| Mt.Kailash --- The Holy Piligramge Mountain |
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| Mount Kailash, 6700M, is situated to the north of the
Himalayan barrier, wholly within Tibet. It is the perfect mountain with
awesome beauty, with 4 great faces. It is the spiritual centre for four
great religions: Tibetan Buddhism, Hinduism, the Jain religion and the
pre-Buddhist animistic religion - Bonpo. To Tibetans it is known as
Khang Rimpoche and they see it as the navel of the world. It is said
that a stream from the mountain pours into a nearby lake and from here
rivers flow in the four cardinal directions. The River of the Lion Mouth
to the North, the River of the Horse Mouth to the east, the River of the
Peacock Mouth to the south and the River of the Elephant Mouth to the
West. Strangely enough, four major revers do indeed originate near
Kailash, the Indus, the Yarlung Tsangpo, the Karnali and the Sutlej.
Tibetans believe that it is the residence of Demchog, a fierce looking
tantric deity who lives there with his consort, Dorje Phagmo. For the
Tibetans also, it is a particularly special place in that their port
saint Milarepa, spent several yeaars here meditanting in a cave.
For the Hindus Mount Kailash is the earthly manifestation of Mt.Meru, their spiritual centre of the universe, described as a fanatastic "world pillar" 84000 miles high, around which all else rovolves, its roots in the lowest hell and its aummit kissing the heavens. On the top lives their most revered God, Shiva, and hia consort parvati. For the Jains, an Indian religious group, Kailash is the site where their first prophet achieved enlightenment. For the older, more ancient religion of Bon, it is the site where its founder Shanrab is said to have descended from heaven. It was formerly the spiritual center of Zhangzung, the ancient Bon Empire that once included all of western Tibet. Bon people walk around the mountain in a counter clockwise manner, unlike the other religions. Over the centuries pilgrims have constantly journeyed immense distances to achieve enlightement or cleanse themselves of sin, braving enormous distances, particularly harsh weather. |
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In fact, climbing Mount Kailash is forbidden. The only person to have ever been atop the sacred mountain was Milarepa, a 11th century Tibetan Buddhist yogi. Mount Kailash is commonly referred to as the center of the universe in Eastern religious texts from India to Japan. Rooted in the seventh hell and bursting through the highest heaven, it is also believed to be the World Pillar. Hopi Indians recognize Kailash as being at the opposite side of their Black Mesa, thus it a cosmic backbone. |
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