Shambhala: In Search of the New Era [Paperback]

Nicholas Roerich (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1990

Nicholas Roerich- prolific artist and writer, reowned philosopher, educator, and explorer- relates the remarkable encounters and events of his travels through central Asia and Tibet at the turn of the century. Through his detailed diary notes and the chronicling of legends and parables, he reveals the many facets of the tale of Shambhala, the long-awaited realization of paradise on earth.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I recommend this Nicholas Roerich collection as essential for any metaphysical library. The scope is breathtaking, it is deep, but at the same time wide ranging. It is a true exemplar of the 'Perrenial Philosophy' that is essential to all higher learning."
(Jennifer Hoskins, New Dawn, Sept-Oct 2005 )

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Russian

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Product Details

• Paperback: 332 pages
• Publisher: Inner Traditions; Revised edition (August 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892813059
• ISBN-13: 978-0892813056
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #606,029 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #52 in Books > Travel > Asia > Tibet

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Poetic, deep, inspiring, November 4, 2009

By 

a reader from New York (New York) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Shambhala: In Search of the New Era (Paperback)

To fully appreciate this book, I would recommend that the reader first read something about Roerich's life. Amazon sells two very good biographies of Roerich on this site: Messenger of Beauty: The Life and Visionary Art of Nicholas Roerich and Nicholas and Helena Roerich, Revised Edition: The Spiritual Journey of Two Great Artists and Peacemakers. If one is not somewhat familiar with Roerich's life, parts of the book could indeed seem enigmatic. There are incidents to which he refers which I could understand better after having read his biography. One does have to keep in mind the time and circumstances under which this book was written. It is true that the book treats other subjects which are only related to Shambhala perhaps in a wider sense, but I found these subjects interesting as well. Roerich points out fascinating parallels among the religions and folklore of the different cultures which he encountered on his travels, and the book does not adhere to any one religion as such. A big theme of Roerich's is the ability of art and beauty to uplift the world. Some of his dreams for humanity seem not to have come true yet, but Roerich was ever striving against often difficult odds, and still he found the strength to continue his work. I found Roerich's thoughts in this book to be deep and inspiring, and believe that it would appeal to students of the Ancient Wisdom teachings, as well as many who are interested in the art, history, and folklore of the East and of Russia.

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars The Diary of an Artist: Not Much About Shambhala, February 15, 2009

By 

Imperial Book Man (Oklahoma City, OK USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shambhala: In Search of the New Era (Paperback)

As such, this apparent diary of an artist called "Shambhala" does not have much to do with its named subject, and rambles into insubstantial subjects.

Only the first chapter, "Shambhala, The Resplendent," seems to have anything to do with the namesake of the book. But even then, that chapter reads more like a riddle, and intentionally so. This reviewer hopped that the book would provide a more substantive discussion about the place Shambhala; rather, Roerich projects his preconceived notions about the place and concept, while throwing in proper nouns that are generally associated the subject. Yes, he knows these words -- Bodhisattva, Lama, Kalachakra, Kalagiya and Rigden-jyepo -- but one is left with the impression that Roerich never understood what these ideas and concepts might represent in the ultimate truth in Buddhist thought, rather than mere conventional truth.

This book gets "two stars" particularly because he rails against Tibetan Buddhism. In the chapter "Buddhism in Tibet," Roerich openly doubts that Buddhism even exists in Tibet, and uses such words and phrases "low Shamanistic convensions," "the law of the Buddha is circumvented,""uncultured lamas,""market of ignorance," "sacrelidge," "ignorant and harmful falsifiers," and "stupid" to describe some lamas and the goings on in that country. Many Buddhist may interpret such comments as slanderous against the Dharma, which is generally forbidden and offensive.

In light of the above, one must also remember that Roerich was denied entry into Lhasa, Tibet on his journey through the region. One wonders if his lashing out could be related to a perception of being rejected, thus, he ironically attacks his own protagonist that inspires his own ideas.

The rest of the book is a constant ebb and flow of thoughts, and appears to be intentionally written to sound like a deep and esoteric riddle, but there is very little substance here. If you are looking for an informative discussion of Shamahala, or even much on the description of Roerich's travels through Asia, look elsewhere. If you're looking for a long, flowery poem that uses the words "Buddha," "Maitreya," "Boddhisattva," and "Shambhala," you've come to the right place.

10 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars The politics/mysticism of aesthetics., June 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Shambhala: In Search of the New Era (Paperback)

Roerich, Nicolas. Shambhala. This is a collection of dispatches during travels in Tibet and the borderlands of the eastern Russian frontier by the Russo-American painter, poet and mystic which date from the late 20's and early 1930's. If you like Gurdjieff, Roerich will interest you. He believed that Beauty was a divine principle that could be used to transform the world.

Though the central section did not hold my attention, the first chapters about a Tibet long gone were fascinating. This was partly due to Roerich's idiosyncratic spelling which cast a new light on the meaning of certain Sanskrit words.