caption : Mt Kailash (6714m) 冈仁波齐峰
Throughout Asia, stories exist of a great mountain in the centre
of the world, from which flows the four sacred rivers that give
life to the area that the river passes through. This myth
originates from the Hindu epics, which speak of Mt Meru, home of
the gods - as a vast column 84,000 leagues high, its summit kissing
the heavens and its franks composed of gold, crystal, ruby and
lapis lauzli.
These Hindu accounts placed Mt Meru somewhere in the towering
Himalaya but with time, Mt Meru increasing become associated with
Mt Kailash. Although Mt Kailash is only 6714m, nobody have ever
make it to the summit (although some nearly make it to the top but
gave it up due to religious pressure) so no one can confirm
if gods really reside there.
caption : The white coat of Mt Kailash after the
snowstorm
Mt Kailash does indeed lie at the centre of an area that is the
key to the drainage system of the Tibetan plateau. Four of the
great rivers of the Indian subcontinent does indeed originate here.
The Karnali, which feed into the Ganges (south), the Indus (north),
the Sutlej (west) and the Brahmaputra aka Yarlung Tsangpo
(east).
The four walls of Mt Kailash matches the cardinal points of the
compass and its southern face is marked by the famous long vertical
cleft stopping halfwaydown the horizontal lines on the rock face.
This cleft is suppose to resemble a swastika (a Buddhist
symbol of spiritual strength). But I find it to resemble
a step ladder instead.
Mt Kailash has long been an object for worship for four
major religions. For the Hindus, it's the abode of Lord Shiva.
To the Buddhist, it's the abode of Demchok (a
warthful manifestation of Sakyamuni). To the Jains, the
mountain is the site at which their first saint was emancipated and
to the ancient Bonpo religion of Tibet, Mt Kailash was the sacred
Yungdrung Gutseg (Nine stacked Swastika Mountain) upon which their
founder Shenrab alighted from heaven.
