by Bob Curran
As exploration and discovery began to unlock the secrets and mysteries of the Earth, some of these tales simply passed into the realm of folktale and story. Some mysteries actually deepened. Who, for example, had built legendary cities, hidden deep in the jungles? What race had erected great constructions in remote mountain valleys? However, gradually the world became a much more familiar place.
The English Victorian age of exploration throughout the 19th century ventured into corners of the globe that had previously been untouched, and which had generated an air of mystery. Victorian explorers (along with American, French, and Spanish) gradually dispelled some of the mystery; even so, some regions remained remote and secret. Some of them even remained so until the 20th century.
Places such as the kingdom of Tibet shut away in the mountains of the Himalayas remained both inaccessible and intriguing. This was a place of magic and wonder where venerable, all-knowing monks in isolated monasteries guarded secrets and marvels that had been long since lost to the modern world. The poverty and hardship of actual Tibetan life were overlooked as this image took hold of the Western mind. During the 1930s and 1940s (even, in some instances as late as the 1950s and 1960s), Tibet was looked upon in both Europe and America as a repository of ancient lore and knowledge. It became an exotic locale—inaccessible and tantalizing, hiding a knowledge that might perhaps revolutionize the world. Even though it was annexed by Communist China between 1949 and 1951, and life there became even harsher and more uniform in nature, Tibet lost nothing of its mystical allure in the Western mind. Remote monasteries, it was believed, had somehow escaped the Communist influence, and maintained ancient ways and traditions, preserving their secrets despite the prevailing regime. In fact, the closure of Tibetan borders by the Chinese authorities only added to the sense of mystery and legend. Indeed, in the 1960s, Tibet became a mystical focus for the “hippy culture” in both Europe and America; many young people followed a “trail” to the nearest large city they could reach: Kathmandu, Nepal. Although some Western views of Tibet have changed throughout the years, some of the mystical associations with that remote country still remain.
A similar perception has also existed regarding South America. Large areas of Brazil and Bolivia still lie swathed in largely inaccessible jungle and, through the years, this too has generated its own mythology. Similar to Tibet, there was much speculation about what might lie deep in the heart of the rainforest, and what secrets the thicket and creepers might conceal. Some stories hinted at lost cities or lost jungle kingdoms that had flourished long before the coming of Europeans, and now retreated into the jungle. There was talk of advanced civilizations that had hidden themselves away and shunned the rest of the world that lay beyond their protective green wall. Some even claimed that these had been founded by survivors from places such as Atlantis and Lemuria.
Interest often focused on areas such as the seemingly impenetrable Mato Grosso region of Brazil. The name simply means “thick forest,” and its inaccessibility made it a prime candidate for tales of vanished kingdoms and lost civilizations. Soon, truly imaginative tales of highly technological cities existing side by side with prehistoric monsters, left over from the dawn of time, came to be associated with the area. Much of this vision stems from the writings of the science-fiction and fantasy writing of the early part of the 20th century—particularly Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World (published in 1912), which placed a group of adventurers on a lost plateau in South America that was inhabited by ape-men and giant, flesh-eating lizards. Other writers had domed cities housing a futuristic society, tucked away amidst the undergrowth. The speculation was further exacerbated by a number of expeditions into the jungle that failed to return. Such failure may have been due to explainable reasons—native or wild animal attack or disease—but they served to fuel ideas of lost civilizations that had somehow captured the explorers and were holding them as prisoners or slaves deep in the South American fastness. Such speculation was the stuff of adventure stories, and it certainly stoked the popular imagination. Although much of the Mato Grosso and the upper part of the River Amazon have largely been explored today, some of that old mystery still lingers.
South America was not the only place to hold mysterious forests and hidden valleys. North America also had such features in its rich and varied landscape. Even today, certain areas of the country remain largely unexplored. Parts of Wyoming are thickly forested, as are some regions in New England, while along the Kentucky/Tennessee border unused Indian trails lead away into dark forests to deep and remote valleys. In the remote Rutherford Mountain Country, on the border along the Little Piney and Squaw Rivers, for example, many of these trails are almost impassable; communities there tend to be widely scattered and the people claim direct and unbroken lineage from pioneers and Revolutionary War communities. They have, say some accounts, “strange and folk ways.” There are tales here of lost “kingdoms” hidden away in the wilderness, dating back to the time when America was born as a nation. Some believe they are still ruled by old close-knit families of European descent. Such places have little or no contact with the outside world. Whether such stories are simply legends, or whether there is a grain of truth to them, the idea of, say, a Puritan society tucked away in some remote valley, living and behaving as it did in Colonial times, has always appealed to writers and filmmakers—one of the most recent offerings being M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village (2004). Perhaps part of this perception is based on the Amish peoples of Pennsylvania who maintain a 19th century society in Lancaster County just south of Philadelphia, and whose strict Anabaptist religion instructs them to largely shun the rest of the world even today.
Tales of unknown, opulent, and sometimes rather bizarre cities and kingdoms have existed through the years—from the tall stories of medieval travelers to the quasi-scientific investigations of strange and anomalous historical phenomena. And who is to say that some of these realms did not exist? Who is to say that out there, in some remote corner of the globe, there is still an undiscovered country awaiting contact with the known world? Our knowledge of our planet may not be as complete as it might first appear!
10
Shangri-La
In Britain, during the 1960s and 1970s, the most common name for the property to which people retired after a lifetime’s work was either “Mon Repose” or “Shangri-La”; the latter was also the name of many seaside boarding houses where people came for a holiday and a rest. The name Shangri-La was suggestive to the popular mind as a place of relaxation, contentment, and peace, away from the strains and stresses of the everyday world. Even today, we still speak of finding “our own private Shangri-La” to which we can escape in time of personal crisis, if need be. But did such a place exist? If so, was it such a haven of peace? Where was it supposed to be?
Early Writings
The popularity of the name Shangri-La comes from the extremely successful 1937 Frank Capra film Lost Horizon, which in turn was based on the 1933 novel of the same name, written by Englishman James Hilton (1900–1954). At the time of writing, Hilton was already famous for his novel of English school life called Goodbye Mr. Chips, and Lost Horizon has been often seen as continuing his theme of “Britishness” and the “stiff upper lip” in times of adversity. The film, which starred 1930’s heartthrob Ronald Coleman, told the story of a group of travelers who, fleeing civil unrest in China, were hijacked on a small plane, which ran out of fuel and crashed in the Himalayas, killing their abductor. The survivors were rescued and taken to an idyllic and peaceful valley, hidden and shielded from the outside world by the mountain chain. There they find peace, contentment, and love, well away from the threat of war that is brewing elsewhere. Shangri-La is a place of tranquility, solitude, and serenity. Is it any wonder that many holiday and retirement places were named after it?
Tibet and Buddhist Folklore
Hilton had, however, based his Shangri-La on the legend of Shambhala (Shambalah or Shambalha), a lost kingdom somewhere deep in
the Himalayas, which is mentioned in Tantric Buddhist folklore. This is said to be the source of the Kalachakra Tantra, which is one of the core texts of Vajrayana Buddhism. This form of Buddhist teaching places emphasis on the Yidam or Buddha-form, which can be brought about by the individual through meditation and contemplation; it therefore takes on a slightly more immediate nature than the long meditative route of conventional Buddhism. Some have argued that this particular form of Buddhism originated in Tibet; for others the thinking began in Shambhala or Shangri-La. According to traditional legend, King Suchandra, one of the earliest kings of Shambalah or Shangri-La (then, according to the legend, located in northwest India) requested a special teaching from the Buddha, which would allow him to achieve divine enlightenment while not renouncing some of his worldly pleasures. In reply, the Buddha granted him the Kalachakra, which Suchandra then circulated in parts of Pakistan and Tibet, where it later became a major tenet of Tibetan Buddhism.
Zhang Zhung
Shangri-La was also considered to be one of the great centers of the Zhang Zhung (or Shang Shung) culture of central Tibet. This culture predated the coming of Buddhism and was comprised of 18 kingdoms in what is now central and western Tibet, centered around Mount Kailash (or Gangs Rin-po-cho in Tibetan, meaning “sacred jewel of the snows”). Interestingly, the mountain also appears in Hindu folklore, where it is called Kailasa, and is regarded as Paradise or Utopia, the epitome of everything that is good and pure. The Zhang Zhung culture, however, was served by the Bon religion, a belief system that predated Buddhism in Tibet. This was a mixture of early Hinduism, primitive Buddhism, Shamanism, and spirit worship, and was said to be the religion of the central Tibetan kingdoms since early times. According to tradition, it was certainly the main faith of the Zhang Zhung kingdoms, which had already begun to extend their influence across the mountains and into Northern India. Their capital was said to be the mythical city of Khylunglung Ngulkhak—the Silver Palace of the Garundra Valley (Garundra being an early minor Hindu deity)—a place that has sometimes been equated with Shambhala or Shangri-La.
Historically, the Zhang Zhung culture was overthrown around A.D. 644 by Songen Gampo, the 33rd king of Tibet. In retaliation for the ill treatment of his sister who was married to one of the Zhang Zhung kings, Songen started a war that destroyed most of their cities, and was the first step in the unification of Tibet under one ruler. However, the influence of the Zhang Zhung culture and its Bon religion still maintained an underlying influence on the country and on Tibetan Buddhism, which the later Tibetan kings espoused.
Bon and Buddha
Shangri-La, or Shambhala, may also have its origins in a place where the ancient Bon texts refer to as Olmolunggring, although it is not clear whether this is an actual kingdom, a city, or a complex of monasteries. As the Bon and Buddhist religions began to overlap in Tibet, around the late seventh century, the overall religious picture becomes slightly confused. Olmolunggring was the place where the Buddha (or king) had a number of wonderful palaces, to which he retired during the winter months for prayer and contemplation. His descendants, known variously as the kulika, kalika, or kalka (a series of kings), withdrew from the world and continued to rule there as potentates, espousing a form of Buddhism that was deeply rooted in the Bon tradition. Some scholars have argued that the name is taken from the early Hindu word Kalki, meaning “Great Incarnation of the god Vishnu.” Olmolunggring was shielded from the rest of the world by mountain walls, impenetrable snow-filled passes, and deep ravines, and was believed to be located in the Kunlun Mountains, which form part of the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. It is alternately given as a kingdom whose capital is Kalapa (also given as the capital for the country of Shambhala) or as a holy city comprised entirely of monasteries in which the lamas (monks) know no death.
The word Shambhala, which also applies to Shangri-La, means “pure land,” although it is also given as “harmonious valley” or “place of rest and peace.” It is probably from these translations that Hilton (and many retired people and bed-and-breakfast owners) took the name. But if such a place existed, where was it? Confusingly, both Buddhist and Bon literature state that it exists both “within and without” the consciousness of an individual. So was Shangri-La largely a concept—a state of mind that could be achieved, perhaps through Buddhist teaching? But if this was so, was there on actual location that promoted this teaching or upon which the individual might focus in order to achieve the perfect state? If this was the case, might it have continued long after the overthrow of the Zhang Zhung civilization? It seems that there might indeed have been such a place.
In the late 14th century, according to tradition, a gyelpo, or ruler of the Himalayan trading kingdom of Mustang, received a deputation of lamas or monks from a remote monastery well outside his kingdom. Mustang had strong ties with Tibet, and its culture was largely Tibetan in nature with Tibetan Buddhism at its center, but the monks brought with them an even older form of Buddhism that taught how to achieve an inner serenity. The place that they came from was a remote lamasery named “the Place of Inner Happiness and Peace,” or Shangri-La. No location was given for the lamasery except that it was in a remote valley far beyond the borders of Mustang. However, it was believed that it lay somewhere in the Buddhist region between Tibet and the borders of Northern India. Some have identified the location as the Hunza Valley, lying in what are today the northern provinces of Pakistan, between the Gilgit and Nagar Valleys.
The Hunza, which today lies close to the Chinese border, was at one time an independent principality or “princely state.” In fact, it was under the rule of largely independent princes for almost 900 years. A remote and extremely verdant river valley, it was said to have boasted a predominantly Buddhist community, which spread its influence into nearby Kashmir. Hunza was briefly annexed by Kashmir around 1860 during the authority of Maharajah Rabir Singh, but returned to a limited independency in 1888. Today, however, it is part of Jammu and Kashmir, but remains almost inaccessible. Up until the 1950s, there were still extremely strong links between the Hunza and Tibet, which again had profound implications for the region with the city of Ladakh in northern Kashmir being widely known as “Little Tibet.” This, argue some, makes it a prime candidate as the site of the lamasery from which the holy monks traveled to the court of the Mustang gyelpo. Moreover, for a good number of months, the Hunza can be cut off from the rest of the world by snowfalls in the mountains, and this adds an element of mystery and magic to the remote monasteries there. It has been suggested that Hilton visited this area when traveling in Kashmir, and that its beauty and inaccessibility served to inspire his vision of Shangri-La in Lost Horizon. Certainly he had visited the region (although he had remained largely in Kashmir) several years before the novel was published, but the ideas concerning it are more likely to emanate from the writings of the American explorer and botanist Joseph Rock (1884–1962), who had traveled extensively in Kashmir and parts of eastern Tibet. In the course of his travels, Rock had stayed in various lamaseries and had absorbed many of the tales that the Tibetan monks had told him. He had undoubtedly heard (and recorded in his diaries), certain stories of a lamasery hidden away in a remote valley where all was peace and tranquility. This would later form the basis of Hilton’s Lost Horizon.
Other sites also existed; for example, several remote and virtually inaccessible river valleys in China were considered to be possible locations for a monastery from which the monks had traveled to Mustang. However, no trace of such a lamasery has ever been found.
Blavatsky and Others
Similar to the legend of Hyperborea, Shangri-La also attracted a number of interested people. As with mythical sites such as Atlantis and Lemuria, the 19th century Theosophist Madame Blavatsky also took an interest in the legendary place and mentioned it in some of her writings. Madame Blavatsky claimed to have contact with a number of Masters (enlightened beings) living in Tibet, and they appear to have had strong connections with Shamballha or Shangri-La
. In certain texts, she spoke of what was called “The Great White Lodge” or the “Great White Brotherhood,” which appeared to be a grouping of Masters, Adepts, or Mahatmas, all of whom were beings of incredible power and who more or less governed the world through spiritual means, sending their messages through a number of “teachers” (of whom Madame Blavatsky was one). There was a suggestion that this grouping might be based in Shangri-La. This theory was developed and expanded by later Theosophists and neo-Theosophists such as Charles Webster Ledbetter (1854–1930) and Alice Bailey (1880–1949). They put forward the theory that the work carried out within Shangri-La was described as the Ascended Master Activities, which were performed under the direction of a Master named Sanat Kumara, and would affect the direction of history. There were even connections in some theories with the planet Venus, from which a group of Supreme Masters had come in the distant past (one of whom was the Buddha), and there were suggestions that Shangri-La might lie (or may have lain) on that world. Later scientific evidence shows that the Venusian surface is anything but peaceful or tranquil!
Agartha
Agartha had emerged out of a more Westernized tradition than Shangri-La, and was tied into notions of Atlantis and Lemuria. It was a city or realm that existed in a large cavern just under the Earth’s crust; the entrance to it could be gained from a cave located somewhere in the Himalayas or Tibet. The idea of an underground city may have been inspired by an old Tibetan legend of a long passageway, which started within the country and supposedly ran under the entire Asian continent and possibly beyond. The entrance to this tunnel was said to lie close to the site now occupied by the Potala Palace in Lhasa. The place had originally been a place of meditation for the early Tibetan kings until King Songsten Gampo had built the original palace there in A.D. 637 as a present for his bride Wen Cheng, a Chinese princess of the Tang Dynasty. At this point, the tunnel entrance was said to have become obscured, but the legend of its existence still persisted within Tibet.
