Unknown Place

Shambhala, which is a Sanskrit word meaning “place of peace” or “place of silence,” is a mythical paradise spoken of in ancient texts, including the Kalachakra Tantra and the ancient scriptures of the Zhang Zhung culture which predated Tibetan Buddhism in western Tibet. According to legend, it is a land where only the pure of heart can live, meaning those who have achieved enlightenment. Accordingly, the mythical Buddhist kingdom of Shambhala is a place where love and wisdom reign and where people are immune to suffering, want or old age. Answering the question “what is Shambhala?” is no easy feat. Shambhala is said to be the land of a thousand names. It has been called the Forbidden Land, the Land of White Waters, Land of Radiant Spirits, Land of Living Fire, Land of the Living Gods and even the Land of Wonders. The Hindus call it Aryavartha (“The Land of the Worthy Ones”); the Chinese know it as Hsi Tien, the Western Paradise of Hsi Wang Mu; and to Russian Old Believers, it is known as Belovoyde. But throughout Asia, it is best known by its Sanskrit name, Shambhala, Shamballa or Shangri-la. The legend of Shambhala is said to date back thousands of years, and reference to the mythical land can be found in various ancient texts. Bön scriptures speak of a closely related land called Olmolungring. Hindu texts such as Vishnu Purana mention Shambhala as the birth place of Kalki, final incarnation of Vishnu who believers claim will usher in a new Golden Age. Buddhist myth of Shambhala is an adaptation of the earlier Hindu myth. However, text in which Shambhala is first discussed extensively is Kalachakra. Kalachakra refers to a complex and advanced esoteric teaching and practice in Tibetan Buddhism. Shakyamuni Buddha is said to have taught the Kalachakra on request of King Suchandra of Shambhala. As with many concepts in the Kalachakra, the idea of Shambhala is said to have outer, inner, and alternative meanings. This makes it complicated for the uninitiated to truly understand what Shambhala really is. The outer meaning understands Shambhala to exist as a physical place, although only individuals with the appropriate karma can reach it and experience it as such. The inner and alternative meanings refer to subtler understandings of what Shambhala represents in terms of one's own body and mind (inner), and during meditative practice (alternative). These two types of symbolic explanations are generally passed on orally from teacher to student. As 14th Dalai Lama noted during the 1985 Kalachakra initiation in Bodhgaya, Shambhala is not an ordinary country: Although those with special affiliation may actually be able to go there through their karmic connection, nevertheless it is not a physical place that we can actually find. We can only say that it is a pure land, a pure land in the human realm. And unless one has the merit and the actual karmic association, one cannot actually arrive there.