BLOG NUMBER FOUR - THE DIVINE CITY SHAMBALA (SHANGRILA) AS NARRATED BY SHRI AMBARISHA VARMA

Long ago, in the past, when the Chakshusha Manvantara or the Sixth Hour of Brahma came to a close, there was a great deluge. The entire Earth was covered with water. The Mountain Loka-Loka alone was unaffected by this Manvantara Pralaya. This event took place approximately one hundred and twenty two million years ago.

   

Markendeya Maharishi survived this Pralaya as he was blessed with eternal life by Bhagavan Eshwara. As the waters did not recede for a period of ten thousand years, the Rishi decided to go around the water covered Earth, in search of any living being that might have survived from the destructive effects of the deluge.

One day, he was surprised to find a blue baby, floating on the waters, on a leaf. He went near the baby and discovered from certain indications and marks on the body, that the child was none other than Maha Vishnu.The Rishi praised Him and prayed to Him. Maha Vishnu was pleased with him and appeared before him in His original divine cosmic form and He further informed him that very soon water shall recede and land will appear in that very place. He told the Rishi that Rishis should occupy the place in future  and to see that certain selected people of the Earth alone, are allowed to enter that place, so that they conform to the rules and conditions of this divine place. So saying, after blessing  the Rishi, He vanished.

Very soon, land appeared. Markendeya called it SHYAMBALA DWEEPA. As time passed, more land appeared around it, and this surrounding area was named GOPI SHYAMA; when this happened Shyambala Dweepa was no longer an  island. Later, this sacred place was known as Shyambala or Shambala. When waters receded further, all continents appeared and all types of living beings reappeared on the Earth.

The city was occupied by the ancient Rishis and by certain chosen people of the world, who wished to lead a divine life and live in heavenly conditions. Many persons from time to time, tried to reach the divine city Shambala. During the ages Treta, Dwapara and Kali, this city remained invisible and inaccessible to people who were selfish, in their different walks of life. In the beginning of the Satya Yuga, Shambala will become visible and easily accessible to all persons, after a series of changes brought about the Rishis in the body, mind and intellect of man.

Sometime ago, at a distance of nearly 10,000 light years away from our solar system in the Galaxy, the Rishis have caused seven divine solar flares. Each flare was equal to sahasra koti surya prakasha, in brilliancy. These divine rays have just reached the Earth during the first week of April 1979. The effect of these divine rays is to cleanse the various two way channels in the five koshas, to open a great number of brain cells, to close some unwanted brain cells, and to wash out certain karmas of an individual.

Every human being has pancha koshas. He knows the uses of the last three and sometimes four koshas, and he has used them for his selfish ends during the past thousands of births. On account of such use, the two way channels conecting the koshas were put out of use.

Shambala is situated in a spectacular place in GOBI and SHAMO desert. The exact location of this city is not known to common human beings, especially to those who are busy in their selfish pursuits. The usual visitors to this mysterious place are Sanaka Sanandana Maharishis, Saptha Rishis, Avatara Purushas and other persons who are succesful in practicising the various principles of Shambala, in their daily life. It is a heaven on the Earth, for it bestows good health, permanent peace, bliss and everlasting life on its residents.

The landscape and approaches to this place, changes mysteriously according to the karma of the person and his followers who succesfully complete their journey. Sometimes it is surrounded by the great desert regions with sand formations appearing like mountains. Every now and then, sandstorms occur on the way and as the storm settles down, a new range of sand dunes are formed, thus removing all possible landmarks making it difficult for the travellers to proceed.

In another situation it appears like a vast sheet of water, that is, a lake infested with fierce watery beings, like sea-monsters, crocodiles, hippos, snakes etc. The traveller when he looks at this dreadful lake, will be greatly disappointed, for he thinks that he has either lost his way or Shambala is a myth. Sometimes, the city appears to be situated in a beautiful valley covered all round with snow clad mountains with plenty of glaciers. Many snowstorms are witnessed by the travellers, along the precipitous route. Often, the cave like entry into the city, is guarded by huge bodied hairy watchmen who are like the abominable snowman of the Himalayas, popularly known as "Yetis".

These various kinds of illusions that are witnessed by different travellers in the vicinity of this city, will slowly disappear on account of the seven divine solar flares caused by the Rishis and the rays emanating from the divine explosions flooding the Earth and its atmosphere. The other more harmful illusion, which has kept man spellbound for thousands of years, is the function of his Ego which guides him in such a way as to fall a victim to the arishadvargas. This will also disappear in due course.

On the third day of the Lunar Month, Vaishaka, the person who wishes to undertake a journey to the divine city, after taking a bath in the early hours of the morning, and after offering his usual morning ablutions, takes a vow sitting in front of is Ishta Devatha, stating mentally that he will observe strictly all the required conditions and rules and practice the same in his daily life, before commencing his journey.

He starts preparing as per the instructions of the Rishis for a period of three and half years. During this period of preparation, he sleeps between 9 PM and 3 AM daily and walks at least 12 to 18 miles, per day on barefoot. Slowly, he cultivates the habit of eating Kandha, Mula and Phalas. Through out this period he concentrates on the figure of a golden yellow lotus with a red jewel in the centre and repeats the mantra-Om Mani Padme Hum.

At the close of the preparatory period, he performs the Nava Durga Puja in the Asweeja Masa for 9 days and on the tenth day, that is, on the Vijayadasami day, he takes the blessings of the Gods, Rishis, Parents, Friends, all his well wishers and starts on his divine journey at mid day. He reaches the Triveni sangama before 16th December and sits for meditation at least for six hours per day and spends the entire Shoonya Masa, leading a divine life. On Makara Sankramana day, the traveller takes a dip in the holy sangama and proceeds to Haridwar. In this place he spends 21 days in divine thoughts and awaits direction.The person who is in charge of this first entrance to Shambala, visits him and tests the traveller in so many ways. When the visitor is convinced of the traveller's determination to reach Shambala, he takes him to Badrinath, Kedarnath and to another secret place from where, standing on top of a hill, he shows him a route which he should take. The traveller proceeds on his own from this point onwards.

This path passes through hills and picturesque valleys across rivers by the side of small lakes and through one or two villages. In this way he passes through second and third monasteries. In these places, he again is tested and allowed to go forward with further instructions. The traveller by this time gets used to this type of rough life. He proceeds on the path and at one point, he finds that he has to walk along the side of a winding river flowing between two mountain ranges and after some distance, the path abruptly ends.

Here, he finds an empty boat without oars or rudder. The traveller enters the boat as instructed and to his dismay he finds that the boat moves, guided by the water currents, flowing in a particular direction.  He finds himself helpless in this situation. He sits, concentrating on the golden lotus and mentally repeating the given mantra with closed eyes.

The traveller spends some hours not knowing where the mysterious boat is carrying him. This kind of suspense and voyage is brought to an end suddenly when the boat strikes rocks and comes to a halt. He opens his eyes and sees a glorious sight in front of him. It is about midnight and the whole valley is lit up with moonlight. In front of him he sees a beautiful valley with large plain land in the center. He sees plenty of activity going on there and a strange gathering of Rishis and people. Observing these activities that were going on, the traveller, calculates the time elapsed from the time he left Haridwar, he realises that, that day is Vaishaka Purnima and the place he has  reached is the Vaishaka Valley. He quickly steps out of the boat, thanks the boat for bringing him there, rushes to a nearer place and starts observing everything. After a while, he finds that all the monotony and the tired feelings in his body, on account of his tedious journey, has vanished and he is in the best of health, fully relaxed and extremely blissful.  

The special gathering in the Vaishaka valley starts dispersing just before the arunodaya kala, which commences in the early hours of the morning. The astral visitors are the first to leave the place. Those who come there are physically divided into two groups, that is, those who intend to proceed further to Shambala and those wo wish to return back to their respective homes. These two groups of people are guided by different Rishis and they move out of the valley in the direction of their destinations. The traveller who comes to this mysterious valley in a boat joins the first group and is taken by the guiding Rishi to an unknown small village by the side of a river and reaches a monastery, there.

After a few days' stay in the monastery, the travellers start on their journey. The party swells in number for some local men and a dozen mules carrying luggage also join them. They move on through a mountainous track and after a couple of weeks' journey, reach lake Manasa sarovara. Here, they camp for sometime. All the travellers take a dip in the sacred lake and wait for some visitors. In the meanwhile, all of them spend their time in meditation and discussing about the experiences of the people, who travel this way from time to time. Soon, the expected visitors arrive and they are none other than the divine Rishis. The groups of travellers start moving towrads Mount Kailas. Circling this mountain in great devotion, they come to another mountain, which is situated to the east of kailas, and after a steep precipitous climb, they reach a cave and break their journey.

This cave is a big one with many apartments and one of the big rooms is situated on the northeastern side of the mountain. This room has a large natural window, through which one can see a major portion of the snow clad mountain peaks of Tibet. The effect of the Scene on the minds of the travellers is heavenly. They all feel that they are in the  divine world. The Rishis start a special herbal treatment by painting the bodies of the travellers to Shambala. Several coats of this herbal paint is applied before the whole treatment is completed. This treatment on their skin is necessary, because very soon they will be passing through certain Tibetan localities where people are hostile to persons coming from other countries.This paint makes the skin colour and the facial appearance of the travellers look very similar to those people living in the remote parts of Tibet. The travellers are aslo taught the local Tibetan language.

At night, each traveller is made to sleep in certain special mysterious chambers, where he experiences many exiciting visions of fear, of bhutas, prethas, pishachas, his own body at death in different births, etc. In this way, one is given a special training in various subjects for about six months here.

It is Magha masa, which according to the modern calendar is February. The Sun rises in the eastern horizon with a deep crimson hue. All the snow clad mountain peaks look as though they are spalshed with crimson colour.

The inmates of the cave, rise quite early in the morning and are unusually busy. It is the Ratha Sapthami day. As per the orders of the Rishis, the travellers to shambala start preparing to proceed on their journey forward.  They leave the cave accompanied by the Rishis and other travellers alongwith their mules carrying the luggage. They descend on the north eastern side of the mountain and after a day's journey, they reach the southern bank of the river Brahmaputra. Here, they walk along the shore of the river towards East for some distance until they reach the Seventh monastery.

The Monk, at that place, thoroughly checks the health and mental condition of the travellers and advises those who are unfit to proceed further, to turn back and return to their homes. The persons who are eligible to move forward start alongwith their co-travellers and cross the river by passing over a rope bridge and reach the other side of the river.

They climb many mountain ranges facing risks of all kinds in passing through narrow paths, sledges, caves, snow and snowstorms. Finally, they reach Tibetan plateau where their journey becomes a little easy. They reach a village afer several weeks of journey. The residents of this place, rush towards them with great joy and take them home. Each traveller is given a thorough bath in hot water and his body is scrubbed well by using some kind of cleansing powder. After their bath, they are produced before their Chief, who examines the skin of each person. When the Chief finds that these travellers are real Tibetans, he orders a big feast. The Shambala bound people are given a warm reception by entertaining them with special food, music and dance. The co-travellers who accompanied them so far, tell them that from this point, they should go on their own, for they have reached their destination. After being cheered by all the inhabitants of the village, the travellers start on their journey.

They move on this way for a few weeks, when once again they have to climb and descend some mountain ranges. On the way, they reach a cave, and their route passes through this cave. They observe a strange light illumining the insides of the cave and a very strong breeze forcing them to move forward on the slippery path. They hear stange noises all through their journey in the cave and also the light guides them forward only, as when they look back towards the distance already covered, it appears very dark and fearful.

After two miles of passage through this cave, the path ends abruptly on the steep side of the mountain. Right below, a river is flowing at a depth of nearly a thousand feet. In front of the cave opening, there is another similar mountain and a cave exactly in level with this one. The distance between the two cave openings is about twenty to thirty feet and is bridged by a huge spider's web, each string of the web is as thick as a rope and the spider looks huge and monstrous. The travellers have to walk across the spider's web with great will and courage.

The persons bound to Shambala, close their eyes, repeating the mantra, start walking across the strong spider's web to the other cave. Some persons, due to fear open their eyes and forget their mantra. The spider immediately attacks them and devours them. Some others feel giddy, slip between the strings and fall right into the river below. Those who are successful in reaching the other cave, start moving quickly and reach a place on the top of a mountain, from where they see a valley full of red and white rocky hills.

The travellers after coming out of the cave, start descending the strange formation of brittle rock. During their descent, all of them seem to lose their grip on account of the rocks giving away. They hear a loud rumbling noise- rocks of various dimensions start falling throughout the valley. The travellers feel that they are falling, sometimes they feel they are running! They find that the whole valley is covered with red sand dust. Their vision becomes hazy. They become unconscious and know nothing of what is happening to them. They are in this state for sometime.

The sound of morning prayer of Monks, awakens all the persons, who were in an unconscious state for more than three to four weeks. They open their eyes and look around. To their surprise, they find each one of them very comfortably tucked in a nice bed in a big hall. Soon, a round faced, medium sized gentleman in monk's robes, comes and greets, enquires about their present state of health. These travellers to Shambala feel no sign of tiredness in their limbs. They quickly come out of their beds and thank this Monk for having looked after them so well. This Monk is the High Lama. He calls one of the Monks and tells him to take these guests to the bathroom to have a good bath.

They are all taken to another apartment where  there is a small swimming pool. The guide monk tells them, to take a dip in  this pool. They very happily enter the pool and after a short wash, they prepare to wear their clothes, but just then another door opens, where a monk signals them to enter the room. As per this direction, all the travellers enter the adjacent room. There they find the room is in spherical shape and well lit. The Monk tells them to stand in the middle of the room, until the door opens in the northern direction. So saying, the monk closes the door and goes away.

After a few seconds, a spray of liquid which looks like milk starts emerging from the numberless jets in the spherical walls of the room. This spray of liquid falls on the travellers' bodies and seeps into their hair and skin. This liquid does not run out of the body like water. This kind of bath they have for 24 minutes and the spray stops automatically. After a little while, a kind of fluid flows out from the fingers and toes. This fluid looks dark greenish gold in colour. After fifteen minutes this flow of liquid stops. The door on the northern side opens, all travellers walk into the next room where they find their new dresses, which they wear and come out into the central hall of the monastery.

Here, they find a gathering of monks sitting in front of the Lord Brahma's idol. The travellers are told to come and sit in a particular place in front of Lord Brahma's idol. The High Lama is found busy, offering prayers to Lord Brahma. 

After a little while, the High Lama, touches secret points on the Idol, with reverence. Then the Idol slowly becomes bright, brighter and brightest! It becomes as bright as the Sun. Then a huge spherical light emerges out of the four faces of the Brahma's idol and moves towards the travellers and stops at a particular place, above their heads. The High Lama comes and tells the travellers to repeat the said mantra one thousand and eighty times. As the mantra is being repeated, the ball of light slowly changes its colour. One half become violet and the other, red. The High Lama gives each traveller a pair of footwear and a headdress, something like a cap. As soon as this is done, the sphere of light starts moving forward. All the inmates of the monastery and the High Lama, cheer them and tell them to follow the light, until they reach their destination.

The travellers to Shambala  start moving in the direction of the light which guides them. They find their past memories and the karmas washed away and feel fresh and whatever they see around is new. In this condition, they move on. The area in which they are moving through is a desert. There they experience the most wonderful sight, that is, sometimes in the front they see a plant sprouting up and growing into a huge tree with flowers and fruit, and again falling down as a dead tree, finally becoming dust. In this manner all surrounding area is full of life including animals, birds, reptiles, etc. Suddenly one of travellers sees a floating island with full of life in the air, which passes in front of them and disppears in a moment. When they look back, it is a desert. In this way, the guiding light takes them near a huge lake where they find all pre-historic animals and birds living in the lake. The guiding light slowly moves across the lake.

The travellers follow the light by walking on the surface of the waters with the help of special footwear, which act as tiny boats. On either side of them, they see all kinds of pre-historic and modern watery animals, birds and also some divine beings flying in their vimanas. As they fly, they shower flowers on the travellers and also cheer them to go forward. Very soon they pass through a rainbow after which they find  many small islands here and there. These islands are full of vegetation, animals, birds and people. The people are found very happy and own their houses and places of worship. Soon, they reach a central island and start going interior of the island. The either sides of the path are full of  flowers and these flowers bow down to the travellers as they pass them.

After a little while, they reach a monastery, built in gold. As they enter, the High Lama meets and greets them, gives a divine welcome. After sometime, they move forward crossing a lake as before and reach the other shore. There, they find the guiding light moving up towards the top of snow clad mountains.

After a strenuous climb, they reach the top of the mountain where the guiding light stops for a while. Here they all sit facing the way they climbed. They see a vast sheet of golden yellow desert region in front of them. All that they had experienced so far, disappears. Just then, the Sun sets. They start hearing melodious  songs of flute, conches,cymbals, drums and tinkling of different bells. As the darkness sets in, the whole area is lit up by a special light, when they see Lord Krishna playing on His flute, with millions of Gopis dancing around Him, the numberless devotees join the dance using all imaginable instruments in great ecstasy. The travellers are spellbound on seeing this heavenly vision. The whole night passes away. With the rays of the rising Sun in the east and touching the western horizon, all this disppears.

The guiding light moves on and the travellers, follow. Again they reach a monastery where a High Lama receives them with great hospitality. This monastery is devoid of all other things, which they experienced in other monasteries. The High Lama quickly tells them to proceed further. They come down the mountain side and reach a valley, where they find on either side, various types of herbal plants and trees full of flowers and fruit: here and there is some pasturelands.

They climb another ring of mountains and reach a monastery built of special jewels. Quickly entering the monastery, they walk into the central hall. In this Hall, the guiding light, stops. The entire hall is lighted up brightly. They see the dazzling constructon of the interior using precious stones of all kinds and sizes emitting their own light. They see in front of them a glorious statue of a Goddess at a distance, who with a motion of Her hand, calls the travellers to go near Her. The travellers are astonished to realise that the statue is real. As they move forwards alongwith the guiding light, they see a wall of fire emerging out in front of them. They pass through the wall of fire and observe the guiding light attaining the brilliance of a million suns. All the travellers look young with a golden yellow coloured hair on head flowing upto their shoulders.

Except for the eyebrows and eyelashes, there was no hair or clothes on their bodies. The Goddess gives each traveller, a special drink. After this, a large door opens below and with Her blessings they are told to move. First their guiding light enters the door and moves beyond and the travellers follow the light and the door closes.

The travellers, after coming out of the 18th monastery, start descending down the mountain. They see nothing in front of them on account of the brilliance of the guiding light. After sometime, they see a beautiful valley full of forest, animals, birds etc also containing several ancient and modern cities, where humans are busy in all kinds of material and religious activities. The sight of the valley is very fascinating. The selected group of people moving towards the divine city did not experience any discomfort or tired feeling in their limbs, for the general scenery around them keeps them spellbound.

Soon they reach this valley and start crossing the same. Suddenly they hear the rumbling noise of several earth tremors, followed by small  and great earthquakes. The earth under their feet starts shaking and this shaking is experienced all over the valley and in several places, the earth is torn apart. Finally a sound emanates, with the three fundamental sounds, each one in a different musical note, and these sounds are heard like the sound of Aa, Uu, Ma. Slowly, all these different sounds mix up into one musical note and this great musical note starts increasing in volume and reaches a state comparabale  to the primordial sound, which is the same as Pranava Nadha.

At that time, the earth below the feet of the travellers is torn apart, they see great fissures develop with infinite depth. They see through the gaping earth, the sky on the other side below. The animals, birds, forests, cities, mountains and all that is found in the valley, fall into this gaping earth and are thus destroyed. The process of destruction is further quickened by the pulverizing effect of the Pranava Nadha or the primordial sound.

The travellers start walking through space for sometime as there is no earth below. They now observe that the guiding light is slowly losing its brilliance and on this account, they are able to see a glorious sight of the City of Shambala, covered in a glowing mist of golden yellow colour with a powerful red light in the centre above, shedding its rays, all around. As soon as the guiding light crosses the boundary of the City, its brilliancy changes to that a full moon and the entire view of the city becomes clear.

The golden city looks as though suspended in the air, on rays of sunlight. It is surrounded by several varieties of flower gardens and the fragrance of these flowers fill the atmosphere. The steps leading to the Main Gate of the divine city, are made of marble stones and the Gate is guarded by men who look like angels. The travellers now enter the city of Shambala. They are greeted and welcomed by the citizens of the place. The guiding light takes them through the main street where there are buildings on either side, built in precious stone.  The first group of buildings etc., are those belonging to army, navy and airforce headquarters: then follows a group of buildings all constructed in one precious stone looking more glorious than the other and these belong to adminsitration.

In the center of the city, there is a fantastic and a very huge building, cut out of a mountain of precious stone, on top of which there is a big red stone which sheds red rays of light and also controls the activities of the residents of the city of Shambala. This circular building has twelve  entrances and in the center, there is a big hall where the Ruler of the City, sits on a throne and gives audience to the citizens. Those who come through any one of these doors  know the Ruler by a particular name. Therefore there are twelve names by which the Ruler is known to the citizens of the city. The travellers are taken in through the main entrance by the guiding light, into the presence of the Ruler. Around the head of the Ruler, there is a dazzling golden yellow aura. The guiding light approaches the aura and merges into it.

The travellers are blessed by the Ruler of the divine city and he makes them citizens of the place with a special blessing. They are given special abodes to live and also different activities to keep them engaged.

Thus, they settle down in this heavenly city, in a state of Ananda or supreme bliss.

The End.

SHRI AMBARISHA VARMA IN A JOVIAL MOOD AT HIS RESIDENCE IN KORAMANGALA, BANGALORE