Land of Shambhala.
As the circumstances of the first teaching of the Kalachakra indicate, this Vajrayana system is closely connected to the land of Shambhala. Shambhala lies north of India and the Himalayas. It is north of the Sita River (the Tarim River in Eastern Turkistan). It is a land of tantric adepts, and its geography reflects this. Shambhala is shaped like a giant lotus having eight petals. The outer perimeter of the entire lotus is formed by a circle of great snow mountains, as is the perimeter of the pericarp that makes up the central third of the country. The interstices of the lotus petals are formed by rivers and snow mountains, and the entire land is covered with beautiful lakes, ponds, meadows, forests, and groves.
The central pericarp of Shambhala is elevated a bit above the surrounding lotus petals, and on it stands the capital of Shambhala, Kalapa. Kalapa is twelve leagues in breadth, and its palaces are made of gold, silver, turquoise, coral, pearl, emerald, mooncrystal, and other precious stones. Kalapa blazes with such a luster that the full moon is a mere pale disc overhead. The light given off by the mirrors on the outside of the palaces is so bright that night cannot be distinguished from day. The thrones inside the palaces are made from the finest beaten gold, and from the gold of the Jambu River. In front of the thrones are crystal looking-glasses that allow one to see far into the distance.
On the ceilings are special circular crystal skylights that allow one to observe the palaces, gods, and parks of the sun, moon, and stars, as well as the rotating celestial spheres, and even the zodiac, all as though they were right in front of one. Surrounding the thrones in the palaces are latticework screens made of sandalwood that exude fragrances that scent the air for miles. The couches and cushions are all made of the finest, most precious fabrics. In brief, each building in Kalapa is worth many huge ships piled full of gold.
North of Kalapa there are wooded, craggy, crystalline peaks. On the faces of the peaks are very tall designs depicting the buddhas and gods. When seen from a distance, the depictions are very clear, but when viewed up close, they become indistinct. There are one hundred thousand of these images, ten thousand of each of the ten bodhisattvas: Bhadrapala, Merusikharadhara, Kshitigarbha, Man- jushri, Avalokitahalahala, Arya Tara, Guhyakadhipati Vajrapani, Devi Kesini, Paramarthasamudgata, and Maitreya.
South of the village of Kalapa there is a sandalwood pleasure grove. It is twelve leagues in breadth, the same as the village of Kalapa. East of the grove is a miniature Manasa lake, twelve leagues in breadth. To the west is a white lotus lake having the same measure. Humans, gods, and nagas enjoy themselves on the lakes in boats made of jewels. The sandalwood pleasure grove is between the two lakes, and in the middle of the grove is the mandala circle of Bhagavan (Lord) Kalachakra that was made by King Suchandra. The mandala consists of male and female deities, and it is fashioned from the five precious materials: gold, silver, turquoise, coral, and pearl. This mandala is three-dimensional, square, and four hundred cubits in breadth.
To the outside is the body mandala. It is square, has four entrances, four portals, and is adorned with eight charnel grounds. It is enclosed by five fences, and outside it is adorned with four discs of earth, water, fire, and wind, and then with a row of vajras. The diameter of the vajra row is eight hundred cubits.
The speech mandala is in the middle of the body mandala; it is square, and half the measure of the body mandala. It has four entrances and is adorned with four portals. It is enclosed by five fences.
The mind mandala is half the size of the speech mandala. It is square, has four entrances and is adorned with four portals. It is enclosed by three fences.
The gnosis circle is half the size of the mind mandala. It is beautified by sixteen pillars. The eight-petaled lotus is half the size of the gnosis circle. One-third of the lotus is its pericarp.
Thus, the body, speech, and mind mandalas are endowed with all the prescribed characteristics. They are furnished with strings and half-strings of pearls. They possess jeweled tapestries, daises, and bakuli trees. They are illuminated by mirrors, half-moons, and bells. This mandala was erected by King Suchandra, but there are also many other marvelous mandalas in the grove that were erected by the kings that followed him.
The Kalki (the lineage king) of Shambhala binds his hairlocks on top of his head; he wears a sacred headdress made out of dyed lion’s hair and a crown marked with the symbols of the five buddha families. He wears the costume of a universal emperor (chakravar- tiraja), and fortunate people are able to obtain the good path just by seeing or touching him. The Kalki’s emblematic earrings, and the bracelets on his arms and legs are made of the gold from the Jambu River. The light from his ornaments mixes with the light that arises from the white and red luster of his body. It shines out to the horizon; it is so bright that even the gods cannot bear it.
The Kalki has excellent ministers, generals, and a great many queens. He has a bodyguard, elephants and elephant trainers, horses, chariots, and palanquins. His own wealth and the wealth of his subjects, the power of his magic spells, the nagas, demons, and goblins that serve him, the wealth offered to him by the centaurs, and the quality of his food are all such that even the lord of the gods cannot compete with him.
Since the Kalki has a great many queens, he has many sons and daughters. However, when the Kalki-to-be is born (it does not matter whether he is the oldest son or not) there is a rain of white lotus flowers, and for one week prior to his birth the crown prince’s body emits light like a radiant jewel. The queen mother, a daughter of one of the ninety-six satraps of Shambhala, is distinguished by the fact that at the time of her birth a rain of blue lotuses falls and a huge, previously unknown flower grows in front of her home. The Kalki and his queens possess the four aims of life: sensual pleasure, wealth, ethics, and liberation. They never become sick or old, and although they always enjoy sensual pleasure, their virtue never decreases. The Kalki does not have more than one or two heirs, but he has many daughters who are given as vajra ladies during the initiations held on the full moon of Caitra each year.
Each of the eight lotus petals of Shambhala has 120 million villages in it. Thus, adding them all together there are 960 million villages in Shambhala. Each ten million villages is governed by a satrap, so there are ninety-six satraps. The satraps teach the Kala- chakra as long as the Buddha’s Dharma endures. Most of them are adept at magic spells. Each of the ninety-six satraps has a magical staff; when the staff is given to a messenger, the messenger instantaneously arrives wherever the satrap wishes.
The houses in the 960 million villages of Shambhala are pleasant two-story houses similar to the houses in India. The people born in Shambhala have fine bodies and appearances, and they are very wealthy. Even those having relatively little wealth have near to a hundred treasuries full of jewels. The men of Shambhala wear caps, and white or red cotton clothes. Women wear white or blue garments pleated and patterned with beautiful designs.
The people of Shambhala live in accordance with very mild laws; beating and imprisonment are unknown. There is absolutely no sickness, famine, and so forth. The people are naturally good, intelligent, and inclined towards virtue. Most of the people born in Shambhala obtain buddhahood during that very life by means of the Guhyasamaja, Samvara, Hevajra, Kalachakra, or one of the other Anuttara Yoga tantra systems. Most have obtained samadhis such as are taught in the Perfection of Wisdom sutras. Even the laypeople’s servants who do not practice meditation are able to advance to a pure land by transferring their consciousnesses at the time of death. No one is born into an evil state of existence from Shambhala.
The clergy, and the various sacred receptacles of body, speech, and mind (such as images, texts, stupas, and so on) receive measureless honor and worship in Shambhala. It seems that most of the monks there are provided with naga or demon servants through the power of magic spells, but in general the clergy does not possess fine things.
They go bare-headed and barefoot, and only keep the three vestments and the mendicant’s bowl and staff; they are extremely faithful towards even the minor Vinaya vows.
All the authentic Buddhist doctrines that exist in the southern continent, Jambudvipa, (that includes the earth) are in Shambhala. From the minor practices of the eighteen Vaibhasika schools, such as the ordained person’s rule about rinsing the mouth before and after meals, on through the scriptures and commentaries of the four classes of Mahayana tantras, all are there.
In particular, the teachings of Tsong kha pa and his disciples have been magically carried to Shambhala from Tibet by heroes, wizards, and the Kalkis of Shambhala.
