One of the axioms of Hinduism, Sanatana Dharma is that what is in Microcosm is in the Macrocosm and Macrocosm is in the Microcosm.
That whatever one finds in the Universe, not just the Earth, is in the Human being.
Knowledge in Hinduism is based on this concept.
Knowledge is not some thing one acquires from outside but within.
Here it would be of interest to recall a Paradox of Zeno.
If you possess Knowledge , you do not need to seek it.
If you do not possess Knowledge and seek for it, you will not be able to identify it as you do not possess knowledge.
So in both the cases Knowledge is impossible!
Hinduism states that Knowledge is the removal of Ignorance, Avidya.
Knowledge is Absolute and is an attribute of the Reality, Brahman.
I had touched on this in a few posts and will be discussing in detail later.
Now to what we find in the Universe , in the ultimate analysis, is made of these Five Elements,
Earth, Water, Fire ,Air and Ether.
These Five elements are present in the Human body.
I have posted articles on how the Fire element(Agni) functions in the Human body in various functions like Digestion.
And one can find the mental stages in spiritual developments, like attaining Chandra Stage is also found as the Moon in the Universe.
The examples are many.
One such is the term Meru.
Meru is explained in the Tantra Shastras as a Highly evolved stage of spiritual development.
Lalitha Devi is described as Meru Mandala Madhyastha Sriman Nagara Nayika’
It is also explained in the Hindu texts as being present in the The Universe.
‘Sadaputa presents the Bhuloka or Jambudvipa and Meru as well as other islands and seas as flat. According to Surya Siddhanta it is round like and upside-down bowl.
With Meru on the top it is in the center. One reason mathematically it is so, is that the planets are having degrees north and south and they should not “crash into” Bhuloka. If the planets crash into Bhuloka then we take Bhuloka as a “subtle” land or as “symbolic” of other things. Bhu is this land, bhavah is outer space, sva is upper spaces as in the Gayatri mantra, where we chant, om bhur bhuvah svah tat savitur varenyam. Above the Bhuloka planetary system is Bhuvarloka, and above that is Svargaloka, the heavenly planetary system'(hare krisna.com)
The current location of Mounrt Meru is variously placed at Mount Everest, Kailash, Arctic, Arkaim in Russia and in Peru.
“In Japanese Buddhist philosophy, a giant mountain called Mount Sumeru (Shumisen) was believed to stand at the center of the world.”
Meru’s description in the Mahabharata.
“Dhritarashtra said.—“Thou art intelligent, O Sanjaya, and acquainted with the truth (about everything). Thou hast duly given a description of the island in brief. Tell us now of the island in detail. Tell us now of the dimension of the expanse of land that lies in the portion looking like a hare. Thou mayst then speak of the portion resembling peepul tree.”
According to Vasubandhu’s Abhidharmako?abh?syam, Sumeru is 80,000 yojanas tall. The exact measure of the yojana is uncertain, but some accounts put it at about 24,000 feet, or approximately 4 1/2 miles. It also descends beneath the surface of the surrounding waters to a depth of 80,000 yojanas, being founded upon the basal layer of Earth. Sumeru is often used as a simile for both size and stability in Buddhist texts.
Please read my posts on this.
Like Meru there is this concept of Shambala, a place 0f Perfection in Tibetan Buddhism.
Shambala.
by Aaron Ross Spring 1992.ON TOP OF THE COSMIC MOUNTAIN…
{A Representation of the Gate}
”
Tibetan texts appear to show historical facts about Shambhalla. The data recorded in these texts give names, dates and corresponding events occurring in the outside world. The Hindus and Buddhist alike regard Mount Meru, located in the Himalayas, as the location of Shambhalla. It is the center of the cosmos, having its roots in hell and its summit in heaven.
The mountain peak houses a magnificent central palace radiating a powerful, diamond like light, which is the home of Indra, King of Hindu gods.
Legends tell of her slopes being studded with glittering gemstones and thick with trees heavy with delicious fruit. She is circled by seven rings of golden mountains, each separated from the other by one of seven circular oceans. This entire superstructure rises from an outer ocean, and is flanked by four main continents, each with two subcontinents.
The southern continent, Jambudvipa, corresponds to the physical earth. Each of the other continents represents a nearby planet upon which transmigrating souls following the yellow light-path may be reborn.
Tibetan religious texts tell us that the technology of Shambhalla is supposed to be highly advanced; the palace contains special skylights made of lenses which serve as high-powered telescopes to study extraterrestrial life, and for hundreds of years Shambhalla’s inhabitants have been using aircraft and cars that shuttle through a network of underground tunnels.
On the way to enlightenment, Shambhallans acquire such powers as clairvoyance, the ability to move at great speeds, and the ability to materialize and disappear at will.
Andrew Tomas, author of ‘Shambhalla, Oasis of Light’, writes,
This remarkable kingdom reputedly exists both above and below ground, with a network of tunnels hundreds of miles long. Cars of strange design flash along their length and they are illumined by a brilliant, artificial light which affords growth to the grains and vegetables and long life without disease to the people.
Hebrew legends speak of a place called Luz which is described as an underground city near a sacred mountain called the ‘abode of immortality’.
Some Tibetans think Shambhalla might be in Tibet, perhaps in the Kunlun mountains; others point toward the region around Mongolia and Sinkiang province of China. Others believe it to in Siberia or some other part of Russia. Some lamas claim that it is hidden in the frozen Artic. Others believe Shambhalla only exists in an parallel universe or higher dimension.
In the years between 1923 and 1928, Nicholas Roerich, led an expedition across the Gobi Desert to the Atlai mountain, a journey which covered 15,500 miles across 35 of the world’s highest mountain passes.
It is rumored that he may have been on a mission to find and return what was said to be part of the sacred ‘Chintamani Stone,’ which was believed to be part of a magical meteorite from the solar system in the constellation of Orion. According to Lamaist legend, a fragment of this stone from what may be the star Sirius, is sent wherever a spiritual mission vital to humanity is set up, and is returned when that mission is completed.
The stone is said possess occult properties, capable of giving telepathic inner guidance and effecting a transformation of consciousness to those in contact with it.
Whether he retrieved the stone or not is not known, but what we do know for certain is that he was sent in search of it by the League of Nations. Just in the fact that he was sent on this expedition lends credibility to the existence of the Shambhalla legends.
Roerich was a man of great creditability.
To his credit, he was a philosopher, author, explorer, member of the Theosophical Society, member of the League of Nations, influential in the FDR administration and was the pivotal force behind placing the Great Seal of the United States on the American dollar. He also produced hundred of paintings capturing the essence of the area and its people.
Roerich strove to link all scientific and creative disciplines to advance true culture and international peace, citing the power of art and beauty to accomplish such a feat. In honor of his efforts, in 1935 The Roerich Peace Pact was established, which obligated nations to respect museums, cathedrals, universities and libraries as they did hospitals, and became part of the United Nations organizational charter.
In his travels through China and Mongolia to the borders of Tibet, Roerich met with a lama that described Shambhalla to him.
According to this famous explorer, Roerich was told,
‘Great Shambhalla is far beyond the ocean. It is the mighty heavenly domain. It has nothing to do with our Earth… Only in some places, in the Far North, can you discern the resplendent rays of Shambhala.’
The Star Gate.
Thousands of miles in height, Meru is located somewhere beyond the physical plane of reality, in a realm of perfection and transcendence. Symbolic representations of Mount Meru are commonly found in Tibetan mandalas, contemplative diagrams designed to aid meditators in focusing.
It is said that Meru has its roots in hell, and its summit in heaven. Meru is surrounded by seven rings of golden mountains, each separated from the other by one of seven circular oceans. It is crowned by a golden palace wherein Indra, king of Hindu gods, resides. This entire superstructure rises from an outer ocean, and is flanked by four main continents, each with two subcontinents.
The southern continent, Jambudvipa, corresponds to the physical earth. Each of the other continents represents a nearby planet upon which transmigrating souls following the yellow light-path may be reborn. However, it is said that all of these worlds are undesirable, for they are non-human worlds inhabited by sheep, cattle, or horses. The teachings of Buddhism clearly state that existence as a human being is the only way to achieve Buddhahood, so rebirth in any other form (including that of a deva or demigod) is a distraction from the path to enlightenment.
According to legend, somewhere in the northwest region of Jambudvipa lies a land called Shambhala. This is a magical land which is shaped like an eight-petalled lotus flower. It has been ruled by priest-kings for many thousands of years; in fact, the legend of Shambhala predates the introduction of Buddhism into Tibet. In the aboriginal Bon religion, Shambhala is known as Olmolungrung, and is based on the square instead of the circle.
Shambhala forms a gateway between the physical and spiritual realms. It is endowed with riches, and is ideally suited for the habitat of enlightened souls. They are not attached to the fruits of karma, and are but one step from Buddhahood. This is the realm to be sought for rebirth if one desires the swiftest path to nirvana.
In the Tibetan Buddhist version of the apocalypse, barbarians will overtake the earth at the end of the Kali Yuga, the present age. It will be necessary for the king of Shambhala to join forces with the gods to wage war on the barbarians.At this time, armies will be sent forth from the city, the location of which has been kept secret for millenia. Order will be restored on earth, and the wisdom which Shambhala has been holding will be dispensed to the peoples of the world(Tibetan Buddhism)
Citation and References/
http://www.thelivingmoon.com/42stargate/03files/Mount_Meru.html
http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/sociopolitica/sociopol_shambahla06.htm#Chapter Two
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