Circling Kailash and Manasarovar

by Uden Sherpa 

The Legend of Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar

Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar are the only two places in the whole of Tibet that were visited by Lord Buddha, accompanied by five hundred Arhats. During the turning of the Three Wheels of the Dharma, Buddha Shakyamuni extensively explained the merits of building images. So Indra (the king of gods) offered precious articles of the gods, Ananda (the king of Serpents or Nagas) offered precious articles of the Nagas and Bimbisara (the king of Magadh) offered gold and silver, etc. to the Buddha and requested him to have three images of the Buddha made, as a means of generating merit for the sentient beings in the future.

On the instructions of the Buddha, the master craftsman Viswakarma made three images of the Buddha that were blessed by Buddha Shakyamuni. A fifteen-foot image was taken to realm of the gods, a ten-foot image was taken to the realm of the Nagas and a two-foot image of the Buddha was kept at Magadh, in order for the devotees to make offerings and pay homage.

One day, Mahakala miraculously took the image of the Buddha from Magadh to his palace at Lake Lanka, located at the foot of Mount Kailash, and made offerings. Then he thought a special place was needed to keep such a sacred statue and attempted to carry Mount Kailash on his back to the realm of the Nagas in Lake Lanka.

Buddha Shakyamuni and the 500 Arhats flew from Bodhgaya to Mount Kailash and landed on the rock known as Kyil Khor Teng, or ‘Ganachakra Basin of Arhats’, on the western face of Mount Kailash. Buddha left his footprint on four corners of Mount Kailash and prevented Mahakala from carrying Mount Kailash to the realm of the Nagas. These four footprints of the Buddha are known as the ‘Four Nails Holding Mount Kailash’, because they prevented Mahakala from carrying the mountain away. Then Buddha sat on the rock in front of Mount Kailash and gave teachings to the Nagas residing in Lake Manasarovar and Lake Lanka. Today, Buddhist pilgrims call this rock the ‘Throne of the Buddha’.

Mount Kailash is the only holy place in the world that is regarded as equally sacred by Buddhists, Hindus, Jains and Bonpos. To the Theravadan Buddhists, it is the abode of Sthavira Angaja, with an assembly of 1,300 Arhats; and to the Vajrayana practitioners it is the mandala or palace of Chakrasamvara. The sacred nature of Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar is mentioned in the Sutras.
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Ladakh: Lamas Dances

Time after time there come some big events and then Buddhist Lamas and probably their best pupils put on multicolored dresses, gaudy masks and start walking in circles drowsily waving their hands and legs.

From 1st to 15th of September there was Ladakh Festival in Leh and around. Besides national costumes and buddhist rituals it also included Polo games being there either as an essential part of Ladakhi culture or only for the sake of audience not getting too bored from excessive national specifics.

Using term ‘drowsily’, I’m not trying to mock at totally respected lamas, not in any way. But if we compare what Tibetans call a dance and what we, children of trance and rap culture usually refer to speaking about dances, then no other word can come to mind. Read more »

Life In Travel

My name is Oxanna, I’m 27 years old. I was born in Kiev, Ukraine, but now living outside my home country.

That’s how we usually started talking about oneself on English lessons in our primary school. About the same time on Russian lessons we used to write compositions and one was about who we were going to become when we’ve had grown old. At that time I wrote that I was going to become a traveler, could there be any better profession? It was a striking contrast to usual communistic want to be a nurse, an engineer or even a cosmonaut. As I was the best pupil in the class the teacher did not comment anything, though I do not doubt that everybody who read that text only signed of too dreamy girl.

I don’t know if anybody from our class actually became a nurse, an engineer or even a cosmonaut, but as I look at my life now, it becomes obvious that a dreamy girl has indeed fulfilled her childhood’s dream to become a traveler.

It’s been already more than 3 years since I gave up home. Not only a place to live but even ideas of having some permanent shelter anywhere. Since then I never had more things than would fit into a medium size backpack and never lived anywhere longer than 2 months - that’s duration of a course on Buddhist philosophy that I’m taking in Delhi. My means of living is money that I get from the rent of the flat that my parents gave me as my ‘ticket to life’; and this $600 allow me to pay for most of my other tickets, hotels and meals.

I cannot say that my life is very easy or very luxurious, the fact that I’m seeing many places in the world actually means that I’m depriving myself of many more other things. Like I hardly ever can wear high heels or decollete blouses that I like so much. And also having no more than 2 clothes of each kind is a big challenge for a girl who still wants to be beautiful. Sometimes I’m allowing myself 3, but then there come many more other limitations that a person who’s constantly on the road has to face.

My family used to blame me of a wish to live and not to work. Though from the first sight my life can seem an endless leisure it’s not always so. And when I’m starting taking pictures, editing them for web and writing commentaries about the places that I’ve visited it actually becomes full-time job that can take up to 8 hours a day. It’s only that I’m not getting any money for it and ideas of what career I can make with it are quite vague.

The freedom that I buy with giving away my home is the freedom to do the work that I like and don’t do the work only because I have to do it. My main salary is smiles and thanks of my many readers and especially seeing how their life is becoming more free and inspiring. And then I have numerous ideas of what to write and do further in life and also where to go, so I can be ‘in business’; many years more. I only hope that there’s enough time in life left for all.

Besides travelling I had another dream. This dream was much deeper and it took me around 24 years to actually confess it to myself and become daring enough to start doing something about it. Besides showing people path through unknown places on the outside I’ve always wanted to be a guiding light for people in their inner travels. And so here comes Buddhism. If traveler’s career is quite vague then spiritual teacher’s career is even less obvious. Of course, I don’t mean some famous priests and gurus who are enjoying limousines and all the kinds of worldly luxury, though their success is clear it still has nothing to do with the spiritual path. What I mean is a dream of becoming a Bodhisattva and benefitting countless living beings. Dream of such career is a nightmare for those thinking in terms of benefit for oneself as thinking of oneself is the very first thing that you have to give up, only then comes the rest. And concerning limousines and diamonds you might never get them.

So this can be even a bigger job eventhough nobody hired me and nobody will pay me for doing it. And it also may take quite a long time until there comes any visible result. Some Buddhist teachers say that it takes up to 3 innumerable calpas to reach complete Buddhahood and before that comes you have to learn to do things without hoping for any kind of a return. Such an idea completely opposes our modern world where you are supposed to get as much obvious results as possible in the shortest span of time. And so I’m prepared that for all these 3 innumerable calpas besides some people who will be inspired by what I’m doing there will be even more of those totally neglecting it.

But it’s my life and I’m loving it. And let it bring as much benefit as possible!

Our New Author - Oxanna

Hello folks. I’m happy to introduce you my good friend Oxanna, well-known traveler and photographer. She’s done me a honor while agreed to lead her own column at the blog with her reportages. Her story about herself you can find in the next post.

Sand Mandala - Yamantaka Mandala - Day 11, Part 4

Tibetan monks create an exquisite sand mandala - the Yamantaka mandala. Throwing the sand from the mandala to the ocean. Bondi pavilion, Sydney, Australia, December 2008.

Day 11, part 4:

The monks in procession, playing drum, cymbals and long trumpet, cross the wide sands of Bondi beach between the pavilion and the ocean.

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Sandalwood - Aromatherapy for the Mind, Body, and Spirit

Sandalwood is one of the world’s most widely used essential oils, prized for its scent in perfumery, for its therapeutic effects in Chinese, Ayurvedic and Tibetan medicine systems, and for its ability to focus the mind in meditative yogic traditions.

Sandalwood essential oil is most often extracted via steam distillation from the wood of the sandalwood tree, with the heartwood of the roots producing the highest-quality oil. Sandalwood is an evergreen tree, growing to a height of 9 m, with leathery leaves and small purple flowers. Native to southern tropical Asia, the tree is parasitic, gaining its nutrients from one of several other tree species. Because it can only be grown this way, and as a result of its seemingly strict set of environmental conditions, sandalwood is difficult to propagate. To add to the challenge of successful cultivation, sandalwood takes nearly 30 years to mature before yielding oil of any worth.

Sandalwood oil has a woody, balsamic, sweet and slightly musky aroma; it is a pale yellow, greenish or brownish liquid with excellent tenacity (the aroma tends to last a long time) and superior fixative properties. There are several varieties available, with Sandalum album considered the most important therapeutically. The Mysore region of eastern India is thought to produce the highest quality of this oil type, although its harvesting is creating a strain on the area’s natural environment. Recently, an oil of the Austrocaledonia species has been produced on the South Pacific island of Vanuatu from successfully cultivated sandalwood trees. This oil has a fantastic aroma, with a woody, smoky scent that is an excellent base note in perfume and cosmetic blends.

In the West, sandalwood oil is perhaps best known as a natural, woody, sweet body perfume used “as is”, or as a familiar aroma in many cosmetics, aftershaves and the like. In the East, however, sandalwood’s importance in cultural and spiritual traditions cannot be overstated. The wood is carved into furniture and religious icons, used to build temples and burned as incense in a great variety of ceremonies. The oil is used to anoint the dead. In Myanmar, women sprinkle it on passers-by on the last day of the year. In Hindu marriages, sandalwood is burned in a tent so that the smoke surrounds the bridal couple. For the meditative yogi, the oil and incense encourage a serene state of mind.

Sandalwood is valued in the traditional Indian medicine system of Ayurveda. It is indicated for inflammatory, intestinal and genito-urinary conditions that require cooling. Modern aromatherapy considers the oil an effective skin care agent for dry skin, general irritation and acne; it can help in cases of bronchitis, catarrh, dry persistent coughs, laryngitis and sore throats; it may relieve diarrhoea and nausea, and can be supportive in cases of cystitis. Sandalwood essential oil is also a great tonic for the hyperactive mind.

Finally, sandalwood is one of the few essential oils that improve with age. Because of increasing demand, the price of the oil is climbing significantly every year.

Source: Market-Day.net

Sand Mandala - Yamantaka Mandala - Day 11, Part 3

Day 11 of creation of the Yamantaka sand Mandala - dissolution ceremony.

Day 11, part 3:

Gen Lama gathers sand from the doors of the palace at each of the cardinal directions, to open the mandala before its transformation.

Gen Lama gathers sand from the doors of the palace at each of the cardinal directions, to open the mandala before its transformation. Read more »

Sand Mandala - Yamantaka Mandala - Day 11, Part 2

The last day of creation of the Yamantaka Mandala - Sydney, December 2008.

Day 11, part 2:

The free Tibetan national flag (banned in Tibet) flutters below the surf life savers flag on Bondi beach.

A monk returns unused coloured sand to their containers, ready to be used in the next sand mandala project. Read more »

H.H. 17th Karmapa will visit Hong Kong in February 2009

The Supreme head of Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism, His Holiness 17th Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje will be visiting Hong Kong in early February 2009. This will be an auspicious occasion for spreading the word of Dharma in the territory.

The late 16th Karmapa has visited Hong Kong in the 1980’s and through that visit, bestowed much compassionate blessing on a broad spectrum of disciples and Buddhist practitioners. We are very fortunate that the circumstances are now mature for the new visit of His Holiness the 17th Karmapa to continue and deepen our connection with Dharma and the Karma Kagyu lineage.

It is our sincere wish that through this auspicious Dharma activity, the accumulation of merit and wisdom will benefit not only Buddhist practitioners and disciples, but extend to the broader benefits of a harmonious society for Hong Kong at large.

The 3-day program will include Characteristic Buddhist practices such as Sand Mandala, Initiation on the Drolma Namjorma and Twenty one Taras practice, Lama Dance and Refuge ceremony. Highlights are listed below:

Initiation Drolma Namjorma and Twenty One Taras

His Holiness will conduct the Annutara Yoga (Highest order) initiation on Drolma Namjorma before the empowerment on the Twenty One Taras practice. In these difficult times plagued with natural disasters and disruptions to our inner peace, it is particularly important to receive these initiations to overcome such obstacles, enjoy a smooth progress in life and in one’s practice as well as vast accumulation of merit and wisdom.

Refuge Ceremony

Taking the Refuge ceremony is the first step and foundation to all Buddhist practice. It is particularly auspicious to receive this ceremony from His Holiness, who once said of the refuge as leading us on the path to ultimate enlightenment through benefiting self and others.

Lama Dance

There are two types of Lama Dance in the initiation ceremony. The first is to define the place to establish the sacred realm of the practice. The second is to invite the wisdom deities to the sacred realm. It was recorded in ancient teachings that through the merits of watching Lama Dance, the seed to enlightenment is safely planted.

Sand Mandala

The unique Sand Mandala will be constructed by accomplished monks , according to the Karma Kagyu lineage teachings. As recorded in scriptures, the benefits of seeing a sand mandala are equal to that of meeting Buddha in person. After the initiation, the sand mandala will be released into the sea, thereby benefiting sentient being in water. Through the natural cycle of water - clouds - rain, such benefits will be extended to all sentient beings.

Dharma Teaching

37 Precepts of the Bodhisattva Path.

Source: kagyunews.com.hk