Framed tangka depicting central deity against a green aureole within a surreal mountain setting. This figure is the first in a lineage of 25 kings who maintain the kingdom of Shambhala, a mythological and mystical country which is hidden from everyone and contains treasures of wisdom. Shambhala will be revealed only after the last great battle, when Bodhisattva warriors will prevail over the evil in the world. The idea of “Shangi-la” in Western literature may have come from the myth of Shambhala as both are the repositories of knowledge and culture preserved.