Shambhala

In various religious traditions, Shambhala is a mythical kingdom hidden somewhere beyond the snow-capped mountains of the Himalayas.

Sanskrit name and etymology

• śambhala or sambhala in the AITS system (international alphabet for the transliteration of the Sanskrit).
• ".の.の.。 or "のの.の.。 in devanagari writing of the Sanskrit.
• Pronunciation: [shamb^Jala] in Sanskrit or [shall] in Spanish.
• Etymology: unknown. That usually happens when the word has no Sanskrit origin.

Shambhala in Hinduism

There is no mention of Shambhala in the Rig-veda (the oldest text in India, from the mid-2nd millennium BC). It appears in the Majabhárata (epico-religious text from the III century BC), mentioned as the birthplace of the Kalki avatar, located in the Himalayas, between the Ganges River and the Rathaprá River.

In the Bhagavata-purana (from the XI century AD) It is said that the sage Śukadeva Goswāmī (16 years old, son of sage Viasa) predicts to King Parikshit (grandson of the late hero Arjuna) about the birth of the last avatar of Vishnu, the terrible warrior Kalki, at the end of the age of Kali (427,000 years from now). The text of Canto 12 (chapter 2, verses 18 to 38) says:

¹⁸: In the village Śambhala, in the home of Visnú Iaśā [‘fama de Visnú’] (principal brāhmana and great soul), Kalki will appear.

¹⁹: Traveling quickly, riding on his horse called Devadatta, the Lord of the universe with his sword will destroy the infidels, endowed with the qualities of his eight opulences [richness, strength, fame, intelligence, beauty and renunciation].

²⁰: Quickly traveling the Earth, tens of millions of robbers (like kings) will be killed.

³⁷: Devapi, the brother of and Maru, born in the Ikswaku dynasty, in the village of Kalapa both are living, endowed with great yoga powers.

³⁸: They will return here at the end of Kali iuga, instructed by Vasudeva [Krisna]. They will proclaim religion as it had been,(varna) and stages of life (Ashram).

Others identify the mythical Shambhala with the town called Sambhal (in Moradabad).

In the Skanda-purana there is a text called Śambhala-grāma māhātmya ('praise to Shambhala village').

Shambala in Buddhism

According to Mipham (Tibetan writer, 1846-1912), in his Great commentary on the kalachakra, the kingdom of Shambhala would be located north of the Sita river and would be divided by eight mountain ranges. The palace and the city of Kalapa of its rulers would be built on the top of a circular mountain called Kailasa (known Mount of Tibet), in the center of the country.

The first king of Shambhala was named Suchandra and claimed to be an emanation of Vashra Pani. There is a legend (which could be true) that he would have lived in the time of Buddha. On the day of the full moon of the third month, in the Dhanyakataka steppe of South India, before a gathering of countless bodhisattvas, dakas, dakinis, gods, white magicians, and iakshas (gnomes), the Buddha taught the doctrine kalachakra at the request of King Suchandra. When he returned to Kalapa, King Suchandra built a three-dimensional kalachakra mandala.

It is said that when the world enters an age of war and evil, and all is lost, the king of Shambhala Rudras will rise from his secret city with a great army to eliminate and repel evil and usher in a new age of purity.

According to other Buddhists,^{[citation needed]} in Shambhala there will be 32 kings, who will each reign for 100 years. During the reign of Rudra Chakrin in Shambhala the 32nd Evil will attack Shambhala with a huge army, equipped with terrible weapons. In the great and last battle for Good the king of SHAMBALA Rudra Chakrin will stop all those who experience evil.

This legend resembles the Hindu myth of the Kalki avatar.

Shambhala according to the Dalai Lama

The current Dalai Lama also believes in the existence of Shambhala:

Although those who have a special affiliation can really go there through their karmic connection, however [Shambala] is not a physical place we can find in reality. I can only say that it is a pure land, a pure land within the human realm. And unless one has the real karmic merit and association, one cannot really get there.

Tenzin Gyatso (1935–), during a kalachakra initiation in 1985 in the city of Bodhgaya

Shambhala in theosophical esotericism

For esotericists, Shambhala is the sanctum sanctorum (the abode of the Most High), the place where the Will of God is known. The British writer Alice A. Bailey (1880-1949) ―who wrote under the pseudonym Shual Jul, a supposed Tibetan teacher― wrote that the Fraternity of Shambhala worshiped the Sun, and was located in the region of the Mayas (in Central America).). A second branch was later established in Asia.

Shambhala in the Russian vision

Russian artist Nikolai Roerich (1874-1947) was a great follower and seeker of Shambhala. Proof of this were his travels through northern India to find its geographical location and his books about it, among which Shambhalla, the resplendent stands out.

Shambhala in popular culture

The American writer James Redfield (1950-) in his novel The secret of Shambhala: in search of the eleventh insight (1999, known in Spanish as The eleventh revelation), focuses on the secret of Shambhala and develops the plot in places near Tibet. Redfield states in his book that the only beings capable of speaking with the dakini (Buddhist angels) are the inhabitants of Shambhala.

In the anime film (Japanese cartoon) derived from the first series of Fullmetal Alchemist called Conqueror of Shambhala, an allusion is made to a country —a parallel dimension that would be the origin of alchemy— where great power is found.

In the first anime film set in the universe of the Psycho-Pass series, the protagonist, Inspector Akane Tsunemori, travels outside of Japan to conduct an investigation in a dystopian country called Shambhala that is attempting to implement the Sibyl system at the same time struggling to contain an internal conflict.

The video game Uncharted 2: Kingdom of Thieves (2009) contains a reference to the lost city of Shangri-La (Shambhala) in which lies an object of great mythological power called the Chintamani Stone. During the course of the story the protagonists end up discovering the lost city.

In the video game Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine (1999) the character must enter a mysterious temple where lies a great secret that has been hidden for years among the mountains of the Himalayas. Upon discovering this secret, a whole adventure is unleashed, since a piece with supernatural powers found is going to be the first part of a whole puzzle to be solved. This temple to which allusion is made corresponds to the Shambhala temple.

In the anime Akame ga kill the Shambhala is a weapon used by one of the villains which allows the user to teleport to any place they have previously marked

H. P. Lovecraft briefly mentions this city in his story "The Diary of Alonzo Typer", where it is described as founded by the inhabitants of Lemuria 50 million years ago, and located in an eastern desert, protected by psychic forces.

In the video game Lost Horizon (2010), the events narrated in it focus on the search for Shambhala to rescue the protagonist's friend.

Enrique Barrios, in his book Ami 3, mentions Shambhala (pronounced Shambhala in the book) as an underground city, in which work is carried out for the spiritual evolution of humanity. It is suggested that this city has existed since before life originated on the planet, and was built by the aliens that would later give rise to Humanity.

In 1973, the American rock band Three Dog Night released the song "Shambala," in which they say:

Wash away my troubles,

wash away my pain

with the rain in Shambala.

Wash away my sorrow,

wash away my shame

with the rain in Shambala.

In the video game Far Cry 4 (from 2014), Shangri-la is a paradise where there is no pain. It is also exposed that a Kirati king sent a warrior to explore the region, but the soldier is involved in the defense of paradise against demons.

In the film "Doctor Strange" As of 2016, the Sanctum Sanctorum WiFi password is Shamballa, referencing this myth for the mystical context of Marvel's own history.

The Japanese name of the card "The Hidden City" from the card game Yu-Gi-Oh! it is "Shambhala, the Underworld".

The work "The Himalayas Suite" is a musical portrait and symphonic poem for SATB symphony orchestra and mixed choir, by the composer Josu Ortiz Delgado that describes through music different settings of the Himalayas, discovering Mount Everest, the starry night and the storms lurking on the horizon, the people and their religion. The suite also alludes to the legend of Shambhala, which must fight a hard battle led by King Rudra Chakrin before ending the work on the summit. The suite is divided into 5 sections or movements:
I. "Mount Everest: The Roof of the World" (" Mount Everest: The Roof of the World")
II. "The Starry Night" ("The Starry Night& #34;)
III. "The Ceremony: Temple Ritual" ("The Ceremony: Temple Ritual")
IV. "The Legend: Shambhala" ("La Leyenda: Shambhala")
V. "The Summit: Finale" ("The Summit: Finale”)

Roller Coaster

In 2012, a roller coaster called "Shambhala: Expedition to the Himalayas" was inaugurated in Salou (Spain), at the PortAventura Park theme park. The idea of theming is inspired by the imaginary kingdom of Shambhala, the Himalayan mountains and Bhutan.

Books

• Mendoza, Mario:My strange journey to the world of Shambala. Colombia: Bogotá D.C. 2013. Arango Editores.
• Roerich, Nikolái (1874-1947): Shambhalla, the glowing. Spain: Nous, 2011.
• Trungpa, Chogyam (1939-1987): Shambhala. The sacred path of the warrior. Buenos Aires: Kairós, first edition, 1986; 12th edition, 2011.
• Hayward, Jeremy: The road of Shambhala. Translation by Miguel Iribarren. Madrid: Gaia, 1998. ISBN 84-88242-51-4.
• Tomas, Andrew: Shambhala, oasis of light. Translation by Juan Moreno. Madrid: Plaza and Janes, 1980.
• Redfield James: The eleventh revelation. Translation by Jordi Giménez Samanes.Barcelona, Constitució, 19. ISBN 84-9759-300-6...