We need to recover a balance and perspective that will enable us to use, rather than be used by, the power of myth and progress. The kind of insights we have gleaned from the Tibetan myth of Shangri-La may be able to help us thus by redirecting our attention toward the inner meaning of the myths that shape our lives. Through these insights we can gain a deeper understanding of the underlying nature of the myth of progress, in particular, and the way in which we have distorted it. With the help of such an understanding we may be able to reverse the present course of events and begin to transform both ourselves and the world around us. We may even be able to awaken the deeper mind and liberate ourselves from the bondage of our illusions. Ultimately, however, each one of us needs to find and seek his own equivalent of Shangri-La, that place, thing, person, or even idea that has the power to inspire us to take the inner journey to greater freedom and awareness. Such a symbol can give meaning and direction to our lives, as well as the strength and determination to endure the trials that lie ahead. For it to do so, it must, however, have the reality for us that a hidden valley has for the Tibetan lama who seeks it. Our personal equivalent of Shangri-La must be something genuine that grows naturally out of our own lives and experiences, something that comes, in fact, from the inspiration of the deeper mind. The myth of Shangri-la is meant to encourage us to find a form of our own that reveals, rather than replaces, the essence of the kingdom itself.