This Dakini Doesn't Make Me Look Too Gullible Does It? (Or My Bum Too Big!) (Secret of Shambala - James Redfield)

Member Name: Sexy Kay

Product:	Secret of Shambala - James Redfield
Date:	05/08/02 (628 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Dakini truths

Disadvantages: May be unbelievable

Spin me a tale of Kathmandu or Tibet, throw in an ancient monastery and mix this with a secret valley, where the great truths of life can be found, and I'll be hanging on to your every word. Okay so I'm gullible, but that's alright because I know I am. I just have this urge, a restlessness, to try and discover what this life of ours is really all about.

This means I look in some very peculiar places! At times I read some duff books, visit areas that turn out to be disappointing and I have attended many dry, dreary lectures, meetings and interviews. Just occasionally though, every once in a while, I get glimpses of things that appear to me to be meaningful. So my search continues.

As you can imagine, therefore, when I saw the book 'The Secret Of Shambhala', that purports to tell of a place where there is a knowledge that has been hidden for centuries, I'm soon saying, "£7.99, gosh, is that all? I'll have a copy please."

This book is the third in a series by James Redfield. Though it can be read by itself I feel that you need to have read the two previous books, The Celestine Prophecy and The Tenth Insight, to appreciate the full meaning of this latest offering.

In the first two books the author tells of a search for Ten Insights. These are described as 'life-affirming truths about synchronicity, intuition and personal destiny'. I won't enlarge on this any further, other than to say that The Secret of Shambhala goes in search of the Eleventh Insight - exciting, huh?

Perhaps you might be thinking how dull but, don't get the wrong idea, this is an adventure story and not some boring treatise. It may well get your pulse racing and your juices flowing as our adventurer sets off to meet a friend in Kathmandu.

Okay, let's start off at the very beginning of the story. The main character (we never get to know his name) is the same guy who has discover
ed the previous Ten Insights in the two earlier books. He's living quietly at home, as you do, and a neighbour mentions that his fourteen year old daughter would like to see him - all perfectly innocent, so no need to worry. Our bloke nips off to see her and she (Natalie) tells him, "We aren't living the Insights".

He's knocked over by this statement and even more so when she tells him that there are people in Central Asia, in the Kunlun Mountains, who are actually living the Insights. How does she know about such things for goodness sake? Natalie insists, "You've got to go there, it's important".

He goes home, no doubt scratching his head, when blow me if he isn't contacted by his old buddy Wil who says, "Can't explain everything now ... but there is a place in Asia we must find. Can you meet me at the Hotel Himalayian in Kathmandu on the 16th?"

Now is this some coincidence, or what? Or perhaps it's that old synchronicity talked about in the First Insight - you'll have to read the books to find out what this is all about. Sufficient for me to say that coincidences happen and guide you when you follow your inner dreams or feelings. Hope that's not too much mumbo jumbo for you!

Before you or I could pack a bag, or even put our things together, our hero is on a plane and heading off to meet his friend Wil - he's obviously not trapped in a nine to five job!

He books in at the Hotel Himalayian but, oh dear, no Wil. The adventure begins!

Our man meets up with Yin, who just happens to know Wil, and also knows a little about the Eleventh Insight. Off they set the next day heading towards Lhasa in Tibet hoping to trace their friend and also discover further spiritual truths along the way. A bit like popping down the pub on a Friday evening, no doubt.

As they travel Chinese soldiers are in pursuit - don't ask me why - and t
hey have to take refuge in a convenient monastry. Here they learn of Shambhala, a valley where people live 'the insights' and have great knowledge of life. They are told that this is from where the stories and legends of Shangri-La were originated.

Now it seems it's impossible to find Shambhala unless 'they' want you to find them. In which case you will be guided and helped by the Dakini - that's angels to you and me. Hope you're not going to groan now and mutter, "Rubbish, what absolute clap-trap". Me? I believe in angels ... or is that a song?

Anyway we, the readers, also learn that the Eleventh Insight is something to do with Prayer-Energy. It's actually also about those Dakini as well but I shan't tell you any more. By now I bet you have already decided if this book is for you or not!

The adventure goes on and our man gets separated from Yin. He climbs over mountains and things and eventually, in his own words - for our man is the one telling the story:

'Before me was an unbelievable sight. I was facing a large pastoral valley and clear blue sky. Beyond the valley were huge, snow-capped mountain peaks ... The temperature was chilly but temperate, and green plants were growing everywhere. In front of me a hill sloped gently down to the valley floor ... I felt overwhelmed by the energy of the place and began to have trouble focusing. Lights and colours were swirling ... I began to roll down the hill ... I rolled ... losing all sense of time".

Wow!

See life is about energy and it's at a different level in Shambhala where our guy has just entered. It's a whole different ball game. He meets some of the residents like Ami and Tashi and finds that everything they need is created by energy fields - that's all of the dwellings, their clothes and anything else they may need to live. Could this be Prayer-Energy? And where do the Dakini
fit into this plan? Are we in the outside world also now moving slowly in this direction? Perhaps we are even being helped ...

Our man has a voyeuristic experience where he watches a man and woman merge their energy fields to create a new light of energy forming in the 'midsection of the woman'. He realises afterwards that they had been making love - slow or what!

It's not all straight forward though, this sex and energy business, as many of the created smaller lights are being 'lost'. Could they be transfering into our world? Could it possibly be true that Natalie, the girl at the beginning of our story, is the 'sister' of Tashi who lives in Shambhala? Are some of the gifted children born today originally 'conceived' in Shambhala Valley? Are we moving towards a new era? Will Prayer-Energy then become common place?

Strewth, so many questions! Realistically though, could any of this possibly have any truth, or is it all just a figment of the author's over active imagination written especially for gullible people like me?

Whatever.

The Secret of Shambhala is easy to read, the paperback has just 251 pages. It's a good enough story. As to whether it achieves it's objective to 'stretch your world view', this depends largely on whether you want it to be stretched or not. You cannot open a closed mind.

I enjoyed the book, but I would! I'm open to all new thoughts and theories. Many I discard, but Prayer-Energy - there could be something there. I've found that when I know exactly what I want, and send out sufficient energy, coincidences happen and I go on to attract whatever it is I'm after. I must point out though that my boyfriend thinks I'm as mad as a hatter! And there is a certain synchronicity between Alice in Wonderland and tumbling into Shambhala.

On the book cover there is a phrase: 'Get in touch with th
e mysteries of great masters.' Only you can decide if you can be bothered, but I'd recommend the book to those that can.

May your Dakini watch over you!

- Kay

More Information.

Title
The Secret of Shambhala

Author
James Redfield

Publisher
Bantam Books (part of Transworld)

ISBN No
3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2

Price (Paperback)
£7.99

Publishers Website
www.booksattransworld.co.uk/jamesredfield

Summary: