Gyanganj the Home of immortal beings of the Himalayas About the authors of Niceartlife MagazineonApril 23, 2014/0 comments

In many mythologies, mountains are natural homes to divine and immortal beings. As such, its no surprise that the worlds mightiest mountain range, the Himalayas, is subject to mysterious whisperings of mysterious beings hidden away in the remote and unaccessible valleys of the Himalayan mountains.

One popular legend is definitely the legend of Gyanganj. It is said to be an ancient Indian and Tibetan tale of a city-kingdom of mysterious immortal beings that are hiding from the world deep into the Himalayas, but influencing it in various subtle ways when needed. It is said that Gyanganj is cunningly camouflaged or even existing in a completely different plane of reality. This could be why Gyanganj has managed to avoid being discovered by modern mapping techniques and satellites.

Hidden in a valley in the remote Himalayas, it is said, is Gyanganj, a home for immortals. Call it Shambala, Shangri-La or Siddhashram, believers say it is this celestial kingdom that shapes our destiny. It was during an impromptu meeting with intellectuals and seekers at Punjabi poet Amrita Pritams house in Delhi, India, that Sai Kaka (Guru) casually revealed: I have been to Gyanganj several times over the past half decade. Or, rather, he is taken there every time by a sagefor spiritual instruction and immortal teachings.

On questioning, he replies in chaste Hindi that Gyanganj exists on a different plane, a higher dimensiona shambala (a fabulous, mystical and spiritual kingdom according to ancient Tibetan Buddhist and Indian Hindu/Buddhist traditions). But, yes, on the gross level it has parallel locations in known places on earth.

After reading about Gyanganj the question comes up if there could be a secret territory in our midst, which has escaped all geographical surveys for normal observing beings? Is there really a place that provides the perfect environment, conditions and opportunities for spiritual evolution? A place from where thousands of immortals and faultlessly sage beings plan the evolution of the human race, in fact, of all sentient beings? The belief that such a place exists, camouflaged and secluded somewhere in the deep Himalayas, has filtered down through the ancient Indian and Tibetan traditions. Also in current times there are many references to it like the mentioned testimony of Guru Sai Kaka who declare he has been there himself many times. But what are the references in Buddhist traditions?

In Tibet, this legendary land of spiritual enlightenment Gyanganj is also known as Shambala. Shambala is a Sanskrit word which to the Tibetans means the source of happiness. Its not heaven on earth, but a mystical kingdom that guards the most sacred and secret spiritual teachings of the entire world, including the well known Kalachakra (the Wheel of Time), which is the pinnacle of Buddhist wisdom. Buddhists trace Shambala to Gautama Buddha who is said to have assumed the form of the Kalachakra deity before his death and delivered his highest teaching to a group of adepts and gods in south India. Among those who were present was King

Suchandra. He was the first king of Shambala and he wrote down the sermons by Gautama Buddha and took them back with him to Shambala.

Some old Buddhist texts give instructions to find Shambala, though directions are obscure. It is assumed that only accomplished (enlightened) yogis will find it. The kingdom is hidden in the mists of the snowy Himalayan mountains and can only be reached by flying over them with the help of siddhis or spiritual powers. Chgyam Trungpa, a Tibetan Buddhist lama, used the Shambhala name for certain of his teachings, practices, and organizations, referring to the root of human goodness and aspiration. In Trungpas view, Shambhala has its own independent basis in human wisdom that does not belong to East or West, or to any one culture or religion.

James Hiltons novel, Lost Horizon, about the lost kingdom of Shangri-La, and also the popular TV-series Lost were inspired by the legend of Shambala. Shambala means a remote, beautiful, imaginary place where life approaches perfection, like utopia, in short. In Hindu scriptures such as Valmiki Ramayan and Mahabharat there are references to Gyanganj also known as Siddhashram.

Guru Sai Kaka has said:

From Gods viewpoint, there is non-duality. Creation and dissolution are part of the continual flow. Though there can be no evolution in a flow, Sai Kaka concedes that Gyanganj is engaged in transforming world consciousness. Maybe with the collective consciousness rising, Gyanganj will become more manifest and easily accessible to human beings.

There are also numerous other testimonials from the past of people who have been to or experienced the presence of Gyanganj like the story of a Western army officer mr. Farrel in 1942, the story of the Indian yogi Sri Shyama Charan Lahiri (also known as Lahiri Mahashay) as published in the book An autobiography of a Yogi, by Swami Yogananda. You can find and read the mentioned interesting stories here.

In the Tibetan Buddhism, Shambhala is a mythical kingdom hidden somewhere in Central Asia, a Pure Land, a fabulous kingdom whose reality is visionary or spiritual as much as physical or geographic. Considered a place of eternal tranquility and happiness, Shambhala is a place which according to the Kalachakra Tantra, can be seen only by those who deserve it. The Kalachakra says that when the world falls in the abyss of war and greed, the 25th king from Shambhala will emerge to usher the world into a better era.

For centuries, historians and exploreres have tried in vain to locate Shambhala. So much was the belief that it existed, that Heinrich Himmler even sent a German Nazi expedition to Tibet to look for this place.

The Dalai Lama said in the Kalachakra festival in 1985, 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.

Gyanganj

Siddha Purush Swami Ashutosh Anand reveals the unknown mysteries of gyanganj and tells the path to reach this siddha loka. According to swami ji Gyanganj is an invisible ashram of Siddhas near Kailash Mansarovar. All great saints and yogis come from that place and indicate that earthly life is the only class, it has to be passed and to get admission in higher classes or realms. The life at gyanganj is totally different from the earthly life and it can not be imagined even. As it is very difficult to go beyond the fleshy experiences. Siddhas like Vishuddananda ji, Yogananda ji, Vijnanananda ji all are present there. It is difficult for normal day to day people to think of mysteries of life, but its true.

At gyanganj there is no death, consciousness is always alive and body is always dead. There is no need to live in sorrow just be ready to climb the mountain where success is waiting for every human. Swami ji reveals the the most mysterious path to go to Gyanganj, but the qualification to become a Siddha is not so easy as it seems. Its just like a mountain. People in general create fantacies about gyanganj but it is not acheive by such efforts. Gyanganj is the siddha bhumi, a place for knowlegde seekers (Gyanis or jnanis) and siddhas. People in general are chasing their siddha state but unfortunately they do not know, what

they are searching for. they invest whole of their life in creating luxury resources. How pity is this? Instead of knowing who am i? one is distracted by maya or illusary kingdom. Few people evolve from these misconceptions and often blessed by siddhas of gyanganj. For them their are no miseries no sorrows, they become eternal knowledge seekers and enjoy the parmananda.

Gyanganj was the mystery for many years for the normal people as they can not make effort to know about its realities. You may found literature on this but thats often published under influence of journalism and not truly written by an experienced personality. Yogananda Paramhansa, Kaviraj Gopinath did some literary work on gyanganj by their own experiences but when it made famous to general public, both yogies were passed away from the earth. Jesus, son of God known in christanity also described gyanganj as heavenly kingdom. He also mentained that heavenly kingdom never comes to an end but earthly kingdom comes. But till date few people understood the meaning of heavenly kingdom known as gyanganj, the supreme of spirituality.

More information on Siddhabhoomi Gyanganj is ready to be publish, meanwhile if you wanted to know

more of it write to amssinternational@gmail.com . The queries will be answered as soon as possible.

Posted by All Mighty Spiritual Society at 5:00 PM

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Labels: gyanganj, higher realms, shambhala, siddha loka, siddhabhoomi, siddhashram

4 comments:

1.

parassJune 3, 2012 at 3:17 PM

Hidden land, usually described as valley. Where you find all Sidhapurush like Krishna, Ram, Guru Nanak also our Pramhansa Guru Nikhileshwara Nand Ji..........Supreme Place

Reply

2.

Ruchiraa SharmaDecember 22, 2013 at 5:02 PM

There is a lot information included for the place like gyanganj and i have read that the qualification to enter gyanganj is to raise the Kundilini up to sahestra kamal and must have master in two siddihis . I would like to ask Ravana in his time was also a great yogi and he had many siddihies .Then if Ram is there then Ravana would also there.?

Reply

Replies

1.

vivek sharmaJuly 7, 2014 at 9:35 PM

Ravana and Kumbhakaran were incarnation of Jaya and Vijaya.They got freedom from the curse after there final incarnation as kamsa and shishupal. so there is no chance of their presence in Gyanganj. Lord Ram has fulfil the purpose of his incarnation as well.

That's I believe..everyone have different opinion

Reply

3.

druc PalJanuary 7, 2014 at 8:14 PM

all souls enter Godly plac e but on different gradients according to theirmerit of deeds. Ravana will be there may be in another subjugated plane as Duruyodhana also reaCHED such places as per Mahabaratha. So do goo deeds and wash out karmas and get Divine Grace. from Dr.Umesh

Gyanganj

The Gyanganj (Jnanganj) Yogashram the ancient name of this Yogashram was Indra Bhawan. This ancient Ashram was renovated and restored to its pristine glory again by Swami Gyananand Paramahans, a disciple of Maharshi Mahatapa. Under his able administration and responsible management it started functioning properly once again under the new name Gyanganj.

Gyanganj is an extraordinary spiritual training centre. The Brahmacharis, Brahmacharinis and Paramahansas of this centre, after getting established in the state Aham-Brahmasmi, roam about in the universe as, when and where they like.

The Gyanganj (Jnanganj) Yogashram with a perimeter of about 16 kilometres, is situated in the western region of Tibet, an upland in the Himalayas to the north of India. This ancient Ashram was renovated and restored to its pristine glory once again by Swami Gyananand Paramhans, a disciple of Maharshi Mahatapa. Under his able administration and responsible management it

started functioning properly once again under the new name of Gyanganj. All this renovation took place about seven hundred years earlier, i.e., say about 1225 A.D. Yogiraj Shri Vishuddhanand had eulogised about the eminence of Gyanganj Yogashram in brief at times about the supernatural experiences and powers of the Yogis of this Ashram.

In his previous life, His Holiness Mahatapasvi Shri Kumarswamiji was in Gyanganj (Jnanganj) Ashram in the Himalayas. His name was Swami Kshemananda then and his Guru was Paramhansa Swami Nemananda Ji. In Jnanganj Ashram there are two branches Yoga and Science. Swami Kshemananda Ji was a student in Yoga branch. In this life, as Shri Kumarswamiji, he was in close and continuous contact with Gyanganj Ashram. Gyanganj Ashram has many adepts working for the benefit of mankind and the whole universe. To mention a few names of the adepts of Gyanganj Ashram Paramhansa Maha Tapa Ji Maharaj, Paramhansa Bhrigu Rama Ji, Paramhansa Nemanand Ji, Paramhansa Abhayanand Ji, Paramhansa Jnana-nanda Ji, Paramhansa Vishuddhananda Ji. There are many Bhairavis (women adepts) too Uma Bhairavi, Shama Bhairavi, Jnana Bhairavi etc. While Paramhansa MahaTapa Ji Maharaj is head of Jnangang Ashram, Uma Bhairavi is head of medical unit of Jnanganj Ashram.

Paramhansa Vishuddhanand Ji Gandhababa is His Holiness Shri Kumarswamijis Guru-bandhu (brother-disciple) from his past life. Towards the end of his this life, Shri Kumarswamiji consulted with his Gurudeva and the adepts from Gyanganj Ashram; for his Sadhana (penance and spiritual practices) in this life was not complete and asked them what should be next course of action therefore. The adepts asked Shri Kumarswamiji to build a temple with his own money and place the spiritual power which he had accumulated in his 50-years long penanace. At the mandate of the adepts from Gyanganj Ashram, Shri Kumarswamiji built Divya Devalaya, the Divine Temple in 1995 at Tapovan, Dharwad. The Divine Temple does not have any image or idol or deity. It has 7 mantras written on the wall which holds Shri Swamijis spiritual power. The adepts also told Shri Kumarswamiji that they would send one of their adepts (Siddha-purush) from Jnanganj to reside in the Divine Temple. Accordingly Shri Kumarswamijis elder Guru-bandhu, Paramhansa Shri Vishuddhanand Ji Gandhbaba has come to stay in the Divine Temple at Dharwad in his subtle body.

Gyanganj, a home for immortals, is said to be hidden in a valley in the remote Himalayas.

In Tibet, this legendary land of Spiritual Enlightenment is known as Shambala, a Sanskrit word which means "the source of happiness". It is NOT heaven on earth but said to be a mystical kingdom that guards the most sacred and secret spiritual teachings of the world, including the Kalachakra (Wheel of Time), the pinnacle of Buddhist wisdom.

Various Buddhist texts give instructions for finding Shambala, though directions are obscure. It is assumed that only accomplished yogis will find it. The kingdom is hidden in the mists of the snow mountains and can be reached only by Flying over them with the help of Siddhis or spiritual powers. James Hilton's novel, Lost Horizon, about the lost kingdom of Shangri-La, was inspired by the legend of Shambala.

For a comprehensive account of Gyanganj, refer to the writings of Gopinath Kaviraj (d. 1976). A renown Sanskrit scholar, Kaviraj wrote a book titled Siddhabhoomi Gyanganj, which has been translated from Bengali into Hindi, published by Bharatiya Vidya Prakashan.

Kaviraj's main source of information was his own guru, Swami Vishudhananda, a contemporary of fellow Benares siddhi master Trailanga Swami. Vishudhananda is believed to have sojourned many times to Gyanganj where he mastered Surya Vigyan, #8 above, as well as Vayu Gaman, #5 above. Surya Vigyan gave him powers to manifest objects or transform one object into another by manipulating the sun's rays. In his autobiography, the venerated Indian saint Yogananda describes HIS meeting with Gopinath's guru Vishudhananda in Calcutta, and witnessing first hand Vishudhananda's feat of creating any perfume on demand out of thin air. Paul Brunton in his book A Search in Secret India wrote that he not only witnessed Vishudhananda create perfumes, but also bring a dead bird back to life.

The mystery of immortal beings in the Himalayas

This is an incident of 1942 when the king of Kumaon invited an army officer of Western Command, LP. Farrel for a picnic trip to the hills. There was a special reason for inviting Mr. Farrel; in spite of his being a Britisher he was very much interested in Indian religion, philosophy and culture. He had a few opportunities of witnessing demonstration of miraculous feats of some Indian yogis. He had become a pure vegetarian. That is why he always welcomed any opportunity to go towards the Himalayan wilderness, with the hope of meeting some saint or yogi who could initiate him into spiritual sadhana.

Mr. Farrel, the king and the queen and their entourage reached a place near Nainital full of natural beauty. It so enchanted them that they decided to camp overnight there. So, the dozens of tents were pitched and the lonely place got filled with the hustle and bustle of servants. Gossip, merriment, eating and drinking went on till midnight. Everyone went to bed and due to exhaustion of the whole days exertions, immediately slipped into deep sleep. The first phase of the sleep was hardly over when Mr. Farrel felt that there was someone near his cot. He waked up and clearly listened-"We need the place where your tents have been pitched. You vacate this place. If you are unable to understand, then you should come to that northwestern hill in front of you. I will explain you everything." "But who are you?" saying this Mr. Farrel got up from the bed and lit his torch. But there was no one. He came out of the tent but there too no one could be seen nor heard anyones footsteps. After a momentary fear he became normal and then went back to his bed again for sleeping. It was 3.30 AM by his watch.

Despite his best efforts he could not sleep. Somehow he was keeping his eyes shut. Again he felt someones presence. Still lying on the bed he opened the eyes and he

saw a shadow of a person standing in front of him. This time again he uttered the same words. In order to identify that person, as soon as Mr. Farrel lit the torch, even the shadow vanished. His body started shaking and perspiring. This army officer who did not get frightened even by watching the horrible bloodshed in the war, momentarily got un-nerved and dumbfounded by mere imagination of a supernatural being. He lay awake in his bed with his eyes closed till the morning but heard nothing. A strange attraction was arousing within him to see the hill mentioned by the shadowy presence. He put on his clothes and shoes and silently came out of the tent and walked towards that hill.

Describing this incident Mr. Farrel has himself written: "The way to the place where I was directed to reach was very difficult, narrow and dangerous. I was not at all able to climb up by myself but I was constantly feeling that somebody was showing me the way and was providing me the energy to climb up. After a hard effort of three and a half hours I could climb up. It seemed difficult to go ahead due to heavy breathing and perspiration. So I sat down on a square stone, lying down on it to take some rest. Hardly two minutes had passed and the same voice awakened me. Mr. Farrel! Now you put off your shoes and slowly climb down the stone and come to me. With these words in the ears, I looked around and saw that a saint, with very weak constitution but brilliant splendor on the forehead, was standing in front of me. Leave aside the acquaintance, I had never met or seen him earlier. Then how could he know my name? He was here, then how did his shadow reach in my tent in the night? There was no communication link like a radio or a microphone etc between us. Then how could his voice reach me? Several such questions arose in my mind. Putting a stop to the unending trail of questions the sadhu said-whatever you have heard and seen cannot be understood by ordinary human mind. For this purpose one has to do long sadhana and the practice of yoga, abandoning the worldly pleasures and attraction of the senses. There is a specific purpose for which you have been called here."

Farrel could not make out whether the saintly person was a human being or a god. The thoughts arising in his mind were being constantly read by that person like an open book. Mr. Farrel climbed down the rock and in a short time reached the place where the Sadhu was sitting. The place was so small that only one person could take rest there. There was nothing except the fire burning in the Dhooni (firepit).

Farrel further writes- "The Sadhu patted me on the back with his weak hand and I was stunned how could this electricity like power be there in that old body. My body that was almost breaking with pain due to exhaustion - now seemed light like a flower. As an humble gesture of respect for him I knelt down and touched his feet. I had seen many sadhus; but I have always felt that sahdus and saints who had influenced Indian philosophy and increased its dignity were not those who were roaming around on the roads but they were truly such secluded and devoted persons only. Their physical bodies might weigh 80-90 pounds but intensity of their energy and power was more than that of thousand bombs and they were the storehouses of knowledge."

The Sadhu told me-"I have inspired a youth to reach the place where your tents have been pitched. He was my disciple in his previous birth. His sadhana is half-completed. Now I want to guide him again to undertake his sadhana and penance for the universal welfare. But the memories of his previous birth are dormant. The impressions and circumstances of this birth are attracting him. Therefore he is unable to take up the sadhana again. I have called him through subtle inspiration. If he comes here and is unable to locate the directed place, then he will get confused. In that event, whatever I want will not become possible, Therefore, please vacate that place immediately."

Mr. Farrel said "Lord! Please tell me also a few things about my previous birth "? The Sadhu replied-"My son! These siddhis (accomplishments) are not for demonstration. They are meant for some special purposes and it is better they are utilized for that only. Of course, if you wish you can be present at the time when I show him the events of his previous birth. Now you go. People are searching for you in the camp. I too am in a hurry."

Mr. Farrel returned to the camp. Indeed, people had been searching for him. Mr. Farrel narrated the incident to the king. They then left that place and pitched the camp some 200 yards away.

By the evening of that day a young man did indeed come searching for that place. After satisfying himself in all respects, he sat down there. In the meantime, Mr. Farrel also reached there. His curiosity was getting more and more intense as the time passed. In a short while sadhu too reached there. Mr. Farel and the young man touched his feet and stood waiting for his instructions. That place was in the centre of a grove of trees.. After lighting the fire sadhu did some puja, recited some mantras and told us to sit down in a meditating posture. A ray of light emanated from his forehead and a circular spot of light appeared on the trunk of a thick tree. Then whatever was seen in the spot was just like a cinema where they saw the characters actually walking and talking. Like a movie, they saw the events of the previous birth of that youth with their own naked eyes. In between that youth used to get excited and would say Yes-yes I had done that.

At the end, that youth touched the feet of that sadhu and said "Lord! Now my attachment with the mundane world is broken. I am ready to take up the unfinished sadhana of my previous life. Please guide me so that I can complete the unfinished task."

The Sadhu said "My son! Today you take rest here. In the morning, you return to your home. At an appropriate time, I will call you." After that Mr Farrel did not know when that youth was called again? What he became later and with what name he became popular? But he became a staunch devotee of Indian religion and spirituality. This incident has been narrated by Mr. Farrel himself in an article in the May 17, 1959 issue of Saptahik Hindustan (a weekly Hindi magazine).

A similar incident is narrated to have happened in the life of a famous Indian yogi Sri Shyama Charan Lahiri, popularly known as Lahiri Mahashay, in the book "An autobiography of a Yogi", by Swami Yogananda. Lahiri Mahashay happened to be Yoganands Dada Guru. He too was called by Babaji, an immortal siddha of Himalayas, who taught him the science of kriya yoga so that this knowledge does not become extinct.

Indian scriptures are filled with descriptions of immortal souls like Shiva, Bhairav, Hanuman, Ashwatthama and many siddhas. There is a story in Kalki Purana, which goes like this. When Lord Kalki saw that the entire world has sunk neck-deep in perversities like sex indulgence, anger, greed, attachment, ego, laziness, etc. and the light of the souls had been extinguished, he decided to guide the masses groping in the darkness of ignorance. The darkness was dense. The entire world was badly trapped in the materialistic pursuits and the pleasures of the senses. Lord Kalki felt that he lacked the power required for this awakening of the masses. Then his spiritual mentor Parashuram called him to the Himalayas and made him undertake a penance at a place where he (Parashuram) had himself done it. This penance awakened the enormous power, which was needed for the transformation of the era, within Kalki. Lord Parshuram was born in Vedic Yuga, which came much earlier than the Kaliyuga. His presence in Kaliyuga too is an indication of his immortality and a testimony of the fact that immortal souls like him are still present in the Himalayas. Dr. Hari Dutta Bhatta, Shailesh has given an interesting description of his mountaineering experience of Janwali (Garhwal) hill, which is 22000 feet above the sea level, in Dharmayuga (Hindi weekly, 23 rd August 1964 issue). He was convinced that some supernormal power saved him and his group from getting buried under a landslide. All these incidents prove the fact that immortal souls possessing fierce supernatural power are still present in the Himalayas and they will remain there for an infinite time.

Modern scientists are also actively engaged in the research for finding the elixir of life. Zoologists of Russia, France, Britain, Germany, USA, etc. have been investigating for a long time the process of aging and death. On the basis of the results obtained so far, they have concluded that death is not an inevitable phenomenon. Aging is a kind of disease. If it be possible to find a cure for it, a person could live for a thousand years. The modes and methods of kayakalpa (rejuvenation) mentioned in Ayurveda also prove this fact.

In fact death is the result of collapse of life sustaining mechanism in the body. The gradual reduction in the efficiency of the body organs is the cause of senility, leading to death. If the life sustaining mechanisms are kept healthy and if the process of cell renewal is kept intact, a human being could be kept alive for an infinite time. Genes are immortal so there is no inevitability of bodily death.

After studying Ayurveda, one can easily conclude that ancient seers and scholars had identified several herbs, fruits and chemicals, which help in the rejuvenation of the body. There is a popular phrase. "A person does not eat food; it is the food that eats

up a person." Our physical body is nourished by blood. The latter provides oxygen to the entire body. Oxygen and other nerve fluids sustain consciousness in the body. All this is accomplished through emotions. It is the thoughts and emotions that give rise to secretions of hormones. These hormones control the metabolic processes within the body. Therefore, it appears that the responsibility of keeping the body healthy rests with our emotions and thoughts which are the real essence of life. There is a bird called Salyon, which gets sick after laying eggs. After investigation it has been found that after laying the eggs, her pituitary gland (which is centre of thoughts and emotions), gets excited and it starts secreting a hormone called A.C.T.H in huge quantities, which leads to her sickness. This has been found in the case of some other creatures as well. This shows that, if a person makes his thought process robustly positive and keeps his food light, he can keep himself alive and active for a long time.

Modern science has no knowledge of the thought control mechanism. Is there any power in the sentiments, which can catch in its purest form the life (genes) floating in the sky? This vidya (knowledge) is known only to Indian yogis. But now scientists too are agreeing with this. For example in 1975 some zoologists of Strasberg carried out an experiment for changing the genes of a duck. Two ducks, one of Campbell variety and the other of Pekish variety, were chosen. The DNA of the first were injected in the second and that of the second one were injected in the first. This gave rise to change in the color of both. Within a few days the dust colour of Campbell started appearing in the Pekish variety and the neck of Campbell variety started getting white.

Science can perform only a few experiments of this type. Changing one or two chromosomes is the first step towards success. The reproductive cells of a human being contain about 10 billions pairs of nucleotides and every pair has 46 chromosomes. It is difficult to change the behavior of a person without changing them. Then there are several cells in the body, which after being formed never change. The question of keeping them healthy is much a more daunting task. It will take a long time for science to search the solution for this. But that knowledge already exists in the science of yoga and Indian chemical methods. This needs unbiased scientific research of a different type. This depends on appropriate environment in addition to difficult sadhanas. For this purpose scientists have suggested that atmospheric temperature should be subzero. Mr Clark in his book Space Odyssey has written that in order to undertake space voyage lasting for 200 to 400 yrs, it will be essential to keep the space voyager in the sleeping state at sub zero temperatures. Looked at from this scientific finding, the existence of immortal beings in the perennially frozen regions of the Himalayas cannot be considered as a myth.

In fact, Himalayan region has been a special haven of true Yogis and Mahatmas from times immemorial. The likes of great yogis who have lived in this sacred region cannot be found elsewhere. It is said that there is Gyangaj Yogashram in Tibet, which is a training institute for yogis. Hundreds of such yogis are reported to be living and

researching into the mysteries of the inner realms. This Siddhashram isolate in the subtle-physical realm is not accessible or visible to ordinary persons. Only psychically awakened and gifted Sadhaks have the privilege of entry into this Siddhashram.

Shambala: A mythical land in Himachal, or is it in Tibet? By Juraj Sipos, HimVani, June 30, 2007

Himachal Pradesh, India -- Some people say that Shambala is hidden in a remote part of the Himalayas. Some call this mysterious kingdom a house of the immortals - Gyanganj. It is identified as Shambala, Shangri-La or Siddhashram, but this wondrous land has many other

names too.

including the concept of Shambala. But according to the present Dalai Lama, Shambala is not a physical

place to find anywhere on Earth.

Bequests of Shambala are part of the Indian history - that is, they can be found both in Hinduism and Buddhism in ancient writings. Interesting is the fact that near the area of Sutlej Valley exists a place called Kongka La, which is in the disputed China-India border and the local people report that UFOs can be seen here coming out of the ground.

Our culture is focused on seeing something first, only then does follow believing that things we see do actually exist. The mystical kingdom of Shambala can only be approached in a reversed direction: to believe in its existence at first, then coming closer to it, if we have luck. Hindus call it Paradesha or Aryavarsha - that is, a place from which the holy Vedas came from. Celts knew Shambala under the name Avalon. Tibetan texts describe Shambala also as a holy Mount Meru with notes that technology of its inhabitants is very advanced. In Greek mythology, Shambala is known as Hyperborea.

Regardless of Buddhist lamas and other spiritual people involved in the topic (their custom is not to publish their most secret knowledge), a French writer Joseph-Alexandre Saint-Yves (1842-1910), as one of the first Europeans, presented the concept of Shambala and consequently Agartha to the West. He educated himself alone as an occultist and philosopher. Other important personality was a Polish scientist Ferdinand Ossendowski (1876-1945), who spent most of his life in Russia. On his tours around Mongolia he often spoke with Buddhist monks. He started to be interested in Shambala soon after he met one lama who fled from Russia in time of the Bolshevik revolution and he had a close relationship with the Tibetan Dalai Lama. Other important person was Nicholas Roerich (1874-1947), a Russian artist, poet, mystic and writer, who led the expedition through the Gobi desert and a rumor has it that the expedition was financed by the Soviet secret service NKVD, which was later renamed to KGB.

The Tibetans and tourists sometimes speak about strange phenomena occurring in the Himalayan region. In the beginning of the 20th century, an article was published in one Indian newspaper (but there are many such stories) about a visit of a British mayor who camped in the Himalayas. He suddenly saw a tall strange man who watched him. The man jumped out of his hiding place and disappeared, but to the mayors big surprise the Tibetans with whom he camped in the mountains were not surprised in the least - they explained to him, without showing any excitement, that he saw one of the snowy men who kept guarding the entrances into the holy Earth.

A Russian scientist, Andrej Strelkov, has studied Shambala for quite a log time. He says that the existence of this legendary kingdom is really described in ancient texts and that its inhabitants are superior to us in their abilities. He says that all attempts to go deep into the secret of Shambala brought bad luck or failure. For example, he says that most scientists who studied Shambala tragically died. A German Orientalist Albert Gruenwedel, who lived in the first half of the 20th century, went crazy while translating some Shambala texts. In a state of temporary lunacy he threw himself out of the window and died. There are more such cases.

Many of those who wanted to study this subject from a scientific point did not have luck. However, if someone asks a question why this magical kingdom kills people, we must take into consideration the fact that most scientists are only interested in their personal profit and they do not perceive Shambala as something real.

An interesting finding is that there are unbelievably close similarities between the biblical apocalypse and the Kala Chakra Prophecy, according to which Rudra Chakrin, the last king of this mystical kingdom, will impose the Golden Age on our Earth at the end of Kali Yuga, which is a Hindu term for the period of darkness, which will end. Thus, according to some, this Shambala King will be the last incarnation of the God Vishnu - Kalki, who is to appear and bring harmony and justice.

Some say that Shambala prophecy also contains notes about messiahs of other religions. When these barbarians who only devastate our planet will think that no one can conquer them, the icy mists of Shambala will appear. Many lamas believe that this can happen around the year 2012, but it is a very difficult to calculate this, as one must have an absolute understanding of Shambala, as its inner wisdom also holds understanding that it is so secret that only a few things about it can be revealed.

There are two basic views about Shambala:

1) It is a mystical kingdom that can appear or disappear; which can be only seen by people with pure heart; it exists in a parallel universe.

2) It is the capitol of the Agartha network - ancient subterranean cities joined by tubes where vehicles travel like shuttles in very high speeds. It may function as a star gate and a time gate.

Roerich, after carrying out his expeditions, said that there were caves in the Himalayas that go deep into the underground.

There were so many species of life forms in our ancient history that I can conclude that if only about two per mille of species do exist now, it is possible that a different humanoid race could evolve or could even be created long time ago. Thus, on the basis of many historical accounts of cultures that have underground legends - Osiris (Egypt), snake people in the Hindu religion (called as Naga), and many more, various occult theories appear in relation that our Earth is hollow, or if not, existence of large subsurface cavities in it is very probable.

It is known that Uloopi was one of the Arjunas wives, as it is written in Mahabharata. The Naga princess conveyed him to her netherworld realm. If some people try to go through the Bible word by word, why Mahabharata should be an exception?

The Way to Shambhala

by Albe Posted on January 15, 2012

The Way to Shambhala By Edwin Bernbaum Published by Anchor Book/Doubleday, New York 1980

This book is a classic for anyone interested in adventure, mythology and spiritual development. Written by Edwin Bernbaum who while teaching in the Peace Corps in Nepal in the mid-late seventies studied Tibetan religion, mythology and art and became interested in Shambhala a mythical kingdom somewhere beyond the snow mountains north of the Himalayas.

For centuries the people of Tibet and Mongolia have believed in the existence of Shambhala where a line of enlightened kings is said to be guarding the highest wisdom for a time when all spiritual values in the world outside will be lost in war and destruction. Then, according to prophecy, a great king will come out of this sanctuary to defeat the forces of evil and establish a golden age.

Drawing on Tibetan and Sanskrit texts, interviews with lamas in Nepal and India, and his own experiences in the Himalayas, Edwin Bernbaum gives a detailed account of this fascination tradition, examining its basis in religion and history and its connection to the archetypal myths that have influenced both Eastern and Western cultures. As he explores the myth of Shambhala, showing how it symbolises an inner, spiritual journey to enlightenment, Bernbaum leads the reader through the actual terrain of the Himalayas, the mist-filled valleys and snow-covered peaks that have helped to inspire the idea of a mysterious sanctuary hidden in the remote mountains of Central Asia.

When filming in the Himis Monastery in Ladakh in the mid eighties we had the opportunity to visit the head lama. After speaking quietly with him and an interpreter for an hour he asked if we had any questions. I asked him, where is Shambhala? He waved his hands in a northward direction and indicated it was beyond the Himalayas, somewhere in the Gobi Desert region.

Monastery in the Himalayas by Garry Weare

Something hidden. Go and find it. Go and look behind the Ranges - Something lost behind the Ranges. Lost and waiting to be found. Go! Rudyard Kipling

Behind the ice walls of the Himalayas lie the empty deserts and remote mountains of Cental Asia. There, blown clear of habitation by the harsh winds of high altitude, the plateau of Tibet extends north over thousands of square miles up to the Kunluns, a range of unexplored peaks longer than the Himalayas and nearly as high. Beyond its little known valleys are two of the most barren deserts in the world; the Taklan Makan and the Gobi. Sparsely populated and cut off by geographical and political barriers, this vast region remains the most mysterious part of Asia, an empty immensity in which almost anything could be lost and waiting to be found. Edwin Bernbaum

Although there are differing opinions as to where Shambhala actually is, the lamas all agree that it is a place of majestic beauty. They are more specific about the kingdom itself and give a remarkably clear and detailed picture of it. According to their descriptions, a great ring of snow mountains glistening with ice completely surrounds Shambhala and keeps out all those not fit to enter. The texts imply that one can cross the snow mountains only by flying over them, but the lamas point out that this must be done through spiritual powers and not by material means.

The inhabitants of the kingdom live in peace and harmony, free of sickness and hunger. They all have a healthy appearance, with beautiful features, and wear graceful robes of white cloth. They

speak a sacred language and all have great wealth but never have to use it. Tibetans have, in fact, taken the Sanskrit name Shambhala to mean the source of happiness.

Many Tibetans insist on the necessity of purifying the mind in order to go to Shambhala. Most forms of meditation used for this purpose tend to cut off, or silence, the habitual thoughts and preconceptions that block the kind of mystic vision, the vision that may actually penetrate into other worlds as solid and as concrete as ours. By clarifying his mind in this way, ridding himself of the mental conditioning that limits his awareness, the traveller to Shambhala may be gaining the ability to see into the fourth dimension and take an actual journey through a strange, but real, landscape of fantastic deserts and mountains that lie parallel to the ones we find on maps of Central Asia.

If the high lamas of Tibet consider this majestic paradise to be symbolic then a powerful symbol like Shambhala can do more than stand for some hidden truth or aspect of reality; it can also act as a window that opens up a view of something beyond itself.

Maybe the hidden valley exists in the inner consciousness of the mind, reached only through the practise of disciplined meditation. According to one high priest, reaching Shambhala mentally means that one has reached the innermost mind locked in the heart centre. According to prophecy, the future king of Shambhala will come not only to deliver the world from the external tyranny, but also to liberate its inhabitants from the internal bondage of their own delusions. The main purpose of the final battle and the golden age is to bring about the conditions and teachings needed to attain enlightenment, to help people awaken the innermost mind and know the true nature of reality.

The prophecy implies that the solution of the worlds problems will come from an inner source hidden within each of us. Some of these myths exert a considerable influence on our lives, affecting not only what happens to us as individuals, but also what happens to society and the course of history itself..the modern myth of progress..the conviction that science and industry will transform the earth into a material paradise and establish a golden age of prosperity for all. This conviction lies behind much of the push for social reform and economic

development that now determines the policies, as well as the fate, of governments throughout the world, regardless of their particular ideology. The myth of progress seems in fact, to have led us into the degenerate period of materialism that is supposed to precede the golden age of Shambhala.

We have come to this quandary in large part because we have lost sight of the inner side of the myth of progress. In striving to create an earthly paradise, we have overlooked the needs and nature of those who must live in it. A fascination with the problem of ever increasing material prosperity has led us to develop a one sided view of the myth that emphasises external progress at the expense of inner development

We need to recover a balance and perspective that will enable us to use, rather than be used by, the power of the myth of progress. The kind of insights we have gleaned from the Tibetan myth of Shambhala may be able to help us do this by redirecting our attention toward the inner meaning of the myths that shape our lives. We may even be able to use the myths of progress itself as a symbol to awaken the deeper mind and liberate ourselves from the bondage of our illusions.

Ultimately, however, each one of us needs to find and seek his own equivalent of Shambhala, that place, thing, person, or even idea that has the power to inspire us to take the inner journey to greater freedom and awareness. The myth of Shambhala is meant to encourage us to find a form of our own that reveals, rather than replaces, the essence of the kingdom itself.

In seeking the essence of Shambhala through whichever form we find to be ours, we come to realise that it lies hidden right here in the world around us. This realisation opens us to a growing sense of the sacred in everything we see. People and things that we had regarded with scorn or indifference becomes sources of wonder and awe. As we become aware of the sacred nature of all that surrounds us, we cease to see people and things to be abused and exploited. We come, instead, to cherish them for what they are, and to treat them with the utmost care and respect. If we can awaken this sense of the sacred in the world around us, then we may have a chance of bringing about the golden age of so many myths and dreams.

Only exaltation of spirit Enables one to cross the radiant bridge Let each one who is illumined by spirit Walk boldly into the temple

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3 Responses to The Way to Shambhala

1. cosmicray says:

January 23, 2012 at 5:59 pm

Again,Thankyou Albe, such words of wisdom, leading us to discover the Self within and outside, To see the Cosmos as an example of ITs work and to give Thanx for the Prajna Truth bestowed upon us! Walk boldly into the temple of the heart Lots of Love, Razen

2. Sue Bloom says:

February 3, 2012 at 4:22 pm

I have just purchased the Jan Feb 2012 edition of Australian Geographic to find a rare treat. Long time friend, intrepid cyclist and Australian Geographic sponsored adventurer, Dave Turner, gives the highlights of his epic 14 month bicycle journey of 15000km of the Himalaya in search of the mythical kingdom of Shambhala. His journey passed through Kunmin, Weixi, Lijang, Daocheng, Lijang, Deqin, Pasighat, Tuting, Itanagar, Se La Pass, Phuentsoling, Thimphu, Kalimpong, Gangtok, Kathmandu, Thorung La, Rohru, Sang La, Rampur, Hansi, Manali Shingo La Zangla Palace and ending in Leh. A great read with wonderful photos. If you are interested in further follow up with Dave, please send your contact details and I will pass them on to him. Sue 0414 739 462

3. Kris Dodson says:

March 21, 2012 at 12:22 am

Thank you for this. This book is an old favorite which will forever make you reconsider the significance of elements which one faces on their journey.