The remote Mustang caves of Nepal are yielding treasures and artworks that lead explorers to think it may be the legendary Shangri-La. Expeditions in 2007 and 2008 found 15th-century paintings, religious texts, and skeletons. The expeditions were led by US researcher Broughton Coburn and veteran mountaineer Pete Athans.
PBS will air two specials about the Mustang caves tonight. Link
(image credit: Kris Erickson)
The unusual treasures have led Coburn and his team to suggest that the Mustang caves could be linked to "hidden valleys" thought to represent the Buddhist spiritual paradise known as Shambhala.
"Shambhala is also believed by many scholars to have a geographical parallel that may exist in several or many Himalayan valleys," Coburn said.
"These hidden valleys were created at times of strife and when Buddhist practice and principals were threatened," Coburn said. "The valleys contained so-called hidden treasure texts."
Elaine Brook, author of Search for Shambhala, said the hidden valleys of Mustang indeed "have some of the characteristics of the mythical land of Shambhala."
For his 1933 novel, Hilton used the concept of Shambhala as the basis for his "lost" valley of Shangri-La, an isolated mountain community that was a storehouse of cultural wisdom.
PBS will air two specials about the Mustang caves tonight. Link
(image credit: Kris Erickson)
which is about a treasure hunter who is trying to find shambala.
it an awesome game
Shangri-la is a FICTIONAL place imagined by an early 20th century British writer. He created the place as a general summary (or stereotype) of everything "exotic" and mysterious about the far east.
It was inspired by various regions and tucked away villages/cities in the Himalayans and parts of western China...but the actual place of "Shangri-la" doesn't exist!
Leave it to early 19th/20th century Europeans to misinterpret and distort the history of other cultures... cough cough...Mayan 2012 end-of-world-bullsh*t...
This would indicate that Shangri-La IS indeed fictional. The place they are referring to is Shambala, the inspiration for the fictional paradise od Shangri-La.
Shambala or Shangri-La :-)
-B.O.
This one is really worth watching. I will see what time it shows.
thanks.
Ted Vaill
Sincerely
Ashima