The Secret of Shambhala: In Search of the Eleventh Insight

by James Redfield

  These politicians resisted the arguments of reformers that democracy could never reach its ideal until it was based not on distorted TV ads, but on public debates—where the citizens could more readily judge demeanor, facial expression, and truthfulness, and thus use their intuition to choose the best candidate.

  As we continued to move through the temples, it became clear that all of them were similarly focused on some particular area of human life. We saw many fearful world leaders, including those in the Chinese government, being helped to join the global community and to implement economic and social reforms.

  And in every case, the area behind the people involved would lighten and then those most in fear, who were acting to control or manipulate to ensure personal gain or power, would gradually begin to lessen the intractability of their positions.

  As we continued to run through the maze of temples searching for Tashi’s grandmother, the same questions kept coming to me. What, exactly, was happening here? What was the relationship between the dakini or the angels and the prayer extensions being performed? What did those in the temples know that we didn’t?

  At one point we stood facing literally miles of temples as far as we could see. The paths were going in every direction. In the background we could still hear the helicopters. As we stood there, another large temple, five hundred feet behind us, came crashing to the ground.

  “What’s happening to the people inside those temples?” I asked Tashi.

  He stared at the plume of dust rising from the rubble. “Don’t worry, they’re all right. They can move into another location without being seen. The problem is that their role of sending energy is being disrupted.”

  He looked at both of us. “If they aren’t able to help with these situations, who’s going to?”

  Wil walked over to Tashi. “We have to decide where to go. We don’t have much time.”

  “My grandmother is out there somewhere,” he said. “My father told me she is at one of the central temples.”

  I looked out at the maze of stoned structures. “There is no physical center, not that I can see.”

  “That’s not what my father meant,” Tashi said. “He meant that Grandmother is at a temple that is focused on the central, endpoint issues of human evolution.” Tashi was surveying the temples in the distance as he spoke.

  “You can see the people here better than us,” I said to him. “Could you talk to them and ask them where to go?”

  “I tried to talk to them,” he replied, “but my energy isn’t strong enough. Possibly if I was able to stay here for a little while.”

  Tashi had no sooner finished his sentence than another temple crashed to the ground, this time much closer.

  “We have to stay ahead of the soldiers’ energy,” Wil said.

  “Wait a minute,” Tashi said. “I think I see something.”

  He was looking out toward the maze of temples. I surveyed the scene as well, seeing nothing different. When I glanced at Wil, he shrugged.

  “Where?” I asked Tashi.

  He was already walking down a pathway to the right, motioning for us to follow.

  After hurriedly walking for twenty minutes we stopped in front of a temple whose architecture was much the same as all the others, except that it was larger and its dark brown rock carried a slightly bluer hue.

  Tashi stood motionless, looking directly at the massive stone door.

  “What is it, Tashi?” Wil asked.

  Far behind us we heard a crash as yet another temple collapsed.

  Tashi looked over at me. “The temple in your dream, the one where you said we found someone? Wasn’t it blue?”

  I looked at the temple again. “Yeah,” I said. “It was.”

  Wil walked toward the door and looked back at us.

  Tashi nodded, and Wil swung the huge rock slab back on its hinges.

  The temple was filled with people. As before, I could only see the slight outlines of many bodies. They all seemed to be moving, gathering around us, and I felt awash in a distinct feeling of joy. They were moving in a way that gave me the impression that they were turning toward the center of the temple. Turning that way myself, I saw a spatial window open. We began to see various scenes in the Middle East, followed by images from the Vatican, then Asia, all seemingly indicating a growing dialogue between the major institutional religions.

  We watched scenes that showed how an increased tolerance was developing. In Christianity, in both the Catholic and Protestant traditions, it was becoming understood that the true conversion experience within Christianity and the true devotional and enlightenment experiences of the Eastern religions, Judaism, and Islam—the experience itself—were exactly the same. It was just that each religion emphasized different aspects of this mystical interaction with God.

  The Eastern religions emphasized the effects on consciousness itself, the experience of lightness, a sense of oneness with the universe, the release of the ego’s desires, and a certain detachment. Islam emphasized the feeling of unity that came with sharing this experience with others and the power inherent in group action. Judaism emphasized the importance of a tradition based on this connection, of the experience of feeling chosen, and that each person alive is responsible for pushing forward the evolution of human spirituality.

  Christianity was emphasizing the idea that the spirit manifests in human beings not just as an increased awareness of being part of God but also as a higher self—as though we become an expanded version of who we are, more complete, capable, with an inner guidance and wisdom leading us to act, as if the human personality of God, the Christ, was now looking through our eyes.

  In the scene before us, we could see the effects of this new tolerance and unity. More and more the focus was being placed on the experience of connection itself, not on differences of emphasis. There seemed to be a growing willingness to resolve ethnic and religious conflicts, a greater communication between religious leaders, and a new understanding of how powerful prayer could be, if all extended their fields in religious unity.

  As I watched, I understood fully what Lama Rigden and Ani had both said about the unification of religion, that this would be a sign that the secrets of Shambhala were becoming known.

  At that point the scene through the window in front of us changed. We could see a group of people talking and joyously celebrating the birth of a baby. Everyone was laughing and passing the infant from one person to another. The people looked to be different from each other, representing various nationalities. As I watched, I got the distinct impression that they represented different religious backgrounds as well. As I looked closely, I could see the parents of the baby. They looked familiar. I knew it was not them, but the parents’ facial features were very similar to Pema’s and her husband’s.

  I strained to see, getting the feeling that we were now being shown something of immense importance. What was it?

  The scene changed again, and we were now looking at a tropical region which looked like Southeast Asia or perhaps China. As before, the scene shifted into a house where a number of people, diverse in appearance, were taking turns holding a newborn and toasting the parents.

  “Don’t you see what we’re being shown?” Tashi said. “That’s where the missing conceptions were going. They were moving to different families, all over the world. It must have been a channeling process. Somehow the children were gaining the higher genetic energy of Shambhala before moving on.”

  Wil was looking down, thinking, then he stared back at us.

  “That’s the shift,” he said. “That’s what the legends have been talking about. Shambhala’s not moving to one place; its energy is moving to many different locations all over the globe.”

  “What?” I asked.

  Tashi looked over at me. “You know the legend that says the warriors of Shambhala will stream out of the east and defeat the powers of darkness, and create an ideal society. This isn’t happening with horses and swords. It’s happening with the
effect of our extended fields, as the knowledge of Shambhala moves into the world. If all those from every religion who believe strongly in a connection with the divine avoid negative prayer and work together, we can all use the prayer extensions to take over the role of Shambhala.”

  “But we don’t know everything they’re doing,” I said. “We don’t know the rest of the secret!”

  Just as I said that, the scene through the spatial window changed again. Now we could see a great expanse of snow-covered mountains and a group of Chinese military helicopters heading toward us. We saw more temples begin to crumble to the ground as they approached, taking on the appearance of ancient ruins and then fading away altogether to dust. The scene switched to the outside of the very building where we were, and then inside.

  We saw ourselves standing in the building, and all around us were not hazy outlines of people but clear pictures of them. Many were adorned in the formal attire of Tibetan monks, but many others were dressed differently. Some appeared in the clothing of the Eastern religions, others wore the traditional attire of Hasidic Jews, and still others wore the robes and carried the crucifixes of Christianity. Just as many were dressed as Islamic mullahs.

  Interestingly one of them reminded me of a person living near my house in the valley, and my eyes lingered on her. I slipped into a daydream about home. In my mind’s eye, I could see everything very clearly: the mountains viewed from my front window, and then the same view from the spring. I thought of the taste of the water there. I pictured myself leaning over and drinking.

  Again we could hear the roar of helicopters, very near to us, and the sound of one of the other temples crashing to the ground.

  Tashi had turned away and walked over to our right. In the scene through the spatial window, we could see what he was doing. Tashi was facing one of the Tibetan monks.

  “Who is that?” I asked Wil.

  “It must be his grandmother,” Wil replied.

  They were clearly speaking to each other, but I couldn’t quite understand the words. Finally the two embraced and Tashi rushed over to us.

  I was still watching Tashi through the window, but when he reached me, the scene disappeared. The window was still there, but the images within it were fuzzy, like a television set tuned to a nonexistent channel.

  Tashi was glowing. “Don’t you see?” he said. “This is the temple where they have been watching you and Wil the whole time you were trying to reach Shambhala. These people are the ones who have been using their prayer-field to help you. Without them none of us would be here.”

  I looked around and realized I could no longer see the outlines of anyone around us.

  “Where did they go?” I yelled.

  “They had to leave,” Tashi replied, now staring up at the empty window hovering in the center of the room. “It’s up to us now.”

  At that moment a huge shock reverberated through the temple and several stones thudded to the ground outside.

  “It’s the soldiers,” Tashi yelled. “They’re here.” He was looking toward the sound of the helicopters outside.

  Without warning, the spatial window cleared and we could see the Chinese getting out of their helicopters right outside. Colonel Chang walked to the front, giving directions to his troops. We could see his face clearly.

  “We’ve got to uplift him with our fields,” Wil said.

  Tashi nodded in agreement and quickly led us through the extensions. We visualized our energy fields overflowing out of us and into the fields of the Chinese soldiers, especially Chang, lifting them to a new awareness of their higher intuitions.

  As I watched his face, he seemed to pause and look up, as if sensing the higher energy.

  I looked closely for any expression of his higher self, and noticed what seemed to be a slight shift in his eyes, maybe even a half-smile. He seemed to be looking around at his soldiers.

  “Focus on his face,” I said. “On his face.”

  As we did this, he seemed to pause again. One of the soldiers, apparently next in command, walked up to him and began asking him questions. For a moment or two, Chang ignored the junior officer. But slowly the subordinate gained his attention, pointing at the temple we were in. Chang seemed to regain his focus, and an angry expression returned to his face. He motioned for all the soldiers to follow him as he headed toward us.

  “It’s not working,” I said.

  Wil looked at me. “The dakini aren’t here.”

  “We have to leave,” Tashi shouted.

  “How?” Wil asked.

  Tashi turned to face us. “We have to go through the window. My grandmother told me that we could leave through the window to the outer cultures. But only if we had help from that location to raise the energy on the other side.”

  “What did she mean, help?” I asked. “Who would help?”

  Tashi shook his head. “I don’t know.”

  “Well, we’ve got to try,” Wil shouted. “Now!”

  Tashi appeared confused.

  “How did you go through the windows back in the outer rings?” I asked.

  “We had the amplifiers back there,” he replied. “I’m not sure I can do it without them.”

  I touched Tashi’s shoulder. “Ani said that everyone in the rings was on the verge of being able to manifest without the technology. Think. How did you do it?”

  Tashi was still struggling. “I don’t know, really. It was sort of automatic.” He paused. “I guess we just expected it to occur and it would happen instantly.”

  “Do that, Tashi,” Wil said, nodding toward the window. “Do it now.”

  I could tell Tashi was concentrating totally, and then he looked at me. “I have to know where I want to go so I can visualize it. Where are we supposed to go?”

  “Wait a minute,” I said. “What about the dream you had? Weren’t you seeing water?”

  Tashi thought for a moment, then said, “It was at a place overlooking a source of water. A well maybe, or a…”

  “A spring?” I shouted. “A spring with a walled-off pool made of stone?”

  He stared at me for a moment. “I think so.”

  I looked at Wil. “I know where it is. It’s a spring on the north ridge of the valley where I live. That’s where we have to go.”

  At that moment the temple shook violently again. Images of the temple collapsing or explosions blowing us away filled my mind and I shook them off, imaging instead that we would escape. I began to feel like my father, caught in a battle I had not asked for but, because of the stakes, was unable to avoid. Only it was a battle of the mind.

  “Focus,” I yelled. “What do we do?”

  “We first have to visualize where we are going,” Tashi replied. “Describe it to us.”

  Hastily I told them every detail: the mountain path, the trees, the way the water flowed, the color of the foliage this time of year. Then we all tried to help as Tashi concentrated on the image. As we watched, the window shifted to that very site. We could see the spring clearly.

  “That’s it!” I shouted.

  Wil turned to Tashi. “Now what? Your grandmother said we would need help.”

  Through the window we caught sight of a person in the background, and we all focused on the fuzzy image. I struggled to make out who it was, noticing that the individual looked young, in fact about Tashi’s age.

  Finally the picture cleared, and I recognized who it was.

  “It’s Natalie, my neighbor’s daughter,” I shouted, remembering my first intuition of her. It was of this scene.

  Tashi was smiling broadly. “That’s my sister!”

  At that moment another huge piece of the temple crashed to the ground outside.

  “She’s helping us,” Wil yelled, pushing us all toward the window. “Let’s go!”

  With a swooshing sound, Tashi ducked through, followed by Wil. Just as I approached the window, the back wall of the temple fell in, and there, on the other side, stood Colonel Chang.

  I turned and glan
ced at him, then moved into the window.

  His face was still determined as he grabbed a shortwave radio off his belt.

  “I know where you’re going!” he shouted as the rest of the temple began to fall in. “I know!”

  When I stepped through the window, my foot landed on familiar soil, and I felt the warm air on my face. I was back at home.

  As I looked around, I noticed that Tashi and Natalie were standing together, looking into each other’s eyes, talking rapidly. Their faces were elated, as though they had just discovered something. Wil stood by their side.

  Behind them was Natalie’s father, Bill, and several other neighbors from around the community, including Father Brannigan and Sri Devo, and Julie Carmichael, a Protestant minister. All of them looked slightly confused.

  Bill walked over to me.

  “I don’t know where you came from but thank God you’re here.”

  I pointed toward the clerics. “What is everyone doing here?”

  “Natalie asked them to come. She’s been talking about legends and showing us how to create prayer-fields, all sorts of things. Apparently these ideas have just been coming to her. She said she could see what was happening to you, and we’ve been seeing someone watching your house.”

  I looked up the hill and was about to say something when Bill interrupted. “Natalie also said something strange. She said she had a brother. Who is that kid she’s talking to?”

  “I’ll explain later,” I said. “Who has been watching my house?”

  Bill didn’t answer. He was watching as Wil and the others were walking up to us.

  At that moment we heard vehicles approaching on the hill above us. A blue van pulled up to my house. Two men got out, saw us, and walked out to an overhang a hundred feet above us.

  “They’re Chinese Intelligence,” Wil said. “Chang must have alerted them. We have to create a field.”