers from other traditions, including the Nyingma master Trulshik Rinpoche and Chogye Trichen Rinpoche.

Renowned for his keen intelligence and dynamic teaching style, Rinpoche is highly acclaimed for teaching students from non-traditional Buddhist backgrounds. He is well-known and loved for his gentle demeanor and his kindness.

BECOME A BENEFACTOR 
We are seeking major benefactors and others to make this most meritorious event, a possibility for many people. Benefactor opportunities and donations: click on Get Tickets

• All benefactors who offer $5000 or more will be offered front row seating and the opportunity of making a special offering to Jhado Rinpoche at the opening ceremony / public talk 
• All benefactors of $1000 or more will be offered VIP seating and the opportunity to offer a khata to Jhado Rinpoche at the opening ceremony / public talk 
• All benefactors of any amount will receive a commemorative photo of the mandala ceiling.

APPLY TO ATTEND THE INITIATION & RETREAT 

Applications are open now to anyone considering Initiation or Initiation and Retreat. The Application process is free however it is an essential first step.

You will receive a ticket on completion of your application. Once your application has been processed and accepted, we will send you an email with the next steps to book accommodation, register, and pay for the initiation or initiation and retreat. 

This initial ticket is a preliminary application, please be patient while we upload our accommodation options to our website by 28th of February. 

Click on Get Tickets 

ACCOMMODATION: 

Accommodation will be available on site, or nearby, for those attending the event. Priority will be given to retreat participants. It will mainly be improvised shared or dormitory style accommodation in a variety of locations throughout our site. There will be limited sites for camping and caravans. Details of these options and costs are expected to be advised by 28th February 2025. For those wanting more privacy and comfort, and for those attending only the initiation, we suggest booking off site accommodation as soon as possible. 

Accommodation will vary between $20 and $50 per day per person.

COMMITMENTS

To practice Kalachakra one first needs to train in ethics, concentration, wisdom and bodhicitta.Buddhist Refuge, Bodhisattva Vows and Tantric Vows will be conferred, and one needs prior explanation to take those commitments. Also since Kalachakra belongs to Highest Yoga Tantra initiation includes a commitment to recite Six Session Guru Yoga daily.  It is 8 A5 pages practiced 3 times morning and evening. This practice helps maintain your tantric vows.

The Kalachakra Six Session Guru Yoga can be used for ones daily Six session Guru Yoga commitment.

Blessing without commitment: Kalachakra Initiation can be taken as a blessing. However, blessing alone is insufficient to allow you to do the deity practice or retreat. We are yet to confirm whether the initiation will be able to be taken as a blessing. An update will be sent to those who have applied to do the initiation once this is confirmed with Khensur Jhado Rinpoche.

INITIATION INFORMATION

The Kalachakra Initiation planned for Bendigo will be similar to a month-long Kalachakra approximation retreat held at Khensur Jhado Rinpoche’s Shalu Monastery, in India in March 2024. This initiation will not be based on a sand mandala, but based on a painted mandala.

All participants regardless of their previous attainment of an initiation based on the sand mandala are invited to apply, taking into consideration that:
- Only the people who have taken a Kalachakra initiation based on a sand mandala before, qualify to do this retreat as an approximation retreat, and complete it with the fire puja.
- People without a prior Kalachakra initiation based on a sand mandala, can take the initiation and do the retreat, however, their retreat does not qualify as an approximation retreat, nor qualify them to do Kalachakra self-initiation. Also, they cannot attend the fire puja at the end of this retreat.
- The English translation of the sadhana has been completed, and the burnt offering text is in Tibetan phonetics to follow along.
- The Kalachakra Six Session Guru Yoga is expected to be recited daily at the beginning of the first session.

SCHEDULE FOR THE RETREAT

The schedule will be similar to that used for Rinpoche’s retreat at Shalu Monastery.

During teaching days: 
Session 1    5-8am 
Session 2    9-12pm
Session 3    2-5pm 
Teaching    6-7-30pm 

Rinpoche will grant the initiation, then help the start of the retreat by leading morning and afternoon sessions for the first 3/4 days. Participants will accumulate the necessary mantra recitation on the same seat. 

A mala with 111 beads is preferable for easy counting. Rinpoche will lead the final 2/3 days and the fire puja.”