Kritik am Buch „The Shadow Of The Dalai Lama ... - Neues von Shi De

“subhumans” from Mecca.
This dualist division of the world between Buddhism on the one side and Islam on the other is a
dogma which the Tibetan lamas seek to transfer to the future of the whole of human history.
“According to certain conjectures”, writes a western commentator upon the Shambhala myth, “two
superpowers will then have control over the world and take to the field against one another. The
Tibetans foresee a Third World War here” (Henss, 1985, p. 19).
In the historical part of our analysis we shall come to speak of this dangerous antinomy once more. In
contrast to Mohammed, the other “false doctrines” likewise mentioned in the first chapter of the
Kalachakra Tantra as needing to be combated by the Shambhala king appear pale and insignificant. It
nevertheless makes sense to introduce them, so as to demonstrate which founders of religions the
tantric blanket conception of enemy stretched to encompass. The Kalachakra nominates Enoch,
Abraham and Moses among the Jews, then Jesus for the Christians, and a “white clothed one”, who is
generally accepted to be Mani, the founder the Manichaeism. It is most surprising that in a further
passage the “ false doctrines “ of these religious founders are played down and even integrated into
the tantra’s own system. After they have had to let a strong attack descend upon them as “heresies” in
the first chapter, in the second they form the various facets of a crystal, and the yogi is instructed not
to disparage them (Grönbold, 1992a, p. 295).
Such inconsistencies are — as we have already often experienced — added to tantric philosophy by
itself. The second chapter of the Kalachakra Tantra thus does not switch over to a western seeming
demand for freedom of religion and opinion, on the contrary apparent tolerance and thinking in terms
of “the enemy” are both retained alongside one another and are, depending on the situation, rolled out
to serve its own power interest. The Fourteenth Dalai Lama is — as we shall show in detail — an
ingenious interpreter of this double play. Outwardly he espouses religious freedom and ecumenical
peace. But in contrast, in the ritual system he concentrates upon the aggressive Time Tantra, in which
the scenario is dominated by destructive fantasies, dreams of omnipotence, wishes for conquest,
outbreaks of wrath, pyromaniacal obsessions, mercilessness, hate, killing frenzies, and apocalypses.
That such despotic images also determine the “internal affairs” of the exiled Tibetans for the Tibetan
“god-king”, is something upon which we shall report in the second part of our study.
After winning the final battle, the Kalachakra Tantra prophecies, the Rudra Chakrin founds the
“golden age”. A purely Buddhist paradise is established on earth. Joy and wealth will abound. There
is no more war. Everybody possesses great magical powers, Science and technology flourish. People
live to be 1800 years old and have no need to fear death, since they will be reborn into an even more
beautiful Eden. This blissful state prevails for around 20,000 years. The Kalachakra Tantra has by
then spread to every corner of the globe and become the one “true” world religion. (But afterwards,
the old cycle with its wars of destruction, defeats and victories begins anew.)
The non-Buddhist origins of the Shambhala myth
Apocalyptic visions, final battles between Good and Evil, saviors with lethal weapons in their hands
are absolutely no topic for Hinayana Buddhism. They first emerge in the Mahayana period (200 B.C.
E.), are then incorporated by Vajrayana (400 C.E.) and gain their final and central form in the
Kalachakra Tantra (tenth century C.E.). Hence, as in the case of the ADI BUDDHA, the question
arises as to where the non-Buddhist influences upon the Shambhala myth are to be sought.