Measuring Performance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Measuring Performance - Essay Example This report is fundamentally structured in two parts such that first part of the report highlights financial analysis of FDP with the help of ratio analysis. Last part of the report evaluates the non-financial indicators through Balanced Scorecard. Conclusion is provided at the end of this report which summarizes the performance of FDP. Background Information Cut throat competition, shrinkage in profits and increasing redundancies turned out to be the prime factors that lead FDP to change its business strategy. The company’s streamline business used to have both non-urgent and urgent delivery system of the parcel from both mail order companies as well as from internet retailers. The normal non-urgent parcel delivery system used to take around 5 to 7 working days but due to excessively increasing and tightening situation of competition especially with the entrance of international players, it has become extremely difficult for FDP now to survive in such closed competitive envir onment of the non-urgent parcel delivery system. The board of directors of the company has realized all the situations and considered different options in order to boost the revenues of FDP. The final strategy that has been selected by the board is the discontinuance of the non-urgent parcel delivery system by replacing a fast urgent delivery system which would ensure that every parcel is delivered to its recipient within 2 hours of the order booking. Such adoption of the strategy requires significant amount of investment in the existing operations of the business as the company requires more infrastructure and advancements in its communication and information technology based machines. It is intended to provide the parcel delivery personnel a notebook computer along with a parcel scanner such that they are linked with the central database system of FDP. Through all this communication devices, the tracking, collection and delivery of parcels would be delivered with much more conveni ence as well as ensuring their delivery less than 2 hours. The board has also decided to charge the premium price in respect of the urgent delivery system from the customers. Impact of Implementation of New Strategy upon the Financial Performance of FDP This strategy would be implemented from 1 December, 2011. Therefore, the impact of the change in strategy would definitely change company’s financial performance for the upcoming year. The performance of the company in respect of its profitability, leverage, efficiency, liquidity and financing has been discussed as under: Profitability Profitability is the most highly concerned area of financial performance as it is the basis upon which every business decision is taken whether it is small as per company’s perspective or large. Whatever the decision the company takes, everyone is interested to know as what would be the impact of that decision upon the profitability position of the company. Generally there are few profita bility ratios that actually highlight the profitability in terms of various different perspectives. Some of those ratios are discussed as under: Net Profit Margin The company was struggling to maintain a steady growth rate in terms of its Net profit Margin in the past two years but with the implementation of the new strategy, the company can stabilize the growth rate of net profit margin

Become Legendary Essay Example for Free

Become Legendary Essay The Kobe and Lebron comparison is now probably the biggest and most controversial talk in today’s sports news. Lebron can go to the hoop with authority, while Kobe is a sleek and flashy all around shooter. Although being two of the best players in the world they are very different in the ways they play the game of basketball. Though both Kobe and Lebron went to the NBA straight out of high school, and being two of the league’s best all around players who are lethal threats which must take an extraordinary game plan to defend. With the association and contrast of the two legends, whether it is by trophies or championship titles, or all around stat freaks, these will be main contributing factors in crowning the best. Kobe Bryant is arguably one of the league’s best all around players of all time. He can drive, shoot, and his finish is one of a kind. His defense is shut down and plays with fouls as a defensive mechanism. Not only is he top class on the floor, but on the free throw line as well. Also being one of the league’s most consistent free throw shooters since entering the NBA. Kobe plays the game as if he invented it; he is one of the world’s most respected and popular players. Kobe has five NBA championships and is a twelve time NBA all star. Kobe Bryant age thirty-two is one of the most decorated players in the history of the NBA, and is a future hall -of -famer. Kobe also has had an unheard of eighty-one points in a single game. Kobe’s down side is that he is not consistently aggressive or hard going to the boards (getting rebounds or dunking). With all that said I feel like Kobe Bryant will ever be remembered as one of the elite players to ever play in the NB A. Lebron James aka â€Å"King James† is a one of a kind, straight out of high school player who took on the league with a head full of steam. One of the most athletic and young freaks the NBA has probably ever seen. He has matured from a young kid to a man in a matter of seasons, while adding a different edge to his game every year. Lebron who is seven years younger than Kobe is a seven time NBA all star, but has yet to win a single NBA championship. Coming out of high school Lebron was the first pick out of the first round  out of the NBA draft. Though Lebron the young hot shot he is seems to receive a lot of criticism because of the recent change in location to south beach. Even though Lebron is such an amazing player, the thing that hurts him the most is his shooting at times. Lebron isn’t just a basketball player; he’s a business man as well with endorsements from companies such as Nike and Sprite. Forbes magazine ranked James as the second most influential athletes in the past decade. This new kid on the block has produced points and shows what he can do every night; he puts points on the board and fans in the stands. Both of these iconic athletes are incredibly amazing in all their unique ways, whether on or off the court. Together they have won two gold medals in the Olympics for the United States. They are both the league’s present day top players who decided that college wasn’t for them. Lebron and Kobe were both first round picks in the NBA draft and the number one ranked player coming out of high school. They both are astonishingly efficient in every aspect of the offensive or defensive side of the ball. Blocking shots and playing hard noised defense is what they do best. With a shot and release like no other they are quick scorers and know how to score from anywhere and in any situation on the floor. They both bring more to the game than just skill but as leaders vocally and emotionally on their teams. Not only are they the leaders on their teams, but are the faces for basketball and the NBA everywhere in the world. In my opinion this is not even that close. James has better numbers across almost every statistical category. In clutch situations such as fourth quarter or overtime, less than five minutes left, neither team ahead by more than five points. Bryant actually has a higher field goal percentage and three-point percentage as well as more rebounds and assists per 48 minutes. James is a superior slasher, finisher, and defender as well as being stronger and more athletic. Bryant may have a killer instinct, but James has a mean streak of his own. With his unbelievable three point plays and up tempo offense. When all is said and done, Lebron James may go down as a better NBA basketball player than Kobe Bryant, but who knows, these guys are neck and neck.

My Personal Support Group (Cheerleading) :: essays research papers

My Personal Support Group Honors I am often sorry that my parents did not take it upon themselves to enroll me in any recreational activities in my preadolescent years. I believe that sports are an integral part of growing up. They provide an opportunity to meet and interact with peers. Numerous occasions I can recall feeling excluded from the group because of my lack of involvement. Although I have to admit, I am not a tough girl. Most likely I would not excel in any contact sport.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cheerleading tryouts proved to be a revelation. I knew it was the activity for me. Although I was not confident in my coordination, I vowed that it would improve with practice. I had regularly admired those spirited girls, being that my sister had once traveled that path. I faithfully attended all high school games, not to watch the players, but the cheerleaders. I was convinced that this was my calling.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The week of tryouts was non-stop practice. I lived, ate, and breathed cheerleading. My mother began to worry that I would not have the energy by the end of the week to try out. When te big day finally arrived I was a tight ball of nerves. I could hardly contain myself. I was brimming with 100 watts of nervous energy. The kind that gives one piercing pains throughout their body at the least expected moments. Waiting for the results my anxiety turned into burning tears. When my name was announced as a member of the squad I thought I would burst.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My freshman year of cheering was exceptional. I became fast friends with my entire squad. For the most part, we got along great. I imagine that we had more fun than the players, or fans. Faster than expected our season came to an end. It was time for tryouts once again.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Now that I knew the ropes, I was praying this tryout would be a breeze. I could not have been farther from the truth. I faithfully practiced every evening until the eagerly anticipated day. The same nervous energy overwhelmed my body as I walked onto the floor that afternoon. It seemed that within a second, the tryout was completed. Once again, I was forced to calmly wait for the crucial results. Finally the outcome was announced. â€Å"Varsity- Kristin Callaway, Jill Jackson, Katie Manley†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I had made the Varsity squad as a sophomore.

Cultivation Theory Essay

Cultivation theory was created by George Gerbner, founder of the cultural environment movement and dean of communications at the University of Pennsylvania. Cultivation theory deals with the content of television and how it affects and shapes society for television viewers. The theory suggests that the violence embedded in television causes regular viewers to form exaggerated beliefs of society as a meaner and scary world. This is known as mean world syndrome. Although less than one percent of the population are victims of violent crimes in any one year period, heavy exposure to violent crimes through television can lead to the belief that no one can be trusted in what appears to be a violent world. Television sets are slowly replacing schools and churches as the main storyteller for families. People are watching television religiously instead of going to church. It is more common to stay at home on Sundays and watch football or the newest reality show out. It’s the wenty-four seven real life drama that television offers that attracts people to become a regular TV viewer. In their devotion to watching television on a regular basis they are exposed to the violence that is embedded in most shows on the air. Gerbner provides his three-prong plug, which is his framework for understanding why more television consumption leads to a misled perception of a risky world filled with crime. The first prong for the plug represents the concern for why media chooses the messages they deliver. Violence is a stable message delivered by the media, because it is cheap and easy to sell globally. This is mainly because violence is a universal language that is understood by everyone. The second prong represents the concern for figuring out the exact messages that television delivers. In order to do so Gerbner uses what he calls, Message System Analysis, which ultimately supplies a numerical value for what for what messages television contains. The scope of what is considered a violent message consist of any show that portrays overt expression of physical force compelling action against ones will on pain of being hurt and killed, or threatened to be victimized as part of the plot. According to Gerbner’s studies before the average TV viewer graduates from high school they will have observed thirteen thousand traumatic deaths on television. The Third and final prong represents the concern for analyzing how television content affects viewers in particular, your typical couch potato who watches television all day. Television cultivates and shapes realities towards viewers; the more a person ingests messages of violence portrayed in television the more likely they are to view the real world as a mean and scary place. Personally I do not watch television with the exception of sports, but even then you can’t avoid seeing violent acts whether it’s in a commercial for a movie or video game violence has become prominent in our society. Cultivation theory is something that affects everyone one way or another; if you personally are not affected by it chances are you know someone who is. It was something that was very obvious to me even at a young age. I grew up going to school in Windsor but living in Hartford. I noticed the mean world effect at a young age because most of my friends from school weren’t allowed to come over my house because I lived in Hartford. Back then it wasn’t as clear to me as it is now, but even to this day it still happens. Not that my friends can’t Come over but they would rather I go to where they live instead. So even today I see the effect mean world syndrome can have on people. This day in age media is something everyone is familiar with from old to young. With technology advancing at the rate it is media will have more and ore influence on our every day lives. Growing up in a generation of constant advancements in technology I have witnessed first hand how the media has used technology it to its advantage. From being able to watch live news on your phone, to getting updates from an app media is at our disposal and very easy to access. In the next ten years, media will only get bigger and bigger because it is a non-stop, twenty-four hours a day business market. It will continue to change with the advancements in technology and expand with new way to broadcasts itself.

Superstition Speech

Superstitions To inform my audience about commonly practiced superstitions, their meaning, origins, and what affects they have on our lives and commonly practiced traditions. Hi! My name is Sarah & today I am going to talk to you about superstitions. According to blah blah superstition is defined as blah blah blah. How many of you have ever crossed your fingers for good luck, or got a little nervous about something bad happening on Friday the 13th? I would bet that all of you have said or have heard someone say â€Å"God Bless You† after a sneeze.Have any of you ever wondered where the traditions of Halloween came from? Or maybe why it is thought to be bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding ceremony? Today I am going to enlighten you with the answer to these questions and much more. I. For the most part superstitions can be placed into 2 categories, good or bad luck, many of them also have deeply religious meaning and use symbolism. A. Good Luck 1. You must knock on wood 3 times after mentioning good fortune or the evil spirits will ruin things for you. )The tradition traces back to an ancient pagan belief that spirits resided in trees and that by knocking on the wood, you were paying a small tribute to them by acknowledging them, and could call on them for protection against ill-fortune. Also, you were thanking them for their continued blessings and good luck. 2. Crossing two fingers (the middle and pointing fingers) on one hand as a sign of hopefulness or desire for a particular outcome. a)This is probably the superstition that is most widely used today. By making the sign of the Christian faith with our fingers, evil spirits would be prevented from destroying our chances of good fortune.It is also used as an expression: â€Å"Cross your fingers† is often told to someone hoping for good luck or a particular outcome. Sometimes, when someone tells a lie, they will cross their fingers (usually behind their back). This somehow ab solves them from the consequences or makes the lie not count. See a penny pick it up, all day long you will have good luck. b)Finding a penny and picking it up is believed to bring a day of good luck. Finding a penny with heads up is considered luckier. It is believed that this penny should not be spent; keeping it safe can bring you fortune.Any metal was considered God's gift to mankind 3. Saying â€Å"God Bless You† when someone sneezes. (1)†The blessing of those who sneeze started when the great plague took hold of Europe. Sufferers began sneezing violently, and as such, were bound to die. The Pope passed a law requiring people to bless the sneezer. At the same time, it was expected that anybody sneezing would cover their mouth with a cloth or their hand. This was obviously to stop the spreading of the disease, but many believed that it was to keep the soul intact.Sneezing ‘into the air' would allow the soul to escape and death would be imminent. Humankind has long been equating the soul with breath. It was thought that when one sneezed, the soul briefly flew out of the body, and this might allow an evil spirit to take up residence within. On the other hand, it is also said that blessing someone who sneezes is necessary because their heart skips a beat when they sneeze; it is wishing them continued good health B. Bad Luck 1. Breaking a mirror will bring seven years of bad luck. a)Romans tagged the broken mirror a sign of bad luck.The length of the prescribed misfortune, 7 years, came from the Roman belief that man's body was physically rejuvenated every 7 years, and he became, in effect, a new man. One's reflection in a mirror is thought to be the representation of his or her soul or spiritual state. Breaking the mirror, and therefore the person's reflection, would bring damage to their soul and spiritual hardship. Taking the pieces outside and burying them in the moonlight could avoid this. 2. Open an umbrella indoors and bad luck will à ¢â‚¬Å"rain† on you. a)Origin can be traced back to when umbrellas were used as sun protection.Opening one indoors supposedly was offensive to the sun (or sun god) and would bring his wrath down upon the offender 3. Walking under a ladder will bring bad luck. a)Excluding the obvious – that something might fall on you from above – the belief that walking under a ladder will bring bad luck seems to stem from the ladder forming a triangle with the wall and the ground. This represents the â€Å"Holy Trinity†, and if you violate this by entering the space, it puts you in league with the devil, and you're likely to incur God's wrath. 4. Friday the 13thThe belief that thirteen brings bad luck is an extremely pervasive belief throughout many societies, and is strong enough that many major hotels and high rises traditionally either build only twelve floors, or, if they want to go higher, skip labeling the 13th floor entirely! Many people refuse to stay on the 13th f loor, or in room 13. People stay home from work, for fear of something bad happening. Most airports don't have a thirteenth gate. There are many theories as to why this belief is held. One is that Judas, known as â€Å"the Betrayer of Jesus†, was the 13th member present at the Last Supper.Paraskevidekatriaphobia is the official term for the fear of Friday the Thirteenth. Jesus was said to have been crucified on Friday and the number of guests at the party of the Last Supper was 13, with the 13th guest being Judas, the traitor. II. Superstition plays a role in several of our nationally celebrated Holidays and traditions. A. Halloween blah blah blah 1. Costumes- The people of Ireland at that time were pagans and spirits were a part of their religion. Their beliefs involved good and evil spirits and would strive to live in harmony with both.This is where the custom of dressing up in costumes came in. On All Hallows Eve the spirits of the dead, good and evil, were believed to wal k the streets until sunrise so anyone out might run into an evil spirit and become possessed. To keep from becoming possessed, the villagers would dress in animal skins and paint their faces to scare away the bad spirits. 2. Trick or treat- it began in Ireland as part of their end-of-summer festival. October 31st is the last day of the Celtic calendar and November 1st begins the new year.On this last day of the year it what a widely-held belief that on this one night the spirits of the dead could visit the living. Family members would leave a plate of food and a place set at the table to welcome their spiritual guests. People would also leave gifts of food out to keep from angering the evil spirits and causing them to do mischief. It was a preventative measure. The saying â€Å"trick or treat† was a question, because if you left no treat you may wake up the next morning to find you had been victim of a trick or some form of mischief B. Thanksgiving blah blah During Thanksgivi ng, it is traditional to roast a turkey.When it is served, it's also traditional for two people to take the wishbone (the bird's clavicle) each making a wish, they pull apart the bone to break it. The person ending up with the larger piece will supposedly get his or her wish. Although Thanksgiving is an American holiday, the wishbone custom was brought over to the new world by the Pilgrims from England, where it had long been in practice. The ritual of breaking apart the wishbone can be traced back to the ancient Romans, Etymologists claim that the expression ‘get a lucky break' initially applied to the person winning the larger half in a wishbone tug-of-war. III. There are many wedding traditions that may seem a little silly and far fetched, and even though most of us don’t know their origin or meaning, we still include them in our wedding day rituals. A. It’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her wedding dress before the ceremony. 1. During the time wh en arranged marriages were custom, the couple wasn’t allowed to see each other before the wedding at all. The wedding symbolized a business deal between two families and a father would have been pleased for his daughter to marry a man from a rich family.But he also feared that if the groom met the bride before the wedding and thought she wasn’t attractive, he’d call off the wedding, casting shame onto the bride and her family. Therefore, it became tradition that the bride and groom were only allowed to meet at the wedding ceremony so that the groom did not have the opportunity to change his mind. And that veil the bride wears? Its original purpose was also to keep the groom from finding out what the bride looked like until the last possible minute, when it was too late to back out of the transactionB. Ringer Finger 1. C. The person who catches the bride’s bouquet or garter when she tosses it over her head will be the next to get married. 1. The story behi nd this tradition is downright dirty. In medieval times, it was considered lucky to get a fragment of the bride’s clothing, so hordes of guests would follow the newlywed couple into their wedding chamber after the ceremony and stand around the bed, trying to rip pieces of the bride’s gown right off her body.Because dresses were often torn apart, brides searched for alternatives to preserve their gowns and began throwing their bouquets to distract guests while they made their getaway. When the bride and groom made it safely into their wedding chamber, the groom would then crack open the door and toss the bride’s garter to the throngs of people waiting outside as a way of saying that he was about to â€Å"seal the deal. † D.The groom must carry his new wife across the threshold of their new home to prevent bad luck. 1. In ancient cultures, the threshold of the home was considered to be a hotbed of lurking, unattached evil spirits, and since a new bride was particularly vulnerable to spirit intrusion, especially through the soles of her feet, the groom ensured that his wife would not bring any bad spirits into the house by carrying her inside. Conclusion

Overview on Reasons to Learn Mandarin Chinese

Overview on Reasons to Learn Mandarin Chinese Mandarin is â€Å"too hard† to learn, right? Despite this widely-held belief, millions of people are studying Mandarin Chinese as a second language. But if it’s so hard, why bother to learn Mandarin? Is Mandarin Difficult? There is no doubt that written Chinese is difficult to learn – even for the Chinese! But the spoken language is a different kettle of fish. In many ways, Mandarin Chinese is much easier to learn than European languages. Here are some features which make Mandarin easy: no subject/verb agreementno pluralsno conjugationsno tensessimple numbering system which is applied to dates and time expressionssimple conditional sentencessimple prepositions Why Learn Mandarin? So Mandarin is easy, but why learn it? The number one reason is that Mandarin Chinese is the most widely-spoken language in the world. Learn to speak Mandarin and you can speak with millions of people around the world. More reasons: Business - Business people who speak Mandarin have a huge advantage in tapping into the Chinese market. It is much easier to develop all-important relationships if you can speak Mandarin.Travel - China and Taiwan offer exciting travel opportunities. Getting around is much easier if you can speak Mandarin.Culture - With thousands of years of history, Chinese culture is endlessly fascinating. Whether your interests are in history, architecture, music, or cuisine, a knowledge of Mandarin will enrich your understanding of Chinese culture. Chinese Characters The Chinese writing system is quite a challenge, but this is another reason to learn it! Despite its difficulty, learning to read and write Chinese will give you a lifetime of intellectual stimulation. The real beauty of the language is revealed in the writing. There are thousands of Chinese characters, but they are not randomly constructed. There is a system to their design, and understanding that system makes it much easier to learn new characters. So take the challenge and learn Mandarin Chinese! It is your ticket to a lifetime of reward.

Assignment Vietnam War Essays

Assignment Vietnam War Essays Assignment Vietnam War Essay Assignment Vietnam War Essay Assignment Vietnam War Michelle Caudillo HIS/135 July 17, 2011 Mona Rocha During the Vietnam War there was a draft called the Selective Service System. When men turned eighteen, they had to register with the draft. The draft had many changes; one was that if an individual was enrolled in college they could receive a deferment and not have to be drafted in the military until after college. However, once they graduated their name would be put to the top of the list to be drafted and deployed immediately. With this policy in effect many colleges and universities became involved in anti-war movements. Most of the faculty and students did not believe in the war and its cause. Between the years of 1961 and 1973 the war claimed 57,000 American lives and left more than 300,000 wounded. (Davidson, 2005) Come graduation time many students feared the reality of the draft. Many students protested and voiced their opposition to the war. With fear there was the distrust of the government figures in charge and they publicly questioned the governmentâ„ ¢s judgment on handling the war. When the United States announced they would begin to send troops to Cambodia there was such a large protest that the National Guard had to be called in to control the situation. There was fear the protesting would turn into rioting and businesses would get damaged in the process. Come May 4th, 1970, Kent State Universityâ„ ¢s anti-war rally grew to almost 3,000 people in support of the anti-war movement. The National Guard had to use tear gas, when that did not work due to windy weather they attempted to enforce the Ohio Riot Act with raised bayonets, forcing demonstrators to retreat. (Kent State University, n.d.) As a result of the National Guard attack toward the protestors, nine students were injured, one of which was left paralyzed, and four died. This incident put Kent State University in the spotlight and added fuel to the 1970â„ ¢s continuing anti-war movement. Many Americans feared them and their families could be victims on another incident like the Kent State University event. Parents began to question the draft, the Vietnam War, and American politics. Many of the peace talks that were organized were not carried out so peacefully. American soldierâ„ ¢s lives were not the only things that Americans paid with for the war. The United States had put in over $120 million into supporting the war and the soldiers. With that inflation rose and President Johnson had to raise taxes. Unfortunately, the Republicans would not approve the tax raise with their being a cut to the social welfare programs. It was clear the United States did not have the resources or wealth to remain dominant over the world. President Nixonâ„ ¢s Doctrine allowed America escape itâ„ ¢s military obligations by placing responsibility on other allied countries. With this happening, Americaâ„ ¢s foreign military sales went from $1.8 billion to $15.2 billion in the next six years. (Davidson, 2005) As America was withdrawing from the Vietnam War it began looking for ways to contain the Soviets without the use of violence. They first needed to remove any threat of the Sovietâ„ ¢s nuclear weapons. The United States allowed some nuclear concessions and the Soviets vowed to lower their supply, with both nations agreeing not to make any new missiles by signing Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty. The United States then began to make diplomatic relations with China with hopes that this would have the Soviets work with the United States. References Davidson, J. (Ed.). (2005). Nation of nations: A concise narrative of the American republic (4th ed., vol. 2). New York: McGraw-Hill. May 4th, 1970 (n.d.). May 4th, 1970 General Information. Retrieved from http://dept.kent.edu/ksumay4/welcome.htm

Funny Quotes About Life

Funny Quotes About Life People have been pondering, debating, and writing about life for millennia. Sometimes, no matter the circumstances, humor can help with healing or understanding- and sometimes you just have to laugh. Its all about perspective. Alan Bennett Life is rather like a tin of sardines- were all of us looking for the key. Carl Sandburg Life is like an onion: You peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes you weep. Charles Schulz My life has no purpose, no direction, no aim, no meaning, and yet Im happy. I cant figure it out. What am I doing right? Charlotte Bronte Life is so constructed that an event does not, cannot, will not, match the expectation. Elbert Hubbard Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive. Douglas Adams Life...is like a grapefruit. Its orange and squishy and has a few pips in it, and some folks have half a one for breakfast. Friedrich Nietzsche He who has a why to live can bear almost any how. Alice Roosevelt Longworth I have a simple philosophy: Fill whats empty. Empty whats full. Scratch where it itches. George Bernard Shaw Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh. Anatole French The average man does not know what to do with his life yet wants another one which will last forever. J.P. Getty â€Å"My formula for success is rise early, work late and strike oil.† T.S. Eliot â€Å"The journey, not the arrival, matters.† Ralph Waldo Emerson â€Å"Do not follow where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.† Winston Churchill If you are going through hell, keep going. Douglas Adams â€Å"There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened.† Mark Twain Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you dont mind, it doesnt matter. Ray Kroc Luck is a dividend of sweat. The more you sweat, the luckier you get. Mahatma Gandhi   There is more to life than increasing its speed.   Maya Angelou   Ive learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way (s)he handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.   Abraham Lincoln   Everyone desires to live long, but no one would be old. Mother Teresa   I know God will not give me anything I cant handle. I just wish He didnt trust me so much. Robert Louis Stevenson Dont judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seed that you plant. W. Somerset Maugham Its a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it.  Ã‚   Mark Twain â€Å"All you need in this life is  ignorance and confidence, and then  success is sure.† Voltaire â€Å"Life is a shipwreck but we must not forget tossing in the lifeboats.† Sydney Harris â€Å"When I hear somebody sigh,  Life is hard, I am always tempted to ask, ‘Compared to what?† Terry Pratchett â€Å"Wisdom comes from experience. Experience is often a result of lack of wisdom.† Jim Harrison â€Å"The simple act of opening a bottle of wine has brought more happiness to the human race than all the collective governments in the history of earth.† W.H. Auden â€Å"We are all here on earth to help others; what on earth the others are here for I don’t know.† Abraham Lincoln â€Å"The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.† Bernard Baruch â€Å"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.† Dalai Lama â€Å"If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.† Dorothy Parker â€Å"The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.† Douglas Adams â€Å"Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.† George W. Bush â€Å"To those of you who received honors, awards, and distinctions, I say, Well done. And to the C students, I say you, too, can be president of the United States.†

Develop your own marketing communication model derived from academic Assignment - 1

Develop your own marketing communication model derived from academic research. Use this model to analyse the Marketing Communications Campaign of your chosen FMCG (Nescaf) brand - Assignment Example Marketing communications, as defined by Egan (2007, p. 1), is â€Å"the means by which a supplier of goods, services, values and/or ideas represent themselves to their target audience with the goal of stimulating dialogue leading to a better commercial or other relationships†. Marketing communications is said to be good when it takes into account three primary elements i.e. audience, message and media (Dahlà ©n, Lange & Smith 2009). These three elements are interlinked and the decision regarding marketing communication tools must take into account all three of them. Marketing communication tools are also known as marketing communications mix or promotional mix. Egan (2007, p. 17) defined these tools as â€Å"tools used in marketing communications such as advertising, sales promotion, public relations, personal selling, direct marketing etc†. Now the company has to decide how well it can integrate these tools in order to ensure they get a positive feedback from the whol e communication process. Communication process is presented below. There are several marketing communications models developed after much research on the effect of communications on product marketing. All of them try to explore different facets on how consumers perceive information provided to them by the marketer and how they react to it. Since positive reaction/feedback enhance company’s profits therefore communicating a product in a right manner to the target audiences is very important. Following head discusses the marketing communication models in detail with particular emphasis on two models, Strong’s AIDA model and Mindscape of Integrated Marketing Communications Model (extended version presented by Hartley & Pickton 2010). Marketing communications which is also referred to as Integrated Marketing Communications is â€Å"a process of using a wide range

Software Engineering Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Software Engineering - Assignment Example At this second level, organizations depend mainly on policies for managing a software project and measures to apply those policies are established. These measures help the organizations to repeat successfully the previously mastered tasks and avoid the repetition of failures. The major chunk of an organizations processes at this level stays institutionalized, through staff experience instead of detailed documentation procedures. The various engineering activities and the processes of management at this level is formally defined, documented and integrated. In the process of development and maintenance of software, the organizations staff follows this defined standard process. At this third level, newer methods and tools can be added, and it becomes easier to train new staff to adapt according to the requirement of the organization. At this level, organizations stress the importance of quantitatively measuring the quality of the products delivered by each process. Detailed measures of the software process and product quality are collected and used to identify and correct issues with process performances. Organizations set quantitative goals for both software products as well as processes. As part of the organizations measurement program, productivity and quality of all software process activities and its supporting activities are measured. As new sets of tools or processes are added, or adjustments are made to already existing processes, measurement data enables the organization to access the success of the adjustment as well as prevent the recurrence of defects. At level 5, focus is on the continuous process improvement. The organization proactively identifies strengths and weakness in process, with the aim of preventing the occurrence of defects. Here continuous improvement becomes institutionalized into the development process. Instead of merely

The World is Flat Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

The World is Flat - Essay Example However as we analyze the economic competitions, we come to know that there are other different variables to the overall economic competition in the globalized world also. Since information technology provide just one aspect of growth, the availability of skilled labor force, the availability of indigenous sources of raw materials etc are some of the core issues which define the competition within any industry whether at the local and regional level or at the globalized level. The arguments put forward in this should also be analyzed in terms of the arguments put forward by Joseph Stieglitz in his book â€Å"Globalization and its discontents†. The supposed exploitative power of globalization has not in fact flattened the world however it has allowed few more countries to come into its folds to exploit those who lack that capability. It is also further be noted that the writer has quoted the examples of China and India while citing the reasons for flattened world however as of now the Indian economy is sliding back. The brief period of Euphoria seems to be ending as the external events such as surge in oil prices, food inflation as well as shortages of essential commodities have forced to kneel down. This suggest that the flattened world have not allowed to grow in economic terms rather allowed it to grow for brief period of time through speculative activities through stock exchange and real estate boom. Author has largely relied on the development into information technology as well as tele-communication technologies as the main events which have connected the world and created an opportunity for the flattened world. The author has however defined ten most important events which have flattened the world. The fall of the Berlin wall is the first major event which has allowed the start of the flattening of the world

Psycholigical Disorders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Psycholigical Disorders - Essay Example Discussion will also produce possible hospitalization therapies as well as when individuals should be admitted to a hospital based on symptoms. Finally, a brief summary of a case study will round out the discussion. One of the main disputes surrounding hallucination therapeutic evaluation is if the disorder is standalone or a side-effect of a much more psychological disorder such as Schizophrenia. The terminology surrounding hallucinations defines it as "a perception in the absence of sensory stimulation that is confused with reality (Psychology: Concepts and Connections, pg 518). As many psychiatrists evaluate their patients in a clinical surrounding, it would be circumspect to immediately label a person who is suffering from hallucinations as being diagnosed with Schizophrenia. One of the more important aspects of the diagnoses as to if the individual is suffering from hallucinations is to follow the same procedural steps in diagnosing any person with an ailment and that is to start with the symptoms Symptoms of hallucinations can either result from a traumatic event, results of other medical disorders such as epilepsy, olfactory seizures or from a variety of means of neurological aetiology. To understand the symptoms of these various forms of hallucinations, there is a need to understand the different types of neurological hallucinations that lead to correct diagnosis of symptoms. These include: GustatorGustatory hallucinations: are seldom found as an early sign of cognitive derangement. Clinical evolution could point toward early manifestations of Alzheimer's Dementia. Patients suffering from psychotic depression may also, report the illusion of bad taste in their mouth. Peduncular hallucinations: They originate from lesions of the mid-brain tegmentum. They may be elaborated and complex, rich in color, and depict landscapes, familiar faces, buildings, or lilliputian visions. Feeling tone may be absent, and the patient witnesses them with calm amusement. Auditory and Vertiginous Hallucinations: 1 Auditory: Stimuli of the transverse gyrus of Heschl of the temporal lobe, may elicit auditory events. 2. Vertiginous: Meniere's disease is the cause of severe kinesthetic hallucinations , accompanied by nausea, dizziness, and malaise. It may be also have tinnitus, often described as "chirping", or as the sound of crickets. This must be clinically differentiated from acoustic neuroma, vertebro-basilar artery syndromes, and other posterior fossa entities. Autoscopic hallucinations: These are a blend of visual and proprioceptive hallucinations. In these cases, the vision is of one's double, like in a mirror, sometimes repeating one's gestures, and on occasions busy with other activities, a veritable doppelganger. They may be secondary to hypnopompic hallucinations, migraine, seizure disorders, delirium, encephalitis, post-concussion syndrome, or even non-neurological events such as: transcendental meditation, mystic events, use of hallucinogens, and near death experiences (Boza, 1981) The symptoms, as mentioned above vary from patient to patient depending on their neurological dysfunction. The Merck Manual of Geriatrics entertains hallucinations as an ongoing concern for the elderly patients under doctor's care and suggests that the symptoms of hallucinations in the

Study Skills - Methods of studing Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Study Skills - Methods of studing - Coursework Example One aim and objective that I have set for working on this assignment is that I will make sure I cover all of the details of this study. Secondly, I must make sure that I write the study to the best of my ability, keeping it free of errors and see to it that it conveys the correct data. Finally, I must see to it that I use technical language fluently, and I must use it properly. If I follow all three of these aims and objectives for this particular assignment, it is certain that I will have a good mark on it. the second assignment that I have set aims and objectives for is the project that involves me writing a report for the Somerset Park Hotel. Like the above assignment, there are three aims and objectives that I will want to follow to insure that I do my assignment to the best of my ability. One aim and objective that I will need to apply is that I will see to it that I factor in all of the costs of the hotel project, so as to give an accurate assessment of what will need to be spent to keep the hotel going. The second aim and objective that I will need to apply to the completion of this assignment is that I will need to see to it that I write in a way that is easy to understand, while also making sure that the language flows and that what I write is grammatically correct. And finally, I will see to it that I completely analyze the study of the hotel, so I can have all of the pertinent details and will construct the report well. Then there is the assignment where I am to show that I have a basic understanding of HTML, and to prove this, I am to design a web site to demonstrate the skills that I have thus far. For this assignment, there are three aims and objectives that I have set to insure that I do the assignment correctly, completely, and produce high quality work. One aim and objective that I have set forth is to make sure I am using

Environmental Ethics. Assignment 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Environmental Ethics. Assignment 2 - Essay Example It is a fact that human beings will perish if they do not constrain their actions towards the ecosystem or nature. The notion of anthropocentric is synonymous to human centeredness, which indicates that all ethics are related to humans. As far as it is concerned, only human beings are can reflect on the ethical aspects of disciplines; therefore all moral debates are usually human centric. Zoos are not immoral only because they provide an unnatural habitat to the animals. Zoos cannot be considered immoral as they help animals to survive. Good zoos try to lessen the impact on animals by providing them with the surroundings similar to their natural habitats. Some animals are kept in the zoos for their own safety and for the preservation of their species. Many of the endangered species of the animals are present in the zoo so that they may repopulate their society and at some point of time they may return back to their natural habitat. Tree-hugger is basically the term used for the environmentalist campaigners. It is also referred to the practices which prevent trees from felling down. The notion of tree hugger is all about the broad ideology, philosophy and social movement related to the protection of environment and the improvement of its health. The idea of tree hugger is also related to the environmental ethics as it is all about protecting the trees, which are considered to be one of the important natural resource of the ecosystem. Tree huggers speak about the environmental ethics related to the trees and about their sustainable management. Sustainable living offer the human beings an ongoing opportunity for practicing the spiritual mindfulness. Each of the eco-friendly acts performed by the humans (such as repairing, composting, recycling, reusing, eco-wise shopping and conserving energy and water) are also considered to be the acts of spiritual mindfulness. It is degree of mindfulness that we

Study Skills - Methods of studing Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Study Skills - Methods of studing - Coursework Example One aim and objective that I have set for working on this assignment is that I will make sure I cover all of the details of this study. Secondly, I must make sure that I write the study to the best of my ability, keeping it free of errors and see to it that it conveys the correct data. Finally, I must see to it that I use technical language fluently, and I must use it properly. If I follow all three of these aims and objectives for this particular assignment, it is certain that I will have a good mark on it. the second assignment that I have set aims and objectives for is the project that involves me writing a report for the Somerset Park Hotel. Like the above assignment, there are three aims and objectives that I will want to follow to insure that I do my assignment to the best of my ability. One aim and objective that I will need to apply is that I will see to it that I factor in all of the costs of the hotel project, so as to give an accurate assessment of what will need to be spent to keep the hotel going. The second aim and objective that I will need to apply to the completion of this assignment is that I will need to see to it that I write in a way that is easy to understand, while also making sure that the language flows and that what I write is grammatically correct. And finally, I will see to it that I completely analyze the study of the hotel, so I can have all of the pertinent details and will construct the report well. Then there is the assignment where I am to show that I have a basic understanding of HTML, and to prove this, I am to design a web site to demonstrate the skills that I have thus far. For this assignment, there are three aims and objectives that I have set to insure that I do the assignment correctly, completely, and produce high quality work. One aim and objective that I have set forth is to make sure I am using

Subsidies Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Subsidies - Research Paper Example This paper aims at examining the relationship between subsidies and economic growth in the context of developing countries. Subsidies are financial assistance provided by the government of a country to some of its domestic firms or a specific industry or sector (Schaffer, Agusti & Earle 374). The governments of different countries allocate subsidies to its industries with a variety of objectives both in direct and indirect forms. However, the central purpose of levying a subsidy is to keep the price below the level normally determined by the market forces in the sector in which the subsidy is provided and accelerate the course of development in the entire nation (Moltke, McKee & Morgan 23). In particular, subsidies are provided to those industries or sectors which are lagging behind the other sectors in the economy in terms of performance or are not being able to perform up the expected level. The subject about impact of subsidies on the developing countries is quite researched upon. Before going into the details of my research work I shall review some of the existing literature on this topic in this section. Peacock elaborates in his paper the role of subsidies is important in the overall welfare of the economy (Peocock 323-335). Although elimination of subsidies on necessary goods, such as agricultural products, medicines and other items related to health sector and the petroleum products, is a key policy prescription for the developing countries by the World Bank, no persuasive theory has been developed supporting this policy. Amegashie states in this context that the governments of the developing countries should exercise caution in following a process of removing subsidies since it might give rise to agitation on part of the citizens (Amegashie 7-15). Thus, the research will try to explore the effects and side effects of such system. The study employs secondary sources. The research will employ Qualitative method and

History and Evolution of Dogs Essay Example for Free

History and Evolution of Dogs Essay Domestic dogs inherited complex behaviors from their wolf ancestors, being pack hunters with complex body language. These sophisticated forms of social cognition and communication may account for their trainability, playfulness, and ability to fit into human households and social situations, and these attributes have given dogs a relationship with humans that has enabled them to become one of the most successful species on the planet today. Although experts largely disagree over the details of dog domestication, it is agreed that human interaction played a significant role in shaping the subspecies. Shortly after domestication, dogs became ubiquitous in human populations, and spread throughout the world. Emigrants from Siberia likely crossed the Bering Strait with dogs in their company, and some experts suggest the use of sled dogs may have been critical to the success of the waves that entered North America roughly 12,000 years ago, although the earliest archaeological evidence of dog-like canids in North America dates from about 9,000 years ago. Dogs were an important part of life for the Athabascan population in North America, and were their only domesticated animal. The divergence date of roughly 15,000 years ago is based in part on archaeological evidence that demonstrates the domestication of dogs occurred more than 15,000 years ago,and some genetic evidence indicates the domestication of dogs from their wolf ancestors began in the late Upper Paleolithic close to the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary, between 17,000 and 14,000 years ago. But there is a wide range of other, contradictory findings that make this issue controversial. Archaeological evidence suggests the latest dogs could have diverged from wolves was roughly 15,000 years ago, although it is possible they diverged much earlier. In 2008, a team of international scientists released findings from an excavation at Goyet Cave in Belgium declaring a large, toothy canine existed 31,700 years ago and ate a diet of horse, musk ox and reindeer. Prior to this Belgian discovery, the earliest dog fossils were two large skulls from Russia and a mandible from Germany dated from roughly 14,000 years ago. Remains of smaller dogs from Natufian cave deposits in the Middle East, including the earliest burial of a human being with a domestic dog, have been dated to around 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. There is a great deal of archaeological evidence for dogs throughout Europe and Asia around this period and through the next two thousand years, with fossils uncovered in Germany, the French Alps, and Iraq, and cave paintings in Turkey The oldest remains of a domesticated dog in the Americas were found in Texas and have been dated to about 9,400 years ago.

Global Marketing :: essays papers

Global Marketing Internet Paper The internet’s first role is the delivery and collection of timely information about products and services. We will have a look at the realistic role that the internet might play in assisting firms to reach their international marketing objectives. There are two types of impediments to the internet’s adoption and growth in international marketing: structural and functional. Structural issues are likely to have greater impact on consumer internet marketing than on business-to-business marketing. Functional issues are likely to have a greater influence on consumer marketing because businesses are easier to identify, segment, and reach. Functional issues A distinction can be made in the use of the internet: a passive use and an active use. The passive mode is used when the company recognizes the importance of having a presence on the web. The company will offer products, services, contact opportunity and other information that can be used by the consumer. Much more complex is the active use of the internet. It demands the identification of its appropriate role in the firm’s global strategic marketing plan. One functional issue is the market segmentation that should be chosen by the company. At this moment the mass marketing via the internet can not be pursued yet since there are still some limitations at this moment. A limitation is that the public access to the internet is still limited. Prospects are declaring that, when correctly applied, the internet is quickly adopted by the target audience and grows rapidly. Another limitation is that there is no programming per se to attract the individual surfer on the internet. However, the internet is well-suited for relatively homogeneous products that enjoy a broad appeal. Second, advertising has been the most natural and perhaps best developed use of the internet to date. The internet can be viewed as a mulitmedium, so it should be treated with the same principles as other advertising media. Promotion is a very important issue in this whole concept since with promotion brand recognition can be reached. Pricing is a third issue that should be mentioned. Pricing on the internet at the manufacturer level makes it easier for the competition to accumulate relevant price data and modify its current marketing program. Even a new strategy can be developed to compete for a bigger share of the market.

Technology and Beckett’s Play, Krapp’s Last Tape Essay -- Krapp’s Last

Technology and Beckett’s Play, Krapp’s Last Tape â€Å"bois seul bouffe brà »le crà ªve seul comme devant les absents sont morts les prà ©sents puent sors tes yeux dà ©tourne-les sur les roseaux se taquinent-ils ou les aà ¯s pas la peine il y a le vent et l’à ©tat de veille†[1][1] -Samuel Beckett, Untitled As an avant-garde writer and a trend starter, Beckett was intensely in touch with his own time and its most significant realities, one of which being technological progress. In his play Krapp’s Last Tape, first performed in 1958, we meet yet another one of his spiritually crippled and disillusioned characters: Krapp, an old recluse. Krapp is alone on the stage, seconded only by a tape player/recorder. As an embodiment of his memory, the machine completes Krapp and provides him with a link to his past, a grounding force which serves to give him a stronger presence. Ultimately, however, Krapp is no better off than analogous characters in Beckett’s work. Whatever crumbs of hope the machine may bring, the core of the human problem is still the human condition, and that itself may not be changed by any form of insight into the past, however clear. â€Å"A late evening in the future.† starts Beckett’s script of Krapp’s Last Tape. One needs not to imagine what this future is like; if this indication is significant at all, its meaning does not exist has a stage direction to be interpreted creatively by the theatrical director. Rather, this indication concerns the whole mood and pace of the play; this is to be the future; that time or state after all that we may have planned or expected has passed. The world which Krapp inhabits is far away from our own; his â€Å"den† might as well be on another p... ...t or indirect manner. In fact, one would be in the right to propound the contrary; that the machine, in Beckett’s opinion, is a distraction from the meaningful aspects of existence, a superficial solution to the real problems of life. Works Cited and Consulted Astro, Alan. Understanding Samuel Beckett. Columbia: University of South Carolina, 1992. Beckett, Samuel. Collected Poems in English and French. New-York: Grover Press, 1977. Beckett, Samuel. Endgame. New-York: Grove Press, 1970. Beckett, Samuel. Krapp’s Last Tape and Embers. London, Faber and Faber,1968. Beckett, Samuel. Beckett: The Complete Short Prose,1929-1989 ed. S.E. Gontarski. New-York: Grove Press, 1995. Durozoi, Gà ©rard. Prà ©sence littà ©raire : Beckett. Paris: Bordas, 1972. Notes 1 Collected Poems in English and French, 45. 2 The Complete Short Prose, xi 3 Durozoi, 101

Valley of the Immortals

SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS Table of Contents: The Jade Tower! 3 The Secret Entrance to the â€Å"Valley of the Immortals†! 5 Mysterious Mountain People! 8 A Lost Oasis of Advanced Spiritual Culture! 11 Eyewitness Reports of Shambhala! 12 Trans-Himalayan Stonehenge! 14 More Strange Phenomena in Tibet ! 16 The Mystery of the Magical Sceptre! 18 The Shambhala Triangle! 21 Journey to the Sacred Kingdom! 22 Subterranean Vaults in the Himalayas! 25 The White Pyramid and The Shambhala Triangle! 28 â€Å"The Tibetan Roswell†! 0 The Crystal Cave of the Nagas! 32 Dead Alien Found Alive!! 35 Russian Scientists View an Ethereal Solar System! 36 The Laboratories of Shambhala! 37 Conclusion! 40 by Tony Bushby  © June 2009 – 2011 Website: http://www. vatileaks. com www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS The Jade Tower In Tibetan scriptures and in Far Eastern tradition , there is an ancient and widespread belief in a Secret Kingdom of Wise Men living in seclusion in inaccessible mountainous parts of Asia. Orientalists call this mysterious place Chang Shambhala, or Northern Shambhala (sometimes spelled Shamballa).Tibetan monks insist that there is an enigmatic valley of great beauty, surrounded by a circle of snowy mountains extending from northern Tibet. -into Mongolia, that is inaccessible to travellers without experienced or mystical guidance. It is said in tradition that this hidden land is unreachable except to initiates or persons dedicated to the spiritual resurrection of mankind. Its centre is highlighted by the famous Jade Tower that stands in an ancient city which monks claim is heated by warm water rising from underground streams, and the steam generated rises into the atmosphere to form a natural temperature inversion.This valley is not seen from the air because the phenomenon produces a high, light, misty cover that conceals the underl ying landscape. Various exploratory teams journeying in the Himalayas claimed to have camped by hot thermal springs that nourished rich vegetation in areas outside of which there was nothing but desolation, rock and ice. Like the Tibetans, Russians and Chinese,. the people of India also believe in the reality of an abode of perfect men and women which they call the Kalapa (sometimes Katapa) of Shambhala, who live-in the constant presence of otherworldly energies.Professor Nicholas K. Roerich, an eminent Russian author, painter and explorer (1874-1947) spent ? ve years from 1923 to 1928 trekking through all seven Tibetan prefectures. He wrote in his book Himalayas – Abode of Light (N. K; Roerich, Nalanda Publications, Bombay, l947) that this secret valley is beyond great lakes and the snow-covered peaks of the highest mountains in the world. It seems that Professor Roerich actually reached Sharnbhala, and for this reason his www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTAL S ooks and paintings were thoroughly analysed for this article, as were the works of his son, Dr GeorgeRoerich (1902-1960), an outstanding orientalist, philologist, art critic and ethnographer with degrees from Harvard and the Sorbonne. The Roerich family lived in the Kulu Valley of northern India, in close proximity to the border of western Tibet, and from there organised several major expeditions into unexplored areas of the Tibetan Plateau, the highest land on Earth. These expeditions were manned by dozens of Norwegian, Sherpa, Tibetan, Mongol and Chinese assistants, and at times their missions endured for many months.Another renowned researcher, Andrew Tomas, author of Shambhala: Oasis of Light (Sphere Books, London, 1977), spent many years in Tibet, where he learned that the realm of Shambhala is situated in a valley sheltered on every side by mighty snowy ranges and that its residents retreat into huge subterranean catacombs. These and other explorers of Asia have written abou t unsuspected valleys lost amidst colossal snowy mountains on the Tibetan Plateau, said to lie hidden somewhere in the vast reaches of the Himalayas.The Bhagavata Purana and the Sanskrit encyclopaedia Vachaspattya locate Shambhala on the northern side of the Himalayas at the foot of Mount Meru, where many believe that the temporal and the eternal meet. A more de? ned location is shown on a 17th-century map published in 1830 in Antwerp by Csoma de Koros, an Hungarian philologist who had spent four years in a Buddhist monastery in Tibet. He gave Shambhala's geographical bearings as between 45 and 50 degrees north latitude beyond Lake Manus Hu, approx. 100 kilometres east of the village of Karamay.Remarkably, another old monastic document, sighted by Russian explorer Nikolai M. Prjevalgky (1839-1888), de? nes the longitude of Shambhala as at 88 degrees (N. M. www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS Prjevalsky, Mongolia, London, 1876, translated by Boris Fereng, p. 63). Th ese two coordinates locate the domain of Shambhala as slightly east of the Altai Mountains, a major mountain system in Central Asia, peaking at 4,506 metres (14,783 feet), and precisely where the Poerich expeditions trekked on several occasions.The Secret Entrance to the â€Å"Valley of the Immortals† For millennia, the peoples of Asia have believed this forbidden territory to be well guarded, accessible only to the pure of heart. But the questions to be addressed are: who are the people that live in this secluded area†¦ and what is their nature? Tibetan legend insists that this secret place is inhabited by â€Å"Silent Sentinels†oformerly ordinary men and women who received a â€Å"passport† to Shambhala because of their spiritual progression.Andrew Tomas presents impressive evidence from Tibetan sources in ancient monastic libraries that he was privileged to access, and his ? ndings help us learn more about this enlightened colony: The Brotherhood of Sham bhala is presided over by a small hierarchy of superior beings sometimes alluded to as Mahatmas, which in Sanskrit means â€Å"the great-souled ones†. They are superhuman beings with preternatural powers who have completed their evolution on this planet but remain with humanity in order to facilitate its spiritual progress †¦ he life- span of their bodies is almost inde? nite because the Wheel of Rebirth has stopped for them. (Andrew Tomas, Shambhala: Oasis of Light, op. cit. , pp. 43-44, passim) In other words, they are Immortal Beings – and from what is known about this galaxy of illumined peoples, the concept of reincarnation is an essential part of their philosophy. Tibetan manuscripts add that â€Å"from time immemorial, a dynasty of wise rulers of celestial origin has ruled the Kingdom of Shambhala and preserved the priceless legacy of Kalachakra, the mystic science of Esoteric www. atileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS Buddhism† (Giuseppe T ucci, Tibetan Painted Scrolls, Rome, 1949, vol. 1). After seven years in Tibet and China, German author Hartwig Hausdorf wrote in his book Die weisse Pyramide (â€Å"The White Pyramid†) that the Elders of Shambhala â€Å"are not entirely of this world; they smack more of an Alien Mind.. .a species that the Universal Mind has placed on our Earth† (Hartwig Hausdorf, Die Weisse Pyramide, republished in English by New Paradigm Books, Florida, 1998, pp. 92, 102, passim).Since time immemorial, Tibetans and other Asian races have believed that in their midst lived sages who had liberated themselves from death and wandered the Earth and the Universe at will in a physical body. Ancients called them â€Å"holy immortals† and claimed that they had developed a series of alchemical! â€Å"elixirs of deathlessness†,! i n c l u d i n g powdered jade mixed with cinnabar that they drank to help prepare their bodies for the state of hsien – material immortality in a n etherealised body. The now-called Mahatma Letters to A. P.Sinnett were written between 1880 and 1885 by Mallatmas who were said to have actually inhabited Shambhala itself, and thus they represent a ? rst-hand source about the realm from within the closed circle of the Sages of the East themselves. (Alfred Percy Sinnett [1840-19211 was the British editor of the English daily newspaper, the Pioneer, in Allahabad, India, where he lived from 1879 to 1889, and who was privileged to be, admitted into the Himalayan Brotherhood of High Yogis. ) From this correspondence, Sinnett wrote The Occult World (1881) and Esoteric Buddhism (1883), both of which had a major in? ence in generating public interest in Theosophy. The replies and explanations given by the Shambhalan Mahatmas to Sinnett's questions were embodied in their letters and published in 1923 as The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett. (The original letters from the Mahatmas are www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS p reserved in the British Library and can be viewed by special permission in the Department of Rare Manuscripts. ) The picture of this mysterious kingdom comes further into focus after a study of the writings of the Mahatmas, who were believed to be a class of people with prophetic abilities.In one letter to Sinnett in 1881, the author, the venerable Mahatma Morya, an eastern initiate of Rajput birth, describes the imposing secret entrance into the Valley of the Immortals: At a certain spot not to be mentioned to outsiders, there is a chasm spanned by a frail bridge of woven grasses and with a raging torrent beneath. The bravest member of your Alpine clubs would scarcely dare to venture the passage, for it hangs like a spider's web and seems to be rotten and impassable. Yet it is not; and he who dares the trail and succeeds†¦ s he will if it is right that he should be permitted.. .comes into a gorge of surpassing beauty of scenery, to one of our places and to some of our people, of which and whom there is no note or minute among European geographers. At a stone's throw from the old lamasery stands the old Tower within whose bosom have gestated generations! of! B o d h i s a t t v a s [compassionate persons whose essence is perfect knowledge]. (Passport to Shambhala, published by the West Siberia Geographical Society, 1923, Letter 18, p. 1, English translation by Professor Vladimir Andrei Vasiliu, 1933 [includes a complete collection of The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnettj) The dwellers of various villages in Tibet have claimed that none can pass certain areas without a permit: Mahatma Morya added to the intrigue: You have already heard from reliable travellers how guides refuse to lead them in certain directions. They would rather let themselves be killed than lead you forward. So, if a reckless traveller nevertheless goes forward, a mountain landslide begins to rumble before him.If the traveller surmounts this obstacle, then a shower of stones will carry www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS him away, for the unwelcome one shall not attain his destination. (op. cit. , Letter 18, p. 32) People and animals are known to have unnaturally trembled on approaching certain localities in that area, as if bombarded by invisible rays. An unnamed 19th- century Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet, â€Å"†¦ at one stage travelled the long journey from Lhasa to Mongolia and at one place on the route people and animals in his caravan began to quiver for no apparent reason.The Dalai Lama explained the phenomena by saying that the party was crossing part of the forbidden zone of Shambhala whose psychic vibration was too high for the travellers† (N. K. Roerich, Heart of Asia, Roerich Museum Press, New York, 1930; also Andrew Tomas, Shambhala, op. cit. , p. 54). The Russian explorer N. M. Prjevalsky and the German linguist and historian A. H. Francke record in their books the strange behaviour of natives who could not be forced under any condition to enter certain districts in northern Tibet (N. M. Prjevalsky, Mongolia, op cit. , p. 01; A. H. Francke, A History of Western Tibet, Partridge and Co. , London, 1907). A Russian member of one of Roerich's expeditions personally told Andrew Tomas that their group had the same experience in the depths of Asia, where, for no apparent reason, assistants in the expedition refused to proceed further at one spot in northern Tibet. The Russian himself admitted that he could not understand why he did not feel like riding any further, saying that it was â€Å"weird and inexplicable†, a feeling that he did not wish to experience again (Andrew Tomas, Shambhala, op. it. , p. 58). Mysterious Mountain People In Turfan, Sinkiang, western China, Roerich expedition members listened to an intriguing story of a tall, dark- haired woman wearing an earnest expression on her face who regularly came out of the deep caverns to help the needy, her deeds instilling great respect among the populace throughout the entire Asiatic region. www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS â€Å"Riders vanishing with torches into subterranean passages were also mentioned† (Andrew Tomas, Shambhala, op. cit. , p. 9), as were eyewitness reports of brightly clad, crowned lamas (supposedly from Shambhala) seen seated in palanquins, each carried by four men. Roerich indicates that tall, slim, white-skinned people had been seen disappearing into rock galleries upon the approach of strangers. Later, when his expedition was crossing the Karakoram Pass, Roerich relates that he was informed by a native guide that tall, white-clad men and women had been seen on occasions appearing from secret entrances in that area, and sometimes travellers were helped by these mysterious mountain people.In the early 1900s, the Statesman newspaper in India published a story about a British major who had seen a tall, lightly clad man with long hair leaning on a high bow and scanning the valley. Noticing the major, the man jumped down a vertical slope and disappeared. The natives calmly said to Roerich, â€Å"He had seen one of the snowmen who guard the sacred land† (N. K. Roerich, Heart of Asia, op. cit. ). In one of his paintings, Roerich portrays a Snow Maiden amidst rocks and snow, also holding a bow. In spite of the glaciers and the apparent cold conditions, she is lightly clad as if protected from the cold by a warm aura.Roerich adds: In the foothills of the Himalayas are many caves, and it is said that from these caves subterranean passages proceed for below Kinchinjunga. Some have even seen the stone door which has never been opened because the date has not arrived. The deep passages proceed to the splendid valley. (N. K. Roerich, Himalayas – Abode of Light, op. cit. , cited in Andrew Tomas, Shambhala, op. cit. , p. 39) Professor Roerich's reference de? nes the â€Å"splendid valley† of the â€Å"Immortals†. Early in his long journey, Roerich came www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS cross pilgrims who told him: â€Å"Behind those mountains live holy men and women who are saving humanity through Wisdom; many have tried to see them but failed †¦ somehow as soon as they go over the ridge, they lose their way† (N. K. Roerich, Heart of Asia, op. cit. ; also Andrew Tomas, Shambhala, p. 59, passim). â€Å"Yet Nicholas Roerich went into that territory on a pony. He remained absent for a few days and, when he returned, Asiatics prostrated themselves at his feet, exclaiming that he was a ‘god', for no man could have penetrated the frontier of Shambhala without divine credential† (Andrew Tomas, Shambhala, op. it. , p. 58). Maybe there was a reason for Roerich's unrestricted entry into the forbidden enclave, for the Mahatmas assured Sinnett: â€Å"†¦ [those whom we] desire to know will ? nd us at the very frontiers† (Passport to Shambhala, op. cit. , L etter 15, p. 131). Roerich's remarks to a lama (religious teacher) in Tibet suggest ? rst-hand knowledge of his reaching Shambhala: â€Å"We ourselves have seen a white frontier post of one of the three posts of Shambhala† (N. K. Roerich, Himalayas, op. cit. ).Apart from searching for the home of the Mahatmas, the purpose of one of Roerich's expeditions across Tibet and Xinjiang to Altai in 1928 is not made entirely clear in his diary, but it appears to have been related to the return of a small section of a sacred Cosmic Stone to its rightful home in the Jade Tower in the centre of Shambhala. â€Å"This fragment was last sent to Europe to aid in the establishment of the League of Nations which, though ending in failure, was so desirable after the First World War† (J. Saint-Hilaire, On Eastern Crossroads, New York, 1930, cited by Andrew Tomas, Shambhala, op. cit. , p. 63).This fragment was said to be part of a much larger Cosmic Stone, and it seems that Roerich was a p redestined carrier to return it to Shambhala. www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS A Lost Oasis of Advanced Spiritual Culture The folklore of old Russia also points to the reality of a community of inspired men and women at a place in the heart of Asia, called Belovodye, in Russian-the Land of the Living Gods. In the annual Journal of the Russian Geographical Society for 1903, there is an article titled â€Å"The Journey of Ural Cossacks into the Belovodye Kingdom†, written by an explorer named Koroleko.Likewise, in October 1916 the West Siberia Geographical Society published an account by Belosliudov, a Russian historian, titled â€Å"To the History of Belovodye†. Published as they were by scienti? c bodies, both of these articles are of great interest because they reveal a strong tradition that still circulates among â€Å"old believers† in Russia, one that maintains that Belovodye is a secret earthly paradise existing somewhere in the area of far southwestern Siberia. These two articles lend support to our basic theme of a hidden, sacred kingdom somewhere around the northernmost regions of Tibet, a kingdom of ancient high wisdom.The traditional tale about the extraordinary, reclusive people of an ancient civilisation in this hidden land was relayed by a mysterious native sage to Russian psychiatrist and author Dr Olga Kharitidi during her stay in remote Siberia: Their main achievements had been in developing the inner dimensions of the mind; their entire society possessed a beautiful spiritual intensity that in modern materialist culture is experienced only by a few. They possessed incredible psychological wisdom. They were able to control their personal experience of time, and they had learnt to communicate telepathically over great distances.They had great skills in projecting the future, and their social structure was the most effective that ever existed. (Dr Olga Kharitidi, Entering the Circle, Harper San Francisco, 1996) www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS But one law of the Valley of the Immortals forever remains in force, that being that â€Å"the unwanted shall not reach† it (Road to Shambhala, a rare 18th-century Tibetan book written by the third Panchen Lama or â€Å"Great Scholar† (1738-1780), translation by Cheng Yuan, 1901). Only those who have heard â€Å"Kalagiya, the call to Shambhala sent on the wind† (ibid. or by telepathic communication from the Great Masters can ever hope to arrive safely in the â€Å"Valley of the Wisest People on Earth† (L. C. Hamamoto, The Soul Doctrine, Lhasa, translation by C. Chan, 1916p. 67). Eyewitness Reports of Shambhala During the ? rst century CE, Apollonius, a highly regarded and charismatic Greek sage, received â€Å"the call† and travelled to Shambhala. He had earlier received â€Å"directions† and knew exactly where to ? nd what was then called the ‘Abode of the Sages† (A. P . Sinnett, Esoteric Buddhism, London, 1903 reprint from the 1883 original).Apollonius was born at Tyana in Capt'adocia in the third year of this era and died in 98 CE. He was named after the Greek god Apollo, and the populace fondly called him â€Å"the son of God† (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 9th ed. , vol. 10, â€Å"Apollonius†). He taught the doctrine of the â€Å"Inner Life† (ibid. ), went barefoot, wore his hair long, cultivated a beard and clothed himself in white linen garments. On his travels he took an Assyrian scribe called Damis, who documented Apollonius' sayings and deeds in a daily diary. It was from Damis' collection of 97 codices that the remarkable stories of Apollonius' life experiences were preserved.Around 200 CE, Empress Julia Domna, second wife of the British-born Roman Emperor Septimus Severus (emperor from 193 to 211 CE), exhibited such an interest in the momentous events in Apollonius' life that she commissioned the Greek scribe and sophis t, Flavius Philostratus (C. 170 www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS c. 245 CE), to write the biography, which he called The Life of Apollonius of Tyana. From these records, we learn that Apollonius stayed in the Trans-Himalayan country for many months (Philostratus, The Life of Apollonus of Tyana, Loeb Classical Library, London, 1912, eight books in two volumes, translated by F.C. Conybeare; note that the upcoming Apollonius quotes are drawn from Book 3, which is almost entirely devoted to his journey to northern Tibet). Upon Apollonius' arrival in â€Å"a city under the mountain called Paraca† (ibid. ), he presented a letter to the then king, Hiarchas (larchas in some translations, meaning â€Å"Holy Ruler†), and was surprised to learn that its contents were already known to the king. Apollonius turned to Damis and said, â€Å"We have reached men who are unfeignedly wise, for they seem to have the gift of foreknowledge' (ibid. ).During his time ther e, he witnessed incredible things such as wells in the ground projecting vertical beams of brilliant bluish light. He also talked with amazement about what he called pantarbes, or luminous stones, that could be activated to radiate so much light that night could be turned into day at will. The scienti? c and mental achievements of the inhabitants of this lost city impressed Apollonius so much that he only nodded his head when King Hiarchas said to him, â€Å"Ask us whatever you like, for you ? nd yourself among people who know everything† (ibid. ).Apollonius enquired as to who they thought themselves to be, and King Hiarchas replied, â€Å"We consider ourselves to be gods† (ibid. ). Not only did Apollonius see the people of Shambhala utilise the power of the Sun, but†¦. he saw them levitating themselves two cubits [approx. one metre] high from the ground, not for the sake of miraculous display, for they disdain any such ambition; but they regard any rites they per form, in thus quitting earth and walking with the Sun, as acts of homage acceptable to the God. (Philostratus, The Life of Apollonius of Tyana, op. cit. , Book 3) www. vatileaks. comSHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS Parallel phenomena were reported in the 20th century by renowned orientalist, author and the ? rst western female lama, Madame Alexandra David-NEel (1868-1969), thus supporting the ancient records of Philostratus. She describes Shambhala as a realm â€Å"not moored in time or space as we are; Shambhala is here today and gone tomorrow† (Alexandra David-Neel, Magic and Mystery in Tibet,! Dover Publications, New York, 1971, ? rst published in 1929); Of the inhabitants of Shambha! a Apollonius said they Were living upon the earth and yet not on it and forti? ed without forti? ations and possessing nothing yet having the riches of all men† (Philostratus, The Life of Apollonius of Tyana, op. cit. , Book 3). As for the ideology of the inhabitants King Hiarchas prof essed a cosmic philosophy according to which the Universe is a living thing† (ibid. ). The Mahatma Letters stresses the fact that they are not atheists or agnostics but pantheists in the widest sense of the word, believing that God and the Universe are ultimately identical. Their concept of cosmic evolution is the basis of why the idea of reincarnation is a major part of the philosophy of the Guardians of Mankind.Trans-Himalayan Stonehenge In 1923, and at an altitude of 4,572 metres (15,000 feet) in his Trans-Himalayan journey, Roerich was stunned to see three long straight rows of tall, vertically standing, inscribed stones distinguished from the surrounding environment by their peculiar shape and design. This huge stone complex ended with a large circle of standing stones with three menhirs in its centre. He described the structure as a combination of Stonehenge in England and Carnac in the ancient Celtic world of Brittany, sites that he had visited previously.His caravan wa s destined to stop overnight near this stone enigma, but he stayed for three www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS days and discovered four additional rows of vertical stone formations in surrounding areas. Amazed by what he was witnessing, Roerkh asked his Tibetan guides, â€Å"Pray tell me, who set these stones? † He was told: â€Å"Nobody knows †¦ but this district from ancient times has been called Doring the place of the sacred standing stones. Our Ancients say that an unknown people passed here a long time ago; they stopped for several generations but it did not become their permanent abode† (N.K. Roerich, Himalayas, op cit. , passim). Roerich marvelled at the fact that travelling through the heights of the Trans- Himalayas he came across â€Å"the embodiments of Stonehenge and Carnac† (ibid. ). This painting by Roerich, titled The Black Gobi, shows a few of hundreds of ancient inscribed vertical standing stones on the barren heights o f the Himalayas near the Gobi Desert.  © Nicholas Roerich, 1928; private collection (Note: Beautiful reproductions of many of Roerich's paintings can be purchased from the Nicholas Roerich Museum, New York; visit http://www. oerich. org. ) www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS More Strange Phenomena in Tibet Peculiar happenings have occurred in this vast territory, and some of those events reveal the presence of superior spiritual beings. Madame Alexandra David-Neel, in her book The Superhuman Life of Gesar of Ling (published by Claude Kendall, New York, translation by Violet Sydney, 1934, ? rst published in 1931), relates a personal and curious episode that took place in the small town of Jyekundo, located in a desolate district in northeastern Tibet.While there, she met a Tibetan lama who had the reputation of occasionally disappearing into a snowcapped mountain region where no villages existed and where a person could easily starve or quickly freeze to death. In evitably he would return to civilisation after some time, and in reply to curious questions he would only say that he had been with â€Å"gods in the mountains† (ibid. ). One day, Madame David-Neel half-seriously asked the lama if, on his next trip, he would present a small gift of a bunch of Chinese paper ? owers to â€Å"the Ruler of the Mountains† (ibid. . Some months later, returning from his journey into that mysterious domain, he handed the French savant a souvenir given to him by that very person. It was a beautiful blue ? ower that blooms in southern Tibet in July. David-NEel was stunned, saying that in Jyekundo at that time the temperature was 20 degrees below zero, the river was covered with a layer of ice two metres deep and the ground was frozen solid. â€Å"Where did you get this from? † she asked in amazement. The lama answered, â€Å"Maybe from a warm valley in the north' (ibid. ).Roerich also recorded a series of extraordinary supernatural happe nings, one being the sudden appearance of Rigden Jyope (or Djapo), the Ruler of Shambhala. It is said that when he entered a particular lamaist temple, the candles all suddenly lit themselves. Roerich relayed this story: There was a case of a sudden appearance of an exquisite www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS perfume, as if from temple incense, right in the heart of the Gobi with the stony desert extending for hundreds of kilometres in all directions.Not a single temple of hut was in sight and yet all the members of the expedition experienced the scent in their nostrils at the same time. This had happened on several occasions and there was absolutley nothing to explain it. (Quoted in Andrew Thomas, Shambhala, op. cit. , p. 57) In the dark of numerous nights, Roerich saw vivid ? ashes of vertical pillars of white light streaking into the sky. â€Å"What is happening? † he asked his lama guides. They answered, â€Å"These are the rays from the Tower of Sham bhala† (N. K. Roerich, Himalayas, op. cit. , explaining that the beams were purposely directed upwards from a large, triangular-shaped, glowing stoneothe so-called Chintamani Stoneothat sat atop the Jade Tower. They told him it possessed occult properties capable of giving telepathic inner, guidance and effecting a transformation of consciousness in those in contact with it. The astonishing thing about this tradition is that the Chintamani Stone is said to have been brought to Earth â€Å"on a winged horse [a lung-ta] by messengers of the gods from a solar system in the constellation of Orion (Dr Walter Y.Evans-Wentz, The Tibetan Book of the Great! Liberation, Oxford University Press, 1954), www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS This painting, titled Command of Rigden Djapo, like many of Roerich? s works contains concealed messages, Note the darkened fuselage of a sleek aircraft angled upwards, complete with a vertical tail section (left of picture). In the to p left corner, he subtly depicts pyramidal structures, maybe references to the 100 or so pyramids now known to exist in northern Asia. Nicholas Roerich 1926-27 private collection, MoscowIt seems that there was more than one of these strange and â€Å"Precious Stones† (ibid. ), for, according to ancient lamaist lore, three of these pyramidal capstones were brought to Earth and set up in various locations wherever a spiritual mission vital to humanity was established. A suggestion is that one was on the summit of the Great Pyramid at Giza, another on the Jade Tower of Shambhala, and the third may now be under the sea in a place we know as Atlantis. The Mystery of the Magical Sceptre In Tibet, it is traditionally held that in the year 331 CE a chest â€Å"came from the sky† (Andrew Tomas, Shambhala, op. it. , caption in photographs section), in which were found four sacred objects. Among them was a magical ! g o l d e n r o d called a dorge, said to have extraordinary sup ernatural capabilities. Fabulous accounts of-this rod have been circulating in Tibet for centuries, and silver, brass and iron replicas are found in most Tibetan lamaseries today. It is www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS believed that it emanated a brilliant radiance during special religious ceremonies, and in the hands of the King of Shambhala it was capable of focusing and manipulating potent cosmic forces.It is said that it also had the power of casting thunderbolts and burning holes in clouds. Many years after the discovery of the casket, ? ve strangers suddenly appeared before the then King of Shambhala, Thotho-ri Nytan-tsan, and instructed him on the proper use of the objects in the casket. Perculiar Craft over the Himalayas Mahatma Morya called Shamhala :the city of Science† (Passport to Shambhala, op. cit. , Letter 62, p. 101), and that makes it appropriate to examine the poissibility that this colony (or colonies) of a superior culture possesses an advanced technology.! ww. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS That the inhabitants of this enigmatic settlement are scienceconscious can be established from a story relayed by Roerich about a lama who was returning to his lamasery after a long trip from an outlying community. In a narrow secret subterranean passage, the lama met two men carrying a thoroughbred sheep, and they told him the animal was for scienti? c breeding in the Valley of the Immortals (N. K. Roerich, Altai-Himalaya: A Travel Diary, Arun Press, Brook? eld, CT, 1983, ? st published in 1929). In another account of Central Asia, titled Beasts, Men and Gods, researcher and author Dr Ferdinand Ossendowski records some fascinating facts, and his documentation is as intriguing to read as that of Nicholas Roerich, Alexandra David-Neel and Andrew Tomas. A Mongol lama told Dr Ossendowski not only about an extensive tunnel system under the Himalayas but of â€Å"strange vehicles that rushed through them at extre mely high speed† (Ferdinand Ossendowski, Beasts, Men and Gods, E. P. Dutton & Co. , New York, 1922).To speak of machines moving rapidly underground is to suggest a technological achievement of a high calibre in a time that appears to precede our! current understanding of complex machinery by centuries. This tradition originated long before the western world developed any sort of technology. There is a similar rumour that subterranean vehicles once operated under the Giza Plateau (10thcentury Arabic traditions). We should consider the possibility that maybe Shambhala and the Great Pyramid are connected by a tunnel system. In his travels through Tibet, Roerich read old lamaist texts that spoke of â€Å"iron serpents which devour space with ? e and smoke† and â€Å"inhabitants of the distant stars† (N. K. Roerich, Heart of Asia, op. cit. ). Also, incredible sightings of fastmoving airships in the zone of Shambhala are numerous. This report from Roerich's diary descr ibes what happened as www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS his expedition was advancing in the vicinity of the Karakoram Mountains: On August ? fthosomething remarkable! We were in our camp in the Kukunor district not far from the Humboldt Chain. In the morning about half-past nine some of our caravaneers noticed a remarkably big black eagle ? ying over us.Seven of us began to watch this unusual bird. At this same moment another of our caravaneers remarked, ‘There is something far above the bird. ‘ And he shouted in his astonishment. We all saw, in a direction from north to south, something big and shiny re? ecting like the sun, like a huge oval moving at great speed. Crossing our camp this thing changed in its direction from south to southwest. And we saw how it disappeared in the intense blue sky. We even had time to take our ? eld glasses and saw quite distinctly an oval form with shiny surface, one side of which was brilliant from the sun. N. K. Roer ich, Altai-Himalaya, op. cit. ) Roerich's sighting was some two decades before pilot Kenneth Arnold ? led his famous report of a formation of silver, circular, metallic craft skipping across the sky near Mount Rainier in Washington, USA, which resulted in the coining of the term â€Å"? ying saucers†. Only an aircraft of unknown type could have performed the abrupt aerial manoeuvres recorded in Roerich's diary. At the sight of the disc in the sky, one of the lamas with the expedition calmly said to Roerich: â€Å"This is the sign of Shambhala †¦ ou are guarded by the Immortals of Shambhala †¦ did you notice the direction in which this sphere moved[? ] †¦ you must follow the same direction† (N. K. Roerich, Heart of Asia, op. cit. , passim). The Shambhala Triangle In our search for the mysterious â€Å"Valley of the Immortals†, the second part of our story identi? es the location of Roerich's â€Å"three posts of Shambhala† which form a †Å"Shambhala Triangle†, an area of captivating events that include the recent discovery of interstellar tragedy records and sightings of clusters of pyramids in Tibet. ww. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS Journey to the Sacred Kingdom The genera! populace living in the sky-brushing land of Asia, aptly called the Roof of the World, has been acutely conscious of the verity of Shambhala for centuries now. The belief in a secret Kingdom of People has lived on throughout the ages, and the existence of Shambhala is further supported by a 1,000-year-old record. It comes to us from a Russian source, found in 1893 in a manuscript at the VyshenskioUspenski hermitage near Shatsk in Tambov Province.Called â€Å"The Saga of Belovodye† (Belovodye is Russian for Shambhala, or Land of the Living Gods), the story, appeared in the 4 April 1949 edition of Novaya Zarya (â€Å"New Dawn†), a Russian newspaper in San Francisco. It relays the account of a young Slavic mon k named Sergius, who spent several years in a monastery on Mount Athos in northern Greece, beside the Aegean Sea. The ill health of his father caused him to return to Kiev, and some time after his arrival Sergius, then nearing 30 years of age, obtained an audience with Prince Vladimir the Great (956-1015 CE).His purpose was to relay to him what he had learnt in the monastic library about a mysterious land in the East where virtue and lustice prevailed (The Saga of Belovodye Novaya Zarya, ibid. ). Prince Vladimir was so fascinated by the story of the legendary land that in the year 987 he appointed Sergius leader of a large expeditionary party that he equipped and dispatched in search of this Asiatic wonderland. The prince's advisers estimated the. 6,000-mile (9,660-km) round journey would take three years, but decades passed without a word from the expedition.The people of Kiev believed that all members of the team had perished; but in 1043 an old man appeared in Kiev, declaring him self to be the monk Sergius whom Vladimir the Great had sent in search of the Valley of the Immortals some 56 years earlier. The essence of his story was duly recorded and preserved among the mystics of a Russian monastery, and it was that document that was found in 1893. www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS Father Sergius said that at the end of the second year of their dif? ult journey, many people and animals in the group had died, either of extreme weather conditions or from attacks by wolves and bears. In one desolate territory, their party came across a pile of skeletons of men, horses, camels and donkeys and they were so terri? ed that they refused to go any further. Only two of the party agreed to continue with Sergius, and at the end of the third year of travel these two companions were left in a village because of their failing health. Father Sergius himself had reached the limit of endurance but was determined to complete his journey or die.Rumours he hea rd from the people of various regions through which he passed indicated that such a fabulous land as Shambhala did exist and that he was heading in the right direction. He employed another guide who assured him that he could take him closer to the Sacred Kingdom, which the locals called â€Å"the Forbidden Land.. .the Land of Living Gods and the Land of Wonders† (â€Å"The Saga of Belovodye†, ibid. ). Three months later, Father Sergius reached the borders of Shambhala. At a particular point, his only remaining guide refused to proceed further, frightened of the invisible guardians of the snowy mountains.Sergius was still unafraid of death and full of faith in the existence of a community of holy people that he had set out to ? nd. Besides, he was too exhausted to turn back. After another few days of lonely trekking, he was suddenly accosted by two strangers who made themselves understood to him, even though they spoke an unknown language. Thereupon Sergius was taken to a village where, after recuperating, he was given a job in a monastic-type establishment collating manuscripts.Later he was moved to an underground cavern lit by a peculiar light that aroused his wonder, â€Å"illuminating everything, dispelling darkness and shadows so that all appeared very even and gentle† (â€Å"The Saga of Belovodye†, ibid. ). Later, Sergius was moved to a nearby location where he was accepted as a brother. www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS As the months and years passed, the Slavic monk gained great spiritual knowledge. He was intensely happy that at last he had found patient, compassionate, all-seeing wise people who worked for the bene? t of mankind.He learned that, invisibly, they observed everything that was taking place in the outside world and were concerned about growing forces of evil on Earth. Father Sergius also learned that a number of people from various countries had endeavoured to enter this domain, but without s uccess. The inhabitants observed a strict law whereby only seven persons in a century could visit their abode. Six would return to the outside world with secret knowledge, and one would remain to live in Shambhala without ageing, for time stood still in the clockwork of his genes. Before his return to Kiev, Father'Sergius lived his ? al years teaching wisdom in a cavern system that was later developed into the Monastery of the Caves. It seems that those six people, like Sergius, became outside coworkers of Shambhala, making up a small outer circle of wisdombearers. One, â€Å"an associate co-worker of the Mahatmas, Brahma lyoti of Delhi, [had] been in constant contact with the super-beings in the Himalayas who manage the world by the power of thought† (Anne Marshall, Hunting the Guru in India, Victor Gollancz Ltd, London, 1963). It is also said that â€Å"over the centuries, small numbers of Tibetan sages [from the Valley of the Immortals? were responsible for setting up the White Mystery Schools of the East and West† (Albert Mackey, MD, A Concise History of Freemasonry, McClure Publishing, Philadelphia, 1917 ed. , â€Å"Origins† entry). Enlightened souls from Shambhala are considered to be â€Å"apostles from the Valley of the Immortals†, for those â€Å"messengers are directly guided by the Mahatmas and intended for a certain part of the world at a given time in history† (Sergy C. Tatyana, Crimson Snow-heaps in the Himalayas, Lvovich Publishing, Moscow, 1925, translation by Larissa M. Vasiler, p. 97). www. vatileaks. comSHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS According to Tibetan lore, signi? cant records of Shambhala and its inhabitants were once in existence. They were published in several volumes of the Yung-Lo ta-tien, the largest encyclopaedia in the world, which preserved a mass of ancient knowledge including a collection of ancient yeti sightings (yeti means â€Å"magical creature† in Tibetan). This magni? cent tome , compiled in the 15th century, was composed of 50 million handwritten Chinese characters bound in 11,095 volumes. Once housed in the Yuan Ming Yuan, the Old Summer Palace in Beijing, it mostly perished when he palace was partially destroyed by British and French forces in 1860 during the Second Opium War. Today, only 370 volumes survive, scattered in libraries throughout the world. When we see how much has been lost of the cultural heritage of older civilisations, we shouldn't ? nd it hard to imagine that there may have been many earlier â€Å"high† civilisations about which little is known, Shambhala being one. Subterranean Vaults in the Himalayas Legends of hidden underground libraries, treasures and exquisite artefacts connected to Shambhala are persistently spoken of in Asia and are described as secret storehouses of ancient knowledge.Earlier civilisations saw ? t to preserve something of the science and arts of cultures then vanishing through natural catastrophe or war or for other reasons otherworldly or unfathomable. Tibetan tradition af? rms that â€Å"time capsules† and precious silk-bound volumes are hidden in the innermost recesses of the â€Å"divine† Mt Kangchenjunga, the third highest peak in the Himalayas. Nicholas Roerich learned that a stone door leads to what he called â€Å"the Five Sacred Treasures of the Great Snow†, and his guides advised him against attempting to entei into the chambers â€Å"because everything divulged before the destined date results in untold harm† (N.K. Roerich www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS Himalayas – Abode of Light, Nalanda Publications Bombay, 1947). In the Altai Mountains, Roerich also learned that the Himalayan foothills have concealed entrances leading to subterranean passages and chambers deep below the surface, where mysterious artefacts and exotic treasures have been stored from the beginning of world history. Roerich was also told of a secre t underground storehouse on the Karakoram Pass in the Himalayas at an elevation of 19,500 feet (5,944 metres).His chief guide advised him that great treasures were preserved under the snowy ridge, and he remarked that even the lowly ones among the populace know of vast caverns that hold ancient artefacts. He enquired whether Roerich was aware of books in the outer world that record the location of these subterranean vaults. The wise old courier had spent years in the mountains and he questioned Roerich as to why foreigners, who claim to know so much, could not ? d the obvious entrances to underground palaces on the Karakoram Pass. During his 12 years in northern Tibet in the mid-1800s, Chinese explorer ha Chun-Pingwa spoke with Buddhist monks who claimed that in a secluded part of the Altyn Tagh Ridge there exists a vast network of underground galleries and museums housing a collection of several million breathtaking artefacts, protected by ever-watchful caretakers.In his memoir, Ji a wrote about a subterranean museum that holds miscellaneous objets d'art depicting the evolution of mankind on this planet over the course of thousands of years (ha Chun-Pingwa, The Land of No Grass and No Water, The Great Liberation Publishing House, Lhasa, Tibet, 1917; extracts translated for Tony Bushby by Wendy Shin Liu, Jiangwan Town, Shanghai, China, 2009). He described the entrance! to this particular series of chambers as being to the left of a deep gorge containing a small cluster of unimpressive houses that mark the site of what may be the world's greatest museum. www. atileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS Jia was not the only one to have described this collection. â€Å"It is secure from intrusion, and nothing will disturb its age-old collected works †¦ the entrances are concealed, and vaults with manuscripts and artefacts lie deep within the bowels of the earth† (Fundamental Promises, a Chinese Buddhist manuscript c. 1820, author unknown; translati on by Ti-tzang, 1911, pp. 79-81, passim; original housed in the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Dharamsala, India). â€Å"A local resident said that at our bazaar, the people of this area come out with. trange, very ancient money, and nobody could evenremember when such money was in usage here† (Sergy C. Tatyana, Crimson Snow-heaps in the Himalayas, op. cit. , P. 231). Author Andrew Tomas was of the opinion that â€Å"all these secret places are connected with the mystery of Shambhala† (A. Tomas, Shambhala: Oasis of Light, Sphere Books, London, 1977, p. 53). Madame Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (1831-1891), the Russian-born traveller and mystic who founded the Theosophical Society in 1875, alluded to the existence of Shambhala; giving it currency for western enthusiasts of the occult.She claimed that sages of the East are in a position to release to the world ancient documents that will upset the opinions of historians. She saw a number of secret repositories in nor thern India, and wrote that initiated yogis know of a vast network of underground libraries that expands out from cave temples right across northern Tibet. Vatican archives preserve, rare reports from early- 19thcentury missionaries which record that, in times of crisis, leaders of various countries sent deputations into the Himalayas to seek advice from the â€Å"Genii in the Mountains† (Catholic Encyclopedia, Pecci Edition, vol. i, p. 299). However, these documents do not reveal where the representatives went. An undated manuscript written by Monseigneur Delaplace around 120 years ago supports the belief of sages of Central www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS Asia that people with special knowledge live in inaccessible and exclusive parts of the Himalayas (Annales de la Propagation de la Foi, translation ‘by Pierre L. Josselin, 1929; extract cited in A. Tomas, Shambhala,'op. cit. , p. 28). The Tibetan epic of Ghessar Khan foresaw the opening of certa in hidden halls of records at a time â€Å"when steel ships ? in the sky†, and Madame Blavatsky opined that some hidden manuscripts would be subtly and intentionally released in â€Å"a spiritually richer future† (The Theosophist, July 1912). Great is the Tibetan belief in an illumined subterranean people, who on occasion have been seen with torches in the dark. Roerich told of â€Å"a man of great appearance who arrived in Tibet from Siberia with his caravaneers and proudly stated, ‘I shall prove to you that the tale about the subterranean people is not: a fantasy. I shall lead you to the entrances of their subterranean kingdoms† (N. K. Roerich, Flame in Chalice, Nicholas Roerich Museum, New York, 1929).Whether or not he did is not recorded in Rberich's books. Through all of Asia, through all the deserts, and from the oceans to the Urals, wondrous traditions of holy people living in mysterious underground cities exist. And while many pages of the story of man's life on this planet have been torn out by the hand of Time, these ancient traditions do attest to the reality of secret treasures and depositories of rare writings stored in isolation that record knowledge from time immemorial. The White Pyramid and The Shambhala Triangle In an attachment to a rare 18th-century Tibetan book Road to Shambhala (written by he third Panchen Lama [1738-17801, translation by Cheng Yuan, 1901), intriguing references are made to a winged humanoid race which once lived in Tibet and subsequently â€Å"destroyed itself†. This same document also records the existence of numerous pyramidal structures in various locations across the Roof of the World, www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS unknown to the western world. Some of these edi? ces are described as â€Å"fabulous†, and â€Å"multicoloured† versions were set amongst dozens of other pyramids (ibid. ). The reality of pyramidal clusters in the Himalayas was con? rm ed in more recent times, the ? st available report being that of American trader Fred Meyer Schroder, who in 1912 accidentally stumbled upon a giant pyramid surrounded by smaller structures. Amazed, he asked his Buddhist monk-guide what they represented and was told that 5,000-year-old lamaist documents not only contain information about the purpose of these pyramids but reveal that they were immensely old when the records were written. If this dating were ever con? rmed, the Himalayan pyramids would be older than the accepted dating of the Giza pyramids. Some 33 years later, another remarkable pyramid was sighted that seems to have embarrassed the scholarly world.In the northern spring of 1945, US Air Force pilot James Gaussman was ? ying an aircraft from China to India across Tibet when he was forced to reduce altitude because of an engine malfunction. He reportedly said: I ? ew around a mountain and then we came to a valley. Directly below us was a gigantic white pyramid. It look ed like it was from a fairy tale. The pyramid was draped in shimmering white. It could have been metal, or a form of stone. It was white on all sides. What was most curious about it was its capstone; a large piece of precious gem-like material. I was deeply moved by the colossal size of the thing. Hartwig Hausdorf, Die Weisse Pyramide [â€Å"The White Pyramid†], republished in English as The Chinese Roswell, New Paradigm Books, Florida, 1998, p. 112) Gaussman believed that this pyramid exceeded 1,000 feet (-305 metres) in height, more than double that of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Gaussman's photographs were never published, but a black and white picture of an earthen www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS pyramid near Xian, the capital of China's Shaanxi Province, was presented to the media in 1990 as the â€Å"gigantic white pyramid† that Gaussman supposedly photographed 45 years earlier. However, Gaussman's ? ght path was some 500 miles (805 kilometre s) northwest of the published pyramid photo, and one suspects that this particular image was released by Chinese authorities to keep the existence of the White Pyramid secret from western knowledge. In 1947, two years after Gaussman's sighting, another US aviator, Maurice Sheahan, ? ying southwest over Shaanxi Province, also espied a gigantic white pyramid. Several US newspapers, including the New York Times (28 March 1947), published accounts of his sighting. In Himalayas – Abode of Light, Roerich spoke of three â€Å"frontier posts of Shambhala† that suggest a triangularshaped area de? ing the precincts of this mysterious kingdom. The location of these boundary markers' is unknown, but when a triangle is created at the same angles as the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt (51 degrees 51 minutes), starting at around 50 degrees north latitude and using longitude 88 degrees as the western (base) boundary, it intersects with Gaussman's 1945 ? ight path near where he sighted the gigantic white pyramid. Using the southwest continuation of his ? ight path, the southern â€Å"frontier post† is determined at its intersection with longitude 88 degrees.Within this isolated triangle, some surprising events are known to have happened – and probably the most fascinating is the so-called â€Å"Tibetan Roswell†. â€Å"The Tibetan Roswell† In the ? rst week of January 1938, a scienti? c expedition led by Chinese archaeologist Chi Pu Tel penetrated deep into mountainous regions of BaianKara-Ula, somewhere near where the Yangtze and Mekong rivers begin their long, meandering course southward. There they discovered a cave system with graves aligned in parallel rows, undisturbed for millennia. These graves were without headstones or epitaphs, but on the cave walls were www. atileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS drawings of ? gures with elongated heads as well as depictions of planets. Archaeologists excavated the graves and found s keletons with abnormally large skulls and tiny bodies less than four feet (1. 22 metres) in length. On the cavern ? oor, half-buried in dust, they found the ? rst of 716 strange stone discs, each with a hole in its centre and resembling a long-playing gramophone record. Each disc was incised with grooves spiralling out to the perimeter which were found to be composed of closely written characters that spelled out a message.Later, in 1962, four scientists led by Japanese professor Tsum Urn Nui of Beijing's Academy of Prehistory announced that they had ? nally decoded the discs. They revealed that the discs told of the crash landing of an alien spacecraft some 12,000 years ago. It seems that the crew survived, but the craft was too badly damaged to be able to ? y again. After encountering numerous dif? culties in making the spectacular results public knowledge, Professor Tsum Urn Nui resigned his position and returned to Japan. However, the scienti? community of the Soviet Union did n ot reject his report, and the results of further testing using an oscillograph supported Professor Tsum Urn Nui's dramatic ? ndings. www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS The Crystal Cave of the Nagas A passage in the opening pages of the Mahabharata states that this epic was written â€Å"in a beautiful valley at the foot of Mount Meru†. That valley is said to be Sharnbhala. It would be fair to conclude that the world's longest epic was originally written in the scriptoriums of the Immortals and then became the foundation of major Eastern understandings.Tradition maintains that Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) and Lao Tzu (c. 600 BCE), founder of Taoism, both visited the Valley of the Immortals. The Bon priests of Tibet admit that they received their faith from this same stream of philosophy (Baikal magazine [USSR], no. 3, 1969). The Bon faith the oldest spiritual tradition in Tibet, developed! from a manuscript the priests called â€Å"The First Scripture. . . the True teaching†¦ the tradition is of Eternal Wisdom†¦ that came from the â€Å"Immortals of Shambhala† (L. C. Hamamoto, The Soul Doctrine, Lhasa, translation by C. Chan, 1916, pp. 97-99, passim). www. vatileaks. comSHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS Another ancient Tibetan book also had its origin in the Himalayas. Called the Bardo Thodol in Tibetan, it is known in the western world as The Tibetan Book of the Dead, and it is traditionally read aloud to dying persons to help them attain liberation of the soul after death. Tradition maintains that this extraordinary writing originated with a race called the Nagas, and lamaist records indicate that eight members of this race were associated with meetings with the King of Shambhala. In Tibetan understanding, they are noted for their profound wisdom, and the existence of the Nagas is ? mly established in the ancient lore of northern India. It is said that the Nagas have human faces of great beauty, serpentine body f eatures and the ability to ? y when they emerge from Patala, the Netherworid. Prince Arjuna, Lord Krishna's disciple, is alleged to have visited and conversed with the Nagas. According to tradition, it is said that they live in the Palace of the Serpents in fabulous subterranean abodes illuminated by crystals and precious stones. Roerich called one of his paintings The Lake of the Nagas (1932), and another shows a Naga sitting on an island in a northern Tibetan lake east of the Altai Mountains.This locates the Nagas in The Shambhala Triangle. Some ancient authors claim that the Nagas (male) and Naginis (female) originally â€Å"intermarried with humans, mostly with great kings, queens and sages or humans of great spirituality† (Iamblichus, On the Mysteries, particularly those of the Egyptians, Chaldeans and the Assyrians, fourth century; also referenced in Passport to Shambhala, West Siberia Geographical Society, 1923, English translation by Professor Vladimir Andrei Vasiliu, 1933, p. 174).It is also said that selected people have had the privilege of entering the vast caves of the Nagas, connected by tunnels like an anthill, stretching hundreds of kilometres inside the mountain ranges across northern India and deep into northern Tibet. www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS Roerich's paintings total in the hundreds, and some are of locations in Russia, Mongolia, Egypt and elsewhere. There is something mysterious about the way he handles perspectives and atmospheres that appears to indicate other dimensions and alien orders of being, or at least gateways or portals leading to such.Those fantastic inscribed stones in lonely upland areas; Lao Tzu on the back of a water buffalo heading west into an avenue of arched trees; a massive book some two metres thick, lying open with a person standing on a timber block looking down upon its pages; a human skull of immense size; his subtle depiction of pyramids in the background of several of his pain tingsoall of these suggest that Roerich was revealing obscure information in painted ciphers.Maybe he was honouring the â€Å"Oath of Shambhala†, that being an agreement forbidding visitors to reveal openly what they saw or learned while in the Valley of the Immortals (Passport to Shambhala, op. cit. , p. 189). Roerich called this painting Most Sacred (Treasure of the Mountain). In it, he shows huge crystals dwar? ng humans clustered together in the upper left of the picture.  © Nicholas Roerich, 1933; (Nicholas Roerich Museum, New York; visit http://www. roerich. org. ) www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS Dead Alien Found Alive!An American drugs and arms dealer, John Spencer, a resident of China in the years following World War 1 inadvertently found himself in a lamaist monastery at Tuerin in southwestern Mongolia. He had collapsed of exhaustion on a mountain track while ? eeing authorities in China, and was found by monks who took him to their monastery to recover.. At that same time, the monks were hosting another visiting American, William Thompson, a scholar who was studying Far Eastern religious beliefs in their library. A few days later, the recuperating John Spencer was exploring external areas of the monastery when he came upon a set of weather-beaten teps leading down to a small metal door. He opened it and entered into a spacious, brightly coloured, I2-sided room. The walls were decorated with drawings of heavenly constellations, celestial bodies and zodiac signs. In wonderment, Spencer ran his hand over the surface of a wall, and unexpectedly a nearby panel noiselessly opened inwards, revealing a dark tunnel beyond. He noticed a pale green light at a distance, and advanced into the gloom. After several minutes, Spencer reached the end of the tunnel and entered a large cavern, brilliant with an eerie green light.Along the length of one wall were 30 cof? ns, neatly laid out side by side in a long row. Thinking that they may contain jewellery or treasure, Spencer started opening the cof? ns, and in the ? rst three he found corpses of monks wearing garb similar to that of his monastic helpers. As Hartwig Hausdorf reported: â€Å"In the fourth lay a woman in men's clothing; in the ? fth a man who he guessed was from India, and who wore a red silk jacket †¦ in the third to-last, there lay, perfectly preserved and clothed in white linen, the body of a male; in the next-to-last cof? there rested the body of a female whose ethnic origins he couldn't quite determine† (Die Weisse Pyramide, republished as The www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS Chinese Roswell, op cit. , p. 61 passim). Remarkably, the corpses showed no sigm of decomposition, and Spencer reasoned that the cof? ns had been there a long time. insert picture: Roerich called this painting Most Sacred (Treasure of the Mountain). In it, he shows huge crystals dwar? ng humans clustered together in the upper left of the pic ture. 0 Nicholas Roerich, 1933 (Nicholas Roerich Museum, New York, http:// www. oerich. org) Failing to ? nd any treasure, Spencer ? nally reached the last cof? n and lifted the lid. To his amazement, he looked down upon a small creature dressed in shimmering silver clothing. Its large head was a silvery colour, with huge closed eyelids, no mouth and a short stub of a nose. When he bent down to touch the corpse, its huge opal-shaped eyes suddenly opened and glared at him, emitting a piercing green light that blinded the would-be tomb robber. Spencer slammed the lid shut and ran petri? ed from the cavern, tearing his clothing on protruding rock walls in his panic to depart.He reentered the monastery proper, and was told by a high- ranking lama that the creature he saw was an ef? gy of ‘a great master who had come from the stars† (ibid. ). The lama tried to convince him that he had only imagined that the creature was alive, but Spencer never doubted the reality of his weir d encounter. Startled, he related his experience to William Thompson, who subsequently published details in an American periodical, Adventure, some time after his return to the USA. A few days later, Spencer left the monastery and disappeared without trace. He was never heard of again.Russian Scientists View an Ethereal Solar System â€Å"In subterranean Tibet,† a bearded guide told Roerich in 1928, â€Å"many great treasures of Wisdom are buried; when released, one very old cache of scienti? c artifacts will stun the world† (N. K. Roerich, Flame in Chalice. ,op. cit. ). www. vatileak