Sacred Places: Mount Kailash in Tibet
The gorgeous mountain that is also a temple to so many philosophies and religions.
Certain places around the world flaunt a particular relevance within the spiritual development of different cultures. Understandably so, many of these correspond to magnificent natural settings which beauty, by itself and beyond of its historical or mythological context, could have easily inspired a mystical communion between human groups in ancient times.
Such is the case of Mount Kailash, which is part of the Himalayan range, located in the Tibet’s region. ––It is considered an icon of the mythical Axis Mundi, the center of the universe. Curiously enough, and to clarify any doubt regarding its sacred nature, the mystical prominence of this peak is not exclusive to one religion, since the Kailash takes part in Buddhist, Hindu and Jainism spiritual traditions.
The first case is considered to be Buddha’s dwelling, which is also known as Demschog, and it is associated with maximum happiness. Also, it is said that this mountain is witness to Milarepa’s victory over Naro-Bonchung, an event that initiated the arrival of Buddhism to Tibetan territories. For Hindus, it is here where Shiva, one of their greatest deities, resides. For some Hindu movements, Mount Kailash is the dream come true of paradise in this world. For Jainism, in turn, it is believed that its summit was the place where the first Jain reached Nirvana.
Every year, Mount Kailash receives thousands of pilgrims, but in spite of its natural majesty and spiritual importance, few tourists dare to venture into the impassive giant of the Himalayas. In order to go there, one first needs to go to Lhasa, Tibet’s Capital City. Once there, one must take an average four-day trip to get to the last camp of pilgrims and then travel the last remaining fifty kilometers by horse or foot until reaching its base. By the way, there is no register of a human being ever reaching its summit, which complements Kailash’s virginal, mythical identity.
Related Articles
When ancient rituals became religion
The emergence of religions irreversibly changed the history of humanity. It’s therefore essential to ask when and how did ancient peoples’ rituals become organized systems of thought, each with their
Seven ancient maps of the Americas
A map is not the territory. —Alfred Korzybski Maps are never merely maps. They’re human projections, metaphors in which we find both the geographical and the imaginary. The cases of ghost islands
An artist crochets a perfect skeleton and internal organs
Shanell Papp is a skilled textile and crochet artist. She spent four long months crocheting a life-size skeleton in wool. She then filled it in with the organs of the human body in an act as patient
A musical tribute to maps
A sequence of sounds, rhythms, melodies and silences: music is a most primitive art, the most essential, and the most powerful of all languages. Its capacity is not limited to the (hardly trivial)
The enchantment of 17th-century optics
The sense of sight is perhaps one the imagination’s most prolific masters. That is why humankind has been fascinated and bewitched by optics and their possibilities for centuries. Like the heart, the
Would you found your own micro-nation? These eccentric examples show how easy it can be
Founding a country is, in some ways, a simple task. It is enough to manifest its existence and the motives for creating a new political entity. At least that is what has been demonstrated by the
Wondrous crossings: the galaxy caves of New Zealand
Often, the most extraordinary phenomena are “jealous of themselves” ––and they happen where the human eye cannot enjoy them. However, they can be discovered, and when we do find them we experience a
Think you have strange reading habits? Wait until you've seen how Mcluhan reads
We often forget or neglect to think about the infinite circumstances that are condensed in the acts that we consider habitual. Using a fork to eat, for example, or walking down the street and being
The sky is calling us, a love letter to the cosmos (video)
We once dreamt of open sails and Open seas We once dreamt of new frontiers and New lands Are we still a brave people? We must not forget that the very stars we see nowadays are the same stars and
The sister you always wanted (but made into a crystal chandelier)
Lucas Maassen always wanted to have a sister. And after 36 years he finally procured one, except, as strange as it may sound, in the shape of a chandelier. Maassen, a Dutch designer, asked the