4.9166666666667 Rating 4.92
- 4.8 out of 5 based on 6 votes
The most Interesting Facts and the secrets of Mount Kailash
“Strangers have rarely visited this wild land. In places we could look across the border of Tibet and see Mount Kailash. Although Kailash is only 6,666 meters high, Hindus and Buddhists consider it the most sacred of all the Himalayan peaks. Near her is big lake Manasarovar, also sacred, and a famous monastery. At all times, pilgrims came here from the most remote parts of Asia.” Tenzing Noghray, conqueror of Everest.
Fact No. 1. Many names
Mount Kailash (Kailash) is one of the most mysterious places on our planet. She is also known by other names: Europeans call her Kailash, the Chinese call her Gandhisyshan (冈底斯山) or Ganrenboqi (冈仁波齐), in the Bon tradition her name is Yundrung Gutseg, in ancient texts in Tibetan she is called Kang Rinpoche ( གངས་རིན་པོ་ཆེ; gangs rin po che) - “Precious snowy one.” A bunch of interesting secrets and the legends about Kailash do not leave people, both pilgrims and researchers, indifferent.
Fact No. 2. Center of 4 religions
Mount Kailash is the sacred center of 4 religions: Hinduism, Jainism, Tibetan Bon religion and Buddhism. The dream of every Hindu is to see Kailash with his own eyes at least once in his life. Related to this desire are serious visa restrictions issued by China for Indians wishing to visit these places. In the Vedas (ancient texts of this religion), Mount Kailash is the favorite place of residence of Shiva (cosmic consciousness, personifying the masculine principle of the Universe).
The Tibetan ancient religion Bon considers Mount Kailash to be the place of origin of life in the Universe and the center of power. According to their legends, this is where the mystical country of Shangshung (Shambhala) is located, and the first Jain master Tongpa Shenrab descended into the world from Kailash.
Buddhists revere this mountain as the abode of Buddha in one of the main incarnations - Samvara. Therefore, every year during the Buddhist religious holiday Vesak (other names - Saga Dawa, Visakha Puja, Donchod Khural), dedicated to the enlightenment of Buddha Gautama, thousands of pilgrims and tourists from all over the world gather at the foot of Mount Kailash.
Fact No. 3. Beginning of 4 rivers
According to Hindu mythology, the four main rivers of Tibet, India and Nepal originate on the slopes of Mount Kailash: Indus, Brahmaputra, Sutlej and Karnali. Jains believe that at Mount Kailash their first saint, Jina Mahavira, achieved enlightenment, after which he founded his own teaching - Jainism.
Fact No. 4. Swastika symbol from the shadows
Swastika Mountain – another name for Kailash. The appearance of this name is associated with the pattern formed by two cracks on its southern side. In the evening, the shadow cast by the rock ledges depicts a huge image of a swastika on it. The swastika is a sacred symbol for many peoples of the world. In India, for example, the swastika is considered as a solar sign - a symbol of life, light, generosity and abundance, closely associated with the cult of the god Agni. A wooden tool was made in the shape of a swastika for producing sacred fire. They laid him flat on the ground; the depression in the middle served for a rod, which was rotated until a fire appeared, lit on the altar of the deity. The swastika was carved in many temples, on rocks, and on ancient monuments in India. The swastika is one of the symbols of Jainism.
Fact No. 5. Orientation to cardinal directions
Mount Kailash has a pyramidal shape, strictly oriented to the cardinal points. There is also evidence to suggest the presence of voids both in the mountain itself and at its foot. Some researchers who have studied the mountain and its secrets claim: Kailash is an unnatural artificial formation, erected in ancient times by an unknown person and for what purpose. It is possible that this is some kind of complex, a pyramid.
Fact No. 6. Liberation from sins
In the Bon religion and Hinduism, there is a legend that says: walking around Kailash (kora) allows you to cleanse yourself of all sins committed in a given life. If the kora is performed 13 times, the pilgrim who completes it is guaranteed not to go to Hell; if the kora is performed 108 times, he breaks out of the circle of rebirths and reaches the degree of enlightenment of the Buddha. A kora performed on a full moon counts as two. That is why there are always many pilgrims around the mountain today, making their way to atone for sins.
Fact No. 6. Climbing Kailash is impossible
Mount Kailash is closed to climbers: not a single person has yet visited its peak. This is due not only to the fact that climbing it is officially prohibited. There are legends that Kailash is able to incomprehensibly change the desire of climbers to climb, thereby not allowing anyone to approach him. Those who get too close to it, and those who intend to climb to its top, are suddenly instructed to go in the opposite direction.
Whether this is true or not, the top of the mountain still remains unconquered. In 1985, the famous mountaineer Reinhold Messner received permission to climb from the Chinese authorities, but refused at the last moment.
In 2000, a Spanish expedition for a fairly significant amount purchased permission to conquer Kailash from the Chinese authorities. The team set up a base camp at the foot, but were never able to set foot on the mountain. Thousands of pilgrims blocked the expedition's path. The Dalai Lama, the UN, a number of large international organizations, millions of believers around the world expressed their protest against the conquest of Kailash and the Spaniards had to retreat.
Fact No. 7. Mirrors of Time on the surface of Kailash
Another mystery of Kailash, around which there are numerous disputes and judgments, is the mirror of time. They mean many rocks located near Kailash, having a smooth or concave surface. Whether these surfaces were created artificially in ancient times or are a play of nature is still not known.
There is an assumption that these formations are a kind of “Kozyrev mirrors” - concave mirrors, at the focus of which the speed of time can change. A person who comes into the focus of such a mirror may experience various abnormal and psychophysical sensations. According to Muldashev, the mirrors around Kailash are placed in a certain system in relation to each other, which creates something like a “time machine” capable of transporting the initiate not only to different time periods, but also to other worlds.
Fact No. 8. Lakes Manasarovar and Rakshas Tal - so close, but so different
Two lakes located at the foot of Mount Rakshas Tal and Manasarovar are located nearby and are separated from each other by only a small isthmus. However, both these lakes are strikingly different from each other, which represents another mystery of Kailash.
The waters of Lake Manasarovar, revered by Tibetans as sacred, are fresh. According to legend, Lake Manasarovar was the first object created in the consciousness of Brahma. This is where its name comes from: in Sanskrit “Manas sarovara” means “Lake of Consciousness” from the words manas (consciousness) and sarovara (lake). According to one of the Buddhist legends, this lake is the same legendary Lake Anavatapta, where Queen Maya conceived Buddha. Manasarovar, like Kailash, is a place of pilgrimage around which ritual circumambulation– bark for the purpose of purifying karma. Pilgrims come here to take ceremonial baths in the purifying waters of Manasarovar. It is believed that this lake is a place where “purity” lives; in its bottom layer, near the northwestern shore, the water is alive. Anyone who touches the sacred land of Manasarovar or bathes in this lake will definitely go to heaven. Anyone who drinks water from the lake will ascend to heaven to God Shiva and be cleansed of his sins. Therefore, Manasarovar is considered the most sacred, revered and famous lake in all of Asia. The area around the sacred lake is 100 km.
|
|
|
Near Manasarovar there is a salty dead lake Rakshas tal (also Langak, Rakas, Langa Tso (Chinese: 拉昂错, pinyin: Lā'áng Cuò). In Hindu mythology, this lake was created by the lord of the Rakshasas, the demon Ravana, and on this lake there was a special island where Ravana every day sacrificed one of his heads to Shiva. On the tenth day, Shiva gave Ravana superpowers. Lake Langa Tso is placed in contrast to Lake Manasarovar, created by the gods. Manasarovar has a round shape, and Langa Tso is elongated in the form of a month, which symbolizes light and darkness, respectively. Touch dead water Lakes are prohibited according to local customs, because it can bring bad luck.
The number of legends, stories and various traditions associated with this place is simply enormous: it is unlikely that any other place on our planet can boast so many secrets and mysteries.
Publication 2017-12-04 Liked 13 Views 1012
Sacred Bark: 13 + 1 around Kailash
Myths about Mount Kailash
Around this mysterious mountain There are many legends and stories. Kailash or Kailash is one of the highest mountains in the Gangdise range, which is located mostly in China, in the Tibetan Plateau.
Kailash is also unusual at night. The Milky Way seems to be just a stone's throw away 4 main mysteries of Kailash
It was easier for the ancestors, looking at the mountain - they saw the divine will in everything. In the age of scientific and technological progress, the mysteries of Kailash haunt rational and inquisitive minds. Perhaps descendants will be able to find all the answers.
- No one has ever conquered this mountain. Although it is not the highest point in the world, not a single climber has managed to climb to its peak. According to Buddhist legends, not a single living creature has the right to ascend to the abode of the gods. Otherwise he will have to die.
- The sides of Kailash face the four cardinal directions. It’s as if it’s not a mountain, but a man-made pyramid. Was nature really so precise in its measurements, and why? There is no answer to this question.
- On the southern side of the pyramidal peak of Kailash you can see the swastika sign - a sacred symbol of many peoples of the world. In fact, these are two cracks or depressions intersected almost at right angles, deepened by watercourses. And then the human consciousness decides whether to see inexplicable signs in this or not.
- The height of Kailash is 6666 meters. Scientists continue to argue about the accuracy of these data; according to some sources, the height of Kailash is slightly less. You can find a dark beginning in this figure, but once you convert the measurement from meters to feet, all the mysticism dissolves.
Lake Mansarovar - another mystery of Mount Kailash Sacred Bark: 13 + 1
Pilgrims come to Mount Kailash to perform a ritual circumambulation around it. During the circumambulation they recite the sacred mantra “Om Mani Padme Hum”. Religious texts say that one who circumambulates Kailash 108 times will achieve liberation forever and achieve nirvana. Nevertheless, even one or several walks around the mountain are a powerful worship of the deity in which the visitor believes.
Diagram of the outer cortex. 53 kilometers are usually covered in 3 days A walking tour or detour around Kailash is called “kora”. There are several trails, but the most popular are the outer bark and the inner bark. It is believed that only one who has performed 13 outer koras around Kailash can perform the inner kora.
Tibetan pilgrims perform kora around the sacred mountain Why Kailash is a universal shrine
Mount Kailash is considered sacred place m for several believers. Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and others flock here. Hindus believe that Shiva and his family live on Kailash. The mountain is the center of the universe, the most energetically powerful point on the earth, from where the deeds and blessings of Shiva emanate.
The smiling face of Shiva was discovered on Google maps in Kailash Buddhists believe that Buddha lives on Kailash. He sits here for centuries in a state of samadhi and can only be seen by those who themselves achieve this state. Followers of the Buddha perform prostrations near Kailash as a sign of curbing their own rushing mind and in order to acquire good merit.
Pilgrim at the foot of Mount Kailash Spiritual asceticism in the form of a complex and long journey burns karma, cleanses the mind and body, and connects a person with higher powers. This is a kind of challenge to yourself, your comfort zone and mental limitations that do not allow self-realization. If you leave what you are most attached to at Mount Kailash, even mentally, after the pilgrimage, life can change greatly.
Priests of different religions perform their rituals at the mountain The entrance to Shambhala, the invisible land of great teachers and knowledge, is located at the foot of Kailash. This is what Buddhists and Hindus think, Elena Blavatsky, Helena and Nicholas Roerich wrote about this.
Receive a blessing from a sadhu - People go to Kailash for this too Myths about Kailash
Some pseudoscientists confidently declare that the mountains of Tibet are the work of ancient civilizations, and all the peaks of the Himalayas are lined up in a single chain mysterious pyramids. Some “wise men” calculated that from Kailash to Stonehenge it is exactly 6666 kilometers. This is, of course, not true. And no living beings could build the Himalayas.
You can make sure what is a myth and where is the truth only on the spot, by listening to your soul The myths about the man-made Mount Kailash also include information about anomalous “Tibetan mirrors” and the theory of Nikolai Kozyrev. Allegedly, near Mount Kailash, time can slow down and speed up, it can flow in the opposite direction, and so on. All this is very interesting, but extremely uninformative and unconvincing - scientific evidence these theories do not yet exist.
Around Kailash, everything man-made is of great importance Tours to Tibet, to Mount Kailash and to the sights of this officially unrecognized country are organized by many tour operators. The Chinese authorities opened Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, to visitors as recently as 2008 after the Beijing Olympics. From now on, the Mount Kailash tour can be done from Nepal by car or plane, or from China by train or plane. Visas and entry permits are issued at travel agencies.
In the west of the Tibetan Plateau, 200 km from the border with Nepal, there is a mountain Kailash (Kailash). Neither geographically nor geologically it belongs to the main Himalayan range. According to official version geologists, it rose along with the plateau from the ocean floor, and then water and wind sharpened its edges, giving it a pyramidal shape.
This mountain has been considered sacred for many millennia by all nationalities living in nearby countries. In India, every Hindu considers it a great happiness to see her once in his life. In the ancient books - the Vedas - it is written that all the Himalayas are sacred and are considered the abode of the Gods, but Kailash- This is Shiva’s favorite place to stay. And Shiva, according to Hindu belief, is the master of burning bad karma and destroying illusions. Streams of invisible heavenly fire rush to the ground from his trident, and the dirt turns into a crystal clear stream of energy. Many yogis and sincere seekers of truth have spent many years here in meditation and prayer. And today here you can sometimes meet people from whose eyes, like a mountain river from a glacier, a stream of love and grace continuously flows.
According to Buddhist belief, if you walk around this mountain with the right thoughts and motivation, it is possible to clear the karma accumulated over several past lives. Tibetan Buddhists revere this mountain as the abode of the deity Chakrasamvara.
From the point of view of Eastern cosmology, Mt. Kailash– this is the center of our world system, through which the axis of the universe passes. Ancient eastern cosmogonies provide a largely uniform picture of the creation of the world. Both Shklovsky’s theory of the multiplicity of worlds and astrophysicist Zeldovich’s “pancake” theory of the structure of the Universe look only like a special case against the backdrop of the general picture of the universe ancient East. Their abstract thinking, not burdened with tons of specific private knowledge, easily operates with images and analogies, building a grandiose picture of the Universe.
Here is one of the cosmogonic myths of ancient India: the world consists of seven islands, the main one is called “Jambudvipa”. In the middle of the islands stands golden mountain Meru. It rises 84,000 yojanas above the ground and extends 16,000 yojanas underground, its diameter at the top is 16,000 yojanas, at the base 32,000 yojanas, so its shape resembles a lotus flower. At its top is the city of Brahma, and around are the gardens of Indra (according to Buddhist cosmology, at the top there is a world of forms and without forms, around the mountain there is a great ocean). Under Mount Meru there are 28 hell worlds. Above the mountain are the world of the sages (Ursa Major), and above the polar star - the center of the system, are the worlds of saints and gods, above all - the World of Eternal Truth. All worlds are surrounded by a divine shell, around which the spheres of water, fire, air, mind are located, and the world ends with a substance that is the source of all things. All worlds rotate around an axis passing through Measure and the polar star.
Meru, as the main axis of the universe, is also reflected in the texts of Indian tantra. According to the correspondence of the structure of the microcosm to the macrocosm, there is a main axis human body, and it passes through the spine. Worlds - chakras - are strung on the central energy channel, gradually filling each one with energy, rising from lower energies to higher ones, a person moves towards spiritual awakening, the state of consciousness of saints and gods. And according to the theory of reincarnation, he will be reborn in the next life in a world corresponding to the level of consciousness and energy (i.e. chakra) that the person achieved during his earthly life. Thus, the mythological Mount Meru is a symbol of the axis of the world and contains all levels of existence: from the lowest to the highest.
The ancient religion of Tibet - Bon, also believes Kailash sacred, the source of life and the location of the mystical country of Shang-Shung. On the steep slopes of the mountain, the Bon people distinguish sacred signs - the swastika, a symbol that is interpreted differently in different teachings, but everywhere a special meaning is attributed to it.
In all local traditions it carries the meaning of cleansing from all sins that are the cause of birth in the hellish worlds. And the Drolma-La pass symbolizes death and birth in new life. It is believed that anyone who has even performed parikrama (Sanskrit “circumnavigation around a shrine”) is saved for centuries and the worst that can await him is incarnation in the human world. Around Kailash there are several small Buddhist temples, where pilgrims come during the kora (Tib. “circumaming around the shrine”). They are built on places of power where Great Teachers meditated. To this day, we can see the imprints of their hands and feet in stone, which they left to demonstrate the power of their realization and inspire people to take the spiritual path. For thousands of years this area has been considered the holiest place. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims: Buddhists, Hindus, Jains, Bonpos make kora around the shrine every year. They are not hindered by hundreds of kilometers, nor by the vicissitudes of the weather, nor by the political confrontation between China and India.
A piercing silence, like an invisible thinnest string stretched by the hand of the heavenly Lord, rings in the air. And its sound calls to merge with the divine qualities of the Absolute.
Related links:
Photos of Tibet Tibet: upcoming tours
|
Shrines of Tibet. Traditional expedition to Mount Kailash 89 K (via Guangzhou) |
Departure: August 21, 2020; 18 days / 17 nights Guangzhou – Samye – Lhasa – Gyandse – Shigatse – Sakya – Manasarovar – Garuda Valley – Rakshas – Kailash – Peiku Tso – Base camp Everest – Shigatse – Guangzhou In this program you will find a 4-day kora around Kailash with access to the North Face on the day of the full moon, the sacred lakes Yamdrok Tso, Manasarovar, Rakshasa and Peiku Tso, the hot geyser Tagyal Chutse, a trek to the Everest base camp and a visit to the abandoned ancient capital state of Shangshung - Garuda Valley! Making the kora and going to the North Wall of Kailash on a full moon! Guide and author of the program - . From 2889 USD + a/b. |
How many copies were broken, how many learned men came together in the “battle for the truth”, how many scientific, pseudo-scientific and not at all scientific theories were born thanks to the mysterious and unknown Mount Kailash. How many religious movements have merged and converged at one point of existence. Let's try to figure it out (or get even more confused).
As we always say (and will continue to say), every square centimeter of our planet is worthy of attention. Naturally, we simply do not have the right to pass by the sacred Mount Kailash. Especially considering how much stuff is mixed up around her.
First, a little geography. The Kailash mountain range is located in the southern part of Tibet (today Tibet is an autonomous region of China, but disagreements arise periodically between them). Mount Kailash is the most significant and beautiful peak of the ridge of the same name.
Mount Kailash on the map
- Geographic coordinates (31.067112, 81.311697)
- The distance from the capital of China Beijing is about 3300 km in a straight line
- The nearest airport is Simikot, approximately 130 km to the south.
Mount Kailash has an interesting and geometrically regular pyramidal shape with a permanent snow cap on the top. Its edges are almost oriented to the cardinal points. It turns out to be a kind of giant compass, visible from space.
The height of the pyramid is one of the subjects of dispute among scientists. Different groups of researchers measured the same different heights, but all measurements fell within the interval from 6,638 to 6,890 meters. This is enough high mountain, although inferior famous Everest(8848 meters) and the most high mountain on the planet in absolute terms Mauna Kea (10203 meters). Regarding the height, there is an opinion that it is 6666 meters. At least, in many sources on esoteric topics this particular height is indicated.
The southern part of the mountain has a flat cleft in the middle from the top to the bottom. It was as if it had been cut with a knife. In addition, this crevice is again crossed in the middle by a horizontal crack. As a result, when the Sun sets, the shadows from these cuts form a swastika. Therefore, Kailash is sometimes called “Swastika Mountain”.
Here it is worth making an important addition. The swastika is an ancient image that symbolizes the sun or solstice. For many peoples, it is associated with our luminary. The Slavs also had a kind of swastika, called Kolovrat. Please do not confuse the well-known Nazi swastika from Hitler's times with ancient runes.
The peculiarities of Mount Kailash include its stepped structure, which makes it even more like a pyramid.
Mount Kailash in religion
The most ancient religions of the surrounding countries endow Kailash with supernatural powers and consider it a sacred place. Hindus, Buddhists, followers of Jainism and Bon (these are also movements in religion) call it the “heart of the world” or the “axis of the Earth.” Prayers are offered to the mountain, worship is made, and ritual circumambulation is made around it. This pilgrimage is called Kora.
Hindus claim that Shiva lives on the mountain, and Kailash is the image of Mera - great mountain at the center of the Universe.
Buddhists say that the top of the mountain is the abode of Buddha. Buddhist pilgrims from all over the planet gather at the mountain every year on the Saga Dawa holiday, which is dedicated to Buddha.
Followers of Jainism believe that Kshatriya Mahavira himself, the founder of this religious movement and the main saint, achieved liberation and enlightenment on the mountain.
Followers of the Bon religion attribute divine properties to Lake Mapam-Yumtso, located 34 kilometers away south of the mountain. They consider the lake to be the center the most ancient country Shangshung, in which bon appeared. They call Mount Kailash the Nine-Story Swastika Mountain. She is the soul of the entire religion, and here Tonpa Shenrab, the founder of the religion, descended from heaven.
It is noteworthy that representatives of the first three religions walk around the mountain clockwise, and Bon followers, on the contrary, counterclockwise.
The length of the route around the mountain is 52 km. To overcome it, you need very good physical preparation. It is believed that by making a kora (circumnavigation of a mountain), a person becomes enlightened and gets rid of sins. Moreover, it is advisable to walk around the mountain in one day, which is very difficult. The kora performed 13 times is considered especially honorable.
In religious books about Kailash there are such inspiring lines: “No mortal dares to enter the peak where the gods live. Whoever sees the faces of the gods must die." Legends say that the mountain will throw off any daredevil who dares to climb to the top. And even if you just touch it, ulcers that take a long time to heal appear.
All of the above religions also worship two lakes 34 kilometers south of Kailash. These are Mapam-Yumtso and Langa-Tso. The first - fresh - is considered the Lake of Life, and the second - brackish - is the Lake of Death.
In the vicinity of the mountain flow 4 main rivers of this region - Indus, Sutlej, Brahmaputra and Karnali. The myths say that they all begin with Kailash. But in fact the flows with mountain range initially fall into Lake Langa-Tso, and the Sutlej River flows out of it.
Pseudo-scientific and not at all scientific hypotheses and myths of Mount Kailash
Some sources indicate the mystical number 6666 and claim that it is at this distance from the mountain that Stonehenge, the North and South Poles are located. It is said that Kailash lies in line with Egyptian pyramids And mysterious island Easter.
We sat over the map for a while and realized that there was some confusion with the distances, for example, to Stonehenge 6920 km in a straight line. If the poles were the same distance from the mountain, then it should be located on the equator - but this is not the case. And the pyramids with Easter Island are not exactly on the same line. Therefore, we classify such data as unconfirmed. But if we made a mistake somewhere, please let us know.
There are still a lot of pseudoscientific hypotheses. There are also stories about how time passes several times faster near the mountain, so much so that men grow a week’s worth of stubble in a few hours. And that Kailash is the entrance to parallel worlds. And that the mountain is hollow inside, and many saints rest in it (among whom they even mention Jesus Christ, Buddha and Krishna), and all in one place. They rest for a reason, but until the moment humanity goes completely crazy and reaches the brink of self-destruction. Then no one except higher powers will be able to protect a person from himself.
Let's be honest, these hypotheses still have little in common with science, and are more related to myths and legends.
How to conquer Mount Kailash
No way, period. Just remember the most high point planets, Mount Everest. It is conquered by all and sundry, from old men to teenagers and even people with disabilities. And this height is almost 9 kilometers, it’s almost impossible to breathe there, but people stubbornly climb it. What about Kailash? Has no one reached the summit? This is true. Mount Kailash has never been conquered by anyone. And there are two main factors here. The first (mystical) factor is that for reasons unknown to science, the vast majority of climbers “lost their nerves” right before the ascent; they simply gave up their desire to climb up. And even if someone, having overcome internal resistance, nevertheless began to climb, then he either immediately returned back or died.
Local residents revere the mountain as a shrine, and naturally do not even think about conquering it. Everyone who wanted to do this was foreigners. For example, the Italian Reinhold Messner, who received permission to climb, arrived at the site in 1985, but at the last moment changed his mind. An incomprehensible feeling of fear and hopelessness covers everyone who thinks of encroaching on Mount Kailash.
The second factor hindering conquest is local residents. They literally block the path of daredevils with their breasts. In 2001, an expedition from Spain, having paid a lot of money just for the opportunity to climb to the top of the mountain, was stopped by a group of pilgrims. Thousands of believers stood in the way of the Spaniards. The Dalai Lama himself and even the UN protested against climbing Kailash, and the climbers had to give in. Thus, to this day the mountain has not been conquered.
Reinhold Messner later said to the Spaniards: “If we conquer this mountain, then we will conquer something in the souls of people. I would suggest going and climbing something a little harder. Kailash is not so tall and not so heavy.” Let us remember that he himself still did not dare to climb.
- The ridge where the mountain is located is considered young, so it is still “growing”. Its height increases annually by 5-6 mm
- Scientists have found that the age of the Tibetan mountains is about 5 million years, but Mount Kailash itself is only 20,000 years old
- The name of Mount Kailash is translated from Sanskrit as “crystal”
The first group is being recruited to Kailash in 2020: in addition to the crust around Kailash, you will see the North Face of Everest, beautiful lakes, Ancient Kingdom of Guge, Garuda Valley and rarely visited ancient cave complexes V Western Tibet– Dungkar and Piyang. Route . Arrival in Lhasa on April 26, 2020. Unique tour to Kailash Kora with a Russian guide! Join us!
Mount Kailash (Kailash) - Jewel of the Snows, the center of the universe, the abode of Shiva and Buddha Shakyamuni in the guise of the wrathful deity Chakrasamvara, the patron of one of the highest tantras of Vajrayana Buddhism. There is a belief that if you go around sacred mountain 108 times, you can achieve enlightenment.
Kailash has attracted ascetics, yogis and pilgrims for many centuries. Nowadays, more and more people are interested in traveling to this peak. And it’s not just the unusual tetrahedral shape of the mountain, reminiscent of an artificially built pyramid, but rather the fact that Kailash is a shrine for millions of representatives of four religions: Hindus, Jains, Buddhists and Bonpos. Every year, thousands of pilgrims make a sacred circumambulation around Kailash, offering prayers and performing religious practices.
Geography
Mount Kailash is located in the Tibetan province of Ngari in Western Tibet, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. Kailash is one of the peaks in the Gandhisa mountain system (冈底斯山脉pinyin: gangdisi shanmai), located in the south of the Tibetan Plateau and running almost parallel to the Himalayas.
Kailash is the highest mountain peak in its area (6714 meters / according to other sources 6638 meters), which also differs in appearance from neighboring mountains with its tetrahedral pyramidal shape, oriented to the four cardinal directions. In the Kailash region, the four main rivers of Tibet, India and Nepal originate and spread to the cardinal points: the Brahmaputra in the east, the Indus in the north, the Sutlej in the west, and the Karnali (a tributary of the Ganges River) in the south.
Name
Kailash is known by many names. The most common name in Russian Kailash is the name of the sacred mountain in Sanskrit. It is also quite common to write Kailash.
So which is correct: Kailash or Kailash? - Both options are correct, since both spellings are found in ancient Indian texts - both with the sound “s” at the end and with the sound “sh”:
- कैलाश Kailāśa (“Kailasha”) and केलास Kailāsa (“Kailasa”). It should be noted that modern India now says "Kailash", while "Kailas" is perhaps a more authentic name, for such a spelling is found in the ancient Indian epic "Mahabharata".
- In Tibet, the most popular name for the peak is Kang Rinpoche(གངས་རིན་པོ་ཆེ wylie: gangs rinpoche), which translated means “Snow Jewel” or “Precious Snow Peak”. In classical texts the peak is called Kang Tise(གངས་ཏི་སེ wylie: gangs tise) or simply Tise (ཏི་སེ wylie:tise).
- Followers of the pre-Buddhist Bon religion of Tibet call this sacred mountain Yundrung Gutsek (གཡུང་དྲུང་དགུ་བརྩེགས wylie: gyung drung dgu brtsegs), which translated means “Nine-story Mount Svasti ki."
- IN English language the most common name for a peak isKailash, originating from Sanskrit.
- The Chinese names for Kailash are derived from the Tibetan ones: Gan Renboqi(冈仁波齐 pinyin: gang renboqi) from the Tibetan name Kang Rinpoche and Gandhisishan(冈底斯山 pinyin: gangdisi shan) from Tibetan Kang Tise. Also, Kailash in Chinese is popularly called simply “sacred peak” - Shenshan(神山 pinyin: shenshan).
Kailash in world religions
Mount Kailash is sacred to representatives of four religions: Buddhism, Bon, Hinduism and Jainism. For Buddhists, Kailash is the abode of Shakyamuni Buddha in his wrathful form. For Hindus, it is the abode of Shiva, the destroyer of illusions. For Jains, Kailash is sacred as the place where their first saint, Adinatha, achieved enlightenment. Followers of the Bon religion believe that from here the founder of the religion, Tonpa Shenrab Miwoche, descended from heaven to earth.
Despite the fact that believers of these four religions have different interpretations of the significance of Kailash, they all consider this peak to be the most sacred place, the “heart of the world,” the axis of the universe (Latin axis mundi), connecting heaven and earth, through which a practitioner can contact higher powers.
Kailash in Buddhism
For Tibetan Buddhists, Kailash is the abode of Shakyamuni Buddha in the form of the wrathful deity Korlo Demchog (འཁོར་ལོ་བདེ་མཆོག་ wylie: ‘khorlo bde mchog) or Chakrasamvara in Sanskrit. Demchok is depicted in conjunction with the spiritual consort Dorje Pakmo (རྡོ་རྗེ་ཕག་མོ wylie: rdo rje phag mo) or Vajravarahi. Their union is a symbol of the unity of emptiness and bliss (བདེ་སྟོང་དབྱེར་མེད wylie: bde stong dbyer med). Diligent spiritual practice is the only way to know this symbol.
For Buddhist followers of the Lesser Vehicle (Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, etc.), Kailash is a place that Buddha Shakyamuni himself sanctified along with 500 arhats, emanating himself in the Kailash area.
After Shakyamuni Buddha, Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche, an 8th century AD Buddhist master revered as the second Buddha, meditated here. He left behind terma treasures in the rocks around Kailash.
Three centuries later, Milarepa, a famous Tibetan meditation master, hermit, mystic and poet, meditated here. Despite the rapid spread of Buddhism in Tibet since the 8th century, Kailash and the surrounding area remained a place especially revered by followers of the Bon religion. But after Milarepa, the secrets of Kailash were also revealed to Tibetan Buddhists. Having achieved spiritual realization, Milarepa and his disciples went to Western Tibet to the places of Buddha Shakyamuni. Arriving in the Kailash region, he met a Bon master named Naro Bonchung. A dispute arose between them over dominance in the Kailash region, which they agreed to resolve through competition using siddhis - supernatural powers. The first competition was on Lake Manasarovar near Kailash: Milarepa stretched his entire body across the surface of the lake, and Naro Bonchung stood on the surface of the water from above. Not satisfied with the results, they continued the competition by running around Kailash: Milarepa ran clockwise and Naro Bonchung counterclockwise. Having met at the top of the Dolma la pass near the northern slope of Kailash, they continued the magical battle, but again could not decide who the winner was. Then Naro Bonchung proposed the following competition: whoever climbs to the top of Kailash on the day of the full moon immediately after dawn will be the winner. On the appointed day, Naro Bonchung, riding his shamanic drum, flew to the top of Kailash. Milarepa rested calmly below, causing his disciples to worry. But, as soon as the first rays of the sun reached the peak of Kailash, Milarepa grabbed one of the rays and instantly reached the sacred peak. Naro Bonchung was stunned and fell from his drum. Thus, Milarepa won and the followers of the Bon religion lost control of the region, moving their spiritual center from Kailash to Mount Bonri east of Lhasa.
Since then, and right up to the present day, Mount Kailash has been sacred both to Tibetan Buddhists and, in particular, to adherents of the Kagyu school, to which Milarepa belonged. But followers of the Bon religion continue to revere this peak. Thus, Buddhists make a pilgrimage around Kailash clockwise, and Bon followers counterclockwise.
In the 13th century, Master Gotsangpa discovered the magical powers of Kailash for adherents of the Drukpa Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. He also spent 5 years meditating at the Dirapuk Monastery, located before the Dolma la pass opposite the northern elephant of Kailash. Therefore, to this day, this monastery, Kailash and all the surrounding areas of the peak are especially revered by adherents of the Drukpa Kagyu school.
Although there are many sacred peaks in Tibet, only the Kailash region is a powerful and comprehensive mandala, where every peak and every hill is the abode of one or another deity, where every cleft in the rocks was a place of meditation for hermits. Nowhere else are there so many places of power with self-manifested symbols of the path to enlightenment.
Kailash in Bon religion
bon symbol
The founder of the Bon religion was named Tonpa Shenrab Miwoche. He lived about thirty thousand years ago in the spiritually perfect place of Olmo Lung Ring, where only enlightened beings could enter. According to the surviving descriptions, this place looked like a mixture of ideas about the mystical land of Shablale, Mount Kailash and Mount Meru. Despite the fact that Olmo Lung Ring is a magical place, according to some sources it was located in the territory of the country of Tazik to the west of the kingdom of Shang Shung in Western Tibet. In the center of Omolungring there was the sacred peak of Yundrung Gutsek - the “Nine-Storey Swastika Mountain”, symbolizing the “Nine Paths of Bon”, from where Tonpa Shenrab descended into the world of people. At the foot of the mountain, four great rivers originated, spreading in four directions. Some followers of the Bon religion believe that Mount Yundrung Gutsek is the sacred Kailash. According to other versions, Tonpa Shenrab moved the power and magic contained in Mount Yundrung Gutsek inside Kailash. At the end of his life in our world, using the axis of the world located on Kailash, he returned to heaven. In any case, Mount Kailash is a sacred place for followers of the Bon religion, symbolizing the place of the god Shang Shung Meri. The teachings and lineage of Meri (Me Ri) were one of the main practices in Shang Shung and are preserved to this day.
Kailash in Hinduism
In Hinduism, Kailash is the abode of God Shiva - the supreme God of gods, destroyer of illusions, master of yoga and tantra. Shiva, along with his wife Parvati, resides on the peak of Kailash in the highest meditative state of Absolute Bliss. According to Vishnu Purana, Kailasa peak is a reflection of Mount Meru, which is the center of all universes in both material and spiritual aspects.
Due to the hemispherical shape of Mount Kailash, it is personified with the lingam - the main symbol of Shiva, the masculine principle. In the Puranas, the Lingam is the manifested image of the Eternal Unmanifested Shiva, who is beyond time, space, qualities and forms. At the base of the lingam there is a yoni - a symbol of shakti, the universal feminine energy. So, sacred lake Manasarovar, located near Kailash, is the personification of yoni and the abode of Parvati, therefore, together with Kailash, it is especially revered among followers of Hinduism. For them, a pilgrimage to Kailash and Manasarovar is, first of all, a meeting with God. Therefore, millions of believers go to the sacred peak every year.
Kailash in Jainism
For followers of Jainism, Kailash is also both a sacred peak and Mount Meru, personifying the center of the universe. Rishabha, who became the first saint in Jainism, achieved nirvana in the Kailash region, thereby marking the beginning of the Tithankara tradition. In the Jain worldview, the world has no beginning or end, and time moves in a circle, like the wheel of existence. Thus, our world has already completed countless time cycles, and countless cycles will also come after our time. Each cycle or “kalachakra” is divided into two half-cycles: growth and decay. In each half-cycle, 24 Tirthankaras are born, the first of which was Rishabha, also known as Adinatha.
stupas at the Dirapuk monastery on the northern slope of Kailash
