Manasarovar----Mind,Meditation,Mahimatva

May 27, 2005

Dear Sadyojatas,

Mount Kailas is a 6,714 metre high peak of distinctive appearance, located in Western Tibet. To the south of Kailas are two large lakes with which the mountain is associated; Manasarovar and Rakas Tal. Further south lie the Himalayan borders of India and Nepal, and it is into India that four of South Asia's great rivers flow: the Tsangpo/Brahmaputra; the Indus; the Sutlej; and the Karnali; all of which have their source within 75 kilometres of Manasarovar. These rivers have contributed to the identification of Mount Kailas with the mythical axis mundi, Mount Meru, the centre of the universe in traditional South Asian cosmology.

The region has been a pilgrimage site for more than 2500 years. During this time Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and followers of Tibetþs Bon faith have each sanctified this now remote and desolate corner of the Tibetan plateau within their own traditions, while sharing the belief in the spiritual value of pilgrimage to this unique region. Political events prevented access for Indian pilgrims during the 1962-81 period, but 200 Indian pilgrims a year are now permitted to visit the region in controlled groups. Since 1984, a number of European and other foreign travellers have also made the journey there. It is once again an important multi-faith pilgrimage site.

Said to be the abode of Lord Shiva, Kailash-Manasarovar represents the Indian philosophy of Shiva-Shakthi. The yatra ends with the parikramas of the Kailash Mount and the Manasarovar lake. While for the Hindus it is the abode of Lord Shiva, for Buddhists Kang Rinpochhe or Kailash is the centre of the universe where their god Demchhong resides. It's also a holy place for the Jains whose first Tirthankara, Adinath Rishabnath, attained salvation here. They call the region Ashtapad

The above verse cryptically refers to Manasarovar Lake in Kumara sambhava by Kalidasa.It means:

In the northern part there is a mighty mountain by name Himalaya - the abode of perpectual snow-fittingly called the Lord ofmountains , animated by Divinity as its soul and iternal spirit (or in other words, Divinity Incarnate). Spanning the wide and from theestern to the western sea,he stands as it were like the measuring rod of earth.

It the direction of the King Prithu, the selfsame mountain was used as a calf by allother mountains, while the Mount Meru (kailas) stood as an expert milker of cows and milchand the mother Earth (as if from a cow) the milk of shinning gems and medicinal herbs of wonderful and supreme efficiency (in order to adors the Himalayas)

Creation of Mansarovar(The inner meaning)

Nature laid alone. With no worth to do, she was asleep. But even while asleep, the cycle of customary changes and actions with in her continued and these changes in their course produced a point a lightened dot. This point slowly began to grow. The bright glory grew to a great luminous halo. Then, an infinitely powerful primal creator a supreme being was born out of this halo, and it began to create universe. these arose a conclusion in nature- she awakened and was astonished and awed to see this being who was stronger that even nature herself. She was shaken with fear at his strength.

Nature now look up the incarnation of Mahamaya (the great illusionary) and lured the supreme being to her. he in turn left upon her the duty of maintaining his entire creation. So, through the supreme being is stronger than Nature, it can not act contrary to nature. Punichments come down upon those who try to transgress her low. Mahamaya and the Power of the supreme being, known as mahamrityunjaya (the great conqueror of death), is omnipresent in nature. this power is the driving force behind all created thing. This divine force with in the living being gradully unfolds itself under the careful hands of nature. When this force has reached a developed stage, the being endeavours to know itself-archives immortality and becomes one with the super force, the mahamrityunjaya. From its birth, all living beings are bound by the mahamaya (the controlling force of the Universe) and they grow and increase in strength under her care. Traversing through the joys and agonies of countless

births and lives, the living being feels weary and desperate. The secret divine strength in its then being to manifest itself, and makes the living being envisage a new path where all glory and happiness lie. The strength within the living being than leaves wordly attachment and unities with the great life force and is made immortal for this material world. Creation is just the expression of that immense force and consciousness, religion is the science of the realization of it. It begins with sanyas (asceticism) and vairagya (renunciation) ends in salvation of the spirit, which is the final repose of all living being.

(Rare photo of an Atma linga found near the Manasarovar Lake...Subodha)

Om Namah Shivaya - This five letter mantra is devoted to Lord Shiva, the great God of gods, the great God, the absolute Lord over the three spheres. All the universe is an extension of the self born Shiva. He is the ruler of this universe which is only the expression of His infinite variety.it is He who had expressed Himself through the universe. He is thes supreme of all univese forces, and universal forces, and themover behind all streams of force. Shiva or Mahadev is the omnipresent God, the absolute Brahma and an expression of His force is Mahamaya (greatesr illusionary), the primordial force.

We know of Shiva as the Absolute Father, the Absolute Brahma. The numerous manifestations in the world all happen from this spirit of expression. The active force working within every object is oriented and controlled by the primordial force of Shiva. His grand power is present in every particle, every atom of the whole created universe alongwith mahamaya. he absolute omnipotent is complete and slitary. The visible world spreads out the expressions of that Shivshakti-these various expressions are His grant designs in order to be one again. Different expreiences in the whole range of human consciousness0 the mystery of births and deaths, the beauty of nature, horrible calamities,mental happiness and pain compels the human mind to wonder about the world. The mind wavers from deasure to uncertainty to assurance. Man began to search for the great cause behind all this, and found great soul the emanation of the centralized absolute.

Man discovered three different entities within this centralised and formless power. The three entities are engaged in creation, maintenance and destruction of the universe. The centralised power has three incarnations-Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver and Maheshwar the destroyer. These three powers are active upon all the plants, stars, men, animels, birds and trees in this universe and the prime centralised power is with them. Absolute Brahma, the centralised power of the universe, resided at the peak of Kailash.

The snow capped luminous peak of Kailash is the home of the Absolute God of gods. It is from here that the mahashakti (greatest force) conducts the whole world through its three entities.

In the north of India lies the famous lord of he mountains, the Himalayas. The Himalayas are great in height, its lakes are great in holiness, its earth is great in trees, its womb grat in minerals and jewels. Beautiful animals and birds in their multicoloured attire, the peaks around hold the power to take the beholder deep down the recesses of realization.

As far as I know, the Kailash Manasarovar region is the holiest in the Himalayas, with its unique spiritual appeal. Any person, of whatever race religion,organisation of community, with however disturbed a mind, may find stability and solace here. It happens unknowingly, whatever one wants it or not. But, as a man with a running nose doesn't enjoy the fragrance of a rose or as the radio needle fixed as a certain radio station does not receive signals of holy places requires special nostrils to appreciate it.

The whole Himalayan region from Bhutan to Kashmir, north of India, is known as the Kailash Land. The Kailash peak is situated in the upper middle zone of the range running from Kashmir to Bhutan. The peak-idd to the snow topped ranges and the seat of the centralised power moving the universe has a beauty unparalleled among other Indian peaks. The Kailash Land covers such a Large area that the peak is often called Sumeru Parvat (the North Pole)- abode of the Absolute Brahma. All great peaks of the Himalayas have a strange and powerful soulfulness it seems great man have turned into peaks after ages of medication. It seems at times, that some unseen cxonsciousness has decided to reside within these creation of nature, and this consciousness is immersed in a deep slumber. It was born only to lose itself into the Absolute Brahma. Leaving the world to the three great powers, the trinity, it has been resting in this bone corner of the world. The seats of this trinity are situated south

of the Kailash, which lies in the upper northern part of India. Badrinath, the residence of the Preserver Vishnu, is south of Sumeru; to its west Kedarnath, the residence of Shiva the destroyer; to its east Om Mountain the seat of Brahma the creator of the world. Centrally northto these three holy seats stands mount Sumeru. All the world is administeredby the trinity of the creator, preserver and the destroyer. India is the site and container of this centralised power. When oppression and evil rise to alarming heights on earth, the preserve Vishnu incarnates in India in human from to bring the world to the right path again. Sometimes, Lord Shiva too doms the human garb to illumine man towards true religion and knowledge.

The spreme being who contains that great centralised power is seated in meditation in India, his ethereal being spread over heaven, earth and the netherworld. His great head with mass of hair reaches Kailash which is also called Heaven.

Its peak is the bran of the supreme being. Kedarnath, Badrinath and Om Mountain are his three eyes. Mathura and Vrindavan is the region of supreme being's heart and Puskar (near Ajmer) is his naval. The region of supreme being has become the playful sport of Vishnu at the region of his naval. Brahma is present in the form of fire and Dathatreya charan in Girinar are his feet. In the Heaven of Mt. Sumer, there is the huge, beautiful and radient tree of Imagination, and gods, goddesses and saints are seated in meditation there. In the Kailash Land, there is a bright throw studded with jewels, made of alloy of various rich metals before which white royal swans play about. here also is a great field, ahead, full of various rich metals and presious stone sand in its middle stands a bowl containing the nectar of immortality-gods become immortal after drinking out or it; far away is a great blue lotus, holy and extremely beautiful heavenly dance there. In te Manasarovar region nearby,

plenty of holy places reverberate with the glory of the great Shiva-their heads are bowed in reverence to him. The silvery glowing peaks surrounding then are filled with a spiritual. In the far western corner of India stands the Grinar mountain, where the three manifestation Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwar reside in their juvenile forms. The united form of this Trinity exists under the name of Dattatreya. The feet of the Eternal Supreme being are situated in these Girnar mountains.

India is mostly the land of Hindus. In Hindus mythology, Shiva is not only the immortal God, but also the greatest self born deity. the word 'Shiva' means the author of welfare, the satisfier of human desires, whose glory enables the destruction of the evil-door and the shower of prosperity. The sole eliminator af all evils is the peerless God-Satyam-Shivam_Sundaram.

Where truth is, there is shiva and beauty; where Shiva is, beauty and truth also are and where beauty is, Shiva and truth reside there too. That unparalleled constant indivisible halo is the absolute Brahma. In the good old days, awareness of Shiva arose in human consciousness. Shiva is the supreme hindu deity, but who is the founder of religion? At the root of all religious are their founders or exponents like Hajrat Mohammed in Islam, Jesus Christ in Christianity etc. But who is there in Hinduism? This is a difficult question, because the exponent of classical hinduism is Mahadeva himself, the ancient centralised power of Absolute Brahma who seat is in India. The ancient power expresses itself through the Hindu religion, which may be called the greatest. Hinduism does not exert pressure on believers in their creeds. Whenever evil and oppression in the religion rises, God himself becomes incarnate in India to protect it.

yada Yada hi dharmasya glanirbhabati bharatAbhyuthanam adharmasya tadatmanam srijamyahamparitranaya sadhunam vinashaya cha dushkritamdharam sansthapanarthaya sambhabami yuge yuge

(When ever religion in India is filled with scum and malpractice rises, I am created to redeem the good and destroy the evil-doers, to re-establish true religion in all ages)

The story of these incarnation in Hinduism are found in the Puranas; many saints also have come downto protect true religion in various ages. Within this country and religion lies a special power that produces a strength in men. This force may be both downward and upward, if it is upward, it takes man to his salvation and if contrary, becomes instrumental in maligning religion. That is why much malignancy develops and God has to come down himself to ride religion of them. At their base, all the religion are a search for the Great power they are all one. But this power expresses itself through classical Hinduism: it is situated in northern India and affects India most. being a Hindu land, Hinduism is powerful here in India, where numerous saints have been born. India is suitable land their communion with

the centralised power.

Om Vishnupada priye!

Om shivani!

Subodha

Purity, Powers, Parabrahmam...

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