Hinduism: Details about 'Shambala'

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For other uses, see Shambhala (disambiguation).

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 and the ancient texts of the Zhang Zhung culture which pre-dated Tibetan Buddhism in western Tibet. The Bön scriptures speak of a closely-related land called Olmolungring.

Contents

Shambhala in the Buddhist Kalachakra Teachings

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 Shambala; the teachings are also said to be preserved there. Shambhala is believed to be a society where all the inhabitants are enlightened, centered around a capital city called Kalapa. War and injustice are unknown there, and it is said to be peopled by beautiful women and men dwelling in magnificent abodes.

Shambhala is ruled over by the Kulika King (Tib. Rigden), a benevolent monarch who upholds the integrity of the Kalachakra tantra. Religious scholars believe that this figure developed out of the myth of the Hindu conqueror Kalki, a similar personage. The Kalachakra prophesizes that when the world declines into war and greed, and all is lost, the twenty fifth Kalika king will emerge from Shambhala with a huge army to vanquish the corrupt and usher in a worldwide Golden Age. Some scholars put this date at 2424



AD/index.php/Fullmetal_Alchemist" title="Fullmetal Alchemist">Fullmetal Alchemist movie is titled Fullmetal Alchemist: Conqueror of Shambala, and touches upon the Nazis' fascination with the mythical place.

Novels

The myths of Shambhala were part of the inspiration for the story of Shangri-La told in the popular book Lost Horizon, and thus some people even refer to Shambhala improperly as if it were a Shangri-La.

"The Secret of Shambhala: The Search for the Eleventh Insight" by James Redfield

In this he talks about his search for Shang-ri-la or Shambala and also details the significance of prayers and positive thoughts in our life.

Music

  • "Shambala" was written and originally recorded by songwriter B.W. Stevenson.
  • The Three Dog Night band have a song called "Shambala", on their Cyan album.
  • 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.
  • 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 horror-rap group the Insane Clown Posse made several references to Shambala in their "Joker's Cards" albums.

See also

  • Jonang Article describing the forcible converting by the Gelugpas (the Dalai Lamas of lore) of Jonang's sect and it's master Taranatha, the person who brought about the Kalachakra, which tells of Shambala.
  • Jalpo Article about a demon-ghost, that's being used to highjack the Sakyapa lineage, in an effort to convert forcibly all the sects of Buddhism, by the Gelugpas today and yesterday in history. This demon is part of the path to uncover Shambala and the Kalachakra.
  • Hyperborea - A mythical Greek land.
  • Kalachakra - The Buddhist body of scripture which introduced Shambhala.
  • Kings of Shambhala - A summary of the seven Dharmarajas and twenty-five Kulika Kings.

Shambhala Shambhala


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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Shambala". A list of the wikipedia authors can be found here.