China | Beijing | Yonghegong

As I mentioned in a previous post there is supposed to be a Shambhala Thangka in the collection of the Yonghegong, or Lama Temple in Beijing. The last time I had been there it was not out on public display, but I decided to pop in again anyhow on the outside chance that it could now be seen.

Yonghegong is the biggest surviving Buddhist temple in Beijing. Completed in 1694, it originally served as the residence of Qing Emperor Kangxi’s son Yong Zheng. In 1725, shortly after Yong Zheng became emperor, he upgraded the complex and gave it the name Yonghegong, meaning “Harmony and Peace Palace.” It was Yong Zheng who some believe ordered the assassination of Zanabazar, the First Bogd Gegeen of Mongolia in 1723. In any event, Zanabazar died that year in the Yellow Temple in Beijing. Whatever his role in Zanabazar’s death, Yong Zheng, following the instructions of his father Kangxi, built Amarbayasgalant Monastery in northern Mongolia to hold Zanabazar’s remains.

Stele in the front courtyard recounting the history of Yonghegong in Mongolian and Chinese

In 1744 Yong Zheng’s successor Qian Long turned the complex into a monastery, and along with the Yellow Temple it became an outpost of Tibeto-Mongolian Buddhism in Beijing. It survived the Cultural Revolution (1966-1977) more-or-less intact supposedly because of the direct intervention of Premier Zhou Enlai. The complex was reopened in 1981. Among the chief attractions now is the sixty-foot-tall Standing Maitreya in the Main Temple. Carved from the trunk of a white sandalwood tree, it is said to be the largest statue in the world made from a single piece of wood (duly certified in 1990 by the Guiness Book of World Records, a Chinese obsession). A whole posse of monks is on hand to prevent people from taking photographs of the wooden Maitreya, so no photos of that.

The Main Temple containing the 60-foot-high wooden Maitreya

Statute of Samantabhadra. One of the Four Buddhist Mountains of China, Emei Shan, is devoted to Samantabhadra.

I found no trace of the Shambhala thangka, which must still be in storage somewhere, so I mosied across the street to the many shops selling religious paraphernalia to stock up on Nanmu incense, made from the wood of the Nanmu tree. Supposedly Nanmu incense was introduced into China by the Panchen Lama of Tibet, who gave some as a gift to the Qing Emperor Qian Long on the occasion of the latter’s seventieth birthday. It quickly became Emperor’s favorite incense. It has the unusual quality of smelling much stronger on rainy days, and is said to clear the nose and sharpen one’s thoughts. It also drives away mosquitoes.

About a block down the street from the temple entrance is a small Tibetan shop ran by a young Tibetan man and woman. They have a nice selection of thangkas, but as one might expect at this venue a little over-priced. The young man was kind enough to restring my mala for me free-of-charge. Next time you are in Beijing and need your beads restrung this is definitely the place to go.

Shambhala | Kalapa | Guidebook

Descriptions of the kingdom of Shambhala are based both on literature said to emanate from Shambhala itself and by later commentators, mainly Tibetans, who claimed to have visited the kingdom in the material realm, on an etheric plane, in Dreams and Visions, or by some other means. As the descriptions will make clear, this is not an “historical” Shambhala; i.e, a country that once existed in the time-space continuum recognized by Western historiography—for instance, the ancient kingdom of Uighur Kingdom of Khocho, which I have mentioned—but instead what we may call the “Pure Land” version of Shambhala. This of of course does not necessarily imply that this version does not “exist” in some spiritual or etheric plane.

Some Tibetan sources maintain that the realm which became Shambhala was originally ruled by a member of the Sakya clan named Shambhaka and that the word “Shambhala” is based on his name. These same sources maintain that the word “Shambhala” means “Held by the Source of Happiness,” in Tibetan. The first written accounts of Shambhala would have been in Sanskrit, however, and it must be pointed out that current-day scholars are not at all sure of the etymology of the word in either Sanskrit or Tibetan.

“As for the measurements and description of the Land of Shambhala,” as one Tibetan commentator notes, ”its appearance varies according to one’s own karma. For example, one and the same river will be seen by gods as nectar, by man as water, by hungry ghosts as pus and blood, and by some animals as a place to live in. Therefore, it is difficult to say specifically what anything is.” It is possible, however, to give a “description of Shambhala, established by the collective karma of sentient beings” and thus reported in written sources. This description of Shambhala is also depicted on thangkas of Shambhala with varying degrees of verisimilitude.

Thangka of Shambhala now on display at Lamrim Temple, Ulaan Baatar. (See Enlargement) This thangka was created in 2003 by Dawa Bhutia, a Tibetan living in Darjeeling, India.

In any case, according to Tibetan descriptions the kingdom of Shambhala is shaped like a gigantic eight-petaled lotus. Around the outside perimeter of the lotus is a circular range of lofty, snow-covered mountains. Between the eight petals of the lotus are eight lower mountain ranges along which flow the rivers of Shambhala.

Kingdom of Shambhala, surrounded by an Outer Range of Snow Mountains

The center of Shambhala, the seed vessel of the lotus, is surrounded by a pericarp consisting of a lower range of snow mountains.

Kalapa, the Capital City of Shambhala

Within this inner ring of mountains, slightly elevated above the petals of the lotus, sits Kapala, the capital of Shambhala, measuring twelve leagues in breadth. Kapala is occupied with magnificent palaces constructed with precious metals and gems: gold, silver, emeralds, pearls, turquoise, coral, and so forth. Mirrors on the outsides of the palaces blaze with light, and crystal skylights in the their ceilings allow the inhabitants to view the entire zodiac and the gods of the sun, moon, other celestial spheres. Traditional Tibetan sources give a sumptuous description of the biggest palace, the King of Shambhala’s residence:

The palace . . . is square and has four doors. Along a coral ledge around the outer walls are dancing goddesses. It is nine stories and is crowned at the top with a banner and a wheel of Dharma with a male and female deer on either side. There are three rings encircling the palace, making it especially beautiful. It also has a molding of liquid Jambu gold, as well as full and half-hanging ornaments of pearls and diamonds. At the top of the outer walls are hanging pendants of silver and protruding lintels of turquoise. Its windows are of lapis lazuli. The doors and lintels above are of emeralds and sapphires. It has golden awnings and banners, and a roof of jewels and heat-producing crystal, while its floor is of cold-producing crystal. Its pillars and beams are of zebra-stones, corals, pearls, and so-forth. It also has many other priceless treasures such as the inexhaustible treasure vase, the wish-fulfilling cow, the unsown harvest, and the wish-granting tree.

The King of Shambhala in his Palace

The Ruling King of Shambhala sits on a throne made of gold from the Jamba River. He wears the robe of a Chakravartiraja—a universal king of Dharma—a headdress made of lion’s hair and adorned with images of the five Buddha Transcendent Buddhas, and long earrings and bracelets made also of gold from the Jambu River. Both his body and his ornaments emanate blindingly brilliant red and white light. Surrounding the King are his ministers, generals, bodyguards, elephants and their trainers, and warriors. His main queen is the daughter of one of the ninety-six satraps of Shambhala. He has many other queens besides and many sons and daughters. When the next king (not necessarily the oldest son) is expected the unborn the baby emits jewel-like light for a week before its birth, and right after its birth white lotus flowers fall from the sky.

The King of Shambhala

On the peaks just north of these palaces are depicted ten thousand images of each of ten bodhisattvas: Bhadrapala, Merusikharadhara, Kshitigarbha, Manjusri, Avalokitahalahala, Ayra Tara, Guhyakadhipati Vajrapani, Devi Kesini, Paramarthasamudgata, and Maitreya (these are not depicted on most Shambhala thangkas).

White Lotus Lake and Near Lake, with Kalachakra Mandala on left

South of the main palace is a grove of Sandalwood trees (not depicted on all thangkas) and in the middle of the grove is a huge three-dimensional Kalachakra Mandala constructed by the first King of Shambhala of gold, silver, torquoise, coral, and pearl. Nearby are also other mandalas built by later kings of Shambhala. To the east of the Sandalwood Grove is a body of water known as Near Lake and to the west is White Lotus Lake. In both of these lakes gods, nagas, and humans comport themselves on boats made of jewels.

Each of the eight petals in the outer part of Shambhala contain 120 million villages. These 960 million villages are divided into kingdoms numbering ten mlllion villages each, with each kingdom ruled by a satrap, or local governor, making a total of ninety-six satraps.

Villages on the outskirts of Kalapa

One Tibetan source notes, “The people who live in all these countless cities and counties have great wealth, happiness, and no sickness. The crops of good and everyone passes their with Dharma. As all the kings [satraps] are religious one, there is not even a sign of non-virtue or evil in these lands. Even the words “war” and “enmity” are unknown. The happiness and joy can compete with that of the gods . . . In addition, all the new products for daily samsaric use which have been manufactured spontaneously without any effort are to be found.” The villages of Shambhala are made up mostly of two stories houses of the kind found in India.

Detail of Village

Men wear white or red cotton robes; woman white or blue dresses decorated with pleats and various designs. All the people of Shambhala lead wholesome lives, and there is no crime, famine, or disease. These satraps all teach the Kalachakra to their subjects. Most residents of Shambhala achieve buddhahood in their own lives by means of various tantric teachings, including the Kalachakra.

China | Xinjiang | Turpan | Bezeklik

From Gaochang I mosied up to the nearby Bezeklik Grottos, located in the gorge of the Murtuk River, which flows through the Flaming Mountains. Here there are seventy-some caves dating from the fourth to thirteen centuries. At one time the caves were filled with one of the most staggering collections of Buddhist wall paintings in Central Asia and perhaps the world. Moslem iconoclasts, who arrived in the area in the late fourteen-century, damaged some of the paintings; Western archeologists, including Aurel Stein and Von Le Coq, removed many of the remaining paintings at the beginning of the twentieth century; and what was left was almost completely destroyed by the Mao’s Little Generals, the Red Guards, during the Cultural Revolution in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Although a dozen or so of the caves are now open to the public almost no of the original artwork, with the exception of some barely visible 1000 Buddhas motifs on the ceiling of one or two of the caves, has survived in situ. Many examples of the wall paintings, “stolen” by Western archeologists such as “the thief Stein” and others—as information signs at the complex are now quick to point out, can however be seen in museums in London, Berlin, and St. Petersburg. See Foreign Devils on the Silk Road: The Search for the Lost Cities and Treasures of Chinese Central Asia for the sordid details on Stein, Le Coq, et. al.

Given the fact that nearby Gaochang is often posited as a possible location of the history Shambhala, it is interesting to speculate the Kalachakra Tantra was composed here or at the many Buddhist monastic complexes tucked away in the adjacent mountains. However, the art work produced here was entirely lacking in any Vajrayana influences, leading one to believe that tantric Buddhism was not practised in this area.

The gorge of the Murtuk River, flowing through the Flaming Mountains. The cave complex is just above here.

The caves were dug into cliffs along the bank of the Murtuk River.
More views of Bezeklik:

Uighur women at Bezeklik

Near where the Murtuk River debouches onto the desert floor is another cave complex known as Shenjinkou, just visible above the curve of the river. This area is now closed to the public.

See More Photos of Bezeklik

China | Xinjiang Province | Gaochang | Shambhala

From Turpan I proceeded about 20 miles east to the ruins of the city of Gaochang, the southern capital of the ancient kingdom of Khocho. Shambhalists have long considered Khocho one of the main candidates for the historical kingdom of Shambhala where the Kalachakra was first composed and taught. Scholar of Indic religions Sir Charles Eliot opined as early as 1921 that, “This country [Shambhala] is seen only through a haze of myth: it may have been in India or it may have been somewhere in Central Asia, where Buddhism mingled with Turkish ideas.” In 1949 Tibetologist-Shambhalist Giuseppe Tucci (Tibetan Painted Scrolls) noted:

It is evidently a pious tale, without the least historical foundation, that the Kalacakra “the wheel of time”, was revealed by the Buddha twelve months after his enlightenment in the mc’od rten at Dhanyakataka, which for the occasion, became dilated until it assumed the proportions of the universe, symbolized by every stupa. The scholar who is said to have given a literary form of this revelation was Zla ba bzan po [Suchandra, First King of Shambhala], an incarnation of P'yag na rdo rje, who put the Buddha's words into writing, and having gone back to his country, Sambhala, and built there a stupa in honour of the Kalacakra, taught his people its secrets. But everything leads us to think that there is much truth in the rest of the narrative; according to it in Sambhala, placed by tradition near the river Sita, (viz. Tarim) many generations of kings succeeded one another and ruled wisely, handing down the secret teaching of the Kalacakra, until their power was weakened by a raid of the Kla klo, coming from Me k'a (Mecca), i.e. the Moslem invasion.

The eminent Shambhalist John Newman also weights in on this issue:

The primary texts of the Kalachakra system came into around the beginning of the 11th century . . . so Shambhala must have existed at that time. The Vimalaprabha (See Ornament of Stainless Light: An Exposition of the Kalachakra Tantra and Kalacakratantra: The Chapter On The Individual Together With The Vimalaprabha) tells us that Shambhala is on a latitude north of Tibet, Khotan, and China, Furthermore, the Vimalaprabha says again and again that Shambhala is north of Sita River. The descriptions of the Chinese traveler, Hsuan tsang [Xuanzang] (7th century) and the Tibetan traveler, Man lungs Guru (13th century), both clearly identify the Sita as the Tarim River in Eastern Turkestan. Thus, “Sambhala” [sic] must be a special name for the Uighur kingdom centered at Khocho that flourished circa 850-1250.

The Uighurs of course originated in Mongolia, where they had their capital at Khar Balgas, in what is now Övörkhangai Aimag. When they migrated en masse to Xinjiang circa 840 a.d. they set up a northern capital at Beshbaliq, on the northern side of the Tian Shan Mountains, and a southern capital on the southern side at Gaochang.

Ur-Shambhalist Edwin Bernbaum (1980) elaborates:

. . . by these criteria, the Uighur Kingdom of Khocho in the Turfan [sic] Depression beneath the Tien Shan Mountains stands out as one most likely places to have been Shambhala. In accordance with the Tibetan guidebooks to Shambhala, Turfan lies north of the Sita, which most Western scholars have identified as the Tarim River. Established by the Uighurs, a Turkish people, around A.D. 850, the kingdom of Khocho flourished for four hundred years as a remarkable oasis of culture and learning. A predominately Buddhist country with numerous monasteries, it also had active centers of Manicheism and Nestorian Christianity—two of the three religions with the greatest influence on the Kalachakra. Although few Muslims lived in the Kingdom itself, Islam was certainly familiar as a new and aggressive religion that was supplanting Buddhism elsewhere in Central Asia.

At the time the Kalachakra appeared in India, the kingdom of Khocho probably possessed the most advanced civilization and the highest standard of living of any country in Central Asia. Well-irrigated fields and orchards produced enough surplus food to allow the Uighurs to run welfare programs for the poor. Living together in peaceful harmony, people of different races, religions and languages stimulated each other”s thoughts and culture. Paintings found in the ruins of Turfan show houses built in the Chinese style, men and women dressed in embroidered silk, and a chamber emsemble complete with harps, guitar, and flutes. Even the Chinese, the most fastidious connoisseurs of culture, were impressed the grace of Uighur society. In Turfan we [see] how a number of religions coexisted in an enlightened kingdom that survived for several hundred years; perhaps a group of dedicated mystics founded a similar, but smaller, community where they went on to extract the underlying wisdom of these religious traditions.

In his 2001 edition of The Way to Shambhala: A Search for the Mythical Kingdom Beyond the Himalayas Bernbaum writes that he finally visited Khocho in 1984: “. . . I managed to travel to the heart of Central Asia, to the region most likely to have inspired the myth of Shambhala. There, in the Turfan Depression of western China, at the foot of the Tien Shan mountains, I visited the ruins of the ancient kingdom of Khocho or Gaochang, the most likely prototype for the hidden city itself. Gazing at the extensive walls spreading around me toward the distant mountains, I felt as thought I had come to a place of particular significance on my own journey exploring the many facets of the myth of Shambhala.”

The Indefatigably Peripatetic Pilgrim Xuanzang visited pre-Uighur Gaochang in 629 or 630, at the beginning of his sixteen-year sojourn from China to India and back, when the city was ruled by the half-Chinese king Qu Wentai. The powerful potentate and the pious pilgrim fast became bosom buddies, so much so that Qu Wentai eventually insisted that Xuanzang give up his wandering ways and remain in Gaochang. After Xuanzang staged a three-day hunger strike he was finally allowed to continue on to India, where among other places he visited Bodhgaya and Nalanda.

The Inner City Wall at GaochangMain Temple at Gaochang. Zuanzang gave teachings in the courtyard in front of this temple.

Xuanzang also reportedly gave teachings in this hall.

Ruins of building where Xuanzang supposedly lived while at Gaochang

The famous Flaming Mountains just north of Gaochang, mentioned in the Journey to the West, a fictionalized account of Xuanzang’s life.



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