Chapter 41 - The Sacred Mountain

There are mountains which are just mountains and there are mountains with personality. The personality of a mountain is more than merely a strange shape that makes it different from others -- just as a strangely shaped face or strange actions do not make an individual into a personality.

Personality consists in the power to influence others, and this power is due to consistency, harmony, and one-pointedness of character. If these qualities are present in an individual, in their highest perfection, then this individual is a fit leader of humanity, either as a ruler, a thinker, or a saint, and we recognise him as a vessel of divine power. If these qualities are present in a mountain we recognise it as a vessel of cosmic power, and we call it a sacred mountain.

The power of such a mountain is so great and yet so subtle that, without compulsion, people are drawn to it from near and far, as if by the force of some invisible magnet; and they will undergo untold hardships and privations in their inexplicable urge to approach and to worship the centre of this sacred power. Nobody has conferred the title of sacredness on such a mountain, and yet everybody recognises it; nobody has to defend its claim, because nobody doubts it; nobody has to organise its worship, because people are overwhelmed by the mere presence of such a mountain and cannot express their feelings other than by worship.

This worshipful or religious attitude is not impressed by scientific facts, like figures of altitude, which are foremost in the mind of modern man. Nor is it motivated by the urge to conquer the mountain. Instead of conquering it, the religious-minded man prefers to be conquered by the mountain. He opens his soul to its spirit and allows it to take possession of him, because only he who is inspired or possessed by the divine spirit can partake in its nature. While the modern man is driven by ambition and the glorification of his own ego to climb an outstanding mountain and to be the first on top of it, the devotee is more interested in his spiritual uplift than in the physical feat of climbing. To him the mountain is a divine symbol, and as little as he would put his foot upon a sacred image, so little would he dare to put his foot on the summit of a sacred mountain.

To see the greatness of a mountain, one must keep one's distance; to understand its form, one must move around it; to experience its moods, one must see it at sunrise and sunset, at noon and at midnight, in sun and in rain, in snow and in storm, in summer and in winter and in all the other seasons. He who can see the mountain like this comes near to the life of the mountain, a life that is as intense and varied as that of a human being. Mountains grow and decay, they breathe and pulsate with life. They attract and collect invisible energies from their surroundings: the forces of the air, of the water, of electricity and magnetism; they create winds, clouds, thunderstorms, rains, waterfalls, and rivers. They fill their surroundings with active life and give shelter and food to innumerable beings. Such is the greatness of mighty mountains.

But even among the mightiest there are some of such outstanding character and position that they become symbols of the highest aspirations of humanity, as expressed in ancient civilisations and religions, milestones of the eternal quest for perfection and ultimate realisation, signposts that point beyond our earthly concerns towards the infinity of a universe from which we have originated and to which we belong.

In the dust-filled valleys and low plains of our daily existence we have forgotten our connections with stars and suns; and therefore we need the presence of these mighty signposts and milestones to shake us up and arouse us from the slumber of self-complacency. Not many are there who hear the call or feel the urge to rise from under their thick blanket of petty self-interests, of money-making or pleasure-hunting, but the few

whom the call has reached, and in whom the longing for greater things is still awake, form a steady stream of pilgrims who keep alive the tradition and knowledge of these sources of inspiration.

Thus, it is that above all the sacred mountains of the world the fame of Kailas has spread and inspired human being since times immemorial. There is no other mountain comparable to Kailas, because it forms the hub of the two most important ancient civilisations of the world, whose traditions remained intact for thousands of years: India and China. To Hindus and Buddhists alike Kailas is the centre of the universe. It is called Meru or Sumeru, according to the oldest Sanskrit tradition, and is regarded to be not only the physical but the metaphysical centre of the world. And as our psycho-physical organism is a microcosmic replica of the universe, Meru is represented by the spinal cord in our nervous system; and just as the various centres (Skt: cakra) of consciousness are supported by and connected with the spinal cord (Skt: meru-danda), from which they branch out like many-petalled lotus-blossoms, in the same way Mount Meru forms the axis of the various planes of supramundane worlds. And as the psycho-physical microcosm of man is crowned by the highest centre of consciousness, the thousand-petalled lotus of the mind (Skt: sahasra cakra), so Meru or Kailas is surmounted by the invisible temple of die highest transcendental powers, which to each devotee appear in the form that symbolises to him the highest reality. Thus to Hindus, Kailas is the seat of Shiva, while to Buddhists it represents a gigantic Maṇḍala of Dhyāni-Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, as described in the famous Demchog Tantra: the emphMaṇḍala of Highest Bliss.

This is not the place to go into the metaphysical or psychological intricacies of Hinduism and Tantric Buddhism. The question, however, which spontaneously comes to everybody's mind is: 'why or how was it that of all the mighty mountains of the Himalayan and Transhimalayan regions, this very peak was thus honoured and by common consent recognised as the centre of the world?'

A glance at the map, which shows the position of Kailas on the highest elevation of the Tibetan highland and its relationship to the river system of the Indo-Tibetan region, will give an immediate explanation, Kailas forms the spire of the 'Roof of the World', as the Tibetan plateau is called, and radiating from it, like the spokes from the hub of a wheel, a number of mighty rivers take their course towards the east, the west, the north-west, and the south. These rivers are the Brahmaputra, the Indus, the Sutlej, and the Karnali. All these rivers have their source in the Kailas-Manasarovar region, which forms the highest tier of the Tibetan plateau.

In ancient scriptures, these rivers are described as outlets from the Manasarovar Lake at the foot of Mount Kailas, and they are said to encircle the sacred area seven times before flowing in the various directions, thus paying homage to the throne of the gods, according to the ancient rite of circumambulation (Skt.: pradakshiṇa). The Tibetans call the Brahmaputra, the source of which is in the east of the Kailas-Manasarovar region, Tamchog-Khambab: the river 'flowing out of a horse's mouth'. The Sutlej, whose source is in the west, is called Langchen-Khambab, i.e. the river 'flowing out of an elephant's mouth', The Indus, whose source is in the north of Kailas, is called Sengé-Khambab, ie, the river 'flowing out of a lion's mouth'; and the Karnali in the south (which becomes the Gogra in the plains) is called Magcha-Khambab, Le. the river

'flowing out of a peacock's mouth'. These animals are the vehicles or throne-symbols of four of the Dhyani-Buddhas. The river names thus indicate that they are regarded as parts of a universal Maṇḍala, of which Kailas is the centre.

It is through these rivers that the religious and cultural relations between Tibet and India are established. This is specially apparent in the case of the Indus and the Brahmaputra, which, like two gigantic arms emerging from the Kailas-Manasarovar region, embrace the entirety of the Himalayas and the whole of the Indian subcontinent, the Indus flowing into the Arabian Sea in the west, the Brahmaputra into the Bay of Bengal in the east.

In actual fact, not all the four rivers have their sources at the slopes of Kailas or in Manasarovar, but their valleys lead towards the plateau which is dominated by Kailas, thus making this mountain the signpost of the crossroads which connect the south, the north, the east, and the west.

Take away a few thousand feet from the altitude of Mount Everest, or of any of the other famous big mountains of the Himalayas, and nothing outstanding would remain of them; they would simply disappear from the map and merge into the myriad of unknown or unnoticed peaks and mountain massifs. But even if one would take away a few thousand feet of Mount Kailas it still would retain its importance, its unique central position in the general pattern of mountain ranges and the river systems of Tibet and India.

The mountain stands so completely isolated in the centre of the Transhimalayan range that it is possible to circumambulate it within two or three days: and its shape is so regular as if it were the dome of a gigantic temple, rising above a number of equally architectural forms of bastions and temple-shaped mountains which form its base. And as every Indian temple has its sacred water-tank, so at the southern foot of Kailas there are two sacred lakes, Manasarovar and Rakastal, of which the former is shaped like the sun and represents the forces of light, while the other is curved like the crescent moon and represents the hidden forces of the night, which—as long as they are not recognised in their true nature and directed into their proper channels -- appear as the demonic powers of darkness. These ideas are also expressed in the names of the two lakes, manas (Skt) means mind or consciousness: the seat of the forces of cognition, of light, and finally of enlightenment. rakas or, more correctly, rākshas, means demon, so that Rakastal means 'Lake of the Demons'.

The solar and lunar symbolism of the sacred lakes is illustrated in Tibetan pictures by showing the sun-disk in the sky above the circular shape of Manasarovar, and the waning moon above the crescent-shaped Rakastal.

These sun and moon symbols are used in every Tibetan scroll-painting (thang-ka) in which Buddhas, deities, or saints are depicted. Sun and moon signify the two streams or currents of psychic energy, which move upwards to the right and to the left of the central channel or 'median nerve' of the spinal column. In Yogic meditation these two currents are integrated in the central channel and rise through it from one psychic centre or level of consciousness to the other, until the integrated stream reaches the highest multi-dimensional level of an enlightened consciousness. As Mount Kailas corresponds to the spinal column, it represents the axis of the spiritual universe, rising through innumerable world-planes (indicated by the actual horizontal stratification of the mountain, which is as regular and distinct as that of an Indian temple), from the human to the highest divine level, while the two lakes are looked upon as the reservoirs of the two streams of psychic energy.^[1]

Our picture^[2] also shows that Manasarovar is on a higher level than Rakastal, which is geographically correct and coincides with the fact that the former represents the highest, the latter the lowest (but equally important) cakra or centre of psychic force. The one is the root and foundation of all our inner forces, the other the blossom and fruit of realisation. The one stands at the beginning, the other at the end of spiritual evolution.

It is for this reason that according to the oldest Buddhist tradition the descent of the Bodhisattva into his last life -- in the fulfilment of his vow to attain final enlightenment, or Buddhahood -- is connected with Manasarovar. According to this tradition, Queen Māya dreamt that the couch on which she rested was borne by the guardian gods to the Anotatta Lake (the pāli name for Manasarovar) and was bathed in its sacred waters, whereupon all human impurities were removed from her, so that the future Buddha could enter her womb. He descended from the direction of Mount Kailas, appearing like a white elephant in a cloud. This shows that even from the very beginnings of Buddhism, Kailas and Manasarovar were held in the highest esteem and that the Buddhists fully shared in a tradition which goes back to Vedic times, if not to the very beginnings of human civilisation.

According to Hindu tradition it was Brahma himself who created Manasarovar and the divine Jambu tree which -- though invisible to human eyes -- grows in its centre. For this reason our world was called jaṁbūdvīpa by the ancients; and it is said that due to the fruits of this divine tree the waters of Manasarovar are turned into a lifegiving elixir. The Tree of Life in the Lake of Supreme Consciousness, what a profound symbolism, and how reminiscent of the Tree of Knowledge in the biblical story of the Paradise! Certainly there is no place on earth more exalted and worthy to be identified with it than the Kailas-Manasarovar region, which the Tibetans call the navel of jaṁbūdvīpa [our human world], the centre of all countries, the roof of the earth, the land of jewels and gold, the source of the four great rivers, dominated by the crystal pagoda of Kailas and adorned by the magic turquoise disk of Manasarovar.

The place from where the pilgrim starts his circumambulation of Mount Kailas is seen in our picture^[3] as a deep cleft or gorge to the left of the sacred mountain. It is the entrance to the western Valley of Amitābha. The pass to the right of Kailas, which is marked by a small stone pyramid (below the sun-disk), is the Dölma-La, the pass of Tara, the highest point (18,600 feet) on the pilgrim's route. The dark triangle below it is a small lake, called Gaurikuṅḍ by the Hindus and Thugjé-chempoi Tso, 'the Lake of the Great Compassionate One', by the Buddhists. We shall hear more about these places when dealing with the parikramaṇa (parikrarna), the pilgrimage around the sacred mountain, in the third chapter.

The Tibetan original of our illustration contained many more details which, however, had to be sacrificed for the sake of clarity and in keeping with our purpose, i.e. to provide an ideal view of the Kailas-Manasarovar region, as seen from the direction of the Gurla Pass, from which the pilgrim approaches the holy land, and which is the only place from where both the two lakes and Kailas can be seen simultaneously. The proportions of the picture are not those of optical but of mental perspective, as seen by the mind's eye. However, the forms, though stylised, are more true to reality than any photograph with its unavoidable distortions of angles and foreshortening of masses.

It is interesting to note that even the geographical position of the two lakes corresponds to their relationship to light and darkness, day and night. Manasarovar is in the east, at the beginning of the day, Rakastal in the west, at the beginning of the night. In Tibetan Manasarovar is called Tso Mapham, the lake of the invincible forces of the Buddhas (who are also called victors), while Rakastal is called Langag Tso or, more correctly, Lha-nag-Tso, the Lake of the Dark Deities.

Consequently, the Tso Mapham is surrounded by a number of monasteries and retreats, while the other lake is completely deserted of human habitation, and in spite of its scenic beauty a strange and uncanny atmosphere seems to hover over it. Though, it is held in fear, it is as sacred as its sister-lake, because even those powers which appear to us terrifying and destructive, or hidden in the darkness of the depth, are as divine as those which we worship as embodiments of light and goodness.

The interrelationship of these forces -- solar and lunar energy, conscious and subconscious forces, the principles of light and darkness, male and female energies, action and contemplation, emptiness and Form -- is the great discovery of tāntric philosophy. He who realises its truth is fit to worship the awe-inspiring Master of Kailas, whether he sees him in the form of Shiva, the destroyer of this world of illusion, or in the form of Demchog, who like Shiva tears asunder the elephant-hide of ignorance and whose twelve arms signify the twelve links of the formula of dependent origination, taught by the Buddha Śākyamuni.

Only he who has contemplated the divine in its most awe-inspiring form, who has dared to look into the unveiled face of truth without being overwhelmed or frightened—only such a person will be able to bear the powerful silence and solitude of Kailas and its sacred lakes, and endure the dangers and hardships which are the price one has to pay for being admitted to the divine presence on the most sacred spot on earth. But, those who have given up comfort and security and the care for their own lives are rewarded by an indescribable feeling of bliss, of supreme happiness (as symbolised by Demchog, (Skt.: Mahasukha). Their mental faculties seem to be heightened, their awareness and spiritual sensitivity infinitely increased, their consciousness reaching out into a new dimension, so that many of them see wonderful visions and hear strange voices and fall into trance-like states, in which all their former obstructions and difficulties disappear like in a flash of light that suddenly lights up what was hidden hitherto. It is as if their individual consciousness, which obscured or distorted their views or their conception of the world were receding and giving place to an all-embracing cosmic consciousness.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Details about the currents and centres of psychic energy may be read in my Foundations of Tibetan Mysticism.

[2]:

this picture is not a part of the nopic version

[3]:

this picture is not a part of the nopic version