Live Your Best Lives
Have you ever seen the movie "Kang Rinpoche"? It tells the story of a group of people from a small village who travel thousands of miles and endure many hardships to make a pilgrimage to Lhasa.
They prostrated themselves on the ground step by step. The long journey, the high mountains, the cold snow, and the car accidents could not stop them. Pilgrimage was the only hope in their hearts.
The sacred mountain they worship is the source of their faith and the god in their hearts. Worshiping is a reverence for the gods, which is more important than life.
Today we'll talk about the sacred mountains that carry people's faith, starting with the four most famous sacred mountains of Tibetan Buddhism.
Kawagebo - Kawagebo is located in the world-famous "Three Parallel Rivers" area. It is 6,740 meters above sea level. It is the main peak of Meili Snow Mountain and the highest peak in Yunnan.
The body of Mount Kawagebo is like a sturdy spear, its peak like a white dolma, its color like a slender white silk. The mountain on the right is like a sitting lion, the mountain on the left is like a tumbling jade dragon, the mountain behind is like a roc spreading its wings, and the mountain in front is like a black bear dancing its claws.
Kawagebo is not only recognized as one of the most beautiful snow-capped mountains in the world, but it also holds a unique religious status. As the "God of Snow Mountains," Kawagebo, the chief of the eight sacred mountains in Tibet, attracts thousands of Tibetans every year on pilgrimage.
Since the beginning of mountaineering history, humans have climbed 14 peaks with an altitude of more than 8,000 meters. However, Kawagebo is only 6,740 meters above sea level, but it is a mountain that no one has ever climbed to the top.
In 1991, a joint Chinese-Japanese mountaineering team attempted to reach the summit, but suffered a major mountain accident. None of the 17 elite climbers survived, and even Camp No. 3 and the bodies of the victims disappeared without a trace.
This mountain accident attracted unprecedented attention from the world. It was not until 1996 when the climber tried to reach the summit again that he had to descend urgently due to bad weather. However, the weather forecast turned better after the descent, and there was no expected storm, rain or snow.
The sacred mountain is spiritual. In 1998, the families of the victims came to Kawagebo to see the burial place of their relatives. In July of the same year, local villagers discovered the remains and belongings of the victims in a summer pasture more than 400 meters away, which finally comforted the living.
In 2000, the local government issued a decree explicitly prohibiting climbing the snow-capped mountain. This is the first mountain in China that is revered for its culture and beliefs to be prohibited from climbing.
Mount Kailash, located in the north of Purang County in the southwest of the Tibet Autonomous Region, is 6,656 meters above sea level. It is the main peak of China's Gangdise Mountains and the second highest peak in the Gangdise Mountains. It means the mountain of gods in Tibetan.
It has given birth to more than 250 glaciers. The mountain is shaped like a pyramid with a huge cross-shaped mark on it. The peak is like a colorful crown, surrounded by eight-petal lotus flowers, and the mountain body is like crystal.
It is a sacred mountain in many religions. It is said that Bon religion originated from this mountain; Hinduism considers the mountain to be the abode of Shiva and the center of the world; Jainism believes that the mountain is where their founder, Rishabanatha, attained enlightenment; and Tibetan Buddhism believes that the mountain is the abode of Chakrasamvara, representing infinite happiness.
Buddhist scriptures hold that at the center of the world lies Mount Sumeru, with four sides, from which originate four great rivers flowing in four directions. Mount Kailash is indeed the source of four world-class rivers: the Indus River flows to the north, the Ganges River flows to the south, the Brahmaputra River flows to the east, and the Sutlej River flows to the west.
Another magical thing about Mount Kailash is that the sunny side of the mountain is covered with snow all year round for unknown reasons; while the back of the sacred mountain is always snow-free. Even if it is covered with snow, it will melt as soon as the sun comes out, which is exactly the opposite of the natural law.
Those who are blessed to come here for pilgrimage can hear the sound of Arhats striking the wooden boards in the Holy Music Palace at the top of the peak. There is also an endless stream of believers from home and abroad who circumambulate the mountain here all year round.
"At 6,282 meters above sea level, Amnye Machen Mountain offers not only green hills and clear waters, a beautiful scene reminiscent of an ink painting, but also the presence of pilgrims. Their figures can be seen everywhere, whether on the road or on the grass beside it."
"Ani" means "ancestor" in Tibetan, and also implies a beautiful heart, happiness, or broad-mindedness. "Maqing" means the largest mountain at the source of the Yellow River in Tibetan, and also implies grandeur and magnificence.
The local Tibetans believe that the Amnye Machen Snow Mountain is one of the twenty-one sacred snow mountains of the "Bokawa Jiangong" and is the fourth of the nine gods of creation, Sparqiao Belag, who is a mountain god with immense power and magical powers who dominates the mountains, rivers and the earth.
Tibetans have a deep faith in gods, and since the Amnye Machen Peak has such great divine power, it naturally became a place of pilgrimage.
During the Year of the Sheep in the Tibetan calendar, or the years separating Shenmen, Xuemen, and Gangguo, pilgrims carry simple luggage, cooking utensils, and food, and make a pilgrimage around the mountain, expressing their sincere worship in order to eliminate their sins and allow their souls to ascend to heaven.
Gaduo Juewo, located in Chengduo County, Yushu, Qinghai, is an ancient sacred mountain in the Yushu Tibetan area and the least well-known of the four sacred mountains of Tibetan Buddhism.
It boasts the most unique mountain range of the four sacred mountains—a series of peaks with a myriad of shapes and forms, with the main peak at 5,470 meters above sea level and an average elevation of 4,900 meters. The main peak is majestic and precipitous, a work of nature, a marvel of wonder.
Yunduo Juewu, also known as "Juewu Xiayun" in Tibetan, means "White Saint Guest," referring to a legendary general of both wisdom and courage. The 28 peaks surrounding it represent his seven generals, seven divine healers, seven swordsmiths, seven tailors, his grandmother, and his children. Legend has it that if the divine healer passes by during a circumambulation, their hands will turn green.
Around Yunduojuewu, there are relics such as the Tangshen Ancient Road and King Gesar's throne. In addition, Yushu itself is the hometown of King Gesar, which further increases the sacredness and greatness of Yunduojuewu Mountain.
The four sacred mountains are not the only ones that have been given sacred status by religious legends.
Sapu Sacred Mountain is the highest peak in the eastern section of Nyainqentanglha, with an altitude of 6,956 meters. It is revered as the king of sacred mountains in the local area. It is located in Yangxiu Township in the eastern part of Nagqu Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region.
The Sacred Mountain of Sap is composed of the Sap Peaks, which include, from left to right: Sap's wife, his wife's illegitimate son, Sap's eldest son, second son and daughter.
The mountain type of Sap's wife's illegitimate son and Sap's youngest son is a regular triangle pyramid mountain type that is rare in China and even in the world.
When talking about Sapu Sacred Mountain, one cannot help but mention Sapu Sacred Lake. Formed by the melting of thousands of years of ice and snow on the sacred mountain, it stretches from the foot of the sacred mountain into two parts. The one near the foot of the sacred mountain is a glacial lake that never melts year-round; the other part is the main lake, with clear and clean water.
The Holy Lake is just like its name, calm and vast. Walking along the Holy Lake, it feels like being in the Garden of Eden in a dream.
The Tibetans here do not eat fish. To them, the fish in the holy lake are a sacred belief that cannot be violated.
Legend has it that on May 15th of each year, the main lake will thaw overnight and freeze again on September 15th.
Mount Genyen is located deep in the Hengduan Mountains on the southeastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. This mountain seems to have sealed the memories of years and time, and has accumulated all the unparalleled beauty of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
Mount Genyen is the birthplace of Tibetan Buddhism in southern Kham. It is named Genyen (meaning layperson) because eminent Tibetan Buddhist monks often lived in seclusion there. It is also one of the 24 sacred mountains in Buddhism, and the 13th sacred mountain.
There is a temple called Lenggu Temple on the sacred mountain. As long as you stand anywhere in Lenggu Temple, you can see the majestic Genyen Peak with just a glance of your glasses.
It seems as if the snow on the peak is right in front of you and you can touch it with just your hand. It feels as if the sacred Mount Genyen is right in front of you, which makes people feel extremely shocked.
Mount Genyen is very flat and gentle, like a giant Buddha. There are four small peaks beside its main peak, and the peaks on both sides are stacked up one after another, which is very spectacular, like the moon surrounded by stars.
The top of the mountain is covered with snow all year round. The ice crystals on the glaciers are as sharp as knives, and they look very beautiful when reflected on the white snow. Vegetation gradually appears on the exposed rocks on the mountain.
Beneath the glacier is a lush forest, and at the foot of the forest is a stream formed by the melted glacier. The scenery is so beautiful.
There is also an Eye of Genyen at the foot of the sacred mountain, with a diameter of about dozens of meters. Water and grass meet in it, and the sunken soil just forms an oval shape, as if the pupil of the earth is looking up at the sky.
Mount Namjagbarwa is located at the junction of Nyingchi and Medog. The huge triangular peak is surrounded by clouds and mist all year round and is never easily revealed to the public.
It is said that many hikers have spent a month in Nyingchi, waiting impatiently for Mount Namjagbarwa, only to leave with regret. Therefore, hikers call it "the most difficult snow mountain to see in Tibet", "visiting it depends on luck", and "meeting it depends on fate".
In terms of relative height difference, Mount Everest is about 3,600 meters, while the height difference between Mount Namjagbarwa and Zhibai Village at the foot of the mountain is about 4,800 meters. Visually, Mount Namjagbarwa looks taller and more majestic.
The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Himalayas are lamented as the last secret places owned by human beings, and are even considered as the "golden key" to open the door to the earth.
What is particularly amazing is that at the east and west ends of the Himalayas stand two peaks: Mount Namjagbarwa, the 15th highest peak in the world (7,782 meters above sea level), and Mount Nanga Parbat, the 9th highest peak in the world (8,125 meters above sea level). They not only hang the majestic Himalayas on the southern end of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, but also pin the Eurasian Plate tightly to the Indian Plate.
Why are there two peaks at the eastern and western ends of the Himalayas so perfectly symmetrical? Why are these two peaks cut and surrounded in the same way by two great rivers (the Yarlung Zangbo River in the east and the Indus River in the west)? Why do these two rivers converge in the same ocean (the Indian Ocean) after flowing for thousands of kilometers? These mysteries remain unsolved.
Interestingly, in the ancient legend of the "Battle of Menling" in the nearby area, Namjagbarwa was the guardian sword of our planet that King Gesar used to save the people.
Mount Namjagbarwa has existed in this world for more than 700 million years. It is the first place in the entire Himalayas to emerge from the sea and become land. The vicissitudes of life and the passage of time it has experienced are beyond our imagination.
Bogda Mountain is located in Fukang City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is a branch of the eastern section of the Tianshan Mountains, extending from Urumqi eastward to Barkol County, stretching for more than 300 kilometers.
The three peaks of Bogda Mountain stand side by side, forming the shape of a Chinese character "山". The middle peak, at 5,445 meters above sea level, is the highest point of Bogda Mountain. It is like the guardian god of Urumqi, standing in the sky and overlooking Urumqi.
Its peak is always shrouded in clouds, like a bride who is reluctant to take off her veil. Its beauty can only be seen at sunrise or sunset.
The word Bogda means "sacred mountain, holy mountain" in Mongolian. In ancient times, Bogda Mountain has long been worshipped by various ethnic groups in the Western Regions.
Changchun Zhenren Qiu Chuji responded to Genghis Khan's order and led his disciples on a journey westward, which took three years and covered more than 10,000 kilometers. "Staying at the Yinshan Mountain from the Southeast of Luntai" is a strong proof that Qiu Chuji had been active in the Bogda Mountain area.
This event led to Bogda Mountain entering the Taoist system, and Taoist scriptures even recorded Bogda Mountain as the Taoist temple of "Queen Mother of the West".
In the 24th year of Emperor Qianlong's reign in the Qing Dynasty, the Qing government sent ministers stationed in Urumqi to worship at Bogda Mountain and promulgated the "Bogda Ola Sacrifice". Since then, Bogda Mountain has been unique among the many peaks of the Tianshan Mountains because of its cultural significance.
In addition to the above snow-capped mountains that have been given sacred names by religious and cultural significance, there are also some snow-capped mountains that have won the honor by their own strength.
Gongga Snow Mountain, with its main peak at 7,556 meters above sea level, is the highest peak in the Hengduan Mountains and also the highest peak in Sichuan Province. It is known as the "King of Sichuan Mountains".
With the main peak of Gongga as the center, there are 145 peaks with an altitude of 5,000 to 6,000 meters around it, forming a majestic scene of stars surrounding the moon.
The charm of Mount Gongga lies in its high vertical height. The vertical distance from 2,200 meters at the foot of the mountain to 7,560 meters at the top of the mountain is only 29 kilometers.
On a clear day, the snow-capped peaks can be clearly seen from Chengdu, 230 kilometers away. Mount Gongga ranks second only to Mount Namjagbarwa in the list of China's top ten most beautiful mountains.
But in the mountaineering world, it is indeed a "dreaded" snow mountain. In the mountaineering mortality rate ranking, the main peak of Mount Gongga is undoubtedly the mountain with the highest mountaineering mortality rate in the world (because no one has reached the summit of Mount Meili, it is not included).
The reason is the unpredictable weather. Mount Gongga is the easternmost snow-capped mountain in the world with an altitude of over 7,000 meters, and is very close to the Chengdu Plain.
The huge mountain and the undulating peaks around it are adjacent to the abundant Dadu River and the humid Chengdu Plain, which leads to changeable and harsh weather conditions in the Gongga area and extremely abundant rainfall.
Second, Mount Gongga is the world's highest mountain. Its narrow ridge is like an inclined knife blade, with exposed rocks and slopes of more than 70 degrees, which is very steep.
Third, Mount Gongga boasts intense glacial activity. There are 74 modern glaciers, including five over 10 kilometers in length, covering a total area of 290 square kilometers. This makes it the largest glacier complex in the Hengduan Mountains and the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
Under the long-term action of glaciers, the mountain has developed into a pyramid-shaped peak with large corners, surrounded by steep cliffs. Avalanches are extremely frequent and climbing is very difficult.
For more than a hundred years, although the main peak of Mount Gongga has always maintained the "notoriety" of being the most difficult to climb and having the highest mortality rate, in the eyes of climbers, Mount Gongga still has unparalleled appeal.
Compared with the previous sacred mountains, Wugong Mountain seems to be just a "sacred mountain", but this small mountain with an altitude of only 1,918 meters still has an irreplaceable position in the hearts of hikers.
Wugong Mountain is located in the central and western part of Jiangxi Province, China. The 100,000 mu of alpine meadows in the area stretch to the top of a mountain with an altitude of more than 1,600 meters, complementing the majestic mountain scenery and being unparalleled in the world.
At sunrise, several rays of light shot into the sky, and a golden arc broke through the morning light and rose slowly from the horizon; at sunset, the sunlight was slightly tinged with yellow, giving the distant mountains a golden edge.
The sea of clouds on Wugong Mountain is also a unique sight. Clouds covering hundreds of square kilometers gather and roll around you. The aura, vitality and mystery are just like a fairyland.
Wugong Mountain, a precious land, has been chosen by Taoism and Buddhism as a paradise for self-cultivation since the Han and Jin Dynasties. During the Ming Dynasty, the incense reached its peak, and more than 100 nunneries, halls, temples and monasteries were built on the south and north sides of the mountain.
Since the Tang and Song Dynasties, many famous scholars have come to climb the mountain to enjoy the scenery and write poems and essays in admiration of his name.
A pilgrimage is a journey of great moral or spiritual significance or a search for
self-discovery. Which sacred mountain would you choose to embark on?
