Pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar, Tibet
Full Moon,
July 2002, Year of the Horse
The Hindu
poet Kalidash, wrote in the 3rd Century C.E.:
"When the earth of
Manasarovar touches anyone’s body or when anyone bathes therein, he shall
go to the paradise of Brahma, and who drinks its water shall go to the
heaven of Shiva and shall be released from the sins of 100 births. Even
the beast that bears the name of Manasarovar shall go to the paradise of
Brahma. Its water is like pearls."
Ancient cosmography identifies Kailash with the mighty mountain Sumeru, the central peak of the world. To Buddhists, the "father mountain" represent the means to enlightenment; Lake Manasarovar, the "mother principle," represents transcendental consciousness. Hindus consider Kailash to be the throne of Lord Shiva, one of the three principle gods of the Hindu pantheon, whose long, matted hair forms the holy Ganges River. As a Bon center, Kailash enjoys great popularity in the folk religion of Tibet -- it is the soul of the country and assures protection for all Tibetans.
Kailash is a glittering snow dome towering above the Tibetan Plateau like a beckoning jewel, visible from miles away. Manasarovar is famous as one of the highest lakes in the world. Four of the greatest rivers of South Asia -- the Indus, Sutlej, Karnali and the Brahmaputra (the Yarlung Zangpo in Tibet) -- originate from around Mount Kailash.
Last Update: 22 April 2005
Web Author: Stephen Quong
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