The Legend of Shambhala (Shangri La)
"Behind snowy peaks, somewhere to the North, lies a Mystical Kingdom, where a line of Enlightened Kings is guarding the innermost teachings of Buddhism for a time when all truth in the outside world is lost in war and greed. Then, the King of Shambhala will emerge with a great army to destroy the forces of evil and bring in a new Golden Age."
Rumors and reports have been in existence, for millennia now, that somewhere near or beyond Tibet, among icy peaks and in some of the secluded valleys of Eurasia, lies a "paradise", inaccessible to us. It is a place of enlightenment, wisdom and peace, called Shambhala, known by several other names such as "Shangri-La" and "Agharta."
Shambhala is a Sanskrit word, which means "place of peace." It has often been thought of as a cluster of minds, of perfect and semi-perfect beings, who are guiding the evolution of humanity. It is also considered to be the source and safeguard of Kalachakra (The Wheel of Time), one of the highest branches of Tibetan mysticism and Buddhism's teachings.
According to the legends, The King of Shambhala (Shambhala's existence predates Buddhism) travelled to India to meet Buddha and learn the Kalachakra teachings. He then took those teachings back to the Kingdom, where the teachings have been preserved. It is said that only a person with a pure heart can live in Shambhala. There, they shall enjoy ease and perfect happiness and will not know suffering, desire or age. Love and wisdom reign. Injustice and vices are unknown. The inhabitants are long-lived, wear beautiful and perfect bodies and possess supernatural powers; their spiritual knowledge is deep, their technological level highly advanced, their laws mild and their study of the arts and sciences covers the full spectrum of cultural achievement, but on a far higher level than anything the outside world has attained.
By definition Shambhala is hidden. Of the numerous explorers and seekers of spiritual wisdom who attempt to locate Shambhala, none can pinpoint its physical location on a map, although all say it exists in the mountainous regions of Eurasia. Many have also returned believing that Shambhala lies on the very edge of physical reality, as a bridge connecting this world to one beyond it.
Tibetan lamas spend a great deal of their lives in spiritual development before attempting the journey to Shambhala. Perhaps deliberately, the guidebooks to Shambhala describe the route in terms so vague that only those already initiated into the teachings of the Kalachakra can understand them.
According to some lamas, "As the traveller draws near the kingdom, their directions become increasingly mystical and difficult to correlate with the physical world. At least one lama has written that the vagueness of these books is deliberate and intended to keep Shambhala concealed from the barbarians who will take over the world." This line being referred to is from the Prophecy of Shambhala.
The Prophecy of Shambhala
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. There will then be a gradual deterioration of mankind as the ideology of materialism spreads 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 snowy 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.
Some put the year of the prophecy as 2029, although most predictions put it at 2424, when a Great War will begin in India.
What Shambhala Looks Like
For an idea as to what the Shambhala Kingdom looks like, we must delve slightly into Tibettan Buddhist mythology. Mount Meru is a place which simultaneously represents the center of the universe and the single-pointedness of mind sought by adepts. Thousands of miles in height, Meru is located somewhere beyond the physical plane of reality, in a realm of perfection and transcendence. Symbolic representations of Mount Meru are commonly found in Tibetan mandalas, contemplative diagrams designed to aid meditators in focusing.
It is said that Meru has its roots in hell, and its summit in heaven. Meru is surrounded by seven rings of golden mountains, each separated from the other by one of seven circular oceans. It is crowned by a golden palace wherein Indra, king of Hindu gods, resides. This entire superstructure rises from an outer ocean, and is flanked by four main continents, each with two subcontinents.
The southern continent, Jambudvipa, corresponds to the physical earth. Each of the other continents represents a nearby planet upon which transmigrating souls following the yellow light-path may be reborn. However, it is said that all of these worlds are undesirable, for they are non-human worlds inhabited by sheep, cattle, or horses. The teachings of Buddhism clearly state that existence as a human being is the only way to achieve Buddhahood, so rebirth in any other form (including that of a deva or demigod) is a distraction from the path to enlightenment.
According to legend, somewhere in the northwest region of Jambudvipa lies a land called Shambhala. This is a magical land which is shaped like an eight-petalled lotus flower. It has been ruled by priest-kings for many thousands of years; in fact, the legend of Shambhala predates the introduction of Buddhism into Tibet. In the aboriginal Bon religion, Shambhala is known as Olmolungrung, and is based on the square instead of the circle.
Shambhala forms a gateway between the physical and spiritual realms. It is endowed with riches, and is ideally suited for the habitat of enlightened souls. They are not attached to the fruits of karma, and are but one step from Buddhahood. This is the realm to be sought for rebirth if one desires the swiftest path to nirvana.
Finding Shambhala
Many western explorers, hearing tales of a "golden city" of Shambhala, sought to find it in the frozen wastes of northern Tibet. This resulted in the present-day term "Shangri-la," which, like El Dorado, signifies an unattainable goal. This is an unfortunate misunderstanding, for ultimately Shambhala is a place accessible to anyone, if only one can be free of karmic attachments.
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.
Even Hitler was intrigued with the idea of Shambhala. Hitler was quite mystic-minded. In his youth, he studied the occult and yoga in Vienna, and received initiation into the American Indian peyote cult. Later he turned to Theosophy. He was invited to join an occult group in Germany, called Ultima Thulli, which planned to take over Germany. This later became the Nazi Party.
Once Hitler assumed power, one of his ministries was that of Ancestral Memories, headed by the Chairman of the Sanskrit Department at Munich University. It controlled the concentration camps. Through this connection with Sanskrit studies, the Nazis adopted the swastika, an ancient Indian symbol of immutable good luck. "Swastika" is a Sanskrit word that means well-being or good luck. It has appeared as a symbol throughout the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain worlds for thousands of years. Hitler hoped it would likewise bring him good fortune.
Hitler gathered information about as many of the occult groups of the world as he could. His aim was to find the elements common with Theosophy and to reinterpret these teachings in terms of its theory. With the help of the explorer Sven Hedlin, he sent several expeditions to Tibet. They were searching for contacts with Shambhala to obtain their help for ruling the world. They claimed that although Shambhala rejected them, they were able to contact and gain help from the mystic kingdom of Agardhi that Blavatsky had mentioned. Before the main Nazi leaders were executed after the Nurenberg trials, it was reported that the leaders held an unknown religious ceremony led by a man with the keys to Agardhi.
The Eastern mystical view of the world can be quite different from the Western scientific view of it. It maybe that the guidebooks to Shambhala are describing a landscape transformed by the visions of a yogi taking the journey there: Where we would see a mountaintop gleaming with snow, he would see a golden temple with a shining god. In that case, we might be able to travel the same path, but with a different view of reality.
To travel to Shambhala is to undertake at one and the same time an inner mystical journey and an outer physical one through desolate and mountainous territory to a cosmic powerhouse.
An old Tibetan story tells of a young man who set off on the quest for Shambhala. After crossing many mountains, he came to the cave of an old hermit, who asked him, “Where are you going across these wastes of snow?”
“To find Shambhala,” the youth replied.
“Ah, well then, you need not travel far,” the hermit said. “The kingdom of Shambhala is in your own heart.
Source: http://www.mendhak.com/mythology/68/the-legend-of-shambhala-shangri-la.aspx
"Poltergeist" comes from the German words poltern, "to knock" and "rumbling spirit". The history of poltergeists can be traced as far back as ancient Roman times. Reports of poltergeist disturbances cite loud noises, lights, smells, physical and sexual assault, telephones ringing, and in general create unexplained disturbances. Some people believe that poltergeist activity is caused by an unconscious form of telekinesis. Poltergeist activity usually takes place when a particular individual is present - usually young teenagers at puberty who has emotional problems. A poltergeist is often thought of as a negative spirit attracted to these teenagers.
Written by Geri 