Kalachakra Mandala

“The essential method of Kalachakra is to cultivate love and compassion to such a degree that all forms of bias are removed and the mind is able to abide in a pervasive and unchanging experience of peace and harmony. This profound realisation is known as Shambhala. To achieve Shambhala is synonymous with full and complete enlightenment or the perfect manifestation of our primordially pure Buddha-nature. Because this nature is equally present at the time of the ground and the time of the result, Shambhala is considered to be both the source of the Kalachakra teachings and the fruition of its practice.

While ultimately Shambhala is the perfection of peace and harmony, conventionally, it can manifest in a variety of ways depending on the purity of one’s mind. As such, we can identify many intermediate steps along the path that are also given the name Shambhala. All of these manifestations represent provisional opportunities for us to achieve realisation of the definitive meaning of Ultimate Shambhala and are produced through the practice of Kalachakra. This means that even if you are unable to complete the path at this time, you can be sure to create the opportunity to do so in a future life.”
      – Khentrul Rinpoche, Unveiling Your Sacred Truth, Book 2: The Internal Reality