Research Notes on the Kingdom of Shambhala

In the Bönpo text dealing with cosmogony, theogony and cosmology, Chamma is called Sherab Chamma Chucham Byalmo, "the queen of the waters". Chucham Cyalmo had her origin from the primordial waters, an origin independent of the patriarchal order of heaven. As the winds of karma blew across the vast primeval ocean, moving its waters, a bubble the size of a pavilion rose up to the surface and at its center an egg of blue light became visible. When this egg spontaneously burst open, a turquoise blue woman appeared from it. The creator god Sangpo Bumtri was overwhelmed by her beauty and radiance; he called her by the name Chucham Gyalmo, "the queen of the waters". Thereafter they coupled together without their heads or their noses touching and from this act of union were produced the various species of animals and birds. And when they united a second time, bending their heads to each other and touching their noses, they produced the nine brothers and the nine sisters from who have descended the various races of gods.

The Greeks honored nine muses, who personified and inspired the full range of the arts and sciences of humankind.  Going back further in time, the Egyptians honored a company of nine “gods, “ or neteru, their Ennead of nine manifest principles, a trinity of trinities, which emerged from four pairs of unmanifest gods to oversee the world’s ongoing creative process.  The Egyptians saw the whole of humanity, which they symbolized by the glyphs for “nine archers’ bows,” as subject to the ninefold rule of the Ennead.  The pharaoh, their representative on earth, was often symbolized by nine bows.  This same symbol is referred to in the name of the vulture Mother Goddess Nekhebet, “she who binds the nine bows,” or unites all people and so was called “the father of fathers, the mother of mothers.”

Nine Gods of the Etruscans: Juno, Minerva, and Tin’ia (the three chief); the other six were Vulcan, Mars, and Saturn, Herculs, Summnus, and Vedius.

Of the Sabines (2 syl.). Herculs, Romulus, Esculapius, Bacchus, Ænas, Vesta, Santa, Fortuna, and Fids.

By itself, Zurvanism is inherently non-dualistic, though some flaws could be seen. The gods of Zurvanism are the demons of the Vedanta: Asuras of Zurvanism (such as Ahura=Asura Mazda) are non-Suras (gods) of Vedas, as in both Sanskrit and Persian the prefix “a” stands for denial. Also compare: “Daeva” in Persian means demon, “Deva” in Sanskrit means god.

"In 1959, Chogyam Trungpa left Tibet, fleeing the invasion of the Chinese communists. It took him a long time to cross the Himalayas. On the way, he wrote a synthesis of the spiritual history of Shambala that was, unfortunately, lost during that eventful journey........it described Shiwa Okar and the Nine Lha who created existence out of non-existence.............In the Bon tradition the legend is known as Shen Lha Okar and the Nine Brothers who created this world.......

" In the case of the origins of the Tibetan people proper, they mention four tribes, sBra, lDong, •Bru and sGa; or five tribes, if they also include rGo; seven tribes, if they include the dPayi tshan and Zla yi tshan tribes separately, six if they group these two as a unit. In the case of Zhang Zhung, they refer to the ancestor Sangs-po •Bum-khri and to the four tribes that descended from the...... NINE Brothers and Sisters........ which together with the tribes dBal and Zla are known as the Six Human Clans [miêu gdung drug]. The texts describe the ways in which these various tribes intermingled, and maintain how for example the genealogies of Zhang Zhung derived from the sBra or Khyung tribes; they talk about their locations, the social changes that occurred in different periods of time, and the way in which various people with distinct local habits and customs eventually developed from those tribes. Many historical documents talk about four tribes, Se, rMu, lDong and sTong; in this case, Se, rMu, lDong and sTong are viewed as being the four original tribes, to which the dBra and •Dru tribes are added..... "

In the heavenly realm were nine young warriors, the nine who created the world and ordered it, nine great artificers who fashioned existence out of non-existence......

The first brother is called The White Ah of the Single Eye of Light...........Luminous Single Eye White A (A-Kar O kyi Migchig); ......By his primordial thought, which transcends time and timelessness, he established the time know as the present. That being established, the past had occurred and the future was made. He established the cardinal and intermediate directions including East, South, West, North, above, and below. By merely naming them, the four seasons came into being.

the second, The Red Child of the Lightning of the Great Emptiness.......Red Lightning Child Great Emptiness (Tongchen Log gi Pumar); ......By his power of arranging what was not arranged, conventions of sound and name were established.

the third, The Glorious Conch Shell Crown.......Renowned Conch Topknot (Tragpa Tung gi Thortsug);.........he established first, the solid earth-- the visvavajra. Second, he established wet water-- the crystal water amrita clouds. Third, he established blazing fire-- the radiating heat of the cosmic flame. Fourth, he established the moving wind-- the great wind of a thousand gales. Fifth, he established empty space-- space which separates everything. Having created the five elements, whose self nature is unerring auspicious coincidence, Renowned Conch Topknot became the lord of the elements.

the fourth, The Black Iron of Garuda's Crest.......Black Iron Garuda Crest (Chagnag Khyung gi Yangshu); .....he created the mountain of lha, Tise Gangkar (Tise Snow Mountain), in the high country. It was like a white conch castle, adorned with a crown. Then, the mountain Tana Lhari (Horse Ears Lha Mountain), in the highland pastures, was like a silver yak tail blowing in the wind. Then, the mountain range Pori Ngeded (Fragrant Incense Mountain), in Khyungpo Shangshung, was like divine princes playing with a king. Then, the mountain range of tsen in the north, Tago Chegye (Eight Brothers of Horse Gate), was like a white conch hand raising to the sky. Thus, he created many mountains of lha, some with names, others without.

the fifth, The Supernal Golden Maiden.......Supreme Golden Maiden (Phuljung Ser gyi Tangmen); ...... she created a great multitude of lakes both large and small, some with names, others without. Supreme Golden Maiden became the lady of lakes.

the sixth, The Awesome Blue Gem of the Sky......Awesome Vast Blue Sky (Gung gi Thingring Ngampa); ....first, he established the self-luminous sun of insight having many symbolic miracles: the confidence which dispels darkness by the self-born fire-crystal having tongues of flame streaming out in all directions, heat which banishes cold, and prosperity which ripens fruit. He made it with these three qualities. Second, he established the crystal moon. It was white and round manifesting the inner truth of affection and mercy.

the seventh, The Red Wings of Fire.......Single Wing Red Fire (Marpo Me yi Shogchig);...became the lord of lightning and dragons.

the eighth, The Awesome Creator of the Turquoise Wind......Awesome Blowing Six Turquoise Winds (Ngampa Yu Lung Trug Bu);....First, he created the juniper, the tree of lha. Second, he created the rhododendron, the tree of nyen. Third, he created the tamarisk, the tree of lu. Fourth, he created the margosa, the tree of tsen. Fifth, he created the pine, the tree of dut. Thus, he created many trees, some with names, others without. the ninth, The Supreme God of All Knowing......Primordial Knowing Body Lha (ku Lha Ye Khyen)........ On his head was a white turban which sent out moon light. It was adorned on top with a crown jewel, a wish-fulfilling gem. In his right hand he held a white drala flag with eighteen pennons attached, which gathered oceans of lha and protectors, just as dust intermingles with sun light. In his left hand he held a beautiful diamond box, which gathered the richness of the three worlds. He possessed rays of confidence, brave power, and was beautiful, elevating the mind. Not seeing him was unbearable. When one saw him, one's mind was joyful. One's mind was led from peace to bliss. His face was like a full moon; his smile radiated rays of light. His two eyes were like great stars with the gaze that transforms ones perceptions. His eyebrows were like the blue outstretched wings of the great garuda-- they were a sign of the beauty of the uplifted mind of a warrior. Even when he smiled he remained exalted in confidence. Even without speaking, the expression of truth was manifest in his lotus lips. He was adorned with a moustache as if drawn by a brush, exhibiting the maturity of a drala. He symbolized the inner meaning of the warrior. He projected the sign of a werma. His torso was like a lion's-- great and dignified, completing the nature of a king. He overpowered others' perception. He wore on his feet patraongden boots from Shangshung, with golden flourishes. The sides of the boots were inlaid with diamonds. King Primordial Knowing Body Lha was magnificent but not garish. He was very powerful but not malicious. He was loving but without longing. He possessed all good qualities. He was the very best of all the goodness of the three worlds.

DEGYE..."there are nine cosmos creating deities. These may be regarded as principles since they have many local manifestations. The main iconographical feature is the PER, a kimono like tibetan garment. The main degye is called SE, who wears a white PER with crystal armor and helmet. He rides a white horse." (Trungpa:1978)....."Nine gods of light...nine brothers and nine sisters." (Stein: 1972..pg 242)..."The eight degyes are thought to descend from heaven on the smoke of the lhasang. (Trungpa: 1978)..."the primordial beings are described as a King and a Grandmother; while on the other hand, they are spoken of as nine brothers and nine sisters." (Paul: 1982..pg 55)..."the lineage descends from the 'gods of light' and especially from nine or ten Mu deities." (Stein: 1972..pg 242)..."The first 3 of the nine brothers are more important than the others. They are called phyva-srid-skos-gsum"...(Karmay:1975..pg 192)..."Most of the Tibetan gods whose origin is not Indian can be traced back to the parents and the eighteen brothers and sisters."..(Karmay: 1975)

NINE LHA.... 1. A-kar O kyi Migchig 2. Tongchen Log gi Pumar 3. Tragpa Tung gi Thortsug 4. Chagnag Khyung gi Yangshul 5. Phuljung Ser gyi Tangmen (Female) 6. Gung gi Thingring Ngampa 7. Marpo Me yi Shogchig 8. Ngampa Yu Lung Trug Bu 9. Ku Lha Ye Khyen

WERMA......."From the inner essence of the egg a miraculous man was born with a lion's head and lynx's ears, a fierce face with an elephant's trunk, the mouth of a chusin, and tiger's fangs. His feet were swords and his wings sabres, and between the flaming horns (rwa dbal) on the great Khyung's head he had the diadem of the wish-fulfilling jewell as an ornament. He was called 'heroic' WERMA NYINYA and was the fount of four distince ritual traditions. In fact from the union of the Werma with the Lha were born the 'Werma of the Lha that Subjugate the Dud'.......from the union with the Nyen, the 'Werma of the Nyen that Subjugate Enemies'......from the union with the Khyung, the 'Werma of the Khyung that Subjugate the Lu'....from the unioon with the divine Lions (seng) the 'Three Werma Brothers that Subjugate Heroes'.....From these four divine manifestations, which in turn emanated armed hordes of nine hundred and ninety thousand various Werma, originated the four systems of ritual practice devoted to the class of the Werma that, as is written in the Zijid, "all arose from the Lha, descended from the Se and are similar to the Wal.....and appeared in order to subjugate all hostile entities causing obstacles and disturbances." (Drung, Deu and Bon....1995..... page 55)

"The werma deities are extremely important because they are the special protectors who always accompany and protect the masters and practitioners. From an ancient ritual text called...The General Do of Existence....

To the masters the Werma are important. The Werma whirl like snow-storms, those they escort are the practitioners, those they assist are the practitioners, those they protect are the practitioners. We proffer the well-prepared offerings and confess errors if we have mingled with evil!" (Drung, Deu and Bon....1995..... page 55)

WARRIOR...Pawo: "One who is brave, not afraid of being yourself." (Trungpa: 1975)...dpa' bo: male space farers...dgra bla: a warrior spirit....dgra lha: a warrior spirit...dpa mo: female warrior....sems dpa: heroic being...(sems: mind...pa: hero)......Pawo (fem: pamo) were used as the words for Medium in: (David-Neel: 1931..pg 41)....Viracarya means warrior teacher...."female wizards are called 'nyen jomo' (rNal hbyor ma: female hermit) and their male counterparts, known as 'pawo' (dpa bo: hero)." (Nebesky: 1952..pg 151)..."Warrior (artestar) is an 'order establisher' in a high crested helmet and carrying a spear. Corresponds to the Mithra tauroctonos motive." (Campbell: 1968..pg 332)..."To carry out the obligations of the sun god Huitzilopochtli the Aztecs had to make themselves into warrior people. Different orders were named Eagle Warriors or Jaguar Warriors and regiments were such as Day Sun Regiment and Night Sun Regiment." (Hawkes: 1962..pg 156)...

SPIRITUAL HERO...(gYun drun sems dpa)...(sk: bodhisattva)...Yungdrung Sempa: (Trungpa: 1978)

MAGICIANS...(ngakpa)...(sNgags.pa)..."Bonpo tantric yogin with a turban-like topknot." (Kvaerne:96)....

ANCESTOR...(a myes)

KAMI...."In Shinto, 'Kami' is a general term of respect for something holy and awesome, but it is not necessarily a word used specifically for a definite order of beings. Among the myriad things in the universe, sacred spirits and spiritual forces are recognized as existing and functioning, and these are termed specifically, 'kami'."...(Jinja: 1958..pg 15)...."Kami is a term best left untranslated. Kami may refer to the divine, sacred, spiritual and numinous quality or energy of places and things...deities of imperial and local mythology...spirits of nature and place...divine heroes, ancestors, rulers, and statesmen. Any object, place, or creature may embody or possess the quality or characteristic of kami."..(Bocking: 1995..pg 85)...

ENLIGHTENED GODS...."Bon not only distinguishes 'peaceful' and 'wrathful' deities, it also makes a fundamental distinction between deities who are 'enlightened' and deities who are 'of this world'." (Kvaerne: 1996..pg 24)

"In the case of Zhang Zhung, they refer to the ancestor Sangs-po •Bum-khri and to the four tribes that descended from the Nine Brothers and Sisters, which together with the tribes dBal and Zla are known as the Six Human Clans [miêu gdung drug]."

"The Zijid explains that when someone is afflicted by poverty it is necessary to increase the cha and the yang." Rituals are described to summon the cha and yang present in the universe. (Norbu: 1995..pg 72)....

"In many Tibetan houses, a white dgra lha mask is always hung to insure good luck and prosperity for the family. A thangka showing the nine dgra lha is also hung." (Nebesky: 1956..pg 335)...

"In 1959, Chogyam Trungpa left Tibet, fleeing the invasion of the Chinese communists. It took him a long time to cross the Himalayas. On the way, he wrote a synthesis of the spiritual history of Shambala that was, unfortunately, lost during that eventful journey, then re-written in England........it describes Shiwa Okar and the Nine Lha who created existence out of non-existence.............In the Bon tradition the legend is known as Shen Lha Okar and the Nine Brothers who created this world.......