Kāla-cakra-tantra: 'The' Tibetan Tantric Text on the Wheel of Time

So, I've decided I'm going to take a stab at the Kāla-cakra-tantra. I was speaking with one of our resident Tibetanists, Prof. David Germano, today, and he explained something of the striking history of this text. I was right to suspect that it was rooted in Vedic culture. Apparently, there was a group of early Tantrikas who were very much interested in radically reimagining Buddhism. Much of the patron culture was falling apart in the region of Northern India (more properly called Bhārata-varsha) during the beginnings of the Gupta period, with masses of South Asians returning to their Vedic roots in terms of ritual, doctrine, and culture. These Buddhist tantrikas used much of the Vedic imagery and metaphor to reconstruct Buddhism in a radical new light. The result: Kāla-cakra-tantra.

Now, apparently, this isn't your ordinary tantra. It is a defining text that has massive influence in the Tibetan peninsula from some time around the 4th-5th centuries CE onward. And as distinct from many of the more antinomian tantric ritual texts, this one appears to be designed for straight-laced monks.

And, apparently, this text is one of the most commented upon Tibetan texts out there. So, it is definitely worth my time to read (especially given how I need to improve my marketability as an Asian Religion scholar!)...

I'll be back with more updates, as I dive into this, and other texts that prove valuable to my studies on this fascinating topic: Viṣṇu's Wheel of Time.