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624 AD....."In 624 AD, a Moslem invasion weakened the Kingdom of Shambhala."(Roerich: 1974..pg 753) (Geoffrey Hopkins: 1985..pg 60)...Muhammad died in 632 AD, beginning an expansion of the Muslim Empire in central Asia...In 624 AD the Sassian Shah Yazdigird is defeated by the Arabs at the battle of Nahavand...In Iran, the great Sassanian dynasty collapsed in the 7th century under the Arab onslaught...."in the era of the Mlecchas, the starting year of the Kalacakra chronology is the first year of the Hijra, calculated from the year 624 AD."..(Roerich:1949...pg 753)...."In 580 AD the Turks assailed Sassanian Persia from the East and weakened it which led to the triumph of Islam a few decades later. The surprise and defeat of the Sassanian Shahr-Baraz in 624 AD." (Langer: Ency World History:1940)...."622 AD is the first year of the new Mohammedian era according to the Islamic tradition...
"The date 403...Tibetan scholars have concluded that this year corresponds to the first year of the newer Tibetan chronology, 1027 AD.....However, the Vimalaprabha explains this year 403 is "the year of the lord of the barbarians" (mlecchendravarsham)...Furthermore, the lord of the barbarians is "Muhammad, the incarnation of al-Rahman, the teacher of the barbarian Dharma, the guru and swami of the barbarian Tajiks."...
In Shambhala the days are theoretically exactly 16 hours at the summer solstice. This gives an exact latitude, between 47-48 degrees north if taken literally.
The Saga of the Aryans is a semi-fictional historical novel on the origins of the Aryan people. The Saga deals with the lives of the ancient Indo-Europeans about twenty thousand years ago, who proudly called themselves the Aryans - the Noble Ones. They were the first MazdaYasnis, the Worshippers of Ahura Mazda: God in the ancient Aryan tongue of Avestan.
Volume I of the Saga describes vividly the Great Migration of the Aryan ancestors from their ancient homeland Airyanam Vaejo in the North Pole, due to the Ice Age glaciations that occurred in that ancient age. Drawing inspiration from the sacred Scriptures of the Aryan Zoroastrians, in which the great journey is authenticated; the book unfolds the trials and tribulations that befell the ancient ancestors of mankind in their great journey to the South and the South-West, towards Iran, India, Greece, Russia, Germany and the other nations of Europe. The Aryans display great heroism against the bitter cold and blizzards, the wild animals and the savage barbarians. Romance blooms among the young, as they travel onwards to IRAN.
The Saga is interspersed with heroic verse, in the great Aryan tradition. In Volume II, The Advent of Asho Zarathushtra, the story takes up the life of the ancient Aryan Prophet Zarathushtra, eight thousand years ago. When the Earth-Soul cried out for a Saviour, Zarathushtra was born to redeem the ancient Aryan faith. The glorious birth of the Aryan Prophet in Iran is vividly described, followed by the many miraculous events in his early childhood. Volume III onwards continue the story of the youth and manhood of the Prophet Zarathustra, including the Divine Relevations he received from Ahura Mazda, his travels in Iran, and his tribulations in the Royal court of Iran.
The popular Parsi journalist Noshir Dadrawalla has called the Saga a fine example of Zoroastrian literature. Volume I and II of the Saga were published in the famous Bombay newspaper Jam-e-Jamshed, English Section in 1987-1988 and 1992. They proved to be very popular among young and old alike.
"For those who are wondering what happened next, let me tell you briefly. AZ succeeded in restoring the old Mazdayasni religion to its pure original state and added to that his own marvellous new Zarathushtri revelations (that's why we are known by the double-barrelled name "Mazdayasni-Zarathushtri"). Many of the Aryans embraced AZ's teachings and became his followers. But many others did not budge and remained in the Daevayasni camp. The religious strife became so intense that during or shortly after the mission of AZ, the two camps within the Aryan community split up in a Great Schism, parted company for ever and went their own separate ways. ......I may mention that this split occurred when the Aryans were apparently located at around 50 degrees North latitude somewhere in Northern Eurasia. Later, the Iranian-Aryans migrated further Southwards and finally settled in the Iranian Plateau (Persia), while the Indo-Aryans took a different route and finally settled in the Indo-Gangetic Plain of North India. The split was complete, even physically/geographically. .......
However, having once been united and having shared a common homeland and culture for thousands of years in the remote past, these two branches of the Aryan family naturally share certain common features in religion, history & heritage, as well as in language --- Avesta and Vedic Sanskrit are actually sister languages! .......
But due to the religious divide and the Great Schism which resulted in much bitterness and enmity (various attempts at a reconciliation having failed), there are also naturally many major differences in religious doctrine and practice between the two branches. This is no better illustrated than by the terms "Daeva" and "Ahura." Ahura is the name by which the Iranian-Aryans refer to God. But did you know that when the Indo-Aryans use that very same word Asura ("s" & "h" being interchangeable between Avesta and Sanskrit) they take it to signify a demon? Now look at Daeva. This word comes from the root "div"/"dav" which can have two contrary meanings --- one meaning = to shine, and the other meaning = to deceive. The Indo-Aryans picked the first meaning with the good connotation (i.e., to shine) and applied the words Daeva and Daevi to signify their various gods and goddesses. No prizes for guessing what the Iranian-Aryans did! They picked the second meaning with the bad connotation (i.e., to deceive) and hence took Daeva to signify a demon. Tit for tat!"
"The land of Shambhala lies north of the Tarum River (Sita River in Eastern Turkestan?....or Kabul (Sita) River in Afghanistan?...... The central pericarp is elevated a bit above the surrounding lotus petals, and on it stands Kalapa. Its palaces are made of gold, silver, turquoise, coral, pearl, emerald, moon crystal, and other precious stones. In front of the thrones are crystal looking glasses that allow one to see far into the distance. North of Kalapa are wooded, craggy, crystalline peaks. On the faces of the peaks are depictions of the Buddhas and the Gods. South of Kalapa is a sandalwood pleasure grove. In the center of the grove is the mandala circle of Kalachakra made by King Sucandra. East of the grove is a miniature Manasa lake. To the west is a white lotus lake. ....The Kalki (the lineage king of Shambhala) and his queens possess the four aims of life: sensual pleasure, wealth, ethics, and liberation. They never become sick or old, and although they always enjoy sensual pleasure, their virtue never decreases. The Kalki does not have more than one or two heirs, but he has many daughters who are given as vajra ladies during the initiations held on the full moon of the Caitra each year....The houses in the villages of Shambhala are two storied. The people have fine bodies and appearances and they are very wealthy. The men of Shambhala wear caps, and white or red cotton clothes. Women wear white or blue garments pleated and patterned with beautiful designs." (John R. Newman....1985)
Research Notes:
Shambhala (Sambhala).....Sanskrit: sam=happiness...bhala=?....
The Tibetan word for Shambhala is bde 'byung (the source of happiness) (Bernbaum: 1980...pg 270)....
Chogyam Trungpa once said that the Shambhala teachings most likely had 'Iranian origins'....(1980?).
LOCATION:....Mipham believed Shambhala to be north of the River Tarim.(Sita)..
Tradition places it near the river Sita (Tarim) in East Turkestan. ...
"The Tarim River in East Turkestan. Thus 'Shambhala' must be a special name for the Uighur Kingdom centered at Khocho that flourished circa 850-1250." (Newman...1985)
The Dalai Lama reportedly has said he believes it to have been in the Altai Mountains...("Entering the Circle")
A second TARUM RIVER in ancient Persia...near the Caspian Sea and Mt Demavand. A ring of mountains surrounding the small kingdoms of ancient Persia. North of Hagmatan. Location of a great castle called Kal'ah Taj. Had 'lions of gold' on its walls. Tributary of the Safid River in the Elburz Mountains. North of the ancient city of Ray. South of the ancient city of Kabalah. (LeStrange: 1966..pg 227)
The Kabul River in Afghanistan was also once known as the Sita or White River.....
HAGMATAN....(Described by Herodotus)...."A glimpse into ancient Persian cosmology is the royal city of Hagmatan (Hamadan, Agbatana, Ekbatana)[50E 32N] built in 800 BC by King Deioces (Daiukku) of the Medes. Seven concentric circles within walls, each higher than the preceding wall as one passed toward the center hill where the palace stood. The 7th and highest wall was painted gold (sun)...the 6th was painted silver (moon)...the 5th wall was painted orange...the fourth was painted blue...the third was painted red...the second black...and the outermost wall was painted white. Orange was the fiery morning 'asman', blue the noonday 'asman', red for the evening asman. The array of colors chosen for the encircling walls of the royal city was similar to that of the robe of warriorhood and sovereignty described in the Denkart." (Campbell: 1968...pg 97)...
KABALAH.....(48E...42N)..."In the mountains of Darband was the fortress of Kabalah, on a hill. On the Caspian Sea where the Caucasus mountains meet the sea, is the capital Ash-Shamakha, the site of the fountain of life." (Le Strange:1966...pg 181)...
KUZNETSOV MAP..(Controversial).."There is a map of Shambhala which appears in the Tibetan-Zang Zung Dictionary which appears at first glance to have little connection with geography. However, we have been able to interpret some of the names and even to date them as to the 3rd-2nd Centuries BC." (Kuznetsov: 1970..pg 565)...
In the Bon myth, Olmolungring was northwest of My Kailas, twice as far from it as the peak is from Shigatse, a major town in central Tibet. (Newman, 1985)
"The Indian Kalachakra literature locates Shambhala in the region north of the Tian Shan. Sambhala first appears in the Mahabharata. In Hindu texts, the warrior Kalki will rid the earth of barbarians." (Cabezon: 1996...pg 486)....
"The myth of Uttarakuru dates back to the Mahabharata. The Buddhists took it from older Hindu sources and moved the country northward and out of this world." (Bernbaum: 1980..pg 90)...
"The lam yig's description of Sambhala is a curious melange of elements drawn from the canonical Indian Kalachakra literature (primarily the Vimalaprabha), erstwhile realia (the architecture, diet, and clothing of the Sambhalese), and the obligatory travellers sexology." (Newman in Cabezon:1996...pg 488)...
"One travels north to the region of Khotan (Li Yul). Nearbye is the Tarim River (Shing rta---Sita) which flows from west to east. In this region live the Uighurs (Hor). North of the Tarim lie the Tian Shan mountains that make up the southern boundary of Shambhala." (Cabezon: 1996...pg 488)...
SIMILAR MYTHS:...Questions concerning the relationship with mythical sacred kingdoms in Central Asia such as 'Olmo lung ring, Tazik (Persia), Belovodia (Altai Mountains of Russian Central Asia), Hurqalya (Gurdjieff's work with the Wheel of Time and its use as a passageway to the Sufi sacred land of Hurqalya).
"There is a paradisal land known by various names. The Indians call it Shambhala, the people of Oddiyana call it Sukhavati. The Kasmiris call it Indestructible Vajra Continent. In the Gesar tradition it is Land of the Turquoise-Winged Cuckoos. Tibetans call it Ol mo lung ring. The Chinese call it Treasure Continent." (Brauen: 1997..pg 50).....
Scythians had a similar myth of the Ripean Mountains. (Bernbaum: 1980..pg 91)
Greek and Roman myth of the Hyperboreans. (Bernbaum: 1980..pg 91)
Possibly near Badakshan and the Wakhan corridor
James Hilton came up with the term Shangrila in the 1933 book "Lost Horizon" by 'cribbing' most of his Tibetan material from the British Museum Library (NY TIMES: July 26,1936..IX pg 3)...
"Shambhala has 970 million cities, principal among which is Kalapa (Kalapa: "composed of aspects")...(Kongtrul: 1995..pg 153)...
"The four eras that mark the progressively descending vortex of time cycles are associated in the Kalachakra with the country of Shambhala." (Kongtrul: 1995..pg 46)...
KALACHAKRA...(dus kyi khor lo)...Taught by the Buddha to Dawa Sangpo in South India in 881 BC (Dudjom:1991 pg 947)...Appeared in India from 966 AD with Chilupa. (Jeffrey Hopkins:1985, pg 61)... Introduced into Tibet from India in 1026 AD.(Norbu:1995,pg 272)... "Shen Rab explained the mighty Kalachakra Tantra in the Palace called dBan chen sa bdag." (Kvaerne: 1971, pg 221).... [Was the Kalachakra taught in Zhang Zhung and Persia before India? before Tibet?]...."the 1047 verses of the Kalachakra Tantra used today (the original is 12,000 verses) was composed by the eighth King of Shambhala, the first Kulika (Kalki), Jampal Trakpa. The original 12,000 verses have never been translated into Tibetan." (Kongtrul: 1995..pg 271)..."The Kalachakra is one of the last Sanskrit works to have been written in a Central Asian land." (Geoffrey Hopkins: 1985..pg 60)..."King Sucandra wrote the 12,000 verse root text to the Kalachakra in an unknown tongue called the 'twilight language.' (Bryant: 1992..pg 68)..."Sixteen translations of the Sri Kalachakra from Sanskrit to Tibetan appeared between the 11th and 14th centuries." (Bryant: 1992..pg 71)...
Chogyam Trungpa on ultimate Shambhala: "the kingdom of Shambhala itself, is not some mysterious heavenly realm. It is the realm of the cosmic mirror, the primordial realm that is always available to human beings if they relax and expand their minds." (Trungpa: 1984..Pg 174)....
GEOGRAPHY OF THE VARIOUS SHAMBHALA MYTHS
SILVER PALACE OF THE GARUDA VALLEY....Capital of Shang Shung...."Khyunglung Nulkhar, the Silver Palace of the Garuda Valley, the ruins are to be found in the Sutlej Valley southwest of Mount Kailash." (80E 31N)...(Wangyal: 1993..pg 31)....Khyunglung Nulkar..(Khyung lung dngul mkhar)..."the Silver Palace of Khyung-lung (80E 31N) in the upper Sutlej Valley of Zhang-Zhung (Hoffman: 1979..pg 103)...
BELUKHA....(49 N..86 E)..."The Oriots, a Finno-Turkish tribe in the Altai mountains had their own version of the Shambhala legend. Begins when the White Burkhan comes. His messenger, the Holy Oirot appears riding a white horse....The mountain in the Altai region is called Belukha. Oirots were a Western Mongolian tribe whose messiah was The White Burkhan. Shambhala was called Belovodya (White Waters)...'Oriot' the spiritual leader of an Altai tribe and messenger of the tribes messiah, 'The White Burkhan'."...(Decker: 1989...pps 148+)...
PERSIA (Tazik?)..."The ancient Persian conception of the sun (hvar) was that of a ruling power." (Campbell: 1968..pg 209)...Cyrus the Great, Achaemenid Ruler, conquered Asia Minor and in 539 BC occupied Babylon together with the Fertile Crescent. Susa was his capital.Cyrus I was also known as Kura-as Sar.....[The lotus blossom on the tomb of Cyrus dated to 540 BC seems identical to the ring of petals in the Shambhala cosmology. One of the gardens surronding the tomb was a lotus garden.]..(Acta: 1984..pg 68)(Bryant: 1992..pg 65)...
TAJIK...."between Urgyan and Khache near Chilas." (Vitali: 1996).....the 'dKar nag bkra gsal' Temple in sTag gzig means: "The White, Black, Parti-Coloured and the Clear"...(Karmay: 1972...pg 78)....
'OL MO LUNG RING: river Gyim-shan-nag-po; the province of Hos Mo; Yung drun dgu brtsegs mountain.(Francke: 1950..pg 164)..." Ol: because there is no rebirth, it is called 'Ol...mo: because no concupiscence finds a place it is called Mo...lun: because in lun (valley) prophecies (lun) are uttered...Rin: because compassion extends far, it is called rin (long)" (Francke: 1950..pg 183)..."Ol: unborn..mo: undiminishing..lung:prophetic words..ring: everlasting compassion" (Wangyal: 1993..pg 30)..." a King of the region of Olmo Lungring called Gyalag Odmai Ling." (Norbu: 1995)..."Traditional maps of Olmo lung ring show resemblance to the Persian empire of Cyrus the Great. Names of places and palaces are transcriptions of words of Persian origin. Hetenyi and Kuznetsov of the Soviet Union have done research in this area."..(Karmay: 1975..pg 175)...
BAR-PO-SO-BRGYAD.....(PASARGADAE?)..(54E-30N) (Photo of ruins in Frye:1963)...was one of the capitals of the Persian Empire: Pasargadae (Greek) or Parsogard (Persian). In 550 BC this city became the capital of the 1st two Persian emperors." (Kuznetsov: 1970..pg 565)...."Contained the tomb of the great Persian King Cyrus. The tomb was on a Swastika Hill (representing the sun). Nine stories tall. Crystal columns. Four sacred gardens: Lotus, Wheel, Yungdrung, and Precious." (Kuznetsov: 1970..pg 570)..."born in a palace south of Mount Yungdrung Gutseg in 1857 B.C." (Wangyal: 1993..pg 29)..."Shen rab was born in Sam bha la (sTag gzigs) in the west in the town called Yans pa can, in the dwelling place of the 33 Gods, the palace called Barpo so brgyad". (Kvaerne: 1971..pg 220)..."Pasargadae is a holy place for the followers of the ancient traditions of Iran." (Kuznetsov: 1970..pg 568)..."Into Phar-po-so-brgyad, the castle of happiness and blessing. Phar: other side...pho: change...so: watches over...brgyad: overcomes faults..." (Francke: 1950..pg 166 & 183))..."Shenrab Miwo was born in the Barpo Sogye Palace to the south of Mount Yungdrung." (Wangyal)..."To the south of Mount gYung drung dgu brtsegs is the palace Bar-po so-brgyad, the birthplace of Shenrab." (Karmay: 1975..pg 173)...
HOS..."the country which is currently called Khuzistan. The Elamite city of Susa (Shushan)"..(32N-48E)..(Kuznetsov: 1970..pg 566)...."Hos-mo: the country of Hos or Susa. Originally the capital of the ancient state of Elam, and later one of the main cities of the Achaemenid empire."(Kuznetsov: 1970..pg 573)...'from Hos, from the six provinces of Hos-mo" (Francke: 1950..pg 163)...Photo of ruins in Frye: 1963...
SAKA..."On the map of Shambhala, Saka is shown exactly where it is supposed to be: north of Bactria near Lake Balkash.(45N-75E).Between 154 and 114 BC the Saka broke through the Parthian defense lines and seized a region in eastern Persia that has retained their name to this day: Sakastan (Seistan).(Kuznetsov: 1970..pg 568)..."Shag-yul: Country of the Saka. This is in the northeast corner of the map and refers to the consolidation of the Saka and Yueh-chi (Tocharians) in the Kushan dynasty."(Kuznetsov: 1970..pg 573)...Shapur: King of the Sakas..."The period of the invasion of the Sakas and Kushans into India in the middle of the 2nd Century BC." (Acta: 1978..pg 239)...
CANDRABHAGA...."At the pleasant bank of the Candrabhaga, a city named for Sambha is situated...There lies the abode of the Sun God (Arka) who is standing there in the form of Mitra with the Mitra eye." (Humbach: 1978..pg 236)....The First Rigden King of Shambhala, Dawa Zangpo (also known as King Chandrabadra) received the Kalachakra teachings. He was the first of seven Saka Kings of Shambhala. (Bryant: 1992)..."Samba left the royal residence of Dvaravati on the edge of the salt sea and journeyed to the Candrabhaga River in the Panjab to the sacred bathing place of Mitravana, named for Mitra, one of the twelve Adityas. Until this time the Sun God had been worshipped by means of holy circles (mandala). Samba invited eighteen families of the Magas of Sakadvipa to Mitravana where he established for them the city of Sambapura. (The site of Sambapura is the present day Multan...Mulasthana: basic place, base)...(Acta: 1978...pg 239)..."The Acesines in the journey of Alexander into India is the Chenab, a name derived from the more ancient Chandrabhaga which is traceable in the name Sandabala, by which the river is designated by Ptolemy."..(Bunbury: 1959..pg 502)...
SHAM-PO-LHA-RTSE..."celestial divine summit"..(Kuznetsov: 1970..pg 571)..."the castle of the gSas"..."Sham: reflect on truth...pho: throw out the circle of rebirth...lha: certainty without mistake...rtse: unconditional love (brtse-ba)." (Francke:1950..pg 169 & 183)..."To the east of Mount gYung-drung-dgu-brtsegs is a temple called Sham-po-lha-rtse." (Karmay: 1975..pg 173)...
ZANG-LING...."Copper Country"..(Kuznetsov: 1970..pg 572)
GSER-LING..."Golden Country"...(Kuznetsov: 1970..pg 573)
RGYAL-RIGS-RGYAL-SA-DZIN..."the imperial clan supports (or strengthens) the throne"..(Kuznetsov: 1970..pg 573)
SENG-GE-RGYAB-BSNOL..."Sogdiana (40N-70E), one of the provinces of ancient Iran."..(Kuznetsov: 1970..pg 573)
gYUNG-DRUNG BKOD-GLING...."Country in which the swastika is regulated. The Iranian swastika represented the sun and in contrast to the Indian swastika, extends its arms counter-clockwise. This is evidently the region of Mithras, the Persian God of Light, whose cult later penetrated into Tibet as the Bon religion." (Kuznetsov: 1970..pg 571)
YANS PA CA...."Shen Rab Miwo was born in Sam bha la (sTag gzigs) in the west, in the town called Yans pa can in the palace Bar po so brgyad."...(Kvaerne: 1971...pg 220)....
SAMBHA..."On the pleasant bank of the Candrabhaga, a city named for Sambha is situated...There lies the abode of the Sun God (Arka) who is standing there with the twelth part of himself (in the form of) Mitra with the Mitra eye." (Humbach: 1978..pg 236)..."Perhaps Sambha was the legendary King Sambos (Sabos, Sabbas) who according to the Greek historians ruled in the Indus area, upriver from Pattalene (the delta) and who was defeated by Alexander and fled his capital Sindimana to a country beyond the Indus." (Humbach: 1978..pg 239)...
BDE-BA-RANG-GRUB..."bliss (peace) creates itself... the first syllable is the Persian word 'dad' which means magnificence, luxury." (Kuznetsov: 1970..pg 571)...
RNAM-DAG-DKAR-PO...(Kuznetsov:1970..pg 571)...
KHRI-SMON-RGYAL-BSHAD..."Ruins of Persepolis, near what is now called Naksh-i-Rustam." (Kuznetsov: 1970...pg 571)..."To the west of Mt gYung is the palace Khri-smon-rgyal-bzhad where Shenrab's wife Hoz-bza-rgyal-bzhad-me lives." (Kvaerne: 1975..pg 173)...
SHAG-YUL...."Country of the Saka." (Kuznetsov: 1970..pg 574)...
OD-MA-BYAMS-SKYA'I-YUL..."Mhgasakata or 'great Saka' the name of the Saka tribes known as the Massagetae to the Greeks. In the northeast is the 'country of strong Saka, reflecting the consolidation of the Saka and the Yueh-chi (Tocharians) in the Kusha dynasty under Kadphises I in the 1st century AD."..."...(Kuznetsov: 1970...pg 574-576)...
SHANG-SHUNG..."Was an intermediary between historical periods and peoples." (Kuznetsov: 1970..pg 568)...Three regions: sGo-ba (outer), phug-pa (inner), bar-ba (middle)...
GOG and MAGOG...."The nations of" (Kuznetsov: 1970..pg 570)...
GYIM-SHAN-NAG-PO...."river" (Francke: 1950..pg 163)...
YUNG-DRUN-BGY-BRYEGS..."mountain" (Francke: 1950..pg 163)...MT Yungdrung Gutseg:old Bonpo texts describe how the 'nine story swastika mountain' had to be moved from the north to the present location at Kailas." (Allen: 1982..pg 30)..See: Flying Mountains...
LHA-RTSE-DGU..."the castle of the Sas erected at the summit of the mountain Ri-Rab." (Francke: 1950..pg 166)...
GLIN...'our homeland here at the gate of Glin." (Francke: 1980..pg 183)...
LAN-LIN..."city" (Francke: 1950..pg 183)...
OD-MA-GLIN-KHOR-RGYAS-PA..."the North West land" (Francke: 1950..pg 184)...
dBAN-CHEN-SA-bDAG...."Shenrab taught the Kalachakra tantra in the palace dBan chen sa bdag." (Kvaerne: 1971..pg 221)...
KHONG-MA-NE'U-CHUNG..."Palace north of Mt Yung drung" (Karmay: 1975..pg 173)...
The Legend of Shambhala is nost likely based on the ancient Kingdom of Sham ....which apread from Damascus to Susa and north to the Caucasus Mountais.....In 800 BC it had the glorious capital of Calah.....ancient migrations into eastern Asia brought the legend to Tibet, Mongolia, the Altai etc.......in 624 AD with the Islamic invasions, the priests and royal familes fled northward and eastward .......
(A.)....ELBURZ Mountains near the Caspian Sea.....Sham (bha.la) as a large region west and south of the Caspian Sea dating from 4000 BC. The Arabic/Moslem invasion of Persia in 624 AD, forced certain kingdoms to withdraw northward into the Caucasus Mountains or eastward into the Pamirs/Hindu Kush. Concealed until the Mongol invasions of the 13th Century. Was Mt Demavend (or Mt Alburz or Mt Alvand) in the Bon Shambhala myth actually Mt Yungdrung? Castles (kal'ah, kala) on the slopes of Demavend were not captured until the Mongols in 1216. For more than a century after the Arab conquest of the rest of Persia, this entire region was independent. Are the Elburz the circular ring of mountains? The ancient Tarum River (no longer in existence) flowed into the Safid Rud near the Caspian Sea. Is the Great Persian desert mentioned in the Shambhala geography? The circular cities of Northern Persia with their central castles (kal'ah or kala) as replicas of Kalapa? The Kalachakra originally taught in Parsogardae in Iran? First seven Rigdens as Shakya (Saka) Warrior Kings in the Caspian Sea area. Ancient name for the Caspian: 'Sea of the Rising Sun', which would require a settlement on the western shore. See Herodotus description of Ecbatana (Modern Hamadan) in the Histories.
(B)...ALTAI Mountains (Mt Belucha) .... The mummies in the royal tombs in the Altaic region dating from 200 BC show a mixture of Indo-European and Mongolian features. The earliest Rigden Kings of Shambhala were said to be Shakya (Indo-Europeans from the area near Balkh?) and the later Rigden Kings said to have Mongolian features. The archaeology of this area does not show examples of highly developed cities with a circular cosmology. Was this Shambhala prior to the last Ice Age? A previous world system? Between 18,000 and 5,000 BC? This region was not threatened by the Islamic invasion of 624 AD. What about the mythical Hypoboreans of the Greeks (more peaceful than the Indo-Europeans?)?
(C)...PAMIRS or Hindu Kush: Numerous city-states and fortresses with names beginning with 'Kala' ('Quallah'), all traces of which seem to have 'completely disappeared'...A extremely rich mixture of Shambhalians of all spiritual and cultural traditions....The entire region was considered a "Pagan Enclave" by the Arab mapmakers. Tremendous silk route influences. Crossroads between the Indian Tantric traditions moving northward and the Vedic Mithraic traditions of Persia. Tazik. Bon moved into Tibet via this region. Swat Valley of Padmasambhava. Early teachings of Dzogchen in the Bon and Nyingma traditions appeared here in the 8th century AD.
(D)....KAILAS region: Khyunglung Naljor (Silver Palace of the Garuda Valley), the ruins of the ancient Shang Shung capital (?) are located at the base of Mt Kailas in the Sutleg Valley. Strong ancient Irano-Persian influences. Siva (Shiva, Shiwa) as the main deity of Kailas. The 360 Werma Deities dwell in Mt Kailas. Did the mountain 'fly' from the north as early Tibetans believed? Shamanic traditions of flight on juniper drums. "Dawa Sangpo and his entourage 'flew' back to Shambhala after they received the Kalachakra teachings." Histories of Shang Shung which are being translated in Italy should add light to this area. 33 Kings of Shangshung.
(E)....SHAMBHALA AS MYTH.....Was the ancient myth of Shambhala completely allegorical....There never was an external, physical manifestation of Shambhala. It was never a historical kingdom. The Rigdens never manifested in this world in human form. Kalapa was never visible to human beings with normal perception. Shambhala has always manifested only to humans with higher sense facilities. It was never an ordinary geographical place. It only existed on an ultimate or internal level. An ancient cultural context is unnecessary. To explore the historical reality is too linear and misses the point completely.
(F)....SHAMBHALA AS A STATE OF CLEAR PERCEPTION...Mind in clarity creates a world of sparkling crystaline perfection....
Email....okarresearch@gmail.com
September 2012
John Hopkins....Northern New Mexico
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