41922888 what is shamballa

8/6/2019 41922888 What is Shamballa

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WHAT IS SHAMBALLA? IS SHAMBALLA A REALITY??

I was reading a book called The autobiography of an yogi. It is a very famous book

and it is a book that gives a glimpse of spiritual India. It gives a glimpse of the otherface of India. Incredible India. The writer was a disciple of Shyama Charan Lahiri also

known as Lahiri mohashoy. The writer was Swami Yogananda Lahiri Mohashoys Guru

was Babaji a celestial guru who is believed to have been living for the past hundreds of

years. He is believed to be living in the Himalayas and is believed to have powers to

materialize anywhere at will and dematerialize at will. I will narrate a story here to

illustrate this very nature of such Gurus. This story is a factual story as experienced by

Shyama Charan lahiri mohashoy.

"Babaji's first meeting with Lahiri Mahasaya is an enthralling story, and one of the fewwhich gives us a detailed glimpse of the deathless guru."

These words were Swami Kebalananda's preamble to a wondrous tale. The first

time he recounted it I was literally spellbound. On many other occasions I coaxed my

gentle Sanskrit tutor to repeat the story, which was later told me in substantially the

same words by Sri Yukteswar. Both these Lahiri Mahasaya disciples had heard the

awesome tale direct from the lips of their guru.

"My first meeting with Babaji took place in my thirty-third year," Lahiri Mahasaya

had said. "In the autumn of 1861 I was stationed in Danapur as a governmentaccountant in the Military Engineering Department. One morning the office manager

summoned me.

"'Lahiri,' he said, 'a telegram has just come from our main office. You're to be

transferred to Ranikhet, where an army post [1] is now being established.'

"With one servant, I set out on the 500-mile trip. Travelling by horse and buggy, we

arrived in thirty days at the Himalayan site of Ranikhet. [2]

"My office duties were not onerous; I was able to spend many hours roaming in themagnificent hills. A rumour reached me that great saints blessed the region with their

presence; I felt a strong desire to see them. During a ramble one early afternoon, I was

astounded to hear a distant voice calling my name. I continued my vigorous upward

climb on Drongiri Mountain. A slight uneasiness beset me at the thought that I might

not be able to retrace my steps before darkness had descended over the jungle.


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"I finally reached a small clearing whose sides were dotted with caves. On one of

the rocky ledges stood a smiling young man, extending his hand in welcome. I noticed

with astonishment that, except for his copper-coloured hair, he bore a remarkable

resemblance to myself.

"'Lahiri, you've come!' The saint addressed me affectionately in Hindi. 'Rest here in

this cave. It was I who called you.'

"I entered a neat little grotto which contained several woollen blankets and a few

kamandulus (begging bowls).

"'Lahiri, do you remember that seat?' The yogi pointed to a folded blanket in one

corner.

"'No, sir.' Somewhat dazed at the strangeness of my adventure, I added, 'I must

leave now, before nightfall. I have business in the morning at my office.'

"The mysterious saint replied in English, 'The office was brought for you, and not

you for the office.'

"I was dumbfounded that this forest ascetic shouldn't only speak English but also

paraphrase the words of Christ. [3]

"'I see my telegram took effect.' The yogi's remark was incomprehensible to me; I

inquired his meaning.

"'I refer to the telegram that summoned you to these isolated parts. It was I who

silently suggested to the mind of your superior officer that you be transferred to

Ranikhet. When one feels his unity with mankind, all minds become transmitting

stations through which he can work at will.' He added gently, 'Lahiri, surely this cave

seems familiar to you?'

"As I maintained a bewildered silence, the saint approached and struck me gently

on the forehead. At his magnetic touch, a wondrous current swept through my brain,

releasing the sweet seed-memories of my previous life.

"'I remember!' My voice was half-choked with joyous sobs. 'You're my guru Babaji,

who has belonged to me always! Scenes of the past arise vividly in my mind; here in

this cave I spent many years of my last incarnation!' As ineffable recollections

overwhelmed me, I tearfully embraced my master's feet.


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"'For more than three decades I've waited for you here-waited for you to return to

me!' Babaji's voice rang with celestial love. 'You slipped away and vanished into the

tumultuous waves of the life beyond death. The magic wand of your karma touched

you, and you were gone! Though you lost sight of me, never did I lose sight of you! I

pursued you over the luminescent astral sea where the glorious angels sail. Throughgloom, storm, upheaval, and light I followed you, like a mother bird guarding her

young. As you lived out your human term of womb-life, and emerged a babe, my eye

was ever on you. When you covered your tiny form in the lotus posture under the

Nadia sands in your childhood, I was invisibly present! Patiently, month after month,

year after year, I've watched over you, waiting for this perfect day. Now you're with

me! Lo, here's your cave, loved of yore! I've kept it ever clean and ready for you. Here's

your hallowed asana-blanket, where you daily sat to fill your expanding heart with

God! Behold there your bowl, from which you often drank the nectar prepared by me!

See how I've kept the brass cup brightly polished, that you might drink againtherefrom! My own, do you now understand?'

"'My guru, what can I say?' I murmured brokenly. 'Where has one ever heard of

such deathless love?' I gazed long and ecstatically on my eternal treasure, my guru in

life and death.

"'Lahiri, you need purification. Drink the oil in this bowl and lie down by the river.'

Babaji's practical wisdom, I reflected with a quick, reminiscent smile, was ever to the

fore.

"I obeyed his directions. Though the icy Himalayan night was descending, a

comforting warmth, an inner radiation, began to pulsate in every cell of my body. I

marvelled. Was the unknown oil endued with a cosmic heat?

"Bitter winds whipped around me in the darkness, shrieking a fierce challenge. The

chill wavelets of the Gogash River lapped now and then over my body, outstretched on

the rocky bank. Tigers howled near-by, but my heart was free of fear; the radiant force

newly generated within me conveyed an assurance of unassailable protection. Several

hours passed swiftly; faded memories of another life wove themselves into the present

brilliant pattern of reunion with my divine guru.

"My solitary musings were interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. In

the darkness, a man's hand gently helped me to my feet, and gave me some dry

clothing.

"'Come, brother,' my companion said. 'The master awaits you.'


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"He led the way through the forest. The sombre night was suddenly lit by a steady

luminosity in the distance.

"'Can that be the sunrise?' I inquired. 'Surely the whole night hasn't passed?'

"'The hour is midnight.' My guide laughed softly. 'Yonder light is the glow of agolden palace, materialised here tonight by the peerless Babaji. In the dim past, you

once expressed a desire to enjoy the beauties of a palace. Our master is now satisfying

your wish, thus freeing you from the bonds of karma.' [4] He added, 'The magnificent

palace will be the scene of your initiation tonight into kriya yoga. All your brothers here

join in a paean of welcome, rejoicing at the end of your long exile. Behold!'

"A vast palace of dazzling gold stood before us. Studded with countless jewels, and

set amidst landscaped gardens, it presented a spectacle of unparalleled grandeur. Saints

of angelic countenance were stationed by resplendent gates, half-reddened by the glitterof rubies. Diamonds, pearls, sapphires, and emeralds of great size and lustre were

imbedded in the decorative arches.

"I followed my companion into a spacious reception hall. The odour of incense and

of roses wafted through the air; dim lamps shed a multicoloured glow. Small groups of

devotees, some fair, some dark-skinned, chanted musically, or sat in the meditative

posture, immersed in an inner peace. A vibrant joy pervaded the atmosphere.

"'Feast your eyes; enjoy the artistic splendours of this palace, for it has been brought

into being solely in your honour.' My guide smiled sympathetically as I uttered a fewejaculations of wonderment.

"'Brother,' I said, 'the beauty of this structure surpasses the bounds of human

imagination. Please tell me the mystery of its origin.'

"'I'll gladly enlighten you.' My companion's dark eyes sparkled with wisdom. 'In

reality there's nothing inexplicable about this materialisation. The whole cosmos is a

materialised thought of the Creator. This heavy, earthly clod, floating in space, is a

dream of God. He made all things out of His consciousness, even as man in his dream

consciousness reproduces and vivifies a creation with its creatures.

"'God first created the earth as an idea. Then He quickened it; energy atoms came

into being. He co-ordinated the atoms into this solid sphere. All its molecules are held

together by the will of God. When He withdraws His will, the earth again will

disintegrate into energy. Energy will dissolve into consciousness; the earth-idea will

disappear from objectivity.


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"'The substance of a dream is held in materialisation by the subconscious thought of

the dreamer. When that cohesive thought is withdrawn in wakefulness, the dream and

its elements dissolve. A man closes his eyes and erects a dream-creation which, on

awakening, he effortlessly dematerialises. He follows the divine archetypal pattern.

Similarly, when he awakens in cosmic consciousness, he will effortlessly dematerialisethe illusions of the cosmic dream.

"'Being one with the infinite all-accomplishing Will, Babaji can summon the

elemental atoms to combine and manifest themselves in any form. This golden palace,

instantaneously created, is real, even as this earth is real. Babaji created this palatial

mansion out of his mind and is holding its atoms together by the power of his will, even

as God created this earth and is maintaining it intact.' He added, 'When this structure

has served its purpose, Babaji will dematerialise it.'

"As I remained silent in awe, my guide made a sweeping gesture. 'This shimmeringpalace, superbly embellished with jewels, hasn't been built by human effort or with

laboriously mined gold and gems. It stands solidly, a monumental challenge to man. [5]

Whoever realises himself as a son of God, even as Babaji has done, can reach any goal

by the infinite powers hidden within him. A common stone locks within itself the secret

of stupendous atomic energy; [6] even so, a mortal is yet a powerhouse of divinity.'

"The sage picked up from a near-by table a graceful vase whose handle was blazing

with diamonds. 'Our great guru created this palace by solidifying myriads of free

cosmic rays,' he went on. 'Touch this vase and its diamonds; they will satisfy all the testsof sensory experience.'

"I examined the vase, and passed my hand over the smooth room-walls, thick with

glistening gold. Each of the jewels scattered lavishly about was worthy of a king's

collection. Deep satisfaction spread over my mind. A submerged desire, hidden in my

subconsciousness from lives now gone, seemed simultaneously gratified and

extinguished.

"My stately companion led me through ornate arches and corridors into a series of

chambers richly furnished in the style of an emperor's palace. We entered an immensehall. In the centre stood a golden throne, encrusted with jewels shedding a dazzling

medley of colours. There, in lotus posture, sat the supreme Babaji. I knelt on the shining

floor at his feet.

"'Lahiri, are you still feasting on your dream desires for a golden palace?' My guru's

eyes were twinkling like his own sapphires. 'Wake! All your earthly thirsts are about to


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be quenched forever.' He murmured some mystic words of blessing. 'My son, arise.

Receive your initiation into the kingdom of God through kriya yoga.'

"Babaji stretched out his hand; a homa (sacrificial) fire appeared, surrounded by

fruits and flowers. I received the liberating yogic technique before this flaming altar.

"The rites were completed in the early dawn. I felt no need for sleep in my ecstatic

state, and wandered around the palace, filled on all sides with treasures and priceless

objets d'art. Descending to the gorgeous gardens, I noticed, near-by, the same caves and

barren mountain ledges which yesterday had boasted no adjacency to palace or

flowered terrace.

"Re-entering the palace, fabulously glistening in the cold Himalayan sunlight, I

sought the presence of my master. He was still enthroned, surrounded by many quiet

disciples."'Lahiri, you're hungry.' Babaji added, 'Close your eyes.'

"When I reopened them, the enchanting palace and its picturesque gardens had

disappeared. My own body and the forms of Babaji and the cluster of chelas were all

now seated on the bare ground at the exact site of the vanished palace, not far from the

sunlit entrances of the rocky grottoes. I recalled that my guide had remarked that the

palace would be dematerialised, its captive atoms released into the thought-essence

from which it had sprung. Although stunned, I looked trustingly at my guru. I knew

not what to expect next on this day of miracles.

"'The purpose for which the palace was created has now been served,' Babaji

explained. He lifted an earthen vessel from the ground. 'Put your hand there and

receive whatever food you desire.'

"As soon as I touched the broad, empty bowl, it became heaped with hot butter-

fried luchis, curry, and rare sweetmeats. I helped myself, observing that the vessel was

ever-filled. At the end of my meal I looked around for water. My guru pointed to the

bowl before me. Lo! the food had vanished; in its place was water, clear as from a

mountain stream.

"'Few mortals know that the kingdom of God includes the kingdom of mundane

fulfilments,' Babaji observed. 'The divine realm extends to the earthly, but the latter,

being illusory, can't include the essence of reality.'


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"'Beloved guru, last night you demonstrated for me the link of beauty in heaven and

earth!' I smiled at memories of the vanished palace; surely no simple yogi had ever

received initiation into the august mysteries of Spirit amidst surroundings of more

impressive luxury! I gazed tranquilly at the stark contrast of the present scene. The

gaunt ground, the skyey roof, the caves offering primitive shelter-all seemed a graciousnatural setting for the seraphic saints around me.

"I sat that afternoon on my blanket, hallowed by associations of past-life

realisations. My divine guru approached and passed his hand over my head. I entered

the nirbikalpa samadhi state, remaining unbrokenly in its bliss for seven days. Crossing

the successive strata of self-knowledge, I penetrated the deathless realms of reality. All

delusive limitations dropped away; my soul was fully established on the eternal altar of

the Cosmic Spirit. On the eighth day I fell at my guru's feet and implored him to keep

me always near him in this sacred wilderness.

"'My son,' Babaji said, embracing me, 'your role in this incarnation must be played

on an outward stage. Prenatally blessed by many lives of lonely meditation, you must

now mingle in the world of men.

"'A deep purpose underlay the fact that you didn't meet me this time till you were

already a married man, with modest business responsibilities. You must put aside your

thoughts of joining our secret band in the Himalayas; your life lies in the crowded

marts, serving as an example of the ideal yogi-householder.

"'The cries of many bewildered worldly men and women have not fallen unheard

on the ears of the Great Ones,' he went on. 'You've been chosen to bring spiritual solace

through kriya yoga to numerous earnest seekers. The millions who are encumbered by

family ties and heavy worldly duties will take new heart from you, a householder like

themselves. You must guide them to see that the highest yogic attainments aren't barred

to the family man. Even in the world, the yogi who faithfully discharges his

responsibilities, without personal motive or attachment, treads the sure path of

enlightenment.

"'No necessity compels you to leave the world, for inwardly you've alreadysundered its every karmic tie. Not of this world, you must yet be in it. Many years still

remain during which you must conscientiously fulfil your family, business, civic, and

spiritual duties. A sweet new breath of divine hope will penetrate the arid hearts of

worldly men. From your balanced life, they will understand that liberation is

dependent on inner, rather than outer, renunciations.'


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"How remote seemed my family, the office, the world, as I listened to my guru in

the high Himalayan solitudes. Yet adamantine truth rang in his words; I submissively

agreed to leave this blessed haven of peace. Babaji instructed me in the ancient rigid

rules which govern the transmission of the yogic art from guru to disciple.

"'Bestow the kriya key only on qualified chelas,' Babaji said. 'He who vows to

sacrifice all in the quest of the divine is fit to unravel the final mysteries of life through

the science of meditation.'

"'Angelic guru, as you've already favoured mankind by resurrecting the lost Kriya

art, will you not increase that benefit by relaxing the strict requirements for

discipleship?' I gazed beseechingly at Babaji. 'I pray that you permit me to communicate

Kriya to all seekers, even though at first they can't vow themselves to complete inner

renunciation. The tortured men and women of the world, pursued by the threefold

suffering, [7] need special encouragement. They may never attempt the road to freedomif Kriya initiation be withheld from them.'

"'Be it so. The divine wish has been expressed through you.' With these simple

words, the merciful guru banished the rigorous safeguards that for ages had hidden

Kriya from the world. 'Give Kriya freely to all who humbly ask for help.'

"After a silence, Babaji added, 'Repeat to each of your disciples this majestic promise

from the Bhagavad Gita: "Swalpamasya dharmasya, trayata mahato bhoyat"-"Even a

little bit of the practice of this religion will save you from dire fears and colossal

sufferings."' [8]

"As I knelt the next morning at my guru's feet for his farewell blessing, he sensed

my deep reluctance to leave him.

"'There's no separation for us, my beloved child.' He touched my shoulder

affectionately. 'Wherever you are, whenever you call me, I shall be with you instantly.'

"Consoled by his wondrous promise, and rich with the newly found gold of God-

wisdom, I wended my way down the mountain. At the office I was welcomed by my

fellow employees, who for ten days had thought me lost in the Himalayan jungles. Aletter soon arrived from the head office.

"'Lahiri should return to the Danapur [9] office,' it read. 'His transfer to Ranikhet

occurred by error. Another man should have been sent to assume the Ranikhet duties.'


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"I smiled, reflecting on the hidden crosscurrents in the events which had led me to

this furthermost spot of India.

"Before returning to Danapur, I spent a few days with a Bengali family at

Moradabad. A party of six friends gathered to greet me. As I turned the conversation to

spiritual subjects, my host observed gloomily:

"'Oh, in these days India is destitute of saints!'

"'Babu,' I protested warmly, 'of course there are still great masters in this land!'

"In a mood of exalted fervour, I felt impelled to relate my miraculous experiences in

the Himalayas. The little company was politely incredulous.

"'Lahiri,' one man said soothingly, 'your mind has been under a strain in those

rarefied mountain airs. This is some daydream you've recounted.'

"Burning with the enthusiasm of truth, I spoke without due thought. 'If I call him,

my guru will appear right in this house.'

"Interest gleamed in every eye; it was no wonder that the group was eager to

behold a saint materialised in such a strange way. Half-reluctantly, I asked for a quiet

room and two new woollen blankets.

"'The master will materialise from the ether,' I said. 'Remain silently outside the

door; I shall soon call you.'"I sank into the meditative state, humbly summoning my guru. The darkened room

soon filled with a dim aural moonlight; the luminous figure of Babaji emerged.

"'Lahiri, do you call me for a trifle?' The master's gaze was stern. 'Truth is for

earnest seekers, not for those of idle curiosity. It's easy to believe when one sees; there's

nothing then to deny. Supersensual truth is deserved and discovered by those who

overcome their natural materialistic scepticism.' He added gravely, 'Let me go!'

"I fell entreatingly at his feet. 'Holy guru, I realise my serious error; I humbly ask

pardon. It was to create faith in these spiritually blinded minds that I ventured to call

you. Because you've graciously appeared at my prayer, please don't depart without

bestowing a blessing on my friends. Unbelievers though they be, at least they were

willing to investigate the truth of my strange assertions.'


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"'Very well; I'll stay awhile. I don't wish your word discredited before your friends.'

Babaji's face had softened, but he added gently, 'Henceforth, my son, I shall come when

you need me, and not always when you call me. [ [10]'

"Tense silence reigned in the little group when I opened the door. As if mistrusting

their senses, my friends stared at the lustrous figure on the blanket seat.

"'This is mass-hypnotism!' One man laughed blatantly. 'No one could possibly have

entered this room without our knowledge!'

"Babaji advanced smilingly and motioned to each one to touch the warm, solid flesh

of his body. Doubts dispelled, my friends prostrated themselves on the floor in awed

repentance.

"'Let halua [11] be prepared.' Babaji made this request, I knew, to further assure the

group of his physical reality. While the porridge was boiling, the divine guru chattedaffably. Great was the metamorphosis of these doubting Thomases into devout St.

Pauls. After we had eaten, Babaji blessed each of us in turn. There was a sudden flash;

we witnessed the instantaneous dechemicalisation of the electronic elements of Babaji's

body into a spreading vaporous light. The God-tuned will power of the master had

loosened its grasp of the ether atoms held together as his body; forthwith the trillions of

tiny lifetronic sparks faded into the infinite reservoir.

"'With my own eyes I've seen the conqueror of death.' Maitra, [12] one of the group,

spoke reverently. His face was transfigured with the joy of his recent awakening. 'Thesupreme guru played with time and space, as a child plays with bubbles. I've beheld

one with the keys of heaven and earth.'

"I soon returned to Danapur. Firmly anchored in the Spirit, again I assumed the

manifold business and family obligations of a householder."

Lahiri Mahasaya also related to Swami Kebalananda and Sri Yukteswar the story of

another meeting with Babaji, under circumstances which recalled the guru's promise: "I

shall come whenever you need me."

"The scene was a Kumbha Mela at Allahabad," Lahiri Mahasaya told his disciples. "I

had gone there during a short vacation from my office duties. As I wandered amidst the

throng of monks and sadhus who had come from great distances to attend the holy

festival, I noticed an ash-smeared ascetic who was holding a begging bowl. The thought

arose in my mind that the man was hypocritical, wearing the outward symbols of

renunciation without a corresponding inward grace.


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"No sooner had I passed the ascetic than my astounded eye fell on Babaji. He was

kneeling in front of a matted-haired anchorite.

"'Guruji!' I hastened to his side. 'Sir, what are you doing here?'

"'I'm washing the feet of this renunciate, and then I shall clean his cooking utensils.'Babaji smiled at me like a little child; I knew he was intimating that he wanted me to

criticise no one, but to see the Lord as residing equally in all body-temples, whether of

superior or inferior men. The great guru added, 'By serving wise and ignorant sadhus,

I'm learning the greatest of virtues, pleasing to God above all others-humility.'"

There is another factual story about Babaji which only proves that such Gurus are still

there in India, The spiritual center of the earth,and that they have tremendous powers

that will be harnessed by such Gurus to pull mankind from slipping into oblivion.

This is an incident of 1942 when the king of Kumaon invited an army officer of WesternCommand, LP. Farrel for a picnic trip to the hills. There was a special reason for inviting

Mr. Farrel; in spite of his being a Britisher he was very much interested in Indian

religion, philosophy and culture. He had a few opportunities of witnessing

demonstration of miraculous feats of some Indian yogis. He had become a pure

vegetarian. That is why he always welcomed any opportunity to go towards the

Himalayan wilderness, with the hope of meeting some saint or yogi who could initiate

him into spiritual sadhana.

Mr. Farrel, the king and the queen and their entourage reached a place near Nainital fullof natural beauty. It so enchanted them that they decided to camp overnight there. So,

the dozens of tents were pitched and the lonely place got filled with the hustle and

bustle of servants. Gossip, merriment, eating and drinking went on till midnight.

Everyone went to bed and due to exhaustion of the whole days exertions, immediately

slipped into deep sleep. The first phase of the sleep was hardly over when Mr. Farrel

felt that there was someone near his cot. He waked up and clearly listened-"We need

the place where your tents have been pitched. You vacate this place. If you are unable to

understand, then you should come to that northwestern hill in front of you. I will

explain you everything." "But who are you?" saying this Mr. Farrel got up from thebed and lit his torch. But there was no one. He came out of the tent but there too no one

could be seen nor heard anyones footsteps. After a momentary fear he became normal

and then went back to his bed again for sleeping. It was 3.30 AM by his watch.


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Despite his best efforts he could not sleep. Somehow he was keeping his eyes shut.

Again he felt someones presence. Still lying on the bed he opened the eyes and he saw

a shadow of a person standing in front of him. This time again he uttered the same

words. In order to identify that person, as soon as Mr. Farrel lit the torch, even the

shadow vanished. His body started shaking and perspiring. This army officer who didnot get frightened even by watching the horrible bloodshed in the war, momentarily got

un-nerved and dumbfounded by mere imagination of a supernatural being. He lay

awake in his bed with his eyes closed till the morning but heard nothing. A strange

attraction was arousing within him to see the hill mentioned by the shadowy presence.

He put on his clothes and shoes and silently came out of the tent and walked towards

that hill.

Describing this incident Mr. Farrel has himself written: "The way to the place where I

was directed to reach was very difficult, narrow and dangerous. I was not at all able to

climb up by myself but I was constantly feeling that somebody was showing me the

way and was providing me the energy to climb up. After a hard effort of three and a

half hours I could climb up. It seemed difficult to go ahead due to heavy breathing and

perspiration. So I sat down on a square stone, lying down on it to take some rest.

Hardly two minutes had passed and the same voice awakened me. Mr. Farrel! Now

you put off your shoes and slowly climb down the stone and come to me. With these

words in the ears, I looked around and saw that a saint, with very weak constitution but

brilliant splendor on the forehead, was standing in front of me. Leave aside the

acquaintance, I had never met or seen him earlier. Then how could he know my name?

He was here, then how did his shadow reach in my tent in the night? There was no

communication link like a radio or a microphone etc between us. Then how could his

voice reach me? Several such questions arose in my mind. Putting a stop to the

unending trail of questions the sadhu said-whatever you have heard and seen cannot be

understood by ordinary human mind. For this purpose one has to do long sadhana and

the practice of yoga, abandoning the worldly pleasures and attraction of the senses.

There is a specific purpose for which you have been called here."

Farrel could not make out whether the saintly person was a human being or a god. The

thoughts arising in his mind were being constantly read by that person like an open

book. Mr. Farrel climbed down the rock and in a short time reached the place where the

Sadhu was sitting. The place was so small that only one person could take rest there.

There was nothing except the fire burning in the Dhooni (firepit).


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Farrel further writes- "The Sadhu patted me on the back with his weak hand and I was

stunned how could this electricity like power be there in that old body. My body that

was almost breaking with pain due to exhaustion - now seemed light like a flower. As

an humble gesture of respect for him I knelt down and touched his feet. I had seen

many sadhus; but I have always felt that sahdus and saints who had influenced Indianphilosophy and increased its dignity were not those who were roaming around on the

roads but they were truly such secluded and devoted persons only. Their physical

bodies might weigh 80-90 pounds but intensity of their energy and power was more

than that of thousand bombs and they were the storehouses of knowledge."

The Sadhu told me-"I have inspired a youth to reach the place where your tents have

been pitched. He was my disciple in his previous birth. His sadhana is half-completed.

Now I want to guide him again to undertake his sadhana and penance for the universal

welfare. But the memories of his previous birth are dormant. The impressions and

circumstances of this birth are attracting him. Therefore he is unable to take up the

sadhana again. I have called him through subtle inspiration. If he comes here and is

unable to locate the directed place, then he will get confused. In that event, whatever I

want will not become possible, Therefore, please vacate that place immediately."

Mr. Farrel said "Lord! Please tell me also a few things about my previous birth "? The

Sadhu replied-"My son! These siddhis (accomplishments) are not for demonstration.

They are meant for some special purposes and it is better they are utilized for that only.

Of course, if you wish you can be present at the time when I show him the events of his

previous birth. Now you go. People are searching for you in the camp. I too am in ahurry." Mr. Farrel returned to the camp. Indeed, people had been searching for him.

Mr. Farrel narrated the incident to the king. They then left that place and pitched the

camp some 200 yards away.

By the evening of that day a young man did indeed come searching for that place. After

satisfying himself in all respects, he sat down there. In the meantime, Mr. Farrel also

reached there. His curiosity was getting more and more intense as the time passed. In a

short while sadhu too reached there. Mr. Farel and the young man touched his feet and

stood waiting for his instructions. That place was in the centre of a grove of trees.. Afterlighting the fire sadhu did some puja, recited some mantras and told us to sit down in a

meditating posture. A ray of light emanated from his forehead and a circular spot of

light appeared on the trunk of a thick tree. Then whatever was seen in the spot was just

like a cinema where they saw the characters actually walking and talking. Like a movie,

they saw the events of the previous birth of that youth with their own naked eyes. In

between that youth used to get excited and would say Yes-yes I had done that.


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At the end, that youth touched the feet of that sadhu and said "Lord! Now my

attachment with the mundane world is broken. I am ready to take up the unfinished

sadhana of my previous life. Please guide me so that I can complete the unfinished

task." The Sadhu said "My son! Today you take rest here. In the morning, you return

to your home. At an appropriate time, I will call you." After that Mr Farrel did not know

when that youth was called again? What he became later and with what name he

became popular? But he became a staunch devotee of Indian religion and spirituality.

This incident has been narrated by Mr. Farrel himself in an article in the May 17, 1959

issue of Saptahik Hindustan (a weekly Hindi magazine).

These incidents though, are rare, but they are true and these incidents do happen of and

on but it happens to people who are choosen by the powers themselves. Not all and

everybody is priviledge to such sightings and incidents. Celestial gurus and saints dolive for eternity and it is believed that they stay somewhere in the Himalayas and that

these gurus can materialize out of no where and can vanish in thin air. It is believed that

there are seven such celetial gurus or saints and that they keep a watch on humanity

and when the earth is burdened with evil and when the people of this earth begin to

play GOD themselves and Humans begin to looses all qualities of the most precious

creation of GOD, these saints come into action. They select certain people with qualities

that are essence of the creator and then will save the earth and its inhabitants from total

annihilation. Indian scriptures are filled with descriptions of immortal souls like Shiva,

Bhairav, Hanuman, Ashwatthama and many siddhas. There is a story in Kalki Purana,which goes like this. When Lord Kalki saw that the entire world has sunk neck-deep in

perversities like sex indulgence, anger, greed, attachment, ego, laziness, etc. and the

light of the souls had been extinguished, he decided to guide the masses groping in the

darkness of ignorance. The darkness was dense. The entire world was badly trapped in

the materialistic pursuits and the pleasures of the senses. Lord Kalki felt that he lacked

the power required for this awakening of the masses. Then his spiritual mentor

Parashuram called him to the Himalayas and made him undertake a penance at a place

where he (Parashuram) had himself done it. This penance awakened the enormous

power, which was needed for the transformation of the era, within Kalki. Lord

Parshuram was born in Vedic Yuga, which came much earlier than the Kaliyuga. His

presence in Kaliyuga too is an indication of his immortality and a testimony of the fact

that immortal souls like him are still present in the Himalayas. Dr. Hari Dutta Bhatta,

Shailesh has given an interesting description of his mountaineering experience of

Janwali (Garhwal) hill, which is 22000 feet above the sea level, in Dharmayuga (Hindi


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weekly, 23 rd August 1964 issue). He was convinced that some supernormal power

saved him and his group from getting buried under a landslide. All these incidents

prove the fact that immortal souls possessing fierce supernatural power are still present

in the Himalayas and they will remain there for an infinite time.

Modern scientists are also actively engaged in the research for finding the elixir of life.

Zoologists of Russia, France, Britain, Germany, USA, etc. have been investigating for a

long time the process of aging and death. On the basis of the results obtained so far,

they have concluded that death is not an inevitable phenomenon. Aging is a kind of

disease. If it be possible to find a cure for it, a person could live for a thousand years.

The modes and methods of kayakalpa (rejuvenation) mentioned in Ayurveda also

prove this fact.

In traditional histories of India like the Puranas and Brahmanas, it is pointed out that in

addition to the kingdoms in northern India, there were kingdoms north of theHimalayas with the same culture as in India, which would be in the regions that we are

considering for the Celtic peoples. Most important is the famous land of the Uttara

Kurus, described as a spiritual paradise north of the Himalayas. Comparison of

European Celtic culture with Hindu culture shows a large number of similarities

between them. Some of these were shown in a two part article that appeared in the May

and June issues of the magazine Hinduism Today. Therefore, we have cultural evidence

to back up the traditions and the archaeology. Religiously, these red-haired northern

Vedic people are known to have some point taken up Buddhism. Certain traditional

sources indicate that they learned Buddhism from the Buddha previous to SiddharthaGautama, who was named Kashyapa. A Kashyapa rishi also appears as one of the

oldest Vedic rishis and as associated with northern regions like Kashmir, that was

originally called Kashyapa Mira or Kashyapas lake. Tibetan literature, I have been told,

indicates that they learned their Buddhism, not from India, but from "Shamballa" which

is placed exactly where these people lived.

Such a prediction has been made in Kalchakra a sacred text of the buddhist,now

mainly of Tibet of which I will speak later, one can find the necessary teaching provided

for preparation of the prophesized war. We find in it the psychology of invasions anddetailed instructions on how to build various machines to ward off the invaders. The

sacred texts go on to say the Dark Age will last until the year 2424 AD, when a great

war will begin in India. The human race will be rescued from total destruction by the

armies of Shambhalla riding flying horses and boats that fly in the air. According to

the Vedic Text Shambhalla is also called as the Paradesh.


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James Hilton wrote about it in the 1933 book Lost Horizon, Hollywood portrayed it in

the 1960s film Shangri-la, and recent films such as Kundun, Little Buddha and

Seven Years in Tibet allude to the magical utopia. Even author James Redfield, noted

for his New Age best seller The Celestine Prophecy, has written a book called The Secret

of Shambhala: In Search of the Eleventh Insight.

Shambhala, which in Sanskrit means place of peace, of tranquillity, is thought of in

Tibet as a community where perfect and semi-perfect beings live and are guiding the

evolution of humanity. Shambhala is considered to be the source of the Kalachakra,

which is the highest and most esoteric branch of Tibetan mysticism. As per the vedic

scriptures this esoteric place lies somewhere in the Himalayas and it could be the

ultimate Hindu pilgrimage place which Mount Kailash and the Mansorovar lake.

Shambhala can be identified with the region surrounding Mount Kailash, the mountain

in southwestern Tibet holy to both Hindus and Buddhists. This makes sense because,according to Tibetan etymology, Shambhala means the abode of bliss, a synonym for

both the Hindu god Shiva and the Buddha-figure Heruka. Hinduism regards Mount

Kailash as the seat of Shiva, and Buddhism as the main location of Heruka. Some

scholars identify the three regions between India and Shambhala Bhotia, Li and Chin

as Tibet, Khotan and China, and then presume that Shambhala is somewhere in East

Turkistan (the modern Chinese province of Xinjiang), but this seems to be erroneous.

These three names are also used respectively for the Terai, Kathmandu Valley and

Dolpo regions of southern, central and northwestern Nepal. The sixth region, Himavan,

the land of snows, is a common name for Tibet. Mount Kailash is not really Shambhala,however, but only represents Shambhala on this earth. The Kalachakra Tantra speaks of

four holy places around Vajrasana (Bodh Gaya), the site where Buddha manifested his

enlightenment: Five-peaked Mountain in the east, Potala Mountain in the south,

Shambhala in the north and Oddiyana in the west. These are the special places

associated, respectively, with Manjushri, Avalokiteshvara, the Kalki rulers and Guru

Rinpoche. They can be identified with Wutaishan in northern China, the Vindhya

Range in southern India, Mount Kailash in southwestern Tibet and Swat in northern

Pakistan. If we go to these places, however, we do not actually find these great beings

living there, or even archeological traces of them. As explained earlier, the journey to

Shambhala is a spiritual, not a physical one.

"Holy places never had any beginning. They have been holy from the time they have

been discovered, strongly alive because of the invisible presence breathing through

them. Man is amazed or fearful as he feels the vibrations of invisible power in the air,


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and religions, feebly falling behind like all human institutions, gradually assign various

names and symbols to delineate the mystery."

Mount Kailash is the ultimate place of pilgrimage for the disciples of four religions. For

Hindus the mountain is the abode of Shiva, the God symbolising all the destructive

forces in the universe and yet at the same time all regenerative power and energy. At

the summit of Kailash, Shiva sits on his celestial throne. Almost significantly, the

mountain is also perceived as the physical manifestation of the mythical Mount Meru.

The Hindus have for centuries traversed the Himalayas to circumnavigate Kailash,

believing that a circuit of the mountain will erase the sins of a lifetime and break the

karmic cycle.

Hindus also believe that the waters of the sacred lake Manasarover were created from

the mind or 'manas' of Brahma, the God who symbolizes the creative force in the

universe. Hindus revere the whole Himalayan Range as a manifestation of the divineconsciousness. The presence of the mountain and sacred lake is the ultimate

endorsement of the sanctity of the whole range. Buddhists, particularly the Mahayana

Buddhists of Tibet and the surrounding region, call the mountain Kang Rinpoche, the

'precious snow mountain'. For them this is the cosmic mountain, a link between the

physical world and the spiritual universe. For Buddhists and Jains the concept of Meru

is also crucial, for it lies at the centre of their cosmology. Kailash is seen as the physical

manifestation of Mount Meru.

The Jains, a small but important religious sect in India, know Kailash as MountAshtapade. It was on the mountain that the founder of the faith, Rishabanatha, attained

spiritual liberation.

Prior to the introduction of Buddhism in Tibet, the prevailing faith was the Bonpo

religion. To the adherents of Bonpo, Kailash was, and is still known as the nine-storied

swastika mountain, the mystical soul of the Tibetan Plateau. The swastika is the holy

image for all these religions and is symbolic of spiritual strength. Kailash and

Manasarover have also been dubbed the fountainhead of the world. Early pilgrims

recognized Kailash and the nearby lake as the source from which stemmed the river

systems of virtually the whole of the Indo-Gangetic plain. Indeed within a few miles of

the holy peak can be traced the source of the rivers Indus, Brahmaputra, Sutlej, Karnali,

and although somewhat further off, the holy river Ganges. That the rivers should be

considered holy is no surprise, for they are the lifeblood of Northern India, Pakistan

and Bangladesh and irrigate the land that still sustains a third of the subcontinent's

population. That they their legendary source should be seen as an object of devotion


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and pilgrimage is easily explained. The rivers which find their source in this remote

part of the Tibetan Plateau enter the plains thousands of miles apart, a unique and

extraordinary phenomenon. In geographical chronology, The Tibetan Plateau was

formed before the Himalayas themselves, and thus the river systems, which drain from

the plateau predate, the mountains through which they flow.

As the Aryan tribes moved from Central Asia Southwards onto the Indian

subcontinent, so they developed a cosmology, which became the basic of Vedic faith.

Central in this cosmological model was a mountain called Meru, 'Shining like the

morning sun and like a fire without smoke, immeasurable and unapproachable by men

of manifold sins'. On the summit of Mount Meru stood Indra's heavenly city Swarga

and leading upto the mountain was the pathway to the stars, where the souls of the

dead await rebirth.

Perhaps the most complete description of the cosmological pattern comes from theVishnu Purana, which explains how the world is made up of seven continents, ringed

by seven oceans. The central island has Meru as its core, bounded by three mountain

ranges to the north and three to the south. Mount Meru is the central fulcrum of the

universe, and the navel of the world, from which four mighty rivers take their source.

This legend spread throughout Asia and found expression in the design of temples,

stupas, pagodas and other places of religious worship. As the early Vedic beliefs

became transformed into the religions we are aware of today, so Kailash has become the

earthy avatar of Mount Meru. People of all times from around the world have stood in

awe when faced with majestic mountains. From these sublime experiences have comemyths about great mountains as homes of the gods, as stairways to the heavens, as

pillars of the earth. One mountain range in particular inspired this kind of awe, wonder

and devotion - the vast Himalayas.

The Tibetans and the Hindus especially held the great Himalayan mountain range as

sacred. Its grand peaks seemed to reach beyond the profane human realm and stretch

up, touching the divine realm of the gods, so the Tibetans and Hindus saw the

mountains as a means of transition between both the human and heavenly worlds. The

mountains were created, myth tells us, by the god Indra. A huge herd of flyingelephants had displeased him, so he punished them by cutting off their wings and they

turned into the Himalayas. The mountains were important to all of the gods for they all

made sacrifices there. They were especially significant to the god Shiva, however,

whose paradise was on Mount Kailas and whose deep meditation upon the mountain

ensured the continued existence of all things. The most sacred mountain of the whole

Himalayan range though was most definitely Mount Meru. As we have discussed,


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Mount Kailas is the home of the great god Shiva. Well, Mount Kailas is an actual

Himalayan mountain in the Ngari region of Tibet. It rises 22,000 feet high from the edge

of the Tibetan Plateau and is highly inaccessible. It is Mount Kailas then that is the

physical embodiment of Mount Meru for the Buddhist and Hindu peoples. Mythical

Mount Meru was thought to be the axis of the universe, sitting at the centre of theHimalayas. Myths say that Meru rested on the hood of the coiled primeval cobra

Vasuki, who, it was said, caused earthquakes when he yawned. It was also believed that

the whole world would be devoured by this ancient snake at the end of the present age,

world cycle. The Hindus and Buddhists both regarded Mount Meru as sacred for it was

thought to be the centre of the cosmos and supported all of the spheres of existence,

from Brahma's divine city of gold at its peak, to the seven netherworlds at its base, and

especially as the source of the sacred Ganges river. They said that Mount Meru's slopes

were studded with glittering gemstones and were thick with trees heavy with delicious

fruit. Its peaks were rimmed with gold and a huge lake encircled it. The divinity of thismountain is reflected in the religious objects of worship, yantras, of these peoples for

the mountain is symbolized in their conical shape. Mt. Kailash, at 6714 m also known as

Tise, Kailasa & Kang Rinpoche(Jewel of the Snows), has since time immemorial been

celebrated in many Eastern cosmologies as Mt. Meru, the axis mundi. And as the center

of the physical & metaphysical universe, Mt. Meru is sacred to the Buddhist, Jains, the

Hindus & the Bonpos. For the Hindus, the mountain represents the seat of Lord Shiva;

for the Buddhists, a terrestrial projection of the cosmic mandala of Dhyani-Buddhas &

Boddhisatvas.The Wheel of Life; for the Bonpos, Kailash was the sacred nine storey

Swastika Mountain, upon which the Bonpo founder Sherab alighted from heaven. Fourof the great rivers of the Indian subcontinent originates from here: the Karnali, which

feeds into the Ganges (south); the Indus (north); the Sutlez (west) & the Brahmaputra

(Yarlung Tsangpo, east.

A single circumnambulation around Mount Kailish wipes away the sins of a lifetime.

Revered by Buddhists, Hindus, Jains and Bns, this remote Tibetan mountain attracts

scores of pilgrims.

High on the remote western Tibetan plateau, in the northernmost region of the

Himalayas, sits Mount Kailash, the holy mountain. The Tibetan people have named it

Kang Rinpoche, or Snow Jewel, and the Indians refer to it as Mount Meru. Buddhist,

Hindu, and Jain pilgrims from the world over go to this holy mountain to

circumambulate rather than scale the 22,028-foot high peak. In fact, climbing Mount

Kailash is forbidden. The only person to have ever been atop the sacred mountain was

Milarepa, a 11th century Tibetan Buddhist yogi.


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Mount Kailash is commonly referred to as the center of the universe in Eastern religious

texts from India to Japan. Rooted in the seventh hell and bursting through the highest

heaven, it is also believed to be the World Pillar. Hopi Indians recognize Kailash as

being at the opposite side of their Black Mesa, thus its a cosmic backbone.

Hindus who walk around the 32-mile circumference of Mount Kailash use the term

parikrama. They believe that Lord Shiva, one of their three main gods, resides atop

what they call Mount Meru. Tibetans refer to the clockwise circumambulation as a kora.

Both words mean the same thing: pilgrimage. Doing a walk around the mountain can

wipe away a lifetimes worth of sins, or negative karma as is the term in Eastern

religions. He who performs the Parikrama, the ritual circumambulation of the holy

mountain, with a perfectly devoted and concentrated mind goes through a full cycle of

life and death Lama Anagarika Govinda, The Way of the White Clouds. The Jains

who refer to Kailash as Mount Ashtapada believe the founder of their faith,

Rishabanatha, resides atop the mountain. And the Bns [or Bnpos], the religion which

predates Buddhism in Tibet, maintain that the entire mystical region and the Nine-Story

Swastika Mountain is the seat of all power. When viewed from the south face, a

swastika can be seen. Unlike the Jains, Buddhists or Hindus, the Bns make

counterclockwise circumambulations. According to Bnpo accounts, 18 enlightened

teachers will appear in this eon and Tnpa Shenrab, the founder of the Bn religion, is

the enlightened teacher of this age. He is said to have been born in the mythical land of

Olmo Lung Ring, whose location remains something of a mystery. The land is

traditionally described as dominated by Mount Yung-drung Gu-tzeg (Edifice of Nine

Swastikas), which many identify as Mount Kailash in western Tibet. Due to the

sacredness of Olmo Lung Ring and the mountain, both the counter-clockwise swastika

and the number nine are of great significance in the Bn religion. From The Office of

Tibet

Devout Tibetan Buddhists will do full length prostrations, a feat which takes several

weeks, around Mount Kailash, increasing the amount of purification they will receive.

Many pilgrims do a complete round of the mountain in one day, an accomplishment

made more difficult by the 15,000-foot high altitude. Pilgrimages are by their very

nature meant to be arduous, and as the Ngari region of Mount Kailash has no airports

or train stations nearby, people arrive at their spiritual destination by foot, horseback,

yak or jeep. Tarchen is a small settlement near the south face of the mountain; the place

where most pilgrimages begin. Those unwilling or unable to make the kora around the

mountain can hire someone who will, thereby splitting the accumulated merit 50/50.

This doesnt allow either the person who sponsors the kora or the one who actually


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makes the journey to attain instant enlightenment. For those who make the kora, aside

from enduring highly changeable weather conditions, there are four prostration points

in which to pay physical homage. Many pilgrims make sure they visit the three

monasteries located along the path. Near the top of the kora is the Shiwa Tsal, named

after the famed cremation grounds in India. Pieces of clothing, a lock of hair or a dropof blood are left there as an offering, signifying the pilgrims understanding of death

and rebirth. At the highest point of the circuit, just over 18,000 feet, is Dolma La Pass,

meaning She Who Helps Cross. [The Sanskrit name for the female Buddha is Tara].

This refers to the crossing over to liberation as well as being able to complete the

pilgrimage circuit around Kailash. The great boulder of Tara is swathed with long,

colorful strings of prayer flags which send out messages of peace with each flap they

make in this windy region.

Mount Kailash is also the source of four major rivers: the Indus, the Brahmaputra, the

Karnali and the Sutleg. The comparison to the Indian legend of Mount Meru from

whose summit flows four great rivers that irrigate all of Asia is hard to miss.

Eighteen miles southeast of Kailash is the circular, turquoise Lake Manasarovar, or Tso

Rinpoche, [Precious Lake], a 64-mile circuit, which is rarely completed except by the

most devout. Bathing in the lake, or even dousing ones head with the holy water, is

said to be of enormous spiritual benefit to those who can brave the icy water which

many claim contain miraculous powers. Hindus are told that complete immersion into

the lake ensures they be reborn as a god. Tibetans, on the other hand, avoid bathing in

the lake so as not to make it dirty. This is a freshwater lake, three miles above sea level.There is a saltwater lake, separated by a narrow peninsula, named Raksas Tal, or devils

lake. Pilgrims dont bathe or circumambulate this crescent moon-shaped body of water,

but do pay their respect by glancing in its direction.

Five monasteries have been rebuilt on the shores of Lake Manasarovar since 1981

before the Chinese invasion in 1959 there were eight. Fatigued pilgrims are allowed to

stay in the monasteries. Fewer than 500 Indian nationals are allowed to make the

pilgrimage per year due to the Chinese and Indian governments. Most of the Indians

allowed in are selected via a lottery and the ability to pay their own way is evident inthe fact that the majority of them are middle-aged businessmen from large cities.

Before the Cultural Revolution, pilgrims were selected by their bountiful faith. They

traveled on foot or horseback. Some of them made the journey by doing the full-length

prostrations along the way, an endeavor which could last for years, depending upon

the distance and the weather conditions. Few pilgrims were armed, making them prey


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to thieves. But even under such extreme conditions, they were unafraid of death; dying

during a pilgrimage pretty much guaranteed them a lot of good karma points.

Pilgrimages require a degree of flexibility that most people arent required to possess in

a world with guaranteed insurance benefits and retirement plans. To make a spiritual

journey is to rid oneself of habits and to open the heart, making the pilgrim ego less andpure; then allowing this transformation to reach out and positively affect others.

There is no place more powerful for practice, more blessed, or more marvelous than

this; May all pilgrims and practitioners be welcome!" Milarepa, Tibetan Buddhist yogi

[circa 1052 1136]

The spiritual center of the World has had different names in different traditions, but in

many spiritual systems there is referred to a certain and unique point of emanation of

spiritual order, most often described in a way that indicates it being placed in a parallel

world or a higher dimension. The Hindus have called it "Paradesha", the Buddhists"Shambhala", the Christians and the Jews the "Garden of Eden". In the esoteric literature

it has become known as "Shangri-La", "Agarttha" or "the Land of the Living".

The early European travellers to Tibet consistently told the same tale of a hidden

spiritual centre of power. Adventurers recounted fantastic tales of a hidden kingdom

near Tibet. This special place is known by numerous local and regional names, which

no doubt caused much confusion among early travellers as to the kingdoms true

identity. These early travellers knew it as Agharta (sometimes spelt Agharti, Asgartha

or Agarttha), although it is now commonly known as Shambhala.

Is there really a hidden galaxy of minds living in seclusion in an inaccessible part of

Asia, or is it merely a myth? Shambhala, the "Hidden Kingdom," is thought of in Tibet

as a community where perfect and semiperfect beings live and are guiding the

evolution of humankind. Shambhala is considered to be the source of the Kalacakra,

which is the highest and most esoteric branch of Tibetan mysticism. The Buddha

preached the teachings of the Kalacakra to an assembly of holy men in southern India.

Afterwards, the teachings remained hidden for 1,000 years until an Indian yogi-scholar

went in search of Shambhala and was initiated into the teachings by a holy man he met

along the way. The Kalacakra then remained in India until it made its way to Tibet in

1026. Since then the concept of Shambhala has been widely known in Tibet, and

Tibetans have been studying the Kalacakra for the least 900 years, learning its science,

practicing its meditation, and using its system of astrology to guide their lives. As one

Tibetan lama put it, how could Shambhala be the source of something which has

affected so many areas of Tibetan life for so long and yet not exist?


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Tibetan religious texts describe the physical makeup of the hidden land in detail. It is

thought to look like and eight-petaled lotus blossom because it is made up of eight

regions, each surrounded by a ring of mountains. In the center of the innermost ring lies

Kalapa, the capital, and the kings palace, which is composed of gold, diamonds, coral,

and precious gems. The capital is surrounded by mountains made of ice, which shinewith a crystalline light. The technology of Shambhala is supposed to be highly

advanced; the palace contains special skylights made of lenses which serve as high-

powered telescopes to study extraterrestrial life, and for hundreds of years Shambhalas

inhabitants have been using aircraft and cars that shuttle through a network of

underground tunnels. On the way to enlightenment, Shambhalans acquire such powers

a clairvoyance, the ability to move at great speeds, and the ability to materialize and

disappear at will. The prophecy of Shambhala states that each of its kings will rule for

100 years. There will be 32 in all, and as their reigns pass, conditions in the outside

world will deteriorate. Men will become more warlike and pursue power for its ownsake, and an ideology of materialism will spread over the earth. When the "barbarians"

who follow this ideology are united under an evil king and think there is nothing left to

conquer, the mists will lift to reveal the icy mountains of Shambhala. The barbarians

will attack Shambhala with a huge army equipped with terrible weapons. Then the

32nd king of Shambhala, Rudra Cakrin, will lead a mighty host against the invaders. In

a last great battle, the evil king and his followers will be destroyed.

By definition Shambhala is hidden. It is thought to exist somewhere between the Gobi

Desert and the Himalayas, but it is protected by a psychic barrier so that no one can find

the kingdom who is not meant to. Tibetan lamas spend a great deal of their lives in

spiritual development before attempting the journey to Shambhala. Those who try to

get there who are not wanted are swallowed by crevasses or caught in avalanches.

People and animals tremble at its borders as if bombarded by invisible rays. There are

guidebooks to Shambhala, but they describe the route in terms so vague that only those

already initiated into the teachings of the Kalacakra can understand them.

Strange sightings in the area where Shambhala is thought to be seem to provide

evidence of its existence. Tibetans believe that the land is guarded by beings with

superhuman powers. In the early 1900s an article in an Indian newspaper, the

Statesman, told of a British major who, camping in the Himalayas, saw a very tall,

lightly clad man with long hair. Apparently, noticing that he was being watched, the

man leaped down the vertical slope and disappeared. To the majors astonishment, the

Tibetans with whom he was camping showed no surprise at his story; they calmly

explained that he had seen one of the snowmen who guard the sacred land.


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A more detailed account of these "snowmen" guardians was given by Alexandra David-

Neel, an explorer who spent 14 years in Tibet. While traveling through the Himalayas

she saw a man moving with extraordinary speed and described him as follows: "I could

clearly see his perfectly calm impassive face and wide-open eyes with their gaze fixed

on some invisible distant object situated somewhere high up in space. The man did notrun. He seemed to life himself from the ground, proceeding by leaps. It looked as if he

had been endowed with the elasticity of a ball, and rebounded each time his feet

touched the ground. His steps had the regularity of a pendulum."

While people (especially Tibetan lamas) have been searching for Shambhala for

centuries, those who seek the kingdom often never return, either because they have

found the hidden country and have remained there or because they have been

destroyed in the attempt. Tibetan texts containing what appear to be historical facts

about Shambhala, such as the names and dates of its kings and records of

corresponding events occurring in the outside world, give Tibetans additional reason

for believing that the kingdom exists. Recent events that seem to correspond to the

predictions of the mythic kingdom add strength to their belief. The disintegration of

Buddhism in Tibet and the growth of materialism throughout the world, coupled with

the wars and turmoil of the 20th century, all fit in with the prophecy of

Shambhala.Shambhala is the place where King Sucandra, having come from the north

of Kashmir, brought and developed the practice of Kalachakra, after he had received its

empowerment and teachings at Dhanyakataka.

Shambhala Prophecy

The prophecy of Shambhala states that each of its kings will rule for 100 years. There

will be 32 in all, and as their reigns pass, conditions in the outside world will

deteriorate. Men will become more warlike and pursue power for its own sake, and an

ideology of materialism will spread over the earth. When the barbarians who follow

this ideology are united under an evil king and think there is nothing left to conquer,

the mists will lift to reveal the icy mountains of Shambhala. The barbarians will attack

Shambhala with a huge army equipped with terrible weapons. Then the 32nd king of

Shambhala, Rudra Cakrin, will lead a mighty host against the invaders. In a last greatbattle, the evil king and his followers will be destroyed. The Buddha prophesized that

all who received the Kalachakra empowerment would take rebirth in its mandala.

Kalachakra Mandella - Wheel of Time

The outer meaning deals with the universe and all traditional sciences such as

astronomy, astrology, mathematics, and medicine. The inner meaning relates to the


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human body, its internal structure and subtle energies, to be developed through yogas

and tantras. The secret meaning refers to the complete cycle of study and practice of the

Tantric meditation on the Kalachakra deity and its Mandala. The Kalachakra Tantra is

regarded as the essence and heart of Vajrayana. The first king of Shambhala, Sucandra,

an emanation of Vajrapani, requested Buddha Sakyamuni to give teachings aboutKalachakra. On the full-moon day of the third month, at the stupa of Dhanyakataka in

the south of India, before an assembly of innumerable Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Dakas,

Dakinis, gods, nagas and yakshas, the Buddha manifested in the form of Kalachakra,

transmitted the complete empowerment and gave teachings on this Tantra, which

belongs to the most profound and highest class of Tantras. When back in Shambhala,

King Sucandra built up a three dimensional mandala of Kalachakra, absorbed himself

in the practice and gave the transmission of the whole cycle to all inhabitants of the

kingdom of Shambhala.

By definition Shambhala is hidden. It is thought to exist somewhere between the Gobi

Desert and the Himalayas, but it is protected by a psychic barrier so that no one can find

the kingdom who is not meant to. Tibetan lamas spend a great deal of their lives in

spiritual development before attempting the journey to Shambhala. Those who try to

get there who are not wanted are swallowed by crevasses or caught in avalanches.

People and animals tremble at its borders as if bombarded by invisible rays. There are

guidebooks to Shambhala, but they describe the route in terms so vague that only those

already initiated into the teachings of the Kalacakra can understand them.

Madame Helena Blavatsky (1831-1891) was born in the Ukraine to Russian nobility.Endowed with extrasensory powers, she traveled the world in search of occult, secret

teachings and spent many years on the Indian subcontinent. From 1867 to 1870, she

studied Tibetan Buddhism with Indian masters, most likely from the Tibetan cultural

regions of the Indian Himalayas, during her purported stay at Tashilhunpo Monastery

in Tibet.

Blavatsky encountered Tibetan Buddhism at a time when European Oriental

scholarship was still in its infancy and few translations or accounts were available.

Further, she was able to learn only disjointed fragments of its vast teachings. In her

private letters, she wrote that because the Western public at that time had little

acquaintance with Tibetan Buddhism, she decided to translate and explain the basic

terms with more popularly known concepts from Hinduism and the Occult. For

example, she translated three of the four island-worlds (four continents) around Mount


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Meru as the sunken lost islands of Hyperborea, Lemuria, and Atlantis. Likewise, she

presented the four humanoid races mentioned in the abhidharma and Kalachakra

teachings (born from transformation, moisture and heat, eggs, and wombs) as the races

of these island-worlds. Her belief that the esoteric teachings of all the worlds religions

form one body of occult knowledge reinforced her decision to translate in this mannerand she set out to demonstrate that in her writings.

Together with the American spiritualist Colonel Henry Steel Olcott, Madame Blavatsky

founded the Theosophical Society in 1875 in New York. Its international headquarters

moved to Madras, India, shortly thereafter. When her colleague Alfred Percy Sinnett

identified Theosophy with esoteric Buddhism in Esoteric Buddhism (1883), Blavatsky

refuted his claim. According to her posthumously published Letters of H. P. Blavatsky

to A. P. Sinnett, Blavatskys position was that Theosophy transmitted the secret occult

teachings of trans-Himalaya, not the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism. Nevertheless,

through her writings, the West first came to associate Shambhala with the Occult and

many subsequently confused this connection with the actual teachings of Buddhism.

In 1888, Blavatsky mentioned Shambhala in her main work, The Secret Doctrine, the

teachings for which she said she received telepathically from her teachers in Tibet. She

wrote in a letter that although her teachers were reincarnate byang-tzyoobs or

tchang-chubs (Tib. byang-chub, Skt. bodhisattva), she had called them mahatmas

since that term was more familiar to the British in India. The Tibetan source of the

teachings in The Secret Doctrine, Blavatsky claimed, is The Stanzas of Dzyan, the first

volume of commentaries to the seven secret folios of Kiu-te. Kiu-te transcribes theTibetan rgyud-sde, meaning tantra division, which is the title of the first section of

the Kangyur, the Tibetan translations of Buddhas words. Dzyan transcribes the

Sanskrit dhyana (Jap. zen), meaning mental stability. Blavatsky was aware that The

Kalachakra Tantra was the first item in the tantra division of the Kangyur, since she

mentioned that fact in one of her notes. She explained, however, that the seven secret

folios were not actually part of the published Kiu-te, and thus we do not find anything

similar to The Stanzas of Dzyan in that collection.

It is unclear to what extent Blavatsky actually studied the Kalachakra texts directly. Theearliest Western material on the topic was an 1833 article entitled Note on the Origins

of the Kalachakra and Adi-Buddha Systems by the Hungarian pioneer scholar

Alexander Csomo de Krs (Krsi Csoma Sandor). De Krs compiled the first

dictionary and grammar of Tibetan in a Western language, English, in 1834. Jakov

Schmidts Tibetan-Russian Dictionary and Grammar soon followed in 1839. Most of

Blavatskys familiarity with Kalachakra, however, came from the chapter entitled The


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Kalachakra System in Emil Schlagintweits Buddhism in Tibet (1863), as evidenced by

her borrowing many passages from that book in her works. Following her translation

principle, however, she rendered Shambhala in terms of similar concepts in Hinduism

and the Occult.

The first English translation of The Vishnu Purana, by Horace Hayman Wallace, had

appeared in 1864, three years before Blavatskys purported visit to Tibet. Accordingly,

she explained Shambhala in terms of the Hindu presentation in this text: it is the village

where the future messiah, Kalki Avatar, will appear. The Kalki, Blavatsky wrote, is

Vishnu, the Messiah on the White Horse of the Brahmins; Maitreya Buddha of the

Buddhists; Sosiosh of the Parsis; and Jesus of the Christians. She also claimed that

Shankaracharya, the early ninth-century founder of Advaitya Vedanta, still lives

among the Brotherhood of Shamballa, beyond the Himalayas.

Elsewhere, she wrote that when Lemuria sank, part of its people survived in Atlantis,while part of its elect migrated to the sacred island of Shamballah in the Gobi Desert.

Neither the Kalachakra literature nor The Vishnu Purana, however, has any mention of

Atlantis, Lemuria, Maitreya, or Sosiosh. The association of Shambhala with them,

however, continued among Blavatskys followers. Blavatskys placement of Shambhala

in the Gobi Desert is not surprising since the Mongols, including the Buryat population

of Siberia and the Kalmyks of the lower Volga region, were strong followers of Tibetan

Buddhism, particularly its Kalachakra teachings. For centuries, Mongols everywhere

have believed that Mongolia is the Northern Land of Shambhala and Blavatsky was

undoubtedly acquainted with the Buryat and Kalmyk beliefs in Russia.

Blavatsky might also have received confirmation of her placement of Shambhala in the

Gobi Desert from the writings of Csoma de Krs. In an 1825 letter, he wrote that

Shambhala is like a Buddhist Jerusalem and lay between 45 and 50 degrees longitude.

Although he felt that Shambhala would probably be found in the Kizilkum Desert in

Kazakhstan, the Gobi also fell within the two longitudes. Others later would also locate

it within these parameters, but either in East Turkistan (Xinjiang, Sinkiang) or the Altai

Mountains.

Although Blavatsky herself never asserted that Shambhala was the source of The Secret

Doctrine, several later Theosophists made this connection. Foremost among them was

Alice Bailey in Letters on Occult Meditation (1922). Helena Roerich, in her Collected

Letters (1935-1936), also wrote that Blavatsky was a messenger of the White

Brotherhood from Shambhala. Moreover, she reported that in 1934 the Ruler of


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Shambhala had recalled to Tibet the mahatmas who had transmitted to Blavatsky the

secret teachings.

Paramahansa Yogananda, in his Autobiography of a Yogi, writes about his gurus

gurus guru, Mahavatar Babaji, an immortal sage of great age who remains forever

young. Yogananda mentions the sages abode to be a spot pulsating with the energy of

siddhas and yogisGyanganj. Hidden in a valley somewhere in the Himalayas,

Gyanganj or Siddhashram is supposed to be the abode of immortal saints with

supernatural powers who silently and secretly guide humanitys destiny. Sai Kaka, a

yogi who claims to have visted Gyanganj, says: On the adhyatmic or spiritual level, it

(Gyanganj) runs the universe. On the adhidevik or celestial level, the earth and water

elements are absent, enabling powerful activity. At this level, Gyanganj impacts many

planes (of existence) and beings. On the adhibhautic or gross level, Gyanganj siddhas

guide human beings in spiritual and social fields.

Available accounts place Gyanganj north of Kailash-Manasarovar in Tibet. It is also

believed to exist on a higher plane. References to it are found in the Ramayana and the

Mahabharata. Gopinath Kaviraj, in his book Siddhabhoomi Gyanganj, details the place

and its superhuman inhabitants. He talks about the experience of his guru, Swami

Vishudhananda, who visited Gyanganj to learn surya vigyan or solar science. This

knowledge empowered him to manifest objects and transform one object into another

by manipulating the rays of the sun.

In his autobiography, Yogananda describes his encounter with Swami Vishudhanandain Calcutta where he witnessed the master creating perfumes out of thin air. Paul

Brunton, in his A Search in Secret India, claimed that he not only witnessed

Vishudhananda create perfumes but also bring a dead bird back to life. In Tibetan

Buddhism, Shambhala is the source of an esoteric branch of mysticism called the

Kalachakra, and great gurus are believed to visit Shambhala to receive these teachings.

The myth also finds mention in the indigenous Bon tradition of Tibet, where it is known

as Olmolungring

In Tibet, this legendary land of spiritual enlightenment is known as Shambala, a

Sanskrit word which to the Tibetans means "the source of happiness". It is not heaven

on earth but a mystical kingdom that guards the most sacred and secret spiritual

teachings of the world, including the Kalachakra (Wheel of Time), the pinnacle of

Buddhist wisdom. Buddhists trace Shambala to Gautama Buddha who is said to have

assumed the form of the Kalachakra deity before his death and delivered his highest


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teaching to a group of adepts and gods in south India. Among those present was King

Suchandra, the first king of Shambala, who wrote down the sermons and took them

back with him. Various Buddhist texts give instructions for finding Shambala, though

directions are obscure. It is assumed that only accomplished yogis will find it. The

kingdom is hidden in the mists of the snow mountains and can be reached only byflying over them with the help of siddhis or spiritual powers. James Hilton's novel, Lost

Horizon, about the lost kingdom of Shangri-La, was inspired by the legend of

Shambala. Shangri-La has since come to mean a remote, beautiful, imaginary place

where life approaches perfection; utopia, in short. Shambala was not a figment of the

imagination for Madame Blavatsky , founder of the Theosophical Society . She

considered it the abode of the mahatmas or spiritual adepts, in the mountains of Tibet,

Mongolia and India. They live on through centuries in various incarnations,

perpetuating the knowledge of earlier, more spiritually advanced, civilizations like the

Egyptian and the Greek, and teach it to worthy pupils.

One of these adepts, Koot Hoomi (or Kuthumi Baba, at least 500 years old) was

Blavatsky's guru. In India, this secret, sacred land is known as Gyanganj or

Siddhashram. References to Gyanganj or secret ashrams can be found in Hindu

scriptures such as Valmiki Ramayan and Mahabharat. Guru Nanak called it Sach

Khand.

The technology of Shambala is highly advanced. The windows of the palace function as

powerful lenses that serve as telescopes high-powered enough for studying life on other

worlds. For hundreds of years, the inhabitants have been using aircraft and subways.This advancement is not limited to the mere material, for the inhabitants have been able

to develop powers of clairvoyance, swift long-distance travel on foot, and also the

ability to materialize and disappear at will.

The belief in the existence of Shambala has been reinforced by reports of unusual

occurrences in the Himalayan region where it is thought to be. In the early 1900s The

Statesman carried a report by a British army officer of a very tall, lightly clad man with

long hair who, when he noticed the major, leaped down a vertical slope and

disappeared.( This incident I have mentioned earlier in this article also ans I ammentioning here only to impress upon my readers that Himalayas could be that

gateway to heaven that we are talking about , without prejudice ) Tibetans back at the

encampment showed no surprise at the major's account, but simply explained that he

had seen one of the guards of the sacred land.


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Alexandra David-Neel, the French adventurer who spent 14 years in Tibet, reported

seeing a man moving with extraordinary speed: "I could clearly see his perfectly calm

impassive face and wide-open eyes with their gaze fixed on some invisible distant

object situated somewhere high up in space. The man did not run. He seemed to lift

himself from the ground, proceeding by leaps. It looked as if he had been endowedwith the elasticity of a ball, and rebounded each time his feet touched the ground. His

steps had the regularity of a pendulum."

Shambala supposedly can be perceived only by those sufficiently pure both in mind

and karmic resolution. It is also held that the reason we do not hear from anyone who

has successfully found it is either because they do not want to return, or because they

have been destroyed in the attempt. There are texts listing the Shambala rulers along

with corresponding events in the outside world, and also predictions for the future.

The decline of Buddhism in Tibet, the rise of materialism everywhere, and events of the

tumultuous 20th century can be discerned in those predictions.

I have mentioned about the prophecy of the Shambhalla The prophecy of Shamballa

describes a situation similar to that of Ithaca in Homer's story of Odysseus. Both involve

the idea of returning to the source and both places are threatened with barbarian

invasion. This prophecy tells of the thirty-two kings that will rule in Shamballa and of

the rise of brutal materialism in the world. It says that when the dungans have become

more troublesome than ever, the Panchen Lama will be born as the son of the king of

Shamballa. The dungans will lay waste to Tibet, and the people, following the Dalai

Lama, will abandon their homeland to set off for Shamballa, where they will bereceived by the new king. The dungans will subdue Asia and Europe and will even try

to invade Shamballa, but they will be defeated by the forces of the king and driven back

into their own country. This great final battle represents a confrontation between the

desire-ridden personality and the Higher Self, where the true 'king' extends his rule

over the vestures of the outside world. But the details of the prophecy are so closely

mirrored in the shadowy struggles of recent history that it cannot but remind one of the

Tibetan world-view which assumes that everything conceivable probably exists in the

world. The great battle between truth and ignorance rages at the gates of Shamballa as

it does in the human heart, and whole nations and their armies simply galumph along

hideously, acting it out on the gross physical plane.

Going home to Shamballa is like the 'journey to the East', to the birthplace of Apollo

and Hermes. It is the home of the Sons of Will and Yoga who lived on as remnants of

the Third Race, and all of the avatars of Vishnu are said to have sprung from its centre.

In the Hindu tradition, Kalki will be the last of these avatars, and according to Tibetan


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calculations, he corresponds to Rudra Chakrin, the last king of Shamballa. Just as Rama

possessed the aid of Hanuman in the Ramayana as he fought the barbarian demons, so

the king will possess a General Hanumanda who will assist him in that final great battle

foretold in the prophecy. The link between Vishnu and Shamballa is also forged in the

mysterious teachings of time and cycles, which must be understood at some level inorder even to enter upon the battleground. This is inextricably interwoven with the

mystery of the Earth itself, who demonstrates these cycles in all her shifts and flows. It

is said that at the beginning of human life, only the North Pole of the earth was

motionless and dry. This island is a 'skull-cap' which prevails during the entire

manvantara of our Round. It is the head of the mother from which pure waters flow, to

become foul at her feet. When they return to her heart, they are once again purified, for

her heart beats "under the sacred foot of Shamballa". This heart also lies beneath the Sea

of Knowledge, which existed where the sands of the Gobi Desert now stretch in

desolation and throw up miraged outlines of lost cities as though it were a graveyardyielding forth its ghosts.

Nicholas Roerich (1874-1947) was the set-designer for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. He

was also an ethnographer, a Himalayan explorer, and besides being a disciple of Helena

Blavatsky, founder of Theosophy, he may have been a spy for the Soviets. He

promoted the notion that he was an incarnation of the Fifth Dalai Lama, because of

seven moles on his neck. He wrote, ca. 1928: "I remembered how during our crossing of

the Karkaroum Pass, my sais, [syce: groom, master of horse] the Ladaki, asked me. 'Do

you know why there is such a peculiar upland up here? Do you know that in the

subterranean caves here many treasures are hidden, and that in them lives a wonderful

tribe which abhors the sins of the Earth?' And again when we approached Khotan the

hooves of our horses sounded hollow as though we rode above caves or hollows. Our

caravan people called our attention to this . . . . "Long ago people lived there; now

they have gone in

41922888 what is shamballa

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