Religious Faiths that Mount Kailash Is Sacred To - Assignment Example

The origin of mythic Mount Meru can be traced to Vishnu Puran of 200 B.C. Its description is given as a spectacular mountain at the center of the universe with river Ganges at its summit. Further, it is described that four rivers diverge from river Ganges in Mount Meru. This description finds a mind-boggling similarity with Mount Kailash. Four rivers that end 1500 miles apart in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea find their origin in Mount Kailash. Some pilgrims in ancient times may have traveled to Mount Kailash.

They were so awed by its beauty that they described “Mount Meru” as a cosmological center. This mountain later came to be known as “Mount Kailash”. To some people, the similarity between Mount Meru and Mount Kailash has a spiritual aspect. Shiva Samhita says that their lies a Mount Meru in one’s body and only a true yogi can identify it. Certain religious pilgrims, who visit Mount Kailash, view it as a spiritual, and not a cosmological center. Answer- A ‘kora’ is a religious practice in Tibetan.

In this practice, one has to go around Mount Kailash to wash your sins and to gain enlightenment. Hence, the word pilgrimage, ‘nekorwa’, in Tibetan, means ‘making circles about holy places’. Various different ways of doing a ‘kora’ are adopted. Some people sponsor a ‘kora’ for the person who actually travels around Kailash and the blessings of this act are shared by both. Some people may complete the ‘kora’ in a day. But to gain enlightenment, you must be, spiritually, in contact with God.

 Hindus and Buddhists view the act of bathing in Lake Manasarovar very differently. Explain. Answer- Hindus believe that the act of completely immersing oneself in Lake Manasarovar leads to one’s incarnation as God. Tibetans, on the other hand, do not bathe in Lake Manasarovar because they do not like to dirty the holy water. Name the three monasteries on the Kailash kora. Answer- The three monasteries are Dirapuk Gompa, Gyengtak Gompa, and Silung Gompa. Dolma La, at 18,600 feet, is the highest point on the path around Mount Kailash.

Describe it as best you can, and explain its spiritual significance.