Mount Kailash in Tibet was on the very top of my list of places I HAVE to experience.
It is believed that the earth has chakras (energy/power vortexes), same as the human body. Mt. Kailash is the ‘Crown Chakra’, or 7th Chakra, considered to be the highest spiritual center and the state of pure consciousness.
Mt. Kailash is considered to be sacred in four religions: Bon, Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism.
The Hindus believe it is where their god Shiva resides; the Jains first spiritual leader was enlightened there; the Buddhist say it is the navel of the Universe, and the Bon believe it is the home of the sky goddess.
It is a very important pilgrimage for the people of these religions, and it’s believed if you walk around the mountain (a three day trek) all your negative Karma is cleansed.
I said for the past 4 years that “I have to go there”, but I didn’t follow through because one, I don’t like the cold so it had to be done in the summer, and two you cannot go to Tibet without a tour group which makes it more expensive than my usual budgeted travel style.
Well, again life has it’s way of making things happen when they are meant to happen.
I planned the month of May in Nepal to write the book, and when I told a friend about my plan he said I can go to Mt. Kailash from Nepal… in my mind I always thought I would go from India or China. So I looked for a tour from Nepal, and there just happened to be one starting the day I was planning on leaving Nepal. Still I hesitated about the money, then within days I found out my tax return was going to be the exact amount needed. LIFE IS AMAZING!!!
I joined a group of ten people from different places of the world. Two seasoned world hikers from Malaysia, three nuns from Indonesia, a professor of physics from Ireland who was in her 30’s, a man also in his 30’s from Israel, a linguistic professor from Hungry, a young woman in her 20’s from Vietnam, and the only other American was 30 year old software engineer form Seattle. Our guide was a 30 year old Tibetan with what seemed to be many lifetimes of knowledge about Tibet’s history with it’s people, politics and spirituality.
We spent the first 3 days in Lhasa acclimating to the altitude while visiting many of the Monasteries. Then drove 9-10 hrs a day for 4 days across Tibet, stopping throughout at various points of interest. Tibet and its people are truly a magnificent experience. On day 6 we slept at Mount Everest base camp and on day 8 we started our 3 day 52km, trek around Mt. Kailasha, at 5,600km elevation, through snow, ice, and rocky paths. Day 11 we slept at the Holy Lake Manasarovar. Day 12 spent the day at the Lake, and day 13 started to long drive back to Kathmandu Nepal.
The entire Tibetan trip was a blessing beyond words. I am so grateful for life on this planet and all it portrays.
“Happiness cannot be traveled to owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.” — Denis Waitley
THANK YOU FOR BEING YOU
