There are many in the world unique places with unusual properties. One of these “places of power” is Mount Kailash in the high mountain valley of Tibet. Pilgrims come here to the southwest of China to make a ritual circuit around the mountain - Koru

Scientists are still arguing about the history of this amazing mountain. Is Kailash an artificially created pyramid or a mountain of natural origin? Today there is no reliable information about this, as well as how many years ago Kailash was born and why it has the shape of a pyramid, the edges of which accurately indicate parts of the world. It is also surprising and inexplicable that the height of the mountain is 6666 m, the distance from Kailash to the Stonehenge monument is 6666 km, and the same to North Pole, and to Yuzhny – 13,332 km (6666*2).

Kailash is a place shrouded in thousands of secrets and legends. And until now, the top of the sacred mountain has not been conquered by anyone. Kailash does not allow mere mortals to reach the peak, where according to legend the gods live. Many tried against all odds to get there. But no one was able to overcome the invisible wall, which, as would-be travelers claim, arose on their way, preventing them from reaching the sacred peak. Kailash seems to push them away, allowing only those who really believe to perform ritual kora.

The 4 greatest rivers of Asia, possessing powerful energies, originate from Kailash. It is believed that when a person circumambulates Kailash, he comes into contact with this power. Kailash is a very powerful center of power. It carries the energy of dissolving everything old. The one who does kora is filled with energy and vitality to help people.

It is a custom to circumambulate Kailash. A custom of faith that contains enormous power. In Kailash they say that the one who goes through the kora with faith and a feeling of unity with God gains special divine power here.

The large kora around Kailash takes 2-3 days. Throughout the entire journey, a person passes through the strongest energy centers where divine flows are felt. Kailash is like a temple. All stones on the path have a certain charge. Pilgrims believe that demigods or supreme souls live in the stones. According to ancient legends, many divine beings who visited here once turned into stones. And now these stones have special divine power.

The first day of the kora is anticipation, lightness, elation. On the second day, you pass the highest and most difficult pass – Death Pass. They say that during this period you can experience death. For example, a person may fall and go into a trance. Many people say that during such a trance they felt their body at the very top of Kailash.

The Drolma-la pass symbolizes new birth. People try to leave something personal in this place. It is believed that this is how a person clears his karma. This is a symbol of leaving the past, a certain dark, negative part of the soul. Having thrown off everything unnecessary at this pass, it becomes easier and freer to go further.

Around Kailash you can walk either along the outer circle - the large one, or along the small one - the inner one. Only those who have walked around the outer one 13 times are allowed to enter the inner one. They say that if one immediately goes there, the high divine energy will block the person’s path.

There are beautiful lakes on the inner crust, the water in them is sacred. On the shores of these lakes there is a monastery. People believe that the enlightened still live there. And if someone is lucky enough to meet them, he will be blessed.

When a pilgrim passes the kora, he turns to higher powers and addresses them with prayer. Kailash is the symbol of the supreme deity. And the external journey to Kailash is actually an internal journey to one’s deity.

There is a belief that the god Shiva lives on Kailash. For Hindus, Shiva is a force and energy capable of creating and destroying worlds. They believe that there are three main forces in the universe: creation, maintenance and destruction. The power of Shiva is the connection with universal energy.

On the way of a wanderer, obstacles often appear, both physical and spiritual. Kailash tests a person’s strength and points out weaknesses. Overcoming all difficulties in pilgrimage is the best way to purify and change.

When a pilgrim leaves Kailash and descends lower, he understands that he doesn’t need much to be happy. We have air that we can breathe, we have food, a roof over our heads - and this is enough for external material happiness, everything else must be sought within.

For millions of years people have been coming here and bringing prayer into their hearts. Lake Manasarovar, like Kailash, is revered as sacred. To his right is the peak of Gurla Mandhata. According to legend, she was a king in a past life. Then there was no water here and the king began to pray. One day, God heard his prayers and created a lake from his mind. This lake is the sacred Lake Manasarovar.

Another lake near Kailash, called Rakshas Tal, is considered cursed. It is separated from the sacred lake by a narrow isthmus. Surprisingly, with such a close location, these two bodies of water have huge differences. You can take a dip in the sacred lake, there is fish there and you can drink the water from it. The water in this lake is fresh and is considered healing. Lake Rakshas Tal, on the contrary, is salty and you cannot plunge into it. And places where there is a source with dead and living water nearby have been considered places of power since ancient times.

Kailash also has another sacred lake - Gaurikund. According to legend, it was created by Shiva for his wife Parvati. She helped people a lot, which left her body very exhausted. Having bathed in this lake, Parvati acquired a new body, and since then no one else can touch its sacred waters. There are many legends about the death of people who touched Gaurikund Lake.

There are 4 caves in the vicinity of Kailash. One of them, Milarepa's cave, is located southeast of Kailash next to the sacred path. According to legend, the great yogi Milarepa placed two stone blocks at the entrance of the cave, on which he installed a huge granite slab. This slab cannot be moved by hundreds or even thousands of people. And Milarepa carved it out of granite and laid it with the help of his spiritual power. And it was in this place that he achieved his enlightenment.

There is a legend that Milarepa and the Bonn priest Naro Bonchung fought for power over Kailash. During the first confrontation between supernatural forces on Lake Manasarovar, Milarepa stretched his 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 fight by running around Kailash. Milarepa moved clockwise, and Naro Bonchung moved counterclockwise. Having met at the top of the Dolma-la pass, they continued the magical battle, but again to no avail. Then Naro Bonchung proposed to climb to the top of Kailash on the day of the full moon immediately after dawn. Whoever rises first will win. On the appointed day, Naro Bonchung, riding his shamanic drum, flew to the top. Milarepa was resting calmly below. And as soon as the first rays of the sun reached the peak of Kailash, Milarepa grabbed one of the rays and instantly reached the top, gaining power over the sacred mountain.

Kailash has prayer flags hanging everywhere. These are protective symbols. People hang them to achieve success in some good endeavors. These flags are also called "Wind Horses". The symbol of prayer flags is a horse carrying a jewel on its back. It is believed that it fulfills wishes, brings well-being and prosperity. The flags are made of five primary colors, symbolizing the five elements of the human body. Mantras are applied to them, which are activated upon contact with the wind and carry encrypted messages throughout the world.

Kailash is a place of spiritual power that awakens believers and purifies their minds. People flock here to say the prayer that everyone carries in their hearts. It is believed that the one who makes this pilgrimage will be cleansed of all his sins and learn the secret of the universe.

Mount Kailash is considered one of the most unusual in Tibet, and therefore arouses unflagging interest among adherents of Eastern religions and lovers of everything mystical. It is part of the Gangdise mountain range, which separates this autonomous region of China from Indian Ocean. Before your trip, it’s worth finding out the exact location of Kailash on the world map: it is located in the southern part of the Tibetan Plateau and stands out impressively from the surrounding area thanks to its impressive altitude of almost 6,700 m.

The mountain has other names. Among the Chinese it is known as Ganrenboqi or Gandhisishan, and in the sacred books of the Tibetans Kailash is referred to as Yundrung Gutseg or Kang Ringpoche (“precious snow-capped mountain”).

What does Kailash look like?

The peak has practically no analogues in the mountain systems of the planet due to its tetrahedral shape, reminiscent of an ancient Egyptian pyramid. The top of Kailash is covered with a thick snow cover at any time of the year, which almost never melts. If you look at photos of the mountain taken from a satellite, you will immediately notice the exact orientation of its four slopes to the cardinal points.

Kailash is located in Western Tibet, an area inaccessible even to experienced climbers. The region is home to four major waterways of the region: the Indus, Karnali, Brahmaputra and Sutlej. Hindus, for whom these rivers are sacred, believe that their sources are located precisely on the slopes of the mountain.

Mysterious halo of the mountain

The secrets of ancient Kailash, which has dominated the surrounding territories for millennia, excite the imagination of many travelers. The following are worth mentioning Interesting Facts regarding this unique peak:

Some researchers claim that the height of Mount Kailash in Tibet is exactly 6666 m. For this reason, many followers of Christian denominations perceive it as dangerous place, where, according to rumors, dark forces led by Lucifer himself live.

For adherents of Buddhism, Hinduism, Jain and Tibetan religions, the Bon peak is one of the most sacred places. In Eastern religious traditions, the mountain is considered the “heart of the world”, where divine power is concentrated, and is an object of cult worship. Hindus call Kailash the mountain of the gods because, according to local legends, this is where the great Shiva spends most of his time. The peak itself is the embodiment of the cosmic Mount Meru - the mythological center of the universe. According to Buddhist beliefs, Kailash is the abode of Buddha, who came to our earth in the form of Samvar. In the Jain tradition, it was on this mountain that the first saint freed himself from all worldly things and from earthly bonds. Followers of Bon believe that the life force of the entire planet is concentrated here, and while climbing Kailash you can get into legendary country Shangshung.

According to Tibetan legends, most expeditions to the mountain end in the death of daring daredevils who dared to disturb the peace of the supreme deities. Those who decide to undertake such an extreme simply disappear without a trace in the local gorges. Many climbers have dreamed of conquering Kailash, but at the last moment unforeseen circumstances inevitably prevent this. Thus, in the mid-1980s, the famous Italian climber Messner received a license to climb from the Chinese government, but for unknown reasons he soon abandoned this idea. In 2000, Spanish climbers also tried to climb to the top of the mountain, but numerous pilgrims and Tibetan monks surrounded it with a living ring, blocking access to it. Therefore, a trip to Kailash Peak still remains just an unattainable dream for climbers around the world.

Many legends are associated with this pearl of the Tibetan mountains. One of them says that a person who just touches the slope of Kailash will suffer from non-healing ulcers for many weeks. Also in the myths of Tibet there is a mention of the appearances of the supreme deity Shiva. Its image can be seen in flashes of lightning in cloudy weather, when the peak is completely shrouded in clouds.

Along the southern slope of the peak, right in its central part, there is a vertical crack, which is crossed by a shallow horizontal split. When the shadows thicken at sunset, in this place of Kailash they form a clear resemblance of a swastika - a symbol of Nazism. According to scientists, the cracks (the vertical width reaches 40 m) are the result of a long-ago earthquake.

Some fans of esoteric teachings argue that the mountain is a formation of artificial origin, created in ancient times either by a civilization like Atlantis that has disappeared forever, or by aliens from other planets. However, even if we accept that Kailash is an ancient ritual building, its purpose remains unclear to us.

Ritual circumambulation around Mount Kailash

The sacred books of Hinduism and the Bon religion say that walking around the perimeter of the base of Kailash allows you to atone for all the sins of earthly life. This bypass is called kora. A person who performs kora at least 13 times will be freed from hellish torment forever. And if you have the patience to walk around 108 times, your soul will forever leave the circle of rebirths and reach the highest degree of enlightenment. This makes it possible to come close to Buddhahood.

Buddhists and Jains walk around the peak clockwise, in the direction of the sun, while adherents of the Bon teachings always go in the opposite direction. There are rumors among climbers about colleagues who pretended to be pilgrims and, during a ritual walk around the mountain, secretly left the sacred path to climb. After some time, they returned to the tourist camp in a half-insane state and less than a year later they died in a psychiatric hospital as very old men.

Although Kailash remains inaccessible for climbing when traveling to Tibet due to the active resistance of local cult ministers, it is quite possible to get within a short distance of it. In the surrounding area, chains of rock formations with a perfectly smooth or concave surface deserve attention. On this moment it is unknown whether they were formed under the influence of natural factors or are the result of human activity.

It is believed that these rocks are the so-called “Kozyrev mirrors”, capable of distorting the space and time continuum. A traveler who finds himself near them experiences unusual physical and psychological sensations. “Mirrors” have a special location in relation to each other, so researchers suggest that they are capable of transporting a person to another era or even a parallel dimension.

After visiting the rocks, you can also explore other attractions in the area, which include:

• A Buddhist monastery where thousands of pilgrims from all over the world gather on Vesak (celebrated annually on the full moon in May).
• Lake Manasarovar (“lake of life”). According to legends, it was the first object of the living world created in the creation of Brahma. A ceremonial kora ritual is also performed around Manasarovar, which is 100 km long. Immersion in its fresh waters off the northwestern shore allows you to clear karma and heal spiritually and physically. If you swim in the lake, then after death you will definitely go to heaven. Those who taste the water from it, after the end of earthly life, will remain next to Shiva himself.
• Lake Langa-Tso or Rakshas (“pool of death”). Its waters are distinguished by a high content of mineral salts and are separated from Manasarovar only by a small isthmus. Unlike the latter, which has an oval shape, the outline of Langa Tso resembles a month. Water bodies symbolize light and darkness respectively. You should not touch the waters of Rakshasa: this can bring misfortune.

According to legend, Langa-Tso was created by the demon lord Ravana, who sacrificed one of his heads to the great Shiva every day for 10 days, cutting it off. On the last day of the sacrifice, the supreme deity granted him supernatural powers.

Useful tips for tourists

A trip to one of the most mysterious areas of Tibet should be carefully planned. The following recommendations will be useful:

• The most successful trip would be in April-May during the dry season, when rain or snowfall is extremely rare.
• To acclimatize and prevent health problems, before visiting Kailash, it is worth living for several days in an area located at a lower altitude above sea level. This will avoid headaches, dizziness and discomfort in the heart area while exploring the beauty of the mountain.
• It is almost impossible to purchase a climbing license to climb Kailash, but access to the surrounding area can be obtained for as little as 50 CNY. It is obtained from the Public Security Committee of the Tibetan Autonomy upon presentation of a passport and entry permit.

Coordinates 31.066667, 81.3125

How to get to Mount Kailash

You can get to the foot of Kailash in the following ways:

• By bus from Kathmandu after arriving at the local airport, which will take you directly to the mountain (airfare from Moscow is approximately 30,000 RUB). Flight duration is approximately 11 hours.
• By bus from Lhasa, which can also be reached by plane. It will cost about 700 USD more, but you can gradually get used to the elevation changes during the trip.

Kailash is one of the most interesting places Tibet, considered a giant reservoir of cosmic energy. Therefore, if you are interested in the spiritual side of life, you should definitely go there.

Mount Kailash in Tibet is an unusual natural monument, which is one of the mysteries of our time. Researchers have been trying for many years to understand what is hidden behind the monolithic rocks. The most common version is that the hill is a man-made pyramid designed to accumulate energy from space.

Mount Kailash in Tibet, what are they hiding from us?

This peak is part of mountain system in the south of the Tibetan Plateau. There are no more in the vicinity high hill. It rises above the plain at 6666 m. This number seems to haunt sacred mountain. A distance of 6666 km separates it from the mysterious Stonehenge, as well as from the North and South Poles. It is located in line with Egyptian pyramids and Inca structures.

The mountains hide numerous secrets that scientists have been trying to unravel for decades. Until now, no one has understood why other slopes of the planet do not have such an unusual stepped shape. Each of the four sides of Kailash faces a certain part of the world.

In the photo from above, the rock looks as if it is in the center of a huge stone spiral. All this gave researchers reason to assume that it is the largest store of energy coming from space. The argument in favor of this is that the mountain range is a system of “mirrors”. This is evidenced by the unusual location of the Tibetan hills.

Scientists believe that there are several mirrors in the ridge:

• western;
• northern;
• additional.

They are semicircular stone valleys, capable of redistributing the action of energy flows. As a result, mirrors distort the passage of time.

Did you know that Soviet scientists conducted a similar experiment. The system of mirrors invented by Nikolai Kozarev turned out to be capable of distorting space and time. It was located in a spiral and resembled the Kailash mountain range, only in a smaller version. Participants in the experiment talked about being able to look into the past and exchanged thoughts with other experimental subjects.

Mountain or pyramid?

Researchers believe that the Tibetan mountains hide numerous secrets that are now impossible to unravel. One such mystery is what exactly is natural object. Some scientists have come to the conclusion that the rocks are a man-made monument, which is a pyramid.

They were prompted to this conclusion by the unusual stepped shape and the fact that all the faces are directed to different directions of the world. If you carefully study the photo, the rock resembles a pyramid. Around Kailash there are smaller hills that are considered small pyramids.

Not all researchers agree with this statement. Geologists refute the evidence, since the pyramidal shape is also inherent in some other hills of the planet. However, the slope itself is stepped and layered, which is more typical for man-made structures than for naturally formed objects.

Did you know that another mystery that cannot be solved is the image of a swastika that appears on the mountain at certain hours. It forms in river beds and is better visible at sunset due to the play of shadows.

What is inside?

Scientists have been trying for many years to understand what is on top of Kailash and what secrets are hidden inside. mountain range. There is a widespread belief that hidden behind the monolithic rocks is a whole network of interior spaces created by some advanced civilization. In one of the rooms there is the mythical black stone Chintamani, which tracks cosmic vibrations and controls energy flows.

The guess is interesting, but many researchers believe that it is impossible to create such a structure even with modern technologies. In ancient times, building a huge object was unthinkable. Followers of the theory argue that an alien civilization helped in the construction of Kailash.

People who believe in the existence of an incomprehensible universal mind believe that the sacred mountain hides one of the religious leaders inside:

• Buddha;
• Jesus Christ;
• Krishna and so on.

According to this view, spirit guides are in meditation and will one day descend to earth to help restore the planet.

Etymology

The sacred mountain has many names. Europeans also call it Kailash. The Chinese language is characterized by the sound of Gandhisishan or Ganrenboqi. In Tibet, the common name Kang Rinpoche, which translates as “precious snow mountain».

Climbing history

The sacred mountain attracts thousands of tourists and believers, but so far no one has conquered its peak. Climb to highest point Many people dream of taking an unforgettable photo. Her inaccessibility further strengthens this desire.

Did you know that the history of the conquest of the mysterious Kailash does not go back many years. Italian climber Reinhold Messner received permission from the Chinese authorities to climb in 1985. Shortly before the start of the climb, he himself abandoned it.

Next time, a group of Spanish climbers planned to begin the ascent. In 2000, officials approved the expedition, but it also did not take place. Thousands of believers lined up in a human chain at the foot of the slope and demanded that the climb be prohibited. The Spaniards were unable to climb, and no one conquered the peak.

Four years later, two Russians made a new attempt. The weather got in the way. A hurricane wind and snowfall arose, knocking them off their feet. Believers believe that the rock itself protects itself from the presence of people, creating an invisible barrier with the help of mirrors that mortals cannot overcome. Here time flows differently, so a person lives several weeks in a couple of days.

Thousands of pilgrims annually go around the mountain - the so-called ritual kora. There are 2 route options:

• Outer bark;
• Internal.

The easiest route is the External route, which is 50 km long. It can be completed in 2 – 3 days. Along the way, a person overcomes energy channels. Believers believe that the stones encountered along the route are frozen higher beings, which are still endowed with great power.

Did you know that while performing the kora, pilgrims experience spiritual elation; many enter a real religious trance. While walking the route, a person is tested by higher powers. He will encounter obstacles that must be overcome for spiritual purification.

In different parts of Kailash, rebirth and purification of karma takes place. All negative events and actions remain in the past. The believer returns from the path as a completely different person. After the pilgrimage comes an understanding of how insignificant material values ​​are, and what an important role spiritual ones play.

Religious significance

Many religious teachings of the East are associated with Kailash. Most creeds contain an image great mountain, considered the center of the Universe. At its foot begin sacred rivers, giving life. Numerous rituals, legends and tales are associated with the peak. Today, followers of the following religious teachings believe in its highest purpose:

• Buddhism. Believers believe that Samvara, the wrathful incarnation of Buddha, lives on the slope. According to them, the spiritual leader meditates in order to one day appear to the world. Thousands of Buddhists gather at the slope every year to celebrate Saga Dawa, a day dedicated to Buddha;
• Judaism. Followers of this eastern teaching are of the opinion that Kailash is the habitat of the supreme god Shiva. In their view, the mountain is the cosmopolitan center of the Universe, and Brahma lives on the nearby Lake Manasarovar;
• in the Tibetan Bon tradition, the rock and the lake located on its slope represent the center the most ancient country Shangshung, which became the birthplace of the religious movement. According to believers, it was here that the god Tongpa Shenrab first set foot on earth;
• In Jainism, the mountain is perceived as the place where the first saint was able to achieve spiritual enlightenment. Followers of the faith perform ritual kora with meditation to achieve Nirvana.

Did you know that the Inner Crust runs through the top of Nandu's Sarcophagus. According to legend, the gene pool of humanity is located inside the rock, and it itself is connected by underground passage with Kailash.

Kailash in parascience

From the point of view of mystics, the mound should be regarded as the habitat of higher powers. The religious texts of numerous faiths say that no mortal has the right to reach the top. According to legend, anyone who dares to set foot on the highest point will immediately die or be covered with numerous non-healing ulcers.

Followers of different religions are confident that a higher mind resides within. Many claim that they have repeatedly seen flashes of light, the outlines of which resembled a human being.

The mystical component includes the image of a swastika, which appears due to cracks and rock shadows. Also, not only the mountain itself is revered, but also the reservoirs that are located in its vicinity. This is the lake of life Manasarovar and death Langa-Tso.

Conclusion

Kailash raises many questions among researchers, but practically gives no answers to them. mountain peak they attribute unusual properties, they believe that it distorts space and time, opens portals to other worlds and controls cosmic energy. Adherents of this theory are confident that the object was erected by an ancient advanced civilization or aliens.

The reality is that no confirmation of any of the guesses has yet been found. Scientists agree that the mountain cannot be man-made or hollow inside, but is an ordinary natural monument. However, the search for the mysterious Shambhala brings many here, and some claim that only here they have found true harmony with the world.

We are recruiting for a group with two kora: around Kailash and Lake Manasarovar along the route. Arrival in Lhasa on September 17, 2019. 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 walk around the 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 Provobuddi religion of Tibet Bon call this sacred mountain Yundrung Gutsek (གཡུང་ དགུ་ བརྩེགས བརྩེགས wylie: gyung drung dgu brtsegs), which means "nine -story Mountain of the Swastika."
• 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. Thus, the 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

Hello, dear readers.

Today we’ll talk about a place that is significant for every Buddhist. This is Mount Kailash (or Kailash, or Kang Rinpoche, which in Tibetan means “Precious Snow Mountain”, and many more synonyms in the languages ​​of different peoples of the world). This is one of the most high peaks mountain range, which is located in the Gangdis system. It is located in the Tibetan Plateau on the territory of the People's Republic of China.

Outwardly, it is very different from all the mountains - it has the shape of an almost regular pyramid, the four sides of which are oriented to the cardinal points with only a slight deviation. Height 6638 - 6890 m. Those who like to see mysticism in everything believe that in fact the peak is located 6,666 meters above sea level, but measurements do not confirm this data. Mount Kailash has not yet been conquered by any climber.

The history of its origin is shrouded in deep mystery. The earth “erected” the Tibetan Plateau more than 5 million years ago, while scientists determine the age of Kailash as 20 thousand years, which is much less and more than strange.

If you look carefully at the satellite photos as close as possible, you can see places where the “plaster” has broken off, revealing a monolithic wall underneath. This gives reason to assume that Mount Kailash in Tibet is a man-made pyramid, and the largest of all existing on earth.

But who built it? And not only it, but the entire complex around it, which includes mountains (pyramids?) of much smaller size, semicircular and flat formations, located exclusively in a spiral? Or maybe it is a giant crystal that accumulates the energy of space and earth, the second part of which is hidden in the bowels of the earth?

Location and relief features

The mountain peak is located in Western Tibet. This is one of the most inaccessible places, as if someone (or something) made special efforts to ensure that only initiates could get here. Kailash is the largest watershed in South Asia. The Indus, Karnali and Brahmaputra flow nearby.

Waters from the Kailash glaciers flow into Lake Langa Tso, from which the Sutlej River, the largest tributary of the Indus, originates.

The southern slope is dissected vertically by a deep crack, which is intersected in the middle by another, horizontal one. With a certain refraction of sunlight in the air, a swastika sign appears, which is why some sources call Kailash “Swastika Mountain”.

Location coordinates: 31°04′00″ N. w. 81°18′45″ E. d. (G) (O) (Z) 31°04′00″ n. w. 81°18′45″ E. d.

Religious significance and summiting

Kailash is considered the center of the world by adherents of four religions - Hinduism, Buddhism, Bon and Jains. Buddhists think that an avatar creature (incarnation) of Buddha Akshobhya lives here - Samvara has four faces and twelve arms, and the mountain is called Himavat. This place is shrouded in secrecy and many legends. The peak, however, did not succumb to any mortal.

Attempts to reach the summit

However, what will stop a person (or people) who does not believe in anything, neither in God nor in the devil? There were many attempts to conquer Kailash. But not a single ascent was successful - some turned back on the way to the foot, and those who nevertheless set foot on Kailash talk about an interesting phenomenon.

At first, an excellent asphalt road leads to the mountain. Like everywhere else, it cannot be straight and bends somewhere. In places where it crosses the mark of 6,666 meters (to the foot), high-quality asphalt suddenly suddenly gives way to old and cracked, and the dividing yellow stripe, which was very bright a meter ago, becomes dull and faded. It is difficult to drive in these areas because the air around you becomes thick and viscous.

Interesting things happen to those who try to get to the foot on bicycles or motorcycles:

• with the same effort on the bicycle pedal, the speed drops by half, or even three;
• sudden breakdowns occur, for example, a bicycle wheel can curl into a figure eight for no apparent reason;
• the motorcycle suddenly begins to “sneeze”, or even refuses to move at all, but upon inspection it is not possible to identify any problems.

Games with time

Some try to deceive the mountain. In Tibet, to this day there is a legend about unlucky travelers who wanted to conquer the peak by hook or by crook.

Four Englishmen (or Americans, or maybe Russians - after many years no one remembers the nationality of these people) began to Kora (circumvention around Kailash) along with the rest of the pilgrims, but at some point they left the sacred path and moved up the slope

After some time, four ragged, stubble-covered people with feverishly shining eyes and completely inappropriate behavior came to the pilgrims’ camp. After the descent we had to send them to a psychiatric hospital. All four travelers died insane within the next year. At the same time, they grew old very quickly, turning into very old men.

It is believed that inside the spiral, the center of which is Kailash, time accelerates significantly, while outside, on the contrary, it slows down. This fact is confirmed by many travelers. However, it is stated that time flows faster on a subconscious level. After committing Kora, the chain of events happening to a person accelerates, but he himself does not physically age.

Bypass of Kailash

There are 9 sacred routes or Cor. Three of them are known to all pilgrims - these are the traditional Koras: external, Nandi, Dakini. Little-known routes almost forgotten by the indigenous population of Tibet are Touching the Faces of Kailash, crossing the Geo and Shapje passes from the south through the Gyandrak Monastery. Some of the paths of the Kora appeared to pilgrims during meditation - holistic, spiral, Merging of elements.

Kora is the circumambulation of a shrine, particularly Kailash, in a counterclockwise direction. Among pilgrims, prostration is most revered - when a person falls on his face, then rises, puts his feet where he was just lying face down, and thus moves forward. The kora around Kailash can last a very long time (several days with breaks for sleep and food) and include not just one round, but several.

Particularly zealous followers of religion honor the number 108. It has a special, sacred meaning in many religious movements, including Buddhism:

• The Kangyur (collection of Buddha's sayings) consists of 108 volumes;
• Buddhist monks' rosary consists of 108 beads;
• The pilgrim must make sure to do 108 prostrations during the Kora.

Lakes of Mount Kailash

Manasarovar and Rakshas Tal are antipodal lakes. In one the water is “living”, in the other it is “dead”. Interestingly, the reservoirs are very close to each other, separated only by a narrow strip of land and a canal. According to beliefs, if water from Manasarovar flows into Rakshasa, it means that the energy is in balance.

Objectively, the lakes are really different. Manasarovar is round, slightly elongated, with clean fresh water, a calm mirror of the water surface, and there are a lot of fish in it. There are monasteries around. Nature pleases with a riot of colors, birds sing, swans fly in in the summer.

Rakshas Tal - curved like a crescent, widening on one side, salty with a high content of silver, there is no life in it. The weather here is always bad and the surrounding landscape is inhospitable. However, the lake is sacred. There are many stupas along the banks.

Swimming in a lake with “dead” water “cleanses the body to the bones.” Bathing in Rakshas Tal is performed by everyone who passes through the Kora around Kailash. The water here is icy, and the water mirror is not smooth, like at Manasarovar, but is in constant agitation, and the wind blows all the time.

In the center of the lake on an island there is a small monastery, where complete solitude monks live - you can get out of here to land only when a stable ice cover is established.

People bathe in the waters of Lake Manasarovar after bathing in Rakshasa. Nearby are thermal springs– locals have wooden baths here. The water in the thermal baths is healing, so there are many people who want to improve their health.

A little further is the Buddhist monastery of Chiu Gompa. Its name translates as “little bird.” It is located at the top of the hill. If you climb to the very top, you can see all the surroundings. You get great panoramic shots here.

“Om” is translated from Sanskrit as “word of power”. Buddhist monks pronounce this mantra during meditation. Om is a universal sound vibration that tunes the body to the “right mood.”

Death Valley

Another sacred place for Buddhists, and not only. Located at the northern “face” of Kailash. Three kilometers long. It ends where the “ice mirror” (glacier wall) is located. According to legend, yogis go here to die. Only a “pure” person can return alive from the valley of death. This place destroys everyone who has “bad” thoughts.

Tenzing Vandra, the Great Medical Lama of Western Tibet, says the following: “Kailas is an ordinary mountain, covered in legends. Everyone sees here what they want to see. The miracles that are attributed to this place really happened, but they were performed by people - the yogi Milarepa (who had levitation), the guru Rimpoche and others.”

Is it true or fiction that Mount Kailash is the center of the world, built ancient civilization aliens - Atlanteans and Lemurians? Or does this live only in the minds of believers and esotericists, such as Mulgashev, Balaev?

Scientific expeditions have not found any signs that Mount Kailash is man-made. Also, stone mirrors of ideal geometric shape were not found, in a word, nothing of what the locals, and then some Europeans, believed for centuries.

However, one should not think that the path to Shambhala, as Muldashev called this place, is open to everyone. Only those who are pure in mind and heart can understand what is really happening here.

Conclusion

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