SHAMBHALA
Shambhala (Tib. bde 'byung) is a Sanskrit term comprising swayam + bhala meaning self benefited or swayam + bala meaning self powered. Commonly it is understood to be a "place of peace & tranquility"
Shambhala is believed to be a society where all the inhabitants are enlightened.
As with many concepts
in the Kalachakra Tantra, the idea of Shambhala is said to have
"outer", "inner", and "alternative" meanings. 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 . As the 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 in the
human realm and
unless one has the merit and the actual karmic association, one cannot actually
arrive there.
The inner and alternative
meanings refer to more subtle understandings of what Shambhala represents in
terms
of one's own body and mind (inner), and the meditation practice
(alternative). These two types of symbolic explanations are generally passed on
orally from teacher to student.
Shambhala has its own independent basis in human wisdom that does not belong to East or West, or to any one culture or religion. [12]
In Hinduism Shambala has three meanings:
Shambhal is a place where one gets peace and security.
Another meaning is, ' that which attracts others ', or ' that which confers distinction '.
The third meaning is, ' a place situated near water '.
