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In Tibetan Buddhist tradition, Shambhala is a mystical kingdom hidden somewhere beyond the snowpeaks of the Himalayas.
The myths of Shambala were part of the inspiration for the tale of Shangri-La told in the popular book Lost Horizon, and thus some people even refer to Shambala improperly as if it were Shangri-La. Shambala's location and nature remains a subject of much dispute, and several traditions have arisen as to where it is, or will be, including those that emphasize it as a non-physical realm that one can approach only through the mind.
It is said that when the world declines into war and greed, and all is lost, a King of Shambhala will emerge from the secret city with a huge army to conquer evil and herald the Golden Age. Some suggest this king may be Kalki, a similar figure.
Buddhism
The sacred texts of the Tibetan Canon say that a line of enlightened Kings has dwelt in Shambhala guarding the secret doctrines of Buddhism.
Shambhala in Music
"Shambala" was written and originally recorded by songwriter B.W. Stevenson.
The Three Dog Night band have a song called "Shambala", on their Cyan album.
The Beastie Boys have a song called "Shambala", on their Ill Communication album.
The Rockapella musical group have a song called "Shambala", on their Smilin' and Primer albums.
Shambhala Publications
Shambhala Publications is a publishing company founded in 1969 by
Sam Bercholz and Michael Fagan in order to publish the writings of
Tibetan Buddhist teacher Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche [1] (http://www.shambhala.com/html/about/history.cfm). Originally located in Berkeley, California,
and moved to Boulder, Colorado in 1976 to be near to the Naropa Institute. Shambhala publishes books on Buddhism, philosophy, and psychology.
Shambhala in Anime
The Fullmetal Alchemist movie is titled, "The Conqueror of Shambala."
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