Shambhala!

Time seemed to fly into the thin mountain air when we lined up behind Gon-ba-mo and before you could say Shambala we were in the village of the singing voices and ringing bells.

Wow! How can I describe to you how different this village felt and looked. Shining in the mountain peaks was a magnificent palace which shone brighter than all the stars in the sky. The path to the palace was lined with trees whose branches were hanging with fruit made of precious stones. Colourful monasteries and mansions were dotted in the peaks and valleys all lit up with a strange Tiffany sort of lamplight shining from their windows. The snow fell around dancing and changing colour to match each building. We were speechless and barkless.

We asked Gon-ba-ma who lived in the palace and she told us that the mightiest King in all the world lived in the palace; the King who knew all the secrets of this world and all the others. I know it sounds a bit crass but all we wanted to know at the time was the secret of  how to get some food and a place to sleep!

Gon-ba-ma laughed at us and told us to follow her. We did. She took us down a narrow path to a monastery where the monks dressed in their saffron robes were sitting down to eat their evening meal. They welcomed us and asked us to sit with them. We did. Oh how good the food was. As if by magic we all had the food we wanted the most. Of course it was vegetarian but everything was delicious and just perfect. Margaret had a fantastic Toad in the Hole (I didn't dare look at the toad) and Tansy, Mock Duck. Inka chose a plate of stew with a fluffy dumpling and Blue a cutlet with a side of kibble, Bond had a strange Tibetan dish, Lucy five tacos and a burrito and I/Me had my favourite burger with Caesar salad.

The monks were curious about us but very gentle with their questions and although we were getting very drowsy we answered as best we could. And then we asked them where we were. They told us:

Dear travelers and seekers you are in Shambhala. When souls are not happy in their earthly home and they yearn for a better world then the soul is pushed to find Shambhala or Shangri La. Shambhala is a paradise where dreams can come true but you must believe it can exist to find it. This magical kingdom can only be found by believers who are pure in heart. In your world you have been conditioned to see first and then believe but to find Shambhala you must believe first. You have believed my friends and you have found.

Wow! It was all too much for us to take in.

Tansy had nodded off and the rest of us were not far behind. Gon-ba-ma understood and in a twinkle of a star we were in our own beds, soft and clean and warm. Oh Bliss.

I think we are going to like Shambhala when we see it in the morning.
 
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Meeting Gon-ba-mo

Isn't it wonderful how stories, songs, prayers and Dear Friends keep dogs and humans free from fear and anxiety? We forgot our cold feet and empty tummies as we listened to our friends tell their stories. Now many of you have asked me for MY story but I am not being modest when I tell you I really don't have one compared to my Gang friends.

I was born in Duncan on Vancouver Island and Mom and DOD came and got me when I was a puppy. They took me to Saturna Island where I have lived ever since (when I am not in Arizona or out on an adventure) Of course I have traveled to many countries by magic and made many friends, dogs, humans, ghosts, witches, elves, dragons and faeries from every walk of life and every world. I have been blessed.

Anyway, here we are on a mountain ledge somewhere in the high Himalayas inching our way toward what we hope is a village. Bells are ringing and voices are chanting....

And then, we heard barking! We looked at each other....no it was not one of us.... I was worried for a moment that one of us had gone barking mad...it can happen to dogs and humans. We strained our eyes and peered into the fading light ...a little snow-covered dog came into view. He/She/it shook itself and it looked just like Bond. 'Hawwoooo', it called and again 'Hawwooo'. Margaret said 'it is trying to say Hello but it has an accent, lets all say Hello right back'. And so we did, in unison and loudly. HELLO! The little black and white dog laughed and ran toward us.

My name is Gon-ba-mo she said (she spoke a language we could all understand albeit with a strange accent) I am a girl dog and I am magical....that's what my name means. Who are you she asked? So we introduced ourselves one by one calling out our names over the sound of the howling wind.  She was very surprised at how we were all so different in size and colour (or at least the colour she could see as we were now mostly white) and she said she had never seen Margaret's Breed before. Bond was the only dog she recognized and she gave him a big smile and a wink. She wanted to know how we had got to the mountain pass as she told us no dog nor human had come from the outside for centuries. We told her we would tell all later but at this time we were too tired and cold to have a conversation and we would all fall off the mountain and die if she couldn't help us.

Follow me, she said and Bond took her curly tail in his mouth and we followed her.

Gon-ba-mo