The Buddhist teaching of Kalachakra (skt. "Circle of Time") is formed in India in the first half of the XI century. and it is the latest of the Buddhist tantras. The term "tantra" (Skt. "loom", "basis (cloth)", "essential part", "model", "system", "doctrine") is the name of a class of religious systems (arise in Buddhism and Hinduism in the second half of the 1st-beginning of the 2nd millennium BC).e.) and at the same time is used as the name of the class of basic texts of these systems. In the XI century, the Kalachakra teaching became widespread in Tibet. With the adoption of Buddhism by the Mongol peoples, it appears in their territories as well. Along with this teaching, the system of chronology (sixty-year cycles) adopted in the Kalachakra tantra, as well as eschatological representations of this tantra, became widespread in all these regions. In Buddhist Central Asia, Kalachakra is still a living teaching. On the territory of Russia, it is traditionally represented in Buryatia and Kalmykia. The mythical history of the Kalachakra teaching and its eschatological concepts are recorded in the Buddhist legend of the sacred land of Shambhala. This legend has passed a long way of development and is reflected in the written monuments of the East: Indian (XI century), Tibetan (XI-XX centuries) and Mongolian (XVIII-XX centuries) Buddhist works, continuing to occupy an important place in the culture of Buddhist Central Asia to this day. This paper analyzes the Buddhist legend of Shambhala as a source of information on the mythical history and eschatology of the Kalachakra Tantra.

According to the Buddhist tradition, the tantras were preached by Shakyamuni Buddha in his mystical manifestation in the form of Vajradhara (Tshe tan zhabs drang, 1993, p.1439) or in the form of specific Tantric deities. The fact of the late historical appearance of Tantra tradition explains their secret storage received these teachings of non-human beings (deities, etc.) in the heavenly and subterranean regions, as well as hiding them in secret countries, secluded places (caves, etc.) until a certain time when people are ripe for the perception of these teachings.

The mythical history of Kalachakra tantra, as well as the eschatological representations of this teaching, are recorded in the legend of the country of Shambhala (Sambhala). The first Buddhist ideas about this country1 are contained in the basic texts of the Kalachakra teaching (India, the first half of the XI century). These ideas were then further developed in the tradition of this teaching, turning over time into a complete system of teaching.-

1 Hinduism also has ideas about Shambhala. The village of Shambhala is supposed to be the place of the future birth of Kalki - the eschatological tenth avatar of Vishnu - and in this context is involved in the Mahabharata and a number of Puranas (Kalki Purana, Vishnu Purana, Bhagavata Purana, Agni Purana, etc.). Study of relevant Hindu and Buddhist sources It leads to the assumption that the Hindu material served as the basis for Buddhist ideas about the country of Shambhala, but as they developed, they largely departed from those of Hinduism.

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genda, giving rise to a special literature dedicated to Shambhala. The formation of the Buddhist legend of Shambhala in Tibet in the XVIII century is coming to an end. The full development of the legend is recorded by the appearance (1775) of the work of Panchen Lama Lobsan Baldan Yeshey " The Source of ten million Wonders-an explanation of the great place of the Siddhasthe country of Shambhala and a description of India "(Grub pa'i gnas chen po sambhala'i yul gyi mam bshad 'phags yul kyi rtogs brjod dang bcas pa ngo mtchar bye ba! i 'byung gnas zhes bya ba)3, the most famous of the special works on Shambhala 4.

Lobsang Baldan Yeshey (Blo bzang dpal ldan ye shes) (1738-1780) - a famous Tibetan religious figure and scholar, considered in the Tibetan tradition the sixth hierarch in the Panchenlam line of rebirths <i>[Tshe tan zhabs drung,</i> 1993, p.1630]. This line of rebirth, along with that of the Dalai Lama, is the most influential in Tibetan Buddhism. Since the 17th century, the tradition of associating the Panchen Lamas with the eschatological ruler of Shambhala originates in Tibet - it is believed that the future king Dragbo khor lo can will belong to the line of rebirth of the Panchen Lamas, who will conduct a victorious war against the forces of evil and ignorance.

Actually Shambhala is dedicated to the second part of the" Source of ten million Miracles", which, in turn, is divided into three parts: "Description of the route" [Blo bzang dpal ldan ye shes, l. 34a-41b]; "Description of the situation and living conditions of the country" [Blo bzang dpal ldan ye shes, l. 41b-44a]; "Description of how the king and the Holy Teaching reside" [Blo bzang dpal ldan ye shes, l. 44a-50a]. The author used almost all available sources of information about Shambhala at that time and created an encyclopedic work on this subject. The main sources referred to by Lobsan Baldan Yeshey in the Shambhala section of the Source of Ten Million Wonders are the basic texts of the Kalachakra Tantra, the Kalapa Avatara by the Indian author Arya Amoghankushi (discovered in Nepal by Taranatha (1575-1634) and translated into Tibetan), and the following works by Tibetan authors:: "Grand Sub-commentary on [tantra] Kalachakra "(Dus 'khor tika chen) by Haidub Galag Balsana (Mkhas grub dge legs dpal bzang) (1385-1438)," Sub-Commentary on [tantra] Kalachakra " ('Dus' khor 'grel bshad) and" The Tale of Manjushri " ('Jam dpal rtogs brjod) Lobsang Shoiji Jaltsana (Blo bzang chos kyi rgyal mtshan) (1570-1662) ⁵;" History of Buddhism in India " (Rgya gar chos 'byung) Taranatha. The Tibetan and Mongolian writings on Shambhala that appeared after the Source of Ten Million Wonders, ⁶ are secondary to it - in general, they follow this work, having only particular features that undoubtedly deserve special research.⁷
The legend of Shambhala in its current form reveals the following structure: 1) receiving initiation into the Kalachakra tantra by the King of Shambhala Suchandra and his entourage from the Buddha Shakya-uni; 2) the rule of the thirty-two kings of Shambhala - from Suchandra to Kalki (also known as Chakri, Raudra, Raudra-Kalki); 3) conducting the eschatological battle of Shambhala by the King of Kalki, during which the army of Shambhala will destroy the forces, 4) the post-war existence of the world in a purified state and its new gradual degradation until the disappearance of the Kalachakra teaching and the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha in general in this world.

2 A high-level yogi who has acquired mystical siddhi abilities.

3 is found in vol. 8 of the collected works of the author.

4 Is also known as "Description of the Path to Shambhala" (Sambhala'i lam yig).

5 Panchen Lama IV [Dung dkar blo bzang 'phrin las, 2002, p. 1258].

6 Such traditional compositions continue to appear in our time.

7 Further, if a specific source is not specified, the legend of Shambhala is described according to the "Source of ten million miracles".

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RECEIVING INITIATION INTO KALACHAKRA TANTRA BY THE RULERS OF SHAMBHALA

According to the Kalachakra teaching tradition, Shakyamuni Buddha, on the fifteenth day of the third lunar month 8, manifested as the Kalachakra deity 9, and granted initiation into the Kalachakra Tantra to the rulers of the Shambhala country - King Sucandra (the main petitioner of the sermon), his father Suryaprabha, and ninety-six kings of the small Shambhala regions, as well as to the gods and other supernatural beings. The initiation was given in the inner room of Stupa 10 Sri Dhanyakataka (skt. "The Shining Pile of Rice")11.

The modern Tibetan scholar of the reborn saint (sprul sku) Dungar Lobsan Prinlay (Dung dkar blo bzang 'phrin las) reports that according to the Pugba Lhundub Jamtso tradition (Phug pa lhun grab rgya mtsho), 12 the year of Kalachakra Tantra preaching is taken to be the year of Iron-Dragon, and this year corresponds to 881 BC.13 [Dung dkar blo bzang 'phrin las, 2002, p. 2210].

Tradition.There is an island in the sea on the south side of India, and on it is a large stupa made of rice, which for this reason is known as the "Shining Pile of Rice "" [Dung dkar blo bzang 'phrin las, 2002, since 2006]. ".. Buddhist tradition places this stupa on the island: When referring to the place where it was located, it is most often referred to simply as Southern India, and sometimes as the territory of the modern state of Andhra Pradesh (Hoffmann, 1973, p. 138). In the scientific tradition, the Sri Dhanyakataka stupa is considered to have actually existed. It is said that the rice used in the construction of the stupa was not subject to any damage or damage (from dampness, etc.). This description traces the archaic motif of the connection between fertility and burial. Rice groats (a source of food), miraculously fallen from the sky, are used as building materials for sacred (funerary) structures designed to grant abundance-fertility 18. However, the descriptions of the Sri Dhanyakataka stupa do not mention anything about its reliquary.

18. However, the descriptions of the Sri Dhanyakataka stupa do not mention anything about its reliquary.

9 Male deity, the main one in this Tantric system.

10 Funerary monument with complex symbolism. There are also memorial stupas that do not contain remains.

"In the Tib. translation-Baldan Braybun (Dpal Man' bras spungs) [Dung dkar blo bzang 'phrin las, 2002, since 2006]. 12 The famous Tibetan astronomer and chronographer of the 15th century [Tshe tan zhabs drung la sogs, 1993, since 1714].

13 From the end of the 20th century, Tibetan scholars began to correlate the traditional Tibetan chronology with the European one.

14 The history of this stupa is described here in the work of Thol Lama Agwan Lobsan (Klong rdol bla ma ngag dbang blo bzang) (1719-1795) " The construction of the Sri Dhanyakataka stupa described according to the Budon tradition "(Dpal ldan ' bras dpungs kyi mchod rten gyi bkod pa bu lugs ltar bris pa) (XI. Author's collection).

15 The second of the Buddhas of Bhadrakalpa [Tshe tan zhabs drung la sogs, 1993, p. 3024] - the current world period according to the Abhidharmist chronology. Shakyamuni is the fourth in this series.

16 Guardians of the four cardinal directions.

17 Constellations of the lunar zodiac, here are their personifications.

18 Even today, in Tibet, stupas are built not only in monasteries, but also in agricultural fields.

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According to tradition, Suchandra, after receiving initiation into the Kalachakra tantra, returned to Shambhala, where in the year of the Iron Snake (880 BC), he compiled the "Root Tantra" (Rtsa rgyud) and created an "Extensive Commentary" (Rgyas 'grel) on it [Byed grub..., 1995, p. 11]. The full text of the Root Tantra, which is supposed to be a memory fixation of the Kalachakra Tantra sermon, is currently unknown. It is reported that this work has 12,000 verses [Dung dkar blo bzang 'phrin las, 2002, from 1617]. Its full name is "Parama-adi Buddha" (Skt. "The Supreme Primordial Buddha") [Vira, 1966, p. 53]. Tradition considers the extant text Sekoddesa to be a fragment of the "Root Tantra" (skt. "Explanation of initiations"). Quotations related to the "Root Tantra" are found in a number of Kalachakra writings. The text of the" Extensive Commentary " is not known at all, but it is reported that it contains 60,000 verses [Dung dkar blo bzang 'phrin las, 2002, from 1617]. According to tradition, the two original texts of the system mentioned above - the Root Tantra and the Extensive Commentary-continue to be preserved only in Shambhala itself.

THE REIGN OF THE THIRTY-TWO KINGS OF SHAMBHALA

Starting with Suchandra, the Kalachakra tradition traces the lineage of Shambhala kings who practice this tantra. Suchandra and the six kings following him 19 are called Dharma-raja (skt. "The King of Dharma"). Dharma here should be understood as a whole Buddhist teaching with an emphasis on the teaching of Kalachakra as the leading one. Collectively, these kings are known as the seven Dharma rajas of Shambhala.

Information about the six Dharma rajas of Shambhala following Suchandra is extremely scarce - their names, years of rule, and the fact that they preached Buddhist teachings are mentioned. A number of works also indicate the names of characters in Buddhist mythology, whose incarnations these kings are supposed to be.

For the reign of six Dharma Rajas (from the second to the seventh) the period from the year of the Tree-Monkey (877 BC) to the year of the Tree-Monkey (277 BC) is set aside, and each of them has a hundred years to rule [Byedgrub..., 1995, pp. 11-12]. It can be assumed that in these views, the centennial period of the tsarist rule 20 indicates the way time is calculated in centuries. Then, in the Kalachakrin legend of Shambhala, in addition to the cyclical chronology (sixty-year cycles), what seems to be a century-old linear chronology is found.

Beginning with King Jambal Dagba ('Jam dpal gragspa) (Tib." Known [as] Manjushri " 21) (son of the seventh Dharma Raja of Shambhala), who ascended the throne of Shambhala in the year of the Tree-Monkey (277 BC) [Tshe tan zhabs drung, 1993, p. 2689], the rulers of this country acquire a new title - Rigdan (Rigs Man) and the second group of rulers of Shambhala opens-twenty-five Rigdans.

It should be noted that the term "Having a gender" (Rigs Idari) is an incorrect Tibetan semantic tracing of the Sanskrit word Kalki (etymology is unclear) - the name of the tenth avatar of Vishnu, and in the Sanskrit texts of the Kalachakra teaching - the name of the eschatological king of Shambhala. The Kalachakra tantra tradition explains the origin of the term "Rigdan" by saying that the king of Shambhala, Jambal Dagba, gave initiation to this tantra to all the inhabitants of his country without exception. According to the legend, this dedication took place on the fifteenth day of the third lunar month in the year 22
19 The source of information about the kings of Shambhala following Suchandra, Indian and Tibetan authors call the prophecy of Shakyamuni, recorded in the "Root Tantra". The succession of power in Shambhala is supposed to occur in the male line within the same dynasty, which is ascended to the first universal king Mahasammata.

20 Of the 30 kings of Shambhala (from Dharma Raja II to Kalki's father), only two have a different duration of rule.

21 is supposed to be an incarnation of Manjushri, which is what his name is associated with.

22 Similar to the first teaching of Kalachakra.

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The mouse tree (177 BC) [Tshe tan zhabs drang, 1993, p. 2689]. Thus, the Tibetan rigs ("kin") here corresponds to the Sanskrit kula ("kin"," family") in the sense of a religious community united around one" having a kind"," father " - guru. The guru in this case is the king of Shambhala. The title "Rigdan" was extended to 25 kings of Shambhala: from Yashas (Jambal Dagba)23 to Dragbo Horlojan 24 , the eschatological warrior, who is, in fact, the Buddhist correlate of the Hindu Kalki, the eschatological avatar of Vishnu. In the exclusion of the name Kalki (by making it the title of 25 kings) from the Tibetan translations of the basic texts of the Kalachakra tantra, one can see the conscious desire of Buddhist translators to get rid of Hindu borrowings, which were initially very noticeable in this teaching.

Rigdan I Jambal Dagba is credited with the authorship of the work "The King of Tantra, called the "Shining Circle of Time", extracted from the" Highest Primordial Buddha" (Paramadi buddhoddhfita sri kalacakra nama tantra raja), also called the "Short Tantra" (Laghu tantra, Bsdus rgyud). It is believed that the "Short Tantra" is an abridged version of the" Root Tantra", recording the preaching of the Kalachakra teaching in the form in which it was taught to the population of Shambhala by Yashas (Jambal Dagba). The composition is constructed in the form of a dialogue between Yashas and the main petitioner of this sermon - the leader of the Shambhala muni Suryaratha.

The Short Tantra has been preserved in the original Sanskrit version [Vira, 1966, p. 332-378] and in two translations: Tibetan and Mongolian [Vira, 1966, p.53-331]. The composition consists of 1047 verses 25 and consists of five parts. The first of them deals with the structure of the external world, the second describes the individual, the third - the initiation ritual, the fourth-the practice of the system and the fifth-the result of this practice-jnana.

From the perspective of the legend itself, the king's decision to make the entire population of Shambhala practice the Kalachakra teachings played an exceptional role in the later life of this country. It is believed that before receiving initiation into this teaching, the inhabitants of Shambhala were ordinary people, and the country itself was their usual place of residence. After receiving initiation into this tantra and as they progressed in its practice, the inhabitants of the country became powerful yogis with mystical abilities-siddhas, as a result of which their country-abode itself acquired miraculous properties. It is the successful practice of the Kalachakra tantra by the entire population of Shambhala that is supposed to be the reason why this country has become inaccessible - due to its purity - to ordinary people.

Jambal Dagba's son Rigdan II Padma Garbo (Tib. "White Lotus")26, according to tradition, ascended the throne of Shambhala in the year of the Tree-mouse (177 BC) [Byedgrub..., 1995, p. 13]. Padma Garbo is supposed to be the author of Vimala Prabha (skt. "Pure Light") - a commentary on the"Short Tantra". The work has survived to our time in the original Sanskrit version, as well as in Tibetan and Mongolian translations. It has the same structure as the "Short Tantra".

The following twenty-two Rigdans are characterized by texts only in relation to the name, term of government, and name of the mythological character that this king is supposed to embody - in general, their reign covers the period from the year of the Tree-Dragon (77 BC) to the year of Fire-Sheep (2327) [Byedgrub..., 1995, p. 13 - 14].

Within this time interval, a special period of 403 years is distinguished, called " Fire-sky-Sea "(Me mkh'a rgya mtsho). Dungar Lobsan Prin-

23 Yasas (also Manjuvajra) of the Sanskrit texts of the Kalachakra teaching.

24 Kalki Sanskrit texts of the Kalachakra teaching.

25 In the preserved Sanskrit version. In the Tibetan and Mongolian translations-1041 verses.

26 is supposed to be an incarnation of Avalokiteshvara (white lotus is his attribute), which is why his name is associated with it.

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lay reports that the first word here denotes the digit 3, the second-the digit 0, the third-the digit 4, and that a number consisting of several characters written using this encoding of digits should be read from right to left [Dung dkar blo bzang 'phrin las, 2002, p.1617]. According to this interpretation, the name of this time period indicates its duration.

The period of "Fire-sky-sea" is divided into two unequal parts (182 and 221 years) by the rule of two kings: Rigdan X Jamzo Nam Jala (Rgya mtsho mam rgyal) (Tib. "Ocean of complete victory") (624 - 805) and Rigdan XI Jal Ga (Rgyal dk'a) (tib. "Trudnopobedimy") (806-1026) [Byed grub..., 1995, pp. 14-15]. Only these two reigns deviate from the hundred-year "standard" in the tenure of Shambhala's kings from Dharma Raja II to Rigdan XXIV.

The lower boundary of the period of "Fire-sky-sea" is 624, in which, according to the texts of the Kalachakra teaching, the teaching of lalo (kla klo) arises-the opponents of Shambhala in the upcoming eschatological battle. The word " lalo "(etymology unclear) In translated and original Tibetan texts related to the Kalachakra teaching, the word "mleccha"is substituted for 27 original Sanskrit texts of this teaching.

Mlecchas in India were the remaining independent after the Aryan conquest of the marginal semi-wild highlanders, as well as foreign invaders and foreigners in general. Who exactly one or another Indian source refers to by the term "mleccha", which in the general sense means an outsider-an enemy of another tribe, faith and customs, in each case should be determined from the historical context and specifics of the evidence.

In the Kalachakra tantra tradition, the terms "mleccha "and" lalo " refer to Muslims, which follows from the written sources of this teaching. A contemporary Tibetan scholar, the reborn saint (sprul sku) Tsetan shabdrun and a team of Tibetan and Chinese authors who worked with him, summarizing the data from early sources, give the following definition of the lalo faith: "The lalo religion (kla klo'i chos lugs) is a religion founded by a man named Sbrang rtsi'i blo gros in the Middle East. the year of the Tree-Monkey is 624 according to the European chronology - in the country of Makha (Makha)" [Tshe tan zhabs drung, 1993, p. 40].

Branzy Lodoy (Tib. " Honey mind (thought)") corresponds to Sanskrit Madhumati [Tshe tan zhabs drung, 1993, p. 2033], being a literal translation of this word - a Sanskrit phonetic tracing (which does not require translation in meaning) of the name of the founder of Islam [Tshe tan zhabs drung, 1993, p. 2033; Monier-Williams, 1995, p.780]. Makha - Sanskrit phonetic tracing of the name of the city of Mecca [Vasiliev, 1857, p. 345; Monier-Williams, 1995, p. 772]28.

During the formation of the Kalachakra doctrine (the first 30 years of the XI century), the Mlecchas were specifically the ruler of Ghazna, Mahmud, and his army, who repeatedly raided India from 1000 [Nazim, 1931, p. 86] to 1027 [Nazim, 1931, p. 121]. It was the invasions of Mahmud's troops that, in our opinion, were the direct reason for the fact that in the Kalachakra teachings the term "mleccha" ("lalo") refers to Muslims29.

The end of the reign of Rigdan XI Jal Ga (1026) marks the upper boundary of the "Fire-sky-Sea" period. Next year (1027) - the year of appearance (written fic-

27 A foreigner, barbarian, non-Aryan, a person from an outcast tribe (clan), any person who does not speak Sanskrit and is alien to the customs accepted in India (Monier-Williams, 1995, p.837).

28 In the Indian and Tibetan texts of the Kalachakra teaching the place of origin of religion lalo - Makha is called a country, not a city. Only Taranatha (1575-1635) mentions Makha in this context as a city (Ta ra na tha, 1994, p.105).

29 The German researcher W. Petri also identifies mlecchi "Brief Tantra" with Muslims: "Kalachakra Tantra contains five books... Supporters of Kalachakra expected a future ruler of the world who would win, drive out the " Meccan barbarians "(i.e., Muslims) and restore the golden age" (Petri, 1966, p.174).

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Tshe tan zhabs drung, 1993, p. 3214) and the year of Mahmud's last foray from Ghazna into India. Both of these events seem to us to be closely interrelated. The reaction to the Muslim invasions was, as can be assumed, the highest tension in the religious and intellectual life of the part of India affected by these raids, which was expressed, in particular, in the "crystallization" of the Buddhist teaching of Kalachakra, which traces the desire to create a universal religious ideology (an attempt to unite religious society in the face of an external threat). We are talking about a striking syncretism of the Kalachakra teaching - it is replete with borrowings (including systematic ones) from Hinduism, and in its purely Buddhist part it demonstrates the presence of views and terms of various Buddhist schools. If it is impossible to give an effective rebuff to the aggressor, eschatological ideas (futurological retribution to the real enemies of that time) also become widespread in society. The Short Tantra contains not only a prophecy about the eschatological battle of Shambhala, but also practical guides on the creation of military equipment and its combat use.

In the first chapter of the essay devoted to the description of the external world, there is a thematic block of twenty-two verses (verses 127-148) [Vira, 1966, p. 337-338], containing a description of eleven types of mechanisms, eight of which are military. Descriptions of vehicles (including the dimensions of their parts) - a stone - throwing machine that destroys the bastions of an enemy fortress, a crossbow that hits an armored elephant, a "kite" that carries a warrior and a load of incendiary substances, etc. - are provided with instructions on how to use them. In the last verse of this section, the author of the text puts into the mouth of the king of Shambhala Yashas a direct instruction to make the described military mechanisms for protecting one's own place without anger and passion (Shambhala - in the mythological context of the work, India - in the real historical context). In our opinion, the guidelines for conducting combat operations in the" Brief Tantra " should be considered in the context of the tragic time of the text's composition. As a result of Muslim raids, carriers of knowledge (including military-technical ones) died, and an additional form of knowledge protection was required - its written fixation, which also opened up new ones (wider) opportunities for the treatise to function as a training tool, including in the current military aspect.

In the tradition of the Kalachakra teaching, the appearance of texts of this system in India in 1027 is considered as their penetration here from Shambhala. Regarding the plot of this penetration in the tradition itself, there is no single point of view - different sources name different names of Indian yogis who received the Kalachakra teaching from the kings of Shambhala, and sometimes give several variants at once. Thus, the seventh Dalai Lama Lob-san Galsan Jamtso gives two lists, in one of which the yogi is Kalachakrapada the elder (Dus zhabs che ba), in the other - Chilu (Tsi lu) pandit [Blo bzang bskal bzang rgya mtsho, l. 68a].

In the following year, 1028, the texts of the Kalachakra teaching are transferred from India to Tibet, where their translation into Tibetan begins [Tshe tan zhabs drung, 1993, p. 3214]. Along with this teaching, a chronology based on sixty-year cycles is spreading in Tibet, and then in the countries of the Mongolian world. The first year of I rabjun (rab byung)30 In Tibet, it was the year of the Fire-Hare (1027).

30 Semantic tracing of Sanskrit prabhava (the name of the first year of the sixty-year cycle Brihas-patichakra), which in the Tibetan tradition also became the name of the sixty-year cycle as a whole. For orientation on time intervals of more than sixty years, an ordinal numbering of rabzhuns was introduced. In 1987, the XVII Rabjun began.

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After the end of the "Fire-sky-Sea" period, the reigns of the subsequent kings of Shambhala are again measured in one hundred years. In the year of Fire-sheep (2327) XXII rabjuna Rigdan will ascend to the throne of Shambhala XXV Dragbo Horlojan (Drag po 'khor lo can) (Tib. "Fierce-Having a disk") [Byed grub..., 1995, p. 15], a ruler who is destined to conduct an eschatological Shambhala battle.

In the structure of the legend of Shambhala, part of the description of the reign of the thirty-two kings of this country also includes a description of Shambhala itself and the way to it.

The path to Shambhala consists of preparation for the path and the actual movement. Preparation, in turn, consists of two parts: 1) performing Tantric rituals and contemplative practices; 2) worshipping holy places. Both are aimed at purifying the consciousness so that the yogi, approaching the level of sanctity of the inhabitants of Shambhala, will be able to reach this country closed to ordinary people. It is emphasized that a person who is not a Buddhist practitioner of a high level of realization has not reached the "power of mantric knowledge and virtues" (rig sngags dang bsod nams kyi mthu), going to Shambhala, he will be killed on the way by yakshas and fierce nagas [Blo bzang dpal ldan ye shes, l. 34a]. There is also talk about the possibility of "visiting" (seeing) Shambhala in a special "great dream" (gnyid mo che' i rmi lam) [Blo bzang dpal ldan ye shes, l. 34a], but the very ability to experience such a state is again attributed only to outstanding yogis.

About the road itself, it is said that on the way to the sacred land of the yogi, many difficulties and deadly dangers lie in wait, which he overcomes mainly with the help of Tantric practices and rituals, subduing supernatural beings with their help and gaining miraculous powers as a result of eating purified and used in rituals of miraculous plants.

Lobsan Baldan Yeshey begins his description of Shambhala by defining its position. According to the Kalachakra cosmology, there are seven continents arranged in concentric rings around the world mountain Sumeru31. The seventh continent-Jambudvipa - is the most remote from the world mountain. It is divided into twelve parts. The four main parts are located in the cardinal directions. To the left and right of each of the main parts, there is one adjacent one. The southern part (which has the shape of a triangle with its vertex facing Sumer) is called Malaya Jambudvipa. On it (in the direction from south to north) six areas of equal width are selected. According to Lobsan Baldan Yeshey, counting from the south, this is: India (Rgya gar), Tibet (Bod), Lee (Li), China (Rgya nag), Greater China (Rgya nag chen po), Kailasha (Kai la sha) [Blo bzang dpal ldan ye shes, л. 42а]. Shambhala is located on the northern side of the Sita River (Sita) (skt. "Belaya")32 flowing in front of the Kailash area. A number of Tibetan authors give slightly different lists of the division of Lesser Jambudvipa into six regions, but what is common in all these schemes is that Shambhala is supposed to be located north of India, Tibet, Khotan and China.

The country of Shambhala is described by Lobsan Baldan Yeshey as having the shape of a perfect circle in the plan. Along the outer perimeter there is a chain of snow-capped mountains, in the center of the country there is a snow mountain, the top of which is a flat circular plateau in plan. On it is located the capital city of Shambhala Kalapa (skt. "bundle", "node", "set", "totality of something"). The whole country, divided radially in the space from the border of the central mountain to the outer ring mountain by streams of water and snow (coming down from the central mountain) into eight parts, is likened to an eight - petaled lotus: the central mountain acts as the core, the "petals" are the eight resulting sectors. On each "petal" on two-

31 The world mountain Sumeru in this cosmology has the shape of an inverted truncated cone.

32 There is no reliable identification of the Sita River from the legend of Shambhala with the famous rivers.

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Twelve small regions of Shambhala are located above the twelve mountains, each of which is governed by a king who is subordinate to the king of the whole country, who rules in Kalapa. For this reason, Shambhala is often referred to as the "Land of the ninety-six"in Kalachakra tantra texts33. Lobsan Baldan Yeshi indicates the distance from the border of the central plateau to the outer ring mountain - five hundred yojanas34 [Blo bzang dpal ldan ye shes, л. 426].

It is said that the Rigdan Palace is built of all sorts of magical jewels and for this reason emits a bright light that makes the night like day. It tells about various wonderful properties of the palace, for example, that it has a special mirror floor, looking into which you can see what is happening at long distances in the air, on the ground and in the depths of water. It describes the fences of the thrones of the rulers of Shambhala, their clothing and jewelry with an indication of fabulous value, precious decorations and utensils made of the best sandalwood, which exudes a wonderful fragrance to a distance of one yojana.

It is said that the inhabitants of the country are very rich. Their language is Sanskrit. All residents of Shambhala practice Buddhist teachings, and many of them have reached high levels of realization. Many believers are served by non-human beings (nagas, asuras, etc.). The laws in the country are soft, and violent punishments are completely excluded.

BATTLE OF SHAMBHALA

In the description of the eschatological battle, which according to the prophecy will take place ninety-seven years after the accession of Rigdan XXV Dragbo Horlojan - in the year of Water-sheep XXIV rabjun (2424) [Tshe tan zhabs drung, 1993, p. 2690], there are two components - historical and mythological.

The first one is presented in the image of a battle between two Indian armies of the first centuries AD. The texts provide information about the structure of the opposing armies, their numbers and weapons, the course of hostilities and the results of the battle.

Commander of the Shambhala Army - Dragbo Harlojan, commander-Hanuman35 [Vira, 1966, p. 339]. Army Commander lalo - their teacher of faith is Byed pa'i blo (Tib. "Fulfilling mind (thought)")36 [Vira, 1966, p. 97], the commander is his minister.

Shambhala Army and Army lalo they have the same structure: 1) elephants; 2) chariots; 3) cavalry; 4) infantry [Blo bzang dpal ldan ye shes, l. 466]. Elephants in the army of Shambhala are called "great", and chariots - "golden". The size of the first army is clearly fabulous37, the number of the second one is not given.

The description of the ancient Indian army, structurally similar to the armies of the Battle of Shambhala, is contained in the Laws of Manu. The weapons (spears, bows, arrows) of both armies also correspond to the weapons of the army of ancient and medieval India. The fact that in the Source of Ten Million Wonders (1775) there is no mention of firearms (Tibetans already knew it at least from battles with the Chinese

33 This composite structure of Shambhala may explain the name of its capital city.

34 Of the two Buddhist systems of length measures (in the Abhidharma tradition and in the Kalachakra tradition), the second one should be preferred (the legend of Shambhala belongs to this teaching), where 1 yojana is 2 times larger than in the first one (Tshe tan zhabs drung, 1993, p. 1622), where 1 yojana = 7.2 km (=4.5 mile).

35 The Battle of Shambhala takes on the features of the battle of the epic "Ramayana".

36 There are no historical or mythological parallels to the name. Starting with Lobsan Baldan Yeshey, Tibetan authors write this name as Byis pa'i blo (gros) (Tib. " Child's mind (thought)") instead of Byed pa'i blo.

37 Elephants - 100,000, chariots-100,000 [Vira, 1966, p. 96], etc.

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and the Manchus), speaks of the traditional approach to the presentation of the plot, which ensured the preservation of the archaic character of the Sanskrit original of the XI century for the XVIII century.

It is characteristic that in the "Brief Tantra" itself, when describing the battle with mlecchami [Vira, 1966, p. 96-98] does not mention (except for chariots) modern military equipment at that time, described immediately before [Vira, 1966, p.87-93]. The reason for this, in our opinion, is quite obvious: for traditional thinking, in significant situations that go beyond the profane everyday life, modern methods of action and tools give way to their prototypes sanctified by ancient tradition.

At the same time, the oral version of the legend is characterized by the motif of participation in the Shambhala War of perfect military equipment. So in Buryatia in the 70s of the XX century. there was an idea that in this war will be used as siddhis - magical powers of Yogis (Shambhala people), as well as the most modern equipment (artillery, tanks and aircraft equipped with radio devices and electronic equipment)38.

The mythological component of the Buddhist story about the Battle of Shambhala is clearly represented by the participation of the deity Harihara and the "12 great gods"in it39 on the side of the Shambhala people, as well as the Asuras40 on the side Lalo.

The binary deity Harihara (Vishnu-Shiva) appears in the Brief Tantra as the divine helper (mythological counterpart) of the eschatological king of Shambhala. In verse 161 of the first part of the Short Tantra, we read: "Kalki, in alliance with Harihara, destroyed the Mlecchas" (Vira, 1966, p.339). In verse 163 of the same part, we read: "Kalki, acting with the whole army, in alliance with Harihara, having defeated the Mlecchas in battle..." [Vira, 1966, p.339].

The presence of Harihara in the "Short Tantra" is proposed by us as a new criterion for determining the lower limit of the time of the Kalachakra teaching - the time of the appearance of the Harihara cult in India41 gives this boundary.

Unlike the Hindu story of Shambhala, where Kalki is an avatar of Vishnu, the Buddhist eschatological warrior of Shambhala carries both the mythological features of Vishnu and Shiva. In the Sanskrit text of the Short Tantra, he is referred to as Kalki, Cakri, Raudra, and Raudra-Kalki. In the names of Kalki and Chakri (Skt. "Having a disk")42 The mythological connection of this king with Vishnu is recorded in the name of Raudra (Skt. "Related to Rudra") - with Rudra Shiva43, in the name of Raudra-Kalki-with Harihara. The name of this king in the Tibetan texts of the Kalachakra teaching is Dragbo Khorlojan (Tib. "Fierce-Having a disk"), also correlates it with Shiva, Vishnu and Harihara: "Fierce" (Drag po) is the Tibetan correlate of the name "Rudra" [Tshe tan zhabs drung, 1993, p. 1315], "Having a disk". yandex. disk" ('Khor lo can) - the epithet of Vishnu.

The connection of Buddhist Shambhala and, consequently, its eschatological king with Shiva fixes the traditional Tibetan interpretation of the etymology of the country's name. Tugan Lobsan Shoiji Nima (1737-1802)44 gives two interpretations of this etymology: "Name-

38 The testimony of Tsyvan-lamkhai (Ts. V. Dashitsyrenov) (Ulan-Ude, 2003).

39 "12 great gods" in the Kalachakra teaching: Rakshasa; Vayu; Agni; Skanda; Varuna; Ganesha; Indra; Brahma; Rudra; Kubera (yaksha); Vishnu; Yama [Blo bzang bskal bzang rgya mtsho, l. 44a-476]. They also act as personifications of the 12 lunar months (starting with the month of Chaitra).

40 The archaic motif of the battle between gods and asuras appears here.

41 According to E. N. Temkin and V. G. Ehrman, Harihara remained unknown in India until the beginning of the XI century. [Temkin and Erman, 1993, p. 309].

42 Chakra is the main attribute of Vishnu.

43 Shiva is a deity of non-Aryan origin, entered the Indo-Aryan pantheon through contamination with the Vedic deity Rudra. Rudra-Shiva in Kalachakra tantra mythology should be understood as Shiva in his function as the master of time and the destroyer of the world at the end of the cycle of being in the guise of Rudra (the Vedic god of storm and destruction).

44 Famous Tibetan religious figure and scholar.

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My name is shambha (Sambhd) of the shakyas (sakya) He took possession of [this country], so [it is] called "Shambhala" (Sambhala45)". "Shambhala " (Sambhala) - "Ownership of the Source of Good" (Bde 'byung 'dzin pa). Source of good (Bde 'byung) - Ishvara's name (Dbang phyug)46, The country he owns is called "Shambhala" [Th'u bkvan blo bzang chos kyi nyi ma, l. 106]. The first interpretation given by the author is a clear example of a false etymology (the Kalachakra teaching does not contain any information about the character named Shambha). The second interpretation has certain mythological grounds. The Kalachakra deity as the Buddhist "master of time" is related to the "master of time"in this respect (kalanatha) Shiva, borrowing from him the main attributes (trident, hourglass-shaped drum, etc.) and a number of specific features of appearance (crescent moon sign on the hair, ash-smeared body, etc.). Accordingly, Shambhala - as the land of Kalachakra teachings-turns out to be "Shiva's domain"47. It is interesting to note that in the Kalkipurana there is a story that connects Kalki and Shiva. The object of Kalki's religious asceticism, which is itself an avatar of Vishnu, is called Shiva in the form of Bilvodakesvara-Shiva (Bilvodakesvarasiva). As a result of this asceticism, Kalki receives a horse, a parrot, from Bilvodakesvara-Shiva (suka) and a sword from the latter [Hazra, 1958, p. 306]. This story reflects the convergence of Vishnuism and Shaivism characteristic of the beginning of the 2nd century, culminating in the appearance of the deity Harihara, revered by both Vaishnavas and Shaivas, clearly represented in the Kalachakra tantra mythology.

Damchog plays a special role in the eschatology of Kalachakra Tantra (Rta mchog) (Tib. "The best horse") - the horse of the eschatological ruler of Shambhala. All versions of the Buddhist legend of Shambhala, without exception, pay great attention to the" speech-knowing "horse Raudra-Kalki, sitting on which he will conduct the last battle- [Blo bzang dpal Man ye shes, l. 45a], "a stone horse with the power of wind", " Damchog emerged from the sea, intelligent, sparkling like lightning " [Blo bzang dpal ldan ye shes, l. 466]. According to the legend, during this battle, the cavalry of Shambhala rides on horses that appeared as a result of the immersion of the eschatological king of Shambhala in samadhi48 "The multiplication of the' Best Horse ' "[Blo bzang dpal ldan ye shes, l. 466] - i.e., these horses are supposed to be magical manifestations of the Buddhist Kalki horse. In the Hindu tradition, there are representations of Kalki in the form of a horse. Razipuram Krishnaswami Narayan, a Madras Brahmana by birth, in the story "A Horse and two goats" puts in the mouth of the main character, telling about the clay sculpture of the horse Kalki49, the following words: "This is our guardian, he brings death to our opponents. At the end of the Kaliyuga, this world and all other worlds will be destroyed, and the savior will appear in the form of a horse named Kalki, who will come to life and gallop around the world, and under his hooves all bad people will perish... Our pundit once told us in the temple that the oceans will overwhelm the earth with a huge wave and swallow us up, and this horse will become larger than the biggest wave and will carry away only good people on its back, and knock the bad ones into the water with its hooves "[Narayan, 1981, pp. 152-153]. The study of the Buddhist legend of Shambhala from all sources leads to the assumption that in the case of the Buddhist Kalki, his horse ("The Best

45 The preserved Sanskrit text of the Short Tantra uses the form Sambhala [Vira, 1966, p. 339], but the phonetic tracing paper in the Tibetan translation (XI century) of the Short Tantra and all other translated and original Tibetan-language texts of the Kalachakra teaching - Sambhala.

46 Bde 'byung-Tibetan correlate of Sanskrit sambhu.

47 In this respect, the name of one of the linga (a cult object of Shaivism) - Sambhalesvara-linga [Monier-Williams, 1995, p. 1055].

48 The culminating state of yoga practice.

49 "The monument on the outskirts of one of the villages of the Indian south from the story of R. K. Narayan is a rearing figure of a horse and a warrior standing next to it. In the course of the story, it is reported that the horse is an avatar of Vishnu Kalki, the warrior next to the horse is Vishnu.

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the horse") in mythological terms (as an eschatological force), it acts as its zoomorphic counterpart. The representation of eschatological power in the image of a horse in Indian mythology is found in the legend of Aurva 50. It tells the story of the eschatological fire Vadavamukha emerging from the depths of the sea at the end of time (Skt. "Mare's mouth"), which has the shape of a horse's head 51. A similar motif is found in the story of the horse-headed avatar of Vishnu-Narayana [for this story, see: Mahabharata, 1984, pp. 85-91].

Description of the victory of the Shambhala army in the last battle is given according to the structure of the armies (including the category of mythological creatures): Dragbo Horlojan spears Jadbiy lo; Hanuman spears general Lalo; the twelve great gods defeat the asuras; the "great elephants" destroy the elephants; the steeds kill the steeds; the "golden chariots" smash the chariots to dust; the " defenders of the earth "(kings) subdue the "defenders of the earth". As a result, the "lalo stream is broken" [Blo bzang dpal ldan ye shes, l. 47a] - the Lalo teaching, which has existed ("current") in continuous continuity since the seventh century, 52 and everything connected with it is destroyed.

The theme of the Shambhala War was and partly remains very popular in Buddhist Central Asia, including in its territories that are part of Russia. Thus, until the 70s of the XX century, Shambhala well-wishes were widespread in Buryatia. On the occasion of Buddhist rituals or during festive feasts, believers often recited a prayer for rebirth in Shambhala and participation in the Shambhala War as part of the army of Rigdan Dragbo 53.

The Shambhala war, according to the legend, has an external nature in relation to our world (or to that in it that is not Shambhala) - the Shambhala army consists only of its inhabitants.54 Accordingly, you can get into this army only through rebirth in Shambhala. In Buryatia in the 70s of the XX century. it was believed that for rebirth in Shambhala, in addition to the corresponding desire, it is necessary to have initiation into the Kalachakra tantra and generally good knowledge of Buddhist teachings. The old people also said that during the Shambhala War, it was good to be born even as a bug - being trampled by a Shambhala soldier, you will find a higher birth (in Shambhala or other sacred areas of Buddhist cosmology)55.

The battle of Shambhala is considered in the Kalachakra teaching not only on the external, but also on the internal level - as a battle that unfolds in the mind and body of a person in the last day of his life (verses 48-50 of the second chapter of the "Brief Tantra") [Vira, 1966, p.342]. In the case of the" internal "Shambhala war, Kalki is the true Jnana, four ranks of his troops (elephants, horses, chariots, infantry), there are four "Immeasurable" 56, the lord of the Mlecchas - obscurations of his own consciousness, four similar ranks of the Mlecchas - four classes of mar57. The annihilation of the Mlecchas in battle is the way out of samsara, and the victory of Kalki is the way out of liberation. Winning this one

50 is found in Book I of the Mahabharata.

51 This image is known to Tibetan authors. Lobsan Choydag and Sodnam Zemo comment on the mention of this eschatological fire in The History of King Ramana by the famous Kalachakra author Zhang zhung chos dbang grag pa (1404 - 1469): "Horse's mouth fire is a fire in the form of a mare's mouth, located in the depths of the southern ocean" [Blo bzang chos grags, 1994, p. 503].

52 The Kalachakra tantra texts indicate that lalo's teaching, which was destroyed by Raudra-Kalki, lasted for 1,800 years [Dung dkar blo bzang 'phrin las, 2002, p. 114], i.e. it is a teaching created by Madhumati.

53 Testimony of Tsyvan-lamkhai (Ts. V. Dashitsyrenov) (Ulan-Ude, 2003).

54 Not counting supernatural beings.

55 Testimony of N. Ch. Zhamsaranova (Ulan-Ude, 2003).

56 The Buddhist's four basic motivations for treating everyone are love, compassion, joy, and equal treatment.

Maras are personifications of everything negative that keeps a living being in samsara - the beginningless cycle of rebirth.

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the inner battle is not a matter decided in advance: it is assumed that the skillful yogi, in carrying out this battle, eventually not only withdraws from this existence of his, but also leaves the vale of suffering - samsara. However, it is specifically indicated (in verse 50 of the second chapter of the Brief Tantra) that even with this "internal" interpretation, the coming final battle (the battle with the Mlecchas) should not be considered as an illusory phenomenon [Vira, 1966, p.342].

POST-WAR PURIFIED STATE OF THE WORLD AND ITS NEW GRADUAL DEGRADATION

The "outer" Battle of Shambhala marks the boundary of two time periods: the " early four times "(dus bzhi snga ma) and the " late four times "(dus bzhi phyi ma). The" four times " (dus bzhi) in Kalachakra tantra are periods of time that coincide in name and general qualitative characteristics with the Hindu yugas, but are enclosed in different time intervals.58
The "early four times" - Krita-yuga, Treta-yuga, Dvapara-yuga, and Kali-yuga-are contained in the time interval from 881 BC to 2424 AD (Tshe tan zhabs drung, 1993, p. 1278). The first date corresponds to the year of Buddha Shakyamuni's preaching of the Kalachakra Tantra, the second to the year of the Shambhala War. The length of the entire period is 3304 years. The duration of each of the four yugas is not specified.

"Late four times" - the same four yugas, but enclosed in a different time interval (2424-4224). The entire period is 1800 years long. It is indicated that each period of the "late four times" will last 450 years (Tshe tan zhabs drung, 1993, p. 1278).

Taken together, the "early four times" and "late four times" are the lifetimes of the Kalachakra teaching and have a duration of 5104 years. This is the modern Tibetan unified interpretation of the duration of the "Early Four Times" and "Late Four Times". The Sol Lama Agwan Lobsan reports that the total duration of both periods is 5,000 years, where the" early four times " account for 3,200 years [Klong rdol bla ma, l. 96]. At the same time, the Sol Lama reports that the period of existence of the Buddha's Teaching in the Raudra Kalki sermon is 21,600 years. This period is obtained by multiplying 1800 years of the "late four times" by 12-the number of parts of Jambudvipa. Here it is assumed that with the end of the "late four times" on the Small Jambudvipa, the next 59th part of Jambudvipa will have its own Raudra-Kalki, and the "late four times" will begin, etc.

The initial period after the victory of the army of Shambhala (Crete-the south of the "late four times"), is characterized by the prosperity of the Buddha's teachings and complete prosperity. It is said that cereals will grow abundantly on untilled land, etc. Yogis will realize the state of Kalachakra in one lifetime. The Buddha's teaching will be fully clarified, and many siddhas will appear among the people. Dragbo Horlojan will then place his two sons, Brahma and Suresha, on the thrones, dividing his possessions between them (taking into account the lands previously occupied by lalo), and end this existence by realizing the state of Sambhogakaya - the last state before final liberation.

With each successive yuga of the "late four times", the degradation of the world will increase, and with the end of the Kali Yuga of this period, the Kalachakra teaching and the whole teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha will disappear in this world.

58 The Brief Tantra also mentions four yugas with a duration of 5,400 years each [Vira, 1966, p. 333] and mentions those with durations corresponding to the Hindu concept [Ibid, p.335]. Both of these concepts were not developed in the Kalachakra tradition and are not considered further.

59 Clockwise.

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Thol Lama Agwan Lobsan gives a list taken from the prophecy of Shakyamuni Buddha of the eleven rulers who followed Raudra-Kalki from the royal dynasty of Shambhala [Klong rdol bla ma, l. 15a-15b]. The list opens with a king named Brahma, the eldest son of Raudra-Kalki, who inherited the throne of Shambhala from him. The next name is Suresha, the youngest son of Raudra-Kalki. Third on the list is Kashyapa, the son of Brahma and his successor on the throne of Shambhala. The eight kings who follow Kashyapa are his direct descendants and heirs to the throne of Shambhala. The names of these eight kings correspond in the same order to the names of the eight avatars of Vishnu: Fish (nya), Turtle (rus sbal), Boar (phag), Lion-Man (mi yi seng ge), Dwarf (mi'u thung), Ramana (ra ma na) (Parashu Rama), Second Ramana (ra ma na gnyis pa) (Frame), Black (nag po). Also called those whose incarnations are these kings: Brahma-the incarnation of Bodhisattva Manjughosha, Suresha-the incarnation of bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, the other nine kings are called incarnations of bodhisattvas without specifying their names.

Thus, the complete list of named representatives of the royal dynasty of Shambhala includes forty-three persons: seven Dharmarajas, twenty-five Rigdans, eleven kings. If we start counting not from Suchandra, but from his father Suryaprabha, the full list will be 44 persons.

The very names of the eleven kings and the order in which they are listed indicate that a new cycle of existence is being modeled here (in this case, the "external" Shambhala war (a battle conducted by Kalki) is mythologically an eschatological catastrophe leading to the destruction of the world and its subsequent rebirth in a purified state). The list begins with the name Brahma (in the Trimurti concept, Brahma is assigned the task of creation) and contains the names of eight avatars of Vishnu. However, this list does not contain the names of the ninth and tenth avatars. It is suggested that the next person after the eighth avatar of the "late four times" (but already beyond them) could be the coming Buddha - Maitreya. Perhaps in the prophecy of Shakyamuni Buddha, the list of eleven kings ends at the name corresponding to the eighth avatar, for the reason that his "authority" ends here - before the arrival of Maitreya, Shakyamuni Buddha's kalpa will end.61 With the arrival of Maitreya, the kalpa of Maitreya Buddha will begin. Then-if we continue to think within the framework of the idea of cyclicity - after some time a new Kalki will appear and through his activity this cycle of being (analogous to the "early four times") will end and the next one (analogous to the "late four times") will begin. However, the Kalachakra concept of the four yugas does not address the issue of the arrival of Maitreya.

The considered concept of the four yugas of the Kalachakra teaching is deeply peculiar. Here we are talking about two sets of four yugas ("early four times" and "late four times") with different total durations, and neither of them coincides with that in the Hindu concept in any of its variants. As for the cycle of yugas, in the Kalachakra concept, yugas are repeated only once (nothing is said about whether there will be more repetitions of yugas on each of the parts of Jambudvipa), but this repetition is not accurate either - the duration of the second set of yugas is less. The durations of each of the yugas in the first set are not specified, and in the second set they are assumed to be the same, while those in the Hindu concept decrease with a constant step from Krita-yuga to Kali-yuga. The distribution of avatars from a set of ten Vishnu avatars in two sets of yugas of the Kalachakra concept is unusual. The first set of yugas here has 2 avatars (the ninth and tenth), the second - 8 (from the first to the eighth) (only in two sets of yugas taken together, all 10 avatars are represented), while in the Hindu concept of four yugas in one cycle, the south is a follower-

60 The ninth avatar is either the sages-rishis Nara-Narayana or the Buddha. The Kalachakra Tantra (as well as the Kalki Purana) follows the second version - in the" early four times " Shakyamuni precedes Kalki.

Kalpa 61 of a particular Buddha is the time of existence of the teaching in his sermon.

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but all 10 avatars are represented. Finally, both sets of yugas of the Kalachakra teaching are also considered as a single period, when it is said that the" early four times "and" late four times " taken together give a measure of the existence of the Kalachakra teaching [Tshe tan zhabs drung, 1993, p.1278].

* * *

The study of the Buddhist legend of Shambhala allows us to study the mythological representations of the Kalachakra teaching, its mythical history and traditional chronology. The presence of Hindu mythologies in the legend and the existence of ideas about Shambhala in Hinduism itself raises the question of studying the interaction and mutual influence of Buddhism and Hinduism at the turn of the 1st and 2nd millennia in the context of Kalachakra Tantra. The Buddhist legend of Shambhala provides extensive material for studying the medieval eschatological mythology of India and Tibet and eschatological concepts in general theoretical terms.

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