Shambhala

Shambhala (བདེ་འབྱུང་) is the Tibetan Buddhist Pure Land, said to be physically located northeast of India, though some place it in China or even the North Pole. Its capital is Kalapa.

Shakyamuni Buddha taught the Kalachakra tantra in Shambhala at King Suchandra’s request. Thus, Shambhala is ruled by a series of kings who uphold the Kalachakra tantra; the most recent are termed the Kalki Kings. At the end of the world, the 25th Kalki king, Raudra Chakrin, will come to rule and usher in a golden age, or Satya Yuga.

Modern practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism see Shambhala as a spiritual reality with many meanings. Shambhala’s physical reality is only one of its aspects and can only be reached by those with appropriate karma.