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In [[Tibetan Buddhism|Tibetan Buddhist]] tradition, '''Shambhala''' (also spelled '''Shambala''' or '''Shamballa''') is a mystical kingdom hidden somewhere beyond the snowpeaks of the [[Himalayas]]. It is mentioned in various ancient texts, including the [[Kalachakra|Kalachakra Tantra]]<ref> The Tantra by Victor M. Fic, Abhinav Publications, 2003, p.49.</ref> and the ancient texts of the [[Zhang Zhung]] culture which pre-dated Tibetan Buddhism in western [[Tibet]]. The [[Bön]]<ref>The Bon Religion of Tibet by Per Kavǣrne, Shambhala, 1996</ref> scriptures speak of a closely-related land called Olmolungring.
In [[Tibetan Buddhism|Tibetan Buddhist]] tradition, '''Shambhala''' (also spelled '''Shambala''' or '''Shamballa''') is a mystical kingdom hidden somewhere beyond the snowpeaks of the [[Himalayas]]. It is mentioned in various ancient texts, including the [[Kalachakra|Kalachakra Tantra]]<ref> The Tantra by Victor M. Fic, Abhinav Publications, 2003, p.49.</ref> and the ancient texts of the [[Zhang Zhung]] culture which pre-dated Tibetan Buddhism in western [[Tibet]]. The [[Bön]]<ref>The Bon Religion of Tibet by Per Kavǣrne, Shambhala, 1996</ref> scriptures speak of a closely-related land called Olmolungring.


==Shambhala in the Buddhist Kalachakra teachings==
==In the Buddhist Kalachakra teachings==
[[Image:Rigdan Tagpa.jpg|thumb|220 px|Rigden Takpa or [[Manjushríkírti]], King of Shambhala]]
[[Image:Rigdan Tagpa.jpg|thumb|220 px|Rigden Takpa or [[Manjushríkírti]], King of Shambhala]]
Shambhala ([[Wylie transliteration|Tib]]. ''bde 'byung'') is a [[Sanskrit]] term meaning "place of peace/tranquility/happiness". [[Gautama Buddha|Shakyamuni Buddha]] is said to have taught the [[Kalachakra]] [[tantra]] on request of King [[Suchandra]] of Shambhala; the teachings are also said to be preserved there. Shambhala is believed to be a society where all the inhabitants are enlightened, actually a Buddhist "[[Pure Land]]", centered by a capital city called [[Kalapa]]. An alternative view associates Shambhala with the real empire of [[Sriwijaya]] where Buddhist master [[Atisha]] studied under [[Dharmakirti]] from whom he received the Kalachakra initiation.
Shambhala ([[Wylie transliteration|Tib]]. ''bde 'byung'') is a [[Sanskrit]] term meaning "place of peace/tranquility/happiness". [[Gautama Buddha|Shakyamuni Buddha]] is said to have taught the [[Kalachakra]] [[tantra]] on request of King [[Suchandra]] of Shambhala; the teachings are also said to be preserved there. Shambhala is believed to be a society where all the inhabitants are enlightened, actually a Buddhist "[[Pure Land]]", centered by a capital city called [[Kalapa]]. An alternative view associates Shambhala with the real empire of [[Sriwijaya]] where Buddhist master [[Atisha]] studied under [[Dharmakirti]] from whom he received the Kalachakra initiation.
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As with many concepts in the Kalachakra Tantra, the idea of Shambhala is said to have an "outer," "inner,' and "alternative" meaning. The outer meaning understands Shambhala to exist as a physical place, although only individuals with the appropriate [[karma]] can reach it and experience it as such. As His Holiness the 14th [[Dalai Lama]] noted during the 1985 Kalachakra initiation in Bodhgaya, Shambhala is not an ordinary country:
As with many concepts in the Kalachakra Tantra, the idea of Shambhala is said to have an "outer," "inner,' and "alternative" meaning. The outer meaning understands Shambhala to exist as a physical place, although only individuals with the appropriate [[karma]] can reach it and experience it as such. As His Holiness the 14th [[Dalai Lama]] noted during the 1985 Kalachakra initiation in Bodhgaya, Shambhala is not an ordinary country:
''"Although those with special affiliation may actually be able to go there through their karmic connection, nevertheless it is not a physical place that we can actually find. We can only say that it is a pure land, a pure land in the human realm. And unless one has the merit and the actual karmic association, one cannot actually arrive there."''


:Although those with special affiliation may actually be able to go there through their karmic connection, nevertheless it is not a physical place that we can actually find. We can only say that it is a pure land, a pure land in the human realm. And unless one has the merit and the actual karmic association, one cannot actually arrive there.
There are various ideas about where this society is located, but it is often placed in central Asia, north or west of Tibet. The inner and alternative meanings refer to more subtle understandings of what Shambhala represents in terms of one's own body and mind (inner), and the meditation practice (alternative). These two types of symbolic explanations are generally passed on orally from teacher to student.


There are various ideas about where this society is located, but it is often placed in central Asia, north or west of Tibet. Ancient [[Zhang Zhung]] texts identify Shambhala with the [[Sutlej Valley]] in [[Himachal Pradesh]]. [[Mongolia]]ns identify Shambala with certain valleys of southern [[Siberia]].
Serious modern scholarship has now thrown new light on the Kingdom of Shambhala as depicted in the Kalachakra Tantra, such as that of Helmut Hoffman that [[Kalachakra|says]] clearly that "The first masters of the tradition disguised themselves with pseudonyms, so the Indian oral traditions recorded by the Tibetans contain a mass of contradictions." The historical chronologies thus also are contradictory and imprecise.


The inner and alternative meanings refer to more subtle understandings of what Shambhala represents in terms of one's own body and mind (inner), and the meditation practice (alternative). These two types of symbolic explanations are generally passed on orally from teacher to student.
==The Shambhala of Chogyam Trungpa==

Serious modern scholarship has now thrown new light on the Kingdom of Shambhala as depicted in the Kalachakra Tantra, such as that of Helmut Hoffman, that says clearly that "The first masters of the tradition disguised themselves with pseudonyms, so the Indian oral traditions recorded by the Tibetans contain a mass of contradictions." The historical chronologies thus also are contradictory and imprecise.

==Chogyam Trungpa==
Although [[Chogyam Trungpa]], founder of [[Shambhala International]], came out of the [[Tibetan Buddhism|Tibetan Buddhist]] tradition, in his teachings Shambhala Vision has its own independent basis in human wisdom that does not belong to East or West or any one culture or religion <ref>Shambhala, The Sacred Path of the Warrior by Chögyam Trungpa, Shambhala, 1988</ref>. Shambhala [[kingdom]] is seen as [[Enlightenment (concept)|enlightened]] society that people of all faiths can aspire to and actually realize. The path to this is provocatively described as the practice of [[warrior]]ship — meeting fear and transcending aggression, and of [[secular]] [[sacred]]ness — joining the wisdom of the past and one's own culture with the present in nowness.
Although [[Chogyam Trungpa]], founder of [[Shambhala International]], came out of the [[Tibetan Buddhism|Tibetan Buddhist]] tradition, in his teachings Shambhala Vision has its own independent basis in human wisdom that does not belong to East or West or any one culture or religion <ref>Shambhala, The Sacred Path of the Warrior by Chögyam Trungpa, Shambhala, 1988</ref>. Shambhala [[kingdom]] is seen as [[Enlightenment (concept)|enlightened]] society that people of all faiths can aspire to and actually realize. The path to this is provocatively described as the practice of [[warrior]]ship — meeting fear and transcending aggression, and of [[secular]] [[sacred]]ness — joining the wisdom of the past and one's own culture with the present in nowness.


Trungpa's Shambhala teachings have inspired numerous educational, artistic, and spiritual institutions, including [[Naropa University]], [[Shambhala Training]], [[Shambhala Sun]], [[Miksang]] photography, [[The Shambhala School]], [http://www.shambhalainstitute.org Shambhala Institute], [http://www.shambhalaprisoncommunity.org/ Shambhala Prison Community], [http://www.peacemakerinstitute.org/ Peacemaker Institute], and many others.
Trungpa's Shambhala teachings have inspired numerous educational, artistic, and spiritual institutions, including [[Naropa University]], [[Shambhala Training]], [[Shambhala Sun]], [[Miksang]] photography, [[The Shambhala School]], [http://www.shambhalainstitute.org Shambhala Institute], [http://www.shambhalaprisoncommunity.org/ Shambhala Prison Community], [http://www.peacemakerinstitute.org/ Peacemaker Institute], and many others.


==Western fascination==
==The Shambhalas of the Zhang Zhung and the Mongols==
Ancient [[Zhang Zhung]] texts identify Shambhala with the [[Sutlej Valley]] in [[Himachal Pradesh]]. [[Mongolia]]ns identify Shambala with certain valleys of southern [[Siberia]].

==Western fascination with Shambhala==
The Western fascination with Shambhala has often been based upon fragmented accounts of the Kalachakra tradition, or outright fabrications. Tibet was largely closed to outsiders until very recently, and so what information was available about the tradition of Shambhala was haphazard at best<ref>Prisoners of Shangri~La, Tibetan Buddhism and the West by Donald S Lopez Jr, The University of Chicago Press, 1998</ref>.
The Western fascination with Shambhala has often been based upon fragmented accounts of the Kalachakra tradition, or outright fabrications. Tibet was largely closed to outsiders until very recently, and so what information was available about the tradition of Shambhala was haphazard at best<ref>Prisoners of Shangri~La, Tibetan Buddhism and the West by Donald S Lopez Jr, The University of Chicago Press, 1998</ref>.


The first information that reached western civilization about Shambhala came from the [[Portugal|Portuguese]] explorer [[Estêvão Cacella]] in the early 17th century. The Hungarian scholar Alexander Csoma de Köros, writing in 1833, provided the first geographic account of 'a fabulous country in the north...situated between 45' and 50' north latitude'.
The first information that reached western civilization about Shambhala came from the [[Portugal|Portuguese]] explorer [[Estêvão Cacella]] in the early 17th century. The Hungarian scholar Alexander Csoma de Köros, writing in 1833, provided the first geographic account of "a fabulous country in the north...situated between 45' and 50' north latitude".


During the 19th century, [[Theosophy|Theosophical Society]] founder [[HP Blavatsky]] alluded to the Shambhala myth, giving it currency for Western [[occult]] enthusiasts. Later [[esotericism|esoteric]] writers further emphasized and elaborated on the concept of a hidden land inhabited by a hidden mystic brotherhood whose members labor for the good of humanity.''{{Fact|date=August 2007}}
During the 19th century, [[Theosophy|Theosophical Society]] founder [[HP Blavatsky]] alluded to the Shambhala myth, giving it currency for Western [[occult]] enthusiasts. Later [[esotericism|esoteric]] writers further emphasized and elaborated on the concept of a hidden land inhabited by a hidden mystic brotherhood whose members labor for the good of humanity.''{{Fact|date=August 2007}}


The mystic [[Nicholas Roerich]]<ref>Roerich East & West by Kenneth Archer, Parkstone Press 1999, p.94</ref> and the Soviet agent [[Yakov Blumkin]] led two Tibetan expeditions to discover Shambhala, in [[1926]] and [[1928]]. Apparently inspired by Theosophical lore, Heinrich Himmler and Rudolf Hess sent German expeditions to Tibet in 1930, 1934-5, and 1938-9. <ref>Himmler's Crusade by Christopher Hale, John Wiley & Sons., Inc., 2003</ref>.
The mystic [[Nicholas Roerich]]<ref>Roerich East & West by Kenneth Archer, Parkstone Press 1999, p.94</ref> and the Soviet agent [[Yakov Blumkin]] led two Tibetan expeditions to discover Shambhala, in [[1926]] and [[1928]]. Apparently inspired by Theosophical lore, [[Heinrich Himmler]] and [[Rudolf Hess]] sent German expeditions to Tibet in 1930, 1934-35, and 1938-39. <ref>Himmler's Crusade by Christopher Hale, John Wiley & Sons., Inc., 2003</ref>.


===Western esoteric traditions===
===Western esoteric traditions===
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Related "hidden land" speculations surrounding the underground kingdom of [[Agartha]] led some early twentieth-century occultists (especially those associated with [[Nazi]] or [[Neo-Nazi]] [[occultism]]) to view Shambhala as a source of negative manipulation by an evil (or amoral) conspiracy. Nevertheless, the predominant theme is one of light and hope, as evidenced by [[James Redfield]]'s and [[Chogyam Trungpa]] Rinpoche's respective books by that name.{{Fact|date=August 2007}}
Related "hidden land" speculations surrounding the underground kingdom of [[Agartha]] led some early twentieth-century occultists (especially those associated with [[Nazi]] or [[Neo-Nazi]] [[occultism]]) to view Shambhala as a source of negative manipulation by an evil (or amoral) conspiracy. Nevertheless, the predominant theme is one of light and hope, as evidenced by [[James Redfield]]'s and [[Chogyam Trungpa]] Rinpoche's respective books by that name.{{Fact|date=August 2007}}


===Shambhala in popular culture===
===In popular culture===
====Books & magazines====
*The myths of Shambhala were part of the inspiration for the story of [[Shangri-La]] told in the popular novel ''[[Lost Horizon]]'', and thus some people incorrectly assume that Shambhala is synonymous with Shangri-La.

*In ''The Secret of Shambhala: The Search for the Eleventh Insight'', novelist [[James Redfield]] describes a search for a Shangri-La or Shambala where all structures, tools, and objects are made up of energy fields.

*''[[Shambhala Sun]]'' is a magazine inspired by the vision of Shambhala.

*Shambhala is a point of destination for several characters in [[Thomas Pynchon]]'s novel ''[[Against the Day]]''.

==== Movies ====
==== Movies ====
* In the 2004 adventure movie ''[[Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow]]'', the two main characters journey to the city of Shambhala, hidden deep in the Himalayas.
* In the 2004 adventure movie ''[[Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow]]'', the two main characters journey to the city of Shambhala, hidden deep in the Himalayas.
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* The Three Dog Night song "Shambala" was featured in the ''[[Slums of Beverly Hills]]'' (1998), starring Natasha Lyonne, Alan Arkin and Marisa Tomei.
* The Three Dog Night song "Shambala" was featured in the ''[[Slums of Beverly Hills]]'' (1998), starring Natasha Lyonne, Alan Arkin and Marisa Tomei.


* In the ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist]]'' movie ''[[Conqueror of Shamballa]]'', the plot revolves around the [[Thule Society]]'s desire to open a portal to "Shamballa," which is instead said to be underground.
* In the ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist]]'' movie ''[[Conqueror of Shamballa]]'', the plot revolves around the [[Thule Society]]'s desire to open a portal to Shamballa, which is said to be underground.


* In the 1937 film "[[Lost Horizon (film)|Lost Horizon]]" where several passengers are taken on a plane to a utopian society that is surrounded by tall mountains where people age very slowly, although it is referred to as ''[[Shangri-La]]''.
* In the 1937 film ''[[Lost Horizon (film)|Lost Horizon]]'' where several passengers are taken on a plane to a utopian society that is surrounded by tall mountains where people age very slowly, although it is referred to as ''[[Shangri-La]]''.


====Television====
====Television====
*The series ''[[Kung Fu: The Legend Continues]]'' includes a visit to Shambhala, and Kwai-Chang Caine, the lead character, is a "Shambhala master".
*The series ''[[Kung Fu: The Legend Continues]]'' includes a visit to Shambhala, and Kwai-Chang Caine, the lead character, is called a "Shambhala master".
* The animation Full Metal Alchemist depicts shamballa as the place where alchemy is present, coexisting with technology.
* The anime ''Full Metal Alchemist'' depicts Shamballa as the place where alchemy is present, coexisting with technology.


*Shambhala is featured in the 1997 episode ''The Bangalore Falcon'' in [[The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest]].
*Shambhala is featured in the 1997 episode "The Bangalore Falcon" in ''[[The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest]]''.


*The song [[Shambala (song)|"Shambala"]] by [[Three Dog Night]] is featured in the TV series ''[[Lost (TV series)|Lost]]'', episode 310 (Trisha Tanaka is Dead) as Hurley and Charlie confront their fear of death that is weighing them down. The song is also featured in episode 320 ([http://lostpedia.com/wiki/The_Man_Behind_the_Curtain The Man Behind The Curtain].)
*The song [[Shambala (song)|"Shambala"]] by [[Three Dog Night]] is featured in the TV series ''[[Lost (TV series)|Lost]]'', episode 310 (Trisha Tanaka is Dead) as Hurley and Charlie confront their fear of death that is weighing them down. The song is also featured in episode 320 ([http://lostpedia.com/wiki/The_Man_Behind_the_Curtain The Man Behind The Curtain].)


*Shambhala is featured in an episode of A Haunting on the Discovery Channel.
*Shambhala is featured in an episode of ''A Haunting'' on [[the Discovery Channel]].


====Games====
====Games====
*In the computer game "[[Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine]]" Shambala is an old and nearly empty monastery in [[Kazakhstan]].
*In the computer game ''[[Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine]]'' Shambala is an old and nearly empty monastery in [[Kazakhstan]].


*In the role-playing game [[CJ Carella's WitchCraft|WitchCraft]], Shambala is one of the Dream Realms in [[CJ Carella's WitchCraft#Supplements|Hod]].
*In the role-playing game ''[[CJ Carella's WitchCraft|WitchCraft]]'', Shambala is one of the Dream Realms in [[CJ Carella's WitchCraft#Supplements|Hod]].


*In the video game "Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer", Shambala is the title of one of the goals in the .
*In the video game ''Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer'', Shambala is the title of one of the goals.


*In the computer game "Beyond Atlantis", Shambhala is the place one is trying to reach, by gathering the Atlantian road.
*In the computer game ''Beyond Atlantis'', Shambhala is the place one is trying to reach, by gathering the Atlantian road.

====Books & Magazines====
*The myths of Shambhala were part of the inspiration for the story of [[Shangri-La]] told in the popular novel ''[[Lost Horizon]]'', and thus some people incorrectly assume that Shambhala is synonymous with Shangri-La.

*''The Secret of Shambhala: The Search for the Eleventh Insight'' by [[James Redfield]]. In this novel Redfield describes a search for Shangri-La or Shambala where all structures, tools, and objects are made up of energy fields.

*[[Shambhala Sun]], a magazine inspired by the vision of Shambhala.

*Shambhala is a point of destination for several characters in [[Thomas Pynchon]]'s novel ''[[Against the Day]]''.


==== Comics ====
==== Comics ====
*''[[The Shadow#Adaptations|The Shadow]]'', published by [[DC Comics]], says [[The Shadow]] learned his apparently superhuman skills while visiting Shambhala. In [[Howard Chaykin]]'s 1985 miniseries, ''The Shadow: Blood & Justice'', Kent Allard (the Shadow) defends Shambhala from a plot by the real [[Lamont Cranston]].
*''[[The Shadow#Adaptations|The Shadow]]'', published by [[DC Comics]], says [[The Shadow]] learned his apparently superhuman skills while visiting Shambhala. In [[Howard Chaykin]]'s 1985 miniseries, ''The Shadow: Blood & Justice'', Kent Allard (The Shadow) defends Shambhala from a plot by the real [[Lamont Cranston]].
*Also used by [[Prometheus (comics)|Prometheus]], the "anti-Batman" villain created by Grant Morrison in his JLA run, it was considered the source of all evil and he was trying to discover it.
*Also used by [[Prometheus (comics)|Prometheus]], the "anti-Batman" villain created by Grant Morrison in his [[JLA]] run, it was considered the source of all evil and he was trying to discover it.
*[[Marvel Comics]] published a graphic novel in 1986 called ''[[Dr. Strange: Into Shambhala]]''. The [[Dr. Strange|eponymous hero]] sought "Shambhala" as a metaphor for greater enlightenment.
*[[Marvel Comics]] published a graphic novel in 1986 called ''[[Dr. Strange: Into Shambhala]]'', in which [[Dr. Strange]] sought Shambhala as a metaphor for greater enlightenment.
* In the [[2000 AD (comic)|2000 AD]] ''[[Judge Dredd]]'' comic ''Shamballa'', Judge Anderson and a cohort of scientists and other Judges from around the world travel to Shambhala, deep underground beneath the [[Himalayas]], searching for the cause and solution to cataclysmic events worldwide.
* In the [[2000 AD (comic)|2000 AD]] ''[[Judge Dredd]]'' comic "Shamballa", Judge Anderson and a cohort of scientists and other Judges from around the world travel to Shambhala, deep underground beneath the [[Himalayas]], searching for the cause and solution to cataclysmic events worldwide.
* A flashback tale in [[Gargoyles (SLG comic)|Gargoyles]] #6 has the characters ending over the lake of Shambhala. Though the comic (purposely) refers to it as Shambahla.
* A flashback tale in ''[[Gargoyles (SLG comic)|Gargoyles]]'' #6 has the characters ending over the lake of Shambahla.


==== Music====
==== Music====
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* [[Three Dog Night]] had a multi-platinum hit song called "[[Shambala (song)|Shambala]]". It was written by [[Sufism|Sufi]] poet [[Daniel Moore]] and originally recorded by songwriter [[B. W. Stevenson]].
* [[Three Dog Night]] had a multi-platinum hit song called "[[Shambala (song)|Shambala]]". It was written by [[Sufism|Sufi]] poet [[Daniel Moore]] and originally recorded by songwriter [[B. W. Stevenson]].
* The [[Rockapella]] musical group performed a cover of the above song, on their ''Smilin'' and ''Primer'' albums.
* The [[Rockapella]] musical group performed a cover of the above song, on their ''Smilin'' and ''Primer'' albums.
* The [[Beastie Boys]] have a song called "Shambala", on their ''Ill Communication'' album, which features samples of monks, presumably Buddhist, chanting, and segues into "[[Bodhisattva]] Vow", an avowed acceptance of the Buddhist lifestyle in rap.
* The [[Beastie Boys]] have a song called "Shambala" on their ''Ill Communication'' album, which features samples of monks, presumably Buddhist, chanting, and segues into "[[Bodhisattva]] Vow", an avowed acceptance of the Buddhist lifestyle in rap.
* The [[The Tibetan Song and Dance Troupe of Diqing]] has an album titled "Shambala is not far away."
* The [[The Tibetan Song and Dance Troupe of Diqing]] has an album titled ''Shambala Is Not Far Away''.
* The [[black metal]] band [[Alpha Drone]] have a song called ''Shambala Serrano''.
* The rap groups [[Jedi Mind Tricks]] and [[The Lost Children of Babylon]] often referenced Shambala in their early recordings.
* The rap groups [[Jedi Mind Tricks]] and [[The Lost Children of Babylon]] often referenced Shambala in their early recordings.
* [[Afrika Bambaataa]] & WestBam have a song "Agharta - The City of Shamballa"
* [[Afrika Bambaataa]] & WestBam have a song "Agharta - The City of Shamballa"
* [[Donovan]] included a song called "Shambhala" on his 2004 album [[Beat Cafe]].
* [[Donovan]] included a song called "Shambhala" on his 2004 album ''[[Beat Cafe]]''.
* The first track of the album "Tai Chi Too" from [[Oliver Shanti & Friends]] is called "Journey To Shambala."
* The first track of the album ''Tai Chi Too'' from [[Oliver Shanti & Friends]] is called "Journey to Shambala".
* [[Matthew Sweet]] has a track called "The Big Cats of Shambala" on his ''[[Living Things (album)|Living Things]]'' CD.
* [[Matthew Sweet]] has a track called "The Big Cats of Shambala" on his ''[[Living Things (album)|Living Things]]'' CD.


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==See also==
==See also==
*[[Hyperborea]] - A mythical Greek land.
*[[Hyperborea]] - A mythical Greek land.
*[[Kalachakra]] - The Vajrayana Buddhist body of scripture which introduced Shambhala.
*[[Kings of Shambhala]] - A summary of the seven Dharmarajas and twenty-five Kulika Kings.
*[[Sanat Kumara]] - The deity believed by Theosophists to be the god of our planet is said to live in a city called Shambala on the [[etheric plane]].
*[[Sanat Kumara]] - The deity believed by Theosophists to be the god of our planet is said to live in a city called Shambala on the [[etheric plane]].
*In the movie, [[Fullmetal Alchemist: Conqueror of Shamballa]], the Nazis believe that Edward Elric's homeland [[Amestris (Fullmetal Alchemist)|Amestris]], which is in another world, is the legendary Shamballa.
*[[White Magic (Alice A. Bailey)]] - White Magic adepts said to be able to spiritually travel to the etheric city of Shambala.
*[[White Magic (Alice A. Bailey)]] - White Magic adepts said to be able to spiritually travel to the etheric city of Shambala.


==Footnotes
==Footnotes==
<references/>
<references/>



Revision as of 11:54, 2 November 2007

For other uses, see Shambhala (disambiguation).
File:KalachakraSera.jpg
Kalachakra [1] thangka from Sera Monastery (private collection).

In Tibetan Buddhist tradition, Shambhala (also spelled Shambala or Shamballa) is a mystical kingdom hidden somewhere beyond the snowpeaks of the Himalayas. It is mentioned in various ancient texts, including the Kalachakra Tantra[2] and the ancient texts of the Zhang Zhung culture which pre-dated Tibetan Buddhism in western Tibet. The Bön[3] scriptures speak of a closely-related land called Olmolungring.

In the Buddhist Kalachakra teachings

Rigden Takpa or Manjushríkírti, King of Shambhala

Shambhala (Tib. bde 'byung) is a Sanskrit term meaning "place of peace/tranquility/happiness". Shakyamuni Buddha is said to have taught the Kalachakra tantra on request of King Suchandra of Shambhala; the teachings are also said to be preserved there. Shambhala is believed to be a society where all the inhabitants are enlightened, actually a Buddhist "Pure Land", centered by a capital city called Kalapa. An alternative view associates Shambhala with the real empire of Sriwijaya where Buddhist master Atisha studied under Dharmakirti from whom he received the Kalachakra initiation.

Shambhala is ruled over by a line of Kings of Shambhala known as Kalki Kings (Tib. Rigden), a monarch who upholds the integrity of the Kalachakra tantra. The Kalachakra prophesizes that when the world declines into war and greed, and all is lost, the twenty-fifth Kalki king will emerge from Shambhala with a huge army to vanquish "Dark Forces" and usher in a worldwide Golden Age. Using calculations from the Kalachakra Tantra, scholars such as Alex Berzin (see his website) put this date at 2424 AD.

Rigdan Tagpa or Manjushrí Kírti is said to have been born in 159 BCE and ruled over a kingdom of 300,510 followers of the Mlechha (Yavana or "western") religion, some of whom worshiped the sun. He is said to have expelled all the heretics from his dominions but later, after hearing their petitions, allowed them to return. For their benefit, and the benefit of all living beings, he explained the Kalachakra teachings. In 59 BCE he abdicated his throne to his son, Puṇdaŕika, and died soon afterwards, entering the Sambhoga-káya of Buddhahood.[4]

As with many concepts in the Kalachakra Tantra, the idea of Shambhala is said to have an "outer," "inner,' and "alternative" meaning. The outer meaning understands Shambhala to exist as a physical place, although only individuals with the appropriate karma can reach it and experience it as such. As His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama noted during the 1985 Kalachakra initiation in Bodhgaya, Shambhala is not an ordinary country:

Although those with special affiliation may actually be able to go there through their karmic connection, nevertheless it is not a physical place that we can actually find. We can only say that it is a pure land, a pure land in the human realm. And unless one has the merit and the actual karmic association, one cannot actually arrive there.

There are various ideas about where this society is located, but it is often placed in central Asia, north or west of Tibet. Ancient Zhang Zhung texts identify Shambhala with the Sutlej Valley in Himachal Pradesh. Mongolians identify Shambala with certain valleys of southern Siberia.

The inner and alternative meanings refer to more subtle understandings of what Shambhala represents in terms of one's own body and mind (inner), and the meditation practice (alternative). These two types of symbolic explanations are generally passed on orally from teacher to student.

Serious modern scholarship has now thrown new light on the Kingdom of Shambhala as depicted in the Kalachakra Tantra, such as that of Helmut Hoffman, that says clearly that "The first masters of the tradition disguised themselves with pseudonyms, so the Indian oral traditions recorded by the Tibetans contain a mass of contradictions." The historical chronologies thus also are contradictory and imprecise.

Chogyam Trungpa

Although Chogyam Trungpa, founder of Shambhala International, came out of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, in his teachings Shambhala Vision has its own independent basis in human wisdom that does not belong to East or West or any one culture or religion [5]. Shambhala kingdom is seen as enlightened society that people of all faiths can aspire to and actually realize. The path to this is provocatively described as the practice of warriorship — meeting fear and transcending aggression, and of secular sacredness — joining the wisdom of the past and one's own culture with the present in nowness.

Trungpa's Shambhala teachings have inspired numerous educational, artistic, and spiritual institutions, including Naropa University, Shambhala Training, Shambhala Sun, Miksang photography, The Shambhala School, Shambhala Institute, Shambhala Prison Community, Peacemaker Institute, and many others.

Western fascination

The Western fascination with Shambhala has often been based upon fragmented accounts of the Kalachakra tradition, or outright fabrications. Tibet was largely closed to outsiders until very recently, and so what information was available about the tradition of Shambhala was haphazard at best[6].

The first information that reached western civilization about Shambhala came from the Portuguese explorer Estêvão Cacella in the early 17th century. The Hungarian scholar Alexander Csoma de Köros, writing in 1833, provided the first geographic account of "a fabulous country in the north...situated between 45' and 50' north latitude".

During the 19th century, Theosophical Society founder HP Blavatsky alluded to the Shambhala myth, giving it currency for Western occult enthusiasts. Later esoteric writers further emphasized and elaborated on the concept of a hidden land inhabited by a hidden mystic brotherhood whose members labor for the good of humanity.[citation needed]

The mystic Nicholas Roerich[7] and the Soviet agent Yakov Blumkin led two Tibetan expeditions to discover Shambhala, in 1926 and 1928. Apparently inspired by Theosophical lore, Heinrich Himmler and Rudolf Hess sent German expeditions to Tibet in 1930, 1934-35, and 1938-39. [8].

Western esoteric traditions

Madame Blavatsky, who claimed to be in contact with a Great White Lodge of Himalayan Adepts, mentions Shambhala in several places without giving it especially great emphasis. (The Mahatmas, we are told, are also active around Shigatse and Luxor.) Blavatsky's Shambhala, like the headquarters of the Great White Lodge, is a physical location on our earth, albeit one which can only be penetrated by a worthy aspirant.[citation needed]

Later esoteric writers like Alice Bailey (the Arcane School) and the Agni Yoga of Nicholas and Helena Roerich do emphasize Shambhala. Bailey transformed it into a kind of extradimensional or spiritual reality on the etheric plane. The Roerichs see its existence as both spiritual and physical.[citation needed]

Related "hidden land" speculations surrounding the underground kingdom of Agartha led some early twentieth-century occultists (especially those associated with Nazi or Neo-Nazi occultism) to view Shambhala as a source of negative manipulation by an evil (or amoral) conspiracy. Nevertheless, the predominant theme is one of light and hope, as evidenced by James Redfield's and Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche's respective books by that name.[citation needed]

In popular culture

Books & magazines

  • The myths of Shambhala were part of the inspiration for the story of Shangri-La told in the popular novel Lost Horizon, and thus some people incorrectly assume that Shambhala is synonymous with Shangri-La.
  • In The Secret of Shambhala: The Search for the Eleventh Insight, novelist James Redfield describes a search for a Shangri-La or Shambala where all structures, tools, and objects are made up of energy fields.

Movies

  • The Three Dog Night song "Shambala" was featured in the Slums of Beverly Hills (1998), starring Natasha Lyonne, Alan Arkin and Marisa Tomei.
  • In the 1937 film Lost Horizon where several passengers are taken on a plane to a utopian society that is surrounded by tall mountains where people age very slowly, although it is referred to as Shangri-La.

Television

  • The series Kung Fu: The Legend Continues includes a visit to Shambhala, and Kwai-Chang Caine, the lead character, is called a "Shambhala master".
  • The anime Full Metal Alchemist depicts Shamballa as the place where alchemy is present, coexisting with technology.

Games

  • In the role-playing game WitchCraft, Shambala is one of the Dream Realms in Hod.
  • In the video game Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer, Shambala is the title of one of the goals.
  • In the computer game Beyond Atlantis, Shambhala is the place one is trying to reach, by gathering the Atlantian road.

Comics

  • The Shadow, published by DC Comics, says The Shadow learned his apparently superhuman skills while visiting Shambhala. In Howard Chaykin's 1985 miniseries, The Shadow: Blood & Justice, Kent Allard (The Shadow) defends Shambhala from a plot by the real Lamont Cranston.
  • Also used by Prometheus, the "anti-Batman" villain created by Grant Morrison in his JLA run, it was considered the source of all evil and he was trying to discover it.
  • Marvel Comics published a graphic novel in 1986 called Dr. Strange: Into Shambhala, in which Dr. Strange sought Shambhala as a metaphor for greater enlightenment.
  • In the 2000 AD Judge Dredd comic "Shamballa", Judge Anderson and a cohort of scientists and other Judges from around the world travel to Shambhala, deep underground beneath the Himalayas, searching for the cause and solution to cataclysmic events worldwide.
  • A flashback tale in Gargoyles #6 has the characters ending over the lake of Shambahla.

Music

Software

The Shambhala codebase and module API, introduced to the Apache HTTP Server in 1995, was the foundation for the Apache 1.0 release.

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ Tibetan Mandala, Art and Practice, The wheel of time ed. by Sylvie Crossman and Jean-Pierre Barou, 2004. pp.20-26
  2. ^ The Tantra by Victor M. Fic, Abhinav Publications, 2003, p.49.
  3. ^ The Bon Religion of Tibet by Per Kavǣrne, Shambhala, 1996
  4. ^ Das, Sarat Chandra (1882). Contributions on the Religion and History of Tibet. First published in: Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Vol. LI. Reprint: Manjushri Publishing House, Delhi. 1970, pp. 81-82.
  5. ^ Shambhala, The Sacred Path of the Warrior by Chögyam Trungpa, Shambhala, 1988
  6. ^ Prisoners of Shangri~La, Tibetan Buddhism and the West by Donald S Lopez Jr, The University of Chicago Press, 1998
  7. ^ Roerich East & West by Kenneth Archer, Parkstone Press 1999, p.94
  8. ^ Himmler's Crusade by Christopher Hale, John Wiley & Sons., Inc., 2003

References

  • Berzin, Alexander (2003). The Berzin Archives. Mistaken Foreign Myths about Shambhala.
  • Martin, Dean. (1999). "'Ol-mo-lung-ring, the Original Holy Place." In: Sacred Spaces and Powerful Places In Tibetan Culture: A Collection of Essays. (1999) Edited by Toni Huber, pp. 125-153. The Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Dharamsala, H.P., India. ISBN 81-86470-22-0.
  • Bernbaum, Edwin. (1980). The Way to Shambhala: A Search for the Mythical Kingdom Beyond the Himalayas. Reprint: (1989) St. Martin's Press, New York. ISBN 0-87477-518-3.
  • Jeffrey, Jason. Mystery of Shambhala in New Dawn, No. 72 (May-June 2002).
  • Trungpa, Chogyam. Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior. Shambhala Publications. ISBN 0-87773-264-7
  • Le Page, Victoria. [1] Shambhala: The Fascinating Truth behind the Myth of Shangri-La. Quest ISBN 0-8356-0750-X

Further reading

  • Allen, Charles. (1999). The Search for Shangri-La: A Journey into Tibetan History. Little, Brown and Company. Reprint: Abacus, London. 2000. ISBN 0-349-111421.
  • Martin, Dean. (1999). "'Ol-mo-lung-ring, the Original Holy Place." In: Sacred Spaces and Powerful Places In Tibetan Culture: A Collection of Essays. (1999) Edited by Toni Huber, pp. 125-153. The Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Dharamsala, H.P., India. ISBN 81-86470-22-0.

External links