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Secret Places & Hidden Pathways
(- threads, 8 posts)
 The Beyul of Tibet
Role Play Thread
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More tham just the Tibetan name for Nepal, "Beyul" describes secret or hidden lands, usually described as valleys. The tradition of the Himalayan Buddhist Elders -- the Nyingmapa -- says that Guru Rinpoche empowered 108 of these havens, places where there was peace and prosperity, and spiritual progress was facilitated.
While there are many beyul, real and imaginary, one leaps to the foreground when these secret valleys of Tibet are mentioned, the fabled land of Shambala.
Famed in song as well as legend, the name means "Basis of Joy" and may derive from a very ancient oral tradition, linked to Shiva. Details of the realm of Shambala are described in the Kalachakra legend in which a Hidden Kingdom somewhere in the Himalayas exists ruled by a king in concert with a wisdom-holder. There, enlightened and accomplished beings preserve ancient knowledge and guide the progress of humankind.
Shambala is said to be somewhere north of Kashmir. It is in the form of an eight-ringed, eight-petaled lotus in which each region is enclosed by a boundary of mountains. In the center of it is Kalapa, the capital of the kingdom of Agharta where lies the king's palace composed of gold, diamonds, coral, and precious gems. The city is surrounded by shimmering crystalline mountains.
Technology in Shambala is highly advanced, and not limited to the merely material, for the inhabitants have been able to develop their powers of clairvoyance, long-distance swift travel on foot, and also the ability to materialize and disappear at will.
Shambala supposedly can be perceived only by those sufficiently pure both in mind and karmic resolution. It is also held that we do not hear from anyone who has successfully found it, either because they do not want to return, or because they have been destroyed in the attempt.
As for the other 107 beyul? James Hilton imagined one and named it Shangri-La, while the others still await, for those who are pure enough of spirit.
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108 Heroes from another Story ! (* Karakol Chi, Oct 13, 2005 - 08:54 ) re: Lost Horizon (* Ningyo Minamoto, May 6, 2004 - 05:14 ) The Lost Horizon (* Shi Rui Ming, May 5, 2004 - 22:35 ) Shamballa & Shangri~la (* Shi Rui Ming, May 5, 2004 - 21:57 )|
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