hare krishna

ooooooo!

 

My goodness...I was in another forum and the fighting that is going on in there is quite intollerable...I'm' getting dizzy about the labeling my God verses your God...its really sad...any who, had to get that out...didn't want to say it there...not in the mood to get blasted...


And as an apology for listening to me complain:

 

By preaching you learn. Don't give up. There are powerful argument in Bhagavadgita, it's just a matter of using them without adding anything and noone can say anything -it's from Krishna, the Absolute Truth- lol.

 

"if ever i have loved anything before i loved Krishna, i cannot remember it.

if ever i have known anything before i knew Krishna, i cannot recall it.

if ever i have served anything before i served Krishna, i cannot admit it.

Hari Krishna Hari Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare"​

​

-my dear friend Tulsi Priya ​

 

everybody chant this:

 

Sleeping Jiva! Where has everyone gone? Hmm...anyway...a part of a book that I like

​

Krsna was very pleased with the atmosphere of the forest where flowers bloomed and bees and drones hummed very jubilantly. While the birds, trees and branches were all looking very happy, Krsna, tending the cows, accompanied by Sri Balarama and the cowherd boys, began to vibrate His transcendental flute. After hearing the vibration of the flute of Krsna, the gopis in Vrndavana remembered Him and began to talk amongst themselves about how nicely Krsna was playing His flute. When the gopis were describing the sweet vibration of Krsna's flute, they also remembered their pastimes with Him; thus their minds became disturbed, and they were unable to describe completely the beautiful vibrations. While discussing the transcendental vibration, they remembered also how Krsna dressed, decorated with a peacock feather on His head, just like a dancing actor, and with blue flowers pushed over His ear. His garment glowed yellow-gold, and He was garlanded with a vaijayanti necklace. Dressed in such an attractive way, Krsna filled up the holes of His flute with the nectar emanating from His lips. So they remembered Him, entering the forest of Vrndavana, which is always glorified by the footprints of Krsna and His companions.

Krsna was very expert in playing the flute, and the gopis were captivated by the sound vibration, which was not only attractive to them, but to all living creatures who heard it. One of the gopis told her friends, "The highest perfection of the eyes is to see Krsna and Balarama entering the forest and playing Their flutes and tending the cows with Their friends."

Persons who are constantly engaged in the transcendental meditation of seeing Krsna, internally and externally, by thinking of Him playing the flute and entering the Vrndavana forest, have really attained the perfection of samadhi. Samadhi (trance) means absorption of all the activities of the senses on a particular object, and the gopis indicate that the pastimes of Krsna are the perfection of all meditation and samadhi. It is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita that anyone who is always absorbed in the thought of Krsna is the topmost of all yogis.

Another gopi expressed her opinion that Krsna and Balarama, while tending the cows, appeared just like actors going to play on a dramatic stage. Krsna was dressed in glowing garments of yellow, Balarama in blue, and They held new twigs of mango tree, peacock feathers, and bunches of flowers in Their hands. Dressed with garlands of lotus flowers, They were sometimes singing very sweetly among Their friends. One gopi told her friend, "How is it Krsna and Balarama are looking so beautiful?" Another gopi said, "My dear friend, we cannot even think of His bamboo flute--what sort of pious activities did it execute so that it is now enjoying the nectar of the lips of Krsna?" Krsna sometimes kisses the gopis; therefore the transcendental nectar of His lips is available only to them, and His lips are considered their property. Therefore the gopis asked: "How is it possible that the flute, which is nothing but a bamboo rod, is always engaged in enjoying the nectar from Krsna's lips? Because the flute is engaged in the service of the Supreme Lord, the mother and the father of the flute must be happy."

The lakes and the rivers are considered to be the mothers of the trees because the trees live simply by drinking water. So the waters of the lakes and rivers of Vrndavana were full of happy lotus flowers because the waters were thinking, "How is it our son, the bamboo rod, is enjoying the nectar of Krsna's lips?" The bamboo trees standing by the banks of the rivers and the lakes were also happy to see their descendant so engaged in the service of the Lord, just as persons who are advanced in knowledge take pleasure to see their descendants engage in the service of the Lord. The trees were overwhelmed with joy and were incessantly yielding honey, which flowed from the beehives hanging on the branches.

Sometimes the gopis spoke thus to their friends about Krsna: "Dear friends, our Vrndavana is proclaiming the glories of this entire earth because this planet is glorified by the lotus footprints of the son of Devaki. Besides that, when Govinda plays His flute, the peacocks immediately become mad. When all the animals and trees and plants, either on the top of Govardhana Hill or in the valley, see the dancing of the peacock, they all stand still and listen to the transcendental sound of the flute with great attention. We think that this boon is not possible or available on any other planet." Although the gopis were village cowherd women and girls, they had knowledge of Krsna. Similarly, one can learn the highest truths simply by hearing the Vedas from authoritative sources.

 

Another gopi said, "My dear friends, just see the deer! Although they are dumb animals, they have approached the son of Maharaja Nanda, Krsna. Not only are they attracted by the dress of Krsna and Balarama, but as soon as they hear the playing of the flute, the deer, along with their husbands, offer respectful obeisances unto the Lord by looking at Him with great affection." The gopis were envious of the deer because the deer were able to offer their service to Krsna along with their husbands. The gopis thought themselves not so fortunate because whenever they wanted to go to Krsna, their husbands were not very happy.

Another gopi said, "My dear friends, Krsna is so nicely dressed that He appears to be the impetus to various kinds of ceremonies held by the womenfolk. Even the wives of the denizens of heaven become attracted after hearing the transcendental sound of His flute. Although they are traveling in the air in their airplanes, enjoying the company of their husbands, on hearing the sound of Krsna's flute, they immediately become perturbed. Their hair is loosened and their tight dresses are slackened." This means that the transcendental sound of the flute of Krsna extended to all corners of the universe. Also, it is significant that the gopis knew about the different kinds of airplanes flying in the sky.

Another gopi said to her friends, "My dear friends, the cows are also charmed as soon as they hear the transcendental sound of the flute of Krsna. It sounds to them like the pouring of nectar, and they immediately spread their long ears just to catch the liquid nectar of the flute. As for the calves, they are seen with the nipples of their mothers pressed in their mouths, but they cannot suck the milk. They remain struck with devotion, and tears glide down their eyes, illustrating vividly how they are embracing Krsna heart to heart." These phenomena indicate that even the cows and calves in Vrndavana knew how to cry for Krsna and embrace Him heart to heart. Actually, Krsna conscious affection can be culminated in shedding tears from the eyes.

A younger gopi told her mother, "My dear mother, the birds, who are all looking at Krsna playing on His flute, are sitting very attentively on the branches and twigs of different trees. From their features it appears that they have forgotten everything and are engaged only in hearing Krsna's flute. This proves that they are not ordinary birds; they are great sages and devotees, and just to hear Krsna's flute they have appeared in Vrndavana forest as birds." Great sages and scholars are interested in Vedic knowledge, but the essence of Vedic knowledge is stated in the Bhagavad-gita: vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah. Through the knowledge of the Vedas, Krsna has to be understood. From the behavior of these birds, it appeared that they were great scholars in Vedic knowledge and that they took to Krsna's transcendental vibration and rejected all branches of Vedic knowledge. Even the river Yamuna, being desirous to embrace the lotus feet of Krsna after hearing the transcendental vibration of His flute, broke her fierce waves to flow very nicely with lotus flowers in her hands, just to present flowers to Mukunda with deep feeling.

The scorching heat of the autumn sunshine was sometimes intolerable, and therefore the clouds in the sky appeared in sympathy above Krsna and Balarama and Their boy friends while They engaged in blowing Their flutes. The clouds served as a soothing umbrella over Their heads just to make friendship with Krsna. The wanton aborigine girls also became fully satisfied when they smeared their faces and breasts with the dust of Vrndavana, which was reddish from the touch of Krsna's lotus feet. The aborigine girls had very full breasts, and they were also very lusty, but when their lovers felt their breasts, they were not very satisfied. When they came out into the midst of the forest, they saw that while Krsna was walking, some of the leaves and creepers of Vrndavana turned reddish from the kunkuma powder which fell from His lotus feet. His lotus feet were held by the gopis on their breasts, which were also smeared with kunkuma powder, but when Krsna travelled in the Vrndavana forest with Balarama and His boy friends, the reddish powder fell on the ground of the Vrndavana forest. So the lusty aborigine girls, while looking toward Krsna playing His flute, saw the reddish kunkuma on the ground and immediately took it and smeared it over their faces and breasts. In this way they became fully satisfied, although they were not satisfied when their lovers touched their breasts. All material lusty desires can be immediately satisfied if one comes in contact with Krsna consciousness.

Another gopi began to praise the unique position of Govardhana Hill in this way: "How fortunate is this Govardhana Hill, for it is enjoying the association of Lord Krsna and Balarama who are accustomed to walk on it. Thus Govardhana is always in touch with the lotus feet of the Lord. And because Govardhana Hill is so obliged to Lord Krsna and Balarama, it is supplying different kinds of fruits, roots and herbs, as well as very pleasing crystal water from its lakes, in presentation to the Lord." The best presentation offered by Govardhana Hill, however, was newly grown grass for the cows and calves. Govardhana Hill knew how to please the Lord by pleasing His most beloved associates, the cows and the cowherd boys."

Another gopi said that everything appeared wonderful when Krsna and Balarama travelled in the forest of Vrndavana playing Their flutes and making intimate friendship with all kinds of moving and nonmoving living creatures. When Krsna and Balarama played on Their transcendental flutes, the moving creatures become stunned and stopped their activities, and the nonmoving living creatures, like trees and plants, begin to shiver with ecstasy.

Krsna and Balarama carried binding ropes on Their shoulders and in Their hands, just like ordinary cowherd boys. While milking the cows, the boys bound the hind legs with a small rope. This rope almost always hung from the shoulders of the boys, and it was not absent on the shoulders of Krsna and Balarama. In spite of Their being the Supreme Personality of Godhead, They played exactly like cowherd boys, and therefore everything became wonderful and attractive.

While Krsna was engaged in tending the cows in the forest of Vrndavana or on Govardhana Hill, the gopis in the village were always absorbed in thinking of Him and discussing His different pastimes. This is the perfect example of Krsna consciousness: to somehow or other remain always engrossed in thoughts of Krsna. The vivid example is always present in the behavior of the gopis; therefore Lord Caitanya declared that no one can worship the Supreme Lord by any method which is better than the method of the gopis. The gopis were not born in very high brahmana or ksatriya families; they were born in the families of vaisyas, and not in big mercantile communities but in the families of cowherd men. They were not very well educated, although they heard all sorts of knowledge from the brahmanas, the authorities of Vedic knowledge. The gopis' only purpose was to remain always absorbed in thoughts of Krsna.

Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purport of the Twenty-first Chapter of Krsna, "The Gopis Attracted by the Flute."

 

Chapter 6. Sankhya-yoga

TEXT 11-12
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sucau dese pratisthapya
sthiram asanam atmanah
naty-ucchritam nati-nicam
cailajina-kusottaram
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tatraikagram manah krtva
yata-cittendriya-kriyah
upavisyasane yunjyad
yogam atma-visuddhaye
​

SYNONYMS
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sucau--in a sanctified; dese--in the land; pratisthapya--placing; sthiram--firm; asanam--seat; atmanah--self-dependent; na--not; ati--too; ucchritam--high; na--nor; ati--too; nicam--low; caila-ajina--soft cloth and deerskin; kusottaram--kusa grass; tatra--thereupon; eka-agram--one attention; manah--mind; krtva--doing so; yata-citta--controlling the mind; indriya--senses; kriyah--activities; upavisya--sitting on; asane--on the seat; yunjyat--execute; yogam--yoga practice; atma--heart; visuddhaye--for clarifying.

TRANSLATION
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To practice yoga, one should go to a secluded place and should lay kusa-grass on the ground and then cover it with a deerskin and a soft cloth. The seat should neither be too high nor too low and should be situated in a sacred place. The yogi should then sit on it very firmly and should practice yoga by controlling the mind and the senses, purifying the heart and fixing the mind on one point.

PURPORT
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"Sacred place" refers to places of pilgrimage. In India the yogis, the transcendentalists or the devotees all leave home and reside in sacred places such as Prayaga, Mathura, Vrndavana, Hrsikesa and Hardwar and in solitude practice yoga where the sacred rivers like the Yamuna and the Ganges flow. But often this is not possible, especially for Westerners. The so-called yoga societies in big cities may be successful in earning material benefit, but they are not at all suitable for the actual practice of yoga. One who is not self-controlled and whose mind is not undisturbed cannot practice meditation. Therefore, in the Brhan-naradiya Purana it is said that in the Kali-yuga (the present yuga or age) when people in general are short-lived, slow in spiritual realization and always disturbed by various anxieties, the best means of spiritual realization is chanting the holy name of the Lord.


harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha


"In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy the only means of deliverance is chanting the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way."

 

Chapter 6. Sankhya-yoga

TEXT 13-14


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samam kaya-siro-grivam ​

dharayann acalam sthirah
sampreksya nasikagram svam
disas canavalokayan

prasantatma vigata-bhir ​

brahmacari-vrate sthitah
manah samyamya mac-citto
yukta asita mat-parah

SYNONYMS ​

samam--straight; kaya-sirah--body and head; grivam--neck; dharayan--holding; acalam--unmoved; sthirah--still; sampreksya--looking; nasika--nose; agram--tip; svam--own; disah--all sides; ca--also; anavalokayan--not seeing; prasanta--unagitated; atma--mind; vigata-bhih--devoid of fear; brahmacari-vrate--in the vow of celibacy; sthitah--situated; manah--mind; samyamya--completely subduing; mat--upon Me (Krsna); cittah--concentrated; yuktah--the actual yogi; asita--being so; mat--unto Me; parah--the ultimate goal.

TRANSLATION


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One should hold one's body, neck and head erect in a straight line and stare steadily at the tip of the nose. Thus, with an unagitated, subdued mind, devoid of fear, completely free from sex life, one should meditate upon Me within the heart and make Me the ultimate goal of life.

PURPORT


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The goal of life is to know Krsna, who is situated within the heart of every living being as Paramatma, the four-handed Visnu form. The yoga process is practiced in order to discover and see this localized form of Visnu, and not for any other purpose. The localized visnu-murti is the plenary representation of Krsna dwelling within one's heart. One who has no program to realize this visnu-murti is uselessly engaged in mock-yoga practice and is certainly wasting his time. Krsna is the ultimate goal of life, and the visnu-murti situated in one's heart is the object of yoga practice. To realize this visnu-murti within the heart, one has to observe complete abstinence from sex life; therefore one has to leave home and live alone in a secluded place, remaining seated as mentioned above. One cannot enjoy sex life daily at home or elsewhere and attend a so-called yoga class and thus become a yogi. One has to practice controlling the mind and avoiding all kinds of sense gratification, of which sex life is the chief. In the rules of celibacy written by the great sage Yajnavalkya it is said:


karmana manasa vaca sarvavasthasu sarvada
sarvatra maithuna-tyago brahmacaryam pracaksate


"The vow of brahmacarya is meant to help one completely abstain from sex indulgence in work, words and mind--at all times, under all circumstances, and in all places." No one can perform correct yoga practice through sex indulgence. Brahmacarya is taught, therefore, from childhood when one has no knowledge of sex life. Children at the age of five are sent to the guru-kula, or the place of the spiritual master, and the master trains the young boys in the strict discipline of becoming brahmacaris. Without such practice, no one can make advancement in any yoga, whether it be dhyana, jnana or bhakti. One who, however, follows the rules and regulations of married life, having sexual relationship only with his wife (and that also under regulation), is also called brahmacari. Such a restrained householder brahmacari may be accepted in the bhakti school, but the jnana and dhyana schools do not admit even householder brahmacaris. They require complete abstinence without compromise. In the bhakti school, a householder brahmacari is allowed controlled sex life because the cult of bhakti-yoga is so powerful that one automatically loses sexual attraction, being engaged in the superior service of the Lord. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said:


visaya vinivartante niraharasya dehinah
rasa-varjam raso 'py asya param drstva nivartate
Whereas others are forced to restrain themselves from sense gratification, a devotee of the Lord automatically refrains because of superior taste. Other than the devotee, no one has any information of that superior taste.
Vigata-bhih. One cannot be fearless unless one is fully in Krsna consciousness. A conditioned soul is fearful due to his perverted memory, his forgetfulness of his eternal relationship with Krsna. The Bhagavatam says, bhayam dvitiyabhinivesatah syad isad apetasya viparyayo 'smrtih: Krsna consciousness is the only basis for fearlessness. Therefore, perfect practice is possible for a person who is Krsna conscious. And since the ultimate goal of yoga practice is to see the Lord within, a Krsna conscious person is already the best of all yogis. The principles of the yoga system mentioned herein are different from those of the popular so-called yoga societies.

 

Thank you for posting that...I have to be careful when placing my eyes that way...I just remembered...when I was little I had surgury on my eye because it went in...so I have to be careful about doing that for long periods of time...but I'll do it if I can...

Thank you again...

 

Ooh...this song just came on...so I'm just going to post it...because I like it


"My Sweet Lord"- George Harrison

My sweet Lord
Hm, my Lord
Hm, my Lord

I really want to see you
Really want to be with you
Really want to see you Lord
But it takes so long, my Lord

My sweet Lord
Hm, my Lord
Hm, my Lord

I really want to know you
Really want to go with you
Really want to show you Lord
That it won't take long, my Lord (hallelujah)

My sweet Lord (hallelujah)
Hm, my Lord (hallelujah)
My sweet Lord (hallelujah)

I really want to see you
Really want to see you
Really want to see you, Lord
Really want to see you, Lord
But it takes so long, my Lord (hallelujah)

My sweet Lord (hallelujah)
Hm, my Lord (hallelujah)
My, my, my Lord (hallelujah)

I really want to know you (hallelujah)
Really want to go with you (hallelujah)
Really want to show you Lord (aaah)
That it won't take long, my Lord (hallelujah)

Hmm (hallelujah)
My sweet Lord (hallelujah)
My, my, Lord (hallelujah)

Hm, my Lord (Hare Krishna)
My, my, my Lord (Hare Krishna)
Oh hm, my sweet Lord (Krishna, Krishna)
Oh-uuh-uh (Hare Hare)

Now, I really want to see you (Hare Rama)
Really want to be with you (Hare Rama)
Really want to see you Lord (aaah)
But it takes so long, my Lord (hallelujah)

Hm, my Lord (hallelujah)
My, my, my Lord (Hare Krishna)
My sweet Lord (Hare Krishna)
My sweet Lord (Krishna Krishna)
My Lord (Hare Hare)
Hm, hm (Guru Brahma)
Hm, hm (Guru Vishnu)
Hm, hm (Guru Devo)
Hm, hm (Maheshwara)
My sweet Lord (Guru Sakshaat)
My sweet Lord (Parabrahma)
My, my, my Lord (Tasmayi Shree)
My, my, my, my Lord (Guruve Namah)
My Sweet Lord (Hare Rama)

Felt like sharing Haribol!

 

Dear SvgGrdnBeauty,


Dear sweet and beautiful soul, many many thanks for this beautiful song by G.H.
I was in another world while reading your post and was almost in tears.

I had just finished reading your post when the calling-bell rang. It was Swami Amritananda Maharaj(Present Acharya of My Guruji's Ashram), just back from Kailash and Manas Sarovar. I left the computer room and went to see Him in the lobby. After I finished my pranam and looked at Him, I found Him staring at me without a break. Then He just said, "I see that you are in bliss. Seeing you like this I feel so happy." My eyes got filled up, all hair started rising with the goose pimples. He repeated the same thing during His brief stay for about 45 minutes.

Thank you my dear 'Little Mother'. I can not write much now, I am still under the spell of the song. I love you, I adore you. I can see Krishna in every pore of your being. You are the blessed and the chosen one. Just keep doing the same practice of remaining absorbed in Him.

He is all yours. He is all yours. He is all yours. It is not theatrical, it is the fact. You wanted to take baby Krishna home, certainly you have already got Him in your heart, your most beautiful home.

With love and prayers.........Kumar.

 

cool! gdkumar. have you ever heard the song? to hear it is even better. George was a great guy and his love to Krishna was admirable.

 

"cool! gdkumar. have you ever heard the song? to hear it is even better. George was a great guy and his love to Krishna was admirable."

Dear SleepingJiva,

Dear brother, no, I have not heard the song. I believe so, it must be even better.

I always felt that George Harrison was no less than a great Yogi. Without sincere love no body can write or sing anything like that. I am thankful to all of you to let me know about this great devotee.

With love........Kumar.

 

Indeed your beautiful words have made me smile...I didn't think I could be anymore happy...but I guess I was wrong. Thank you so much. I love you too! Indeed I do...for you are my teacher...because through you I have learned and am still learning so much...and for that I want to thank you for sharing your love of Him that is a shining example of how we all should love Him...unconditionally...

Indeed continue to enjoy your day and you are, as always, in my prayers...

Haribol!

Peace and Love- Nicole

 

Mt. Kailash, Tibet



Mt. Kailash, Tibet (Order this Print) ​

​

A great mass of black rock soaring to over 22,000 feet, Mt. Kailash has the unique distinction of being the world’s most venerated holy place at the same time that it is the least visited. The supremely sacred site of four religions and billions of people, Kailash is seen by no more than a few thousand pilgrims each year. This curious fact is explained by the mountain’s remote location in far western Tibet. No planes, trains or buses journey anywhere near the region and even with rugged over-land vehicles the journey still requires weeks of difficult, often dangerous travel. The weather, always cold, can be unexpectedly treacherous and pilgrims must carry all the supplies they will need for the entire journey.

How long have people been coming to this sacred mountain? The answers are lost in antiquity, before the dawn of Hinduism, Jainism or Buddhism. The cosmologies and origin myths of each of these religions speak of Kailash as the mythical Mt. Meru, the Axis Mundi, the center and birth place of the entire world. The mountain was already legendary before the great Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, were written. Indeed, Kailash is so deeply embedded in the myths of ancient Asia that it was perhaps a sacred place of another era, another civilization, now long gone and forgotten.

Hindus believe Mt.Kailash to be the abode of Lord Shiva. Like many of the Hindu gods, Shiva is a character of apparent contradictions. He at once the Lord of Yoga and therefore the ultimate renunciate ascetic, yet he is also the divine master of Tantra, the esoteric science that regards sexual union as the most perfect path to spiritual enlightenment. According to legend, immortal Shiva lives atop Kailash where he spends his time practicing yogic austerities, making joyous love with his divine consort, Parvati, and smoking ganja, the sacred herb known in the west as marijuana, Hindus do not interpret Shiva's behaviors as contradictory however, but rather see in him a deity who has wisely integrated the extremes of human nature and thus transcended attachment to any particular, and limited, way of being. For a Hindu, to make the arduous pilgrimage to Kailash and have the darshan (divine view) of Shiva's abode is to attain release from the clutches of ignorance and delusion.

Kailash is sacred to other religions as well. The Jains call the mountain Astapada and believe it to be the place where Rishaba, the first of the twenty-four Tirthankaras attained liberation. Followers of Bon, Tibet's pre-Buddhist, shamanistic religion, call the mountain Tise and believe it to be the seat of the Sky Goddess Sipaimen. Additionally, Bon myths regard Tise as the sight of a legendary 12th century battle of sorcery between the Buddhist sage Milarepa and the Bon shaman Naro Bon-chung. Milarepa's defeat of the shaman displaced Bon as the primary religion of Tibet, firmly establishing Buddhism in its place. While the Buddha is believed to have magically visited Kailash in the 5th century BC, the religion of Buddhism only entered Tibet, via Nepal and India, in the 7th century AD. Tibetan Buddhists call the mountain Kang Rimpoche, the 'Precious One of Glacial Snow', and regard it as the dwelling place of Demchog (also known as Chakrasamvara) and his consort, Dorje Phagmo. Three hills rising near Kang Rimpoche are believed to be the homes of the the Bodhisatvas Manjushri, Vajrapani, and Avalokiteshvara.

Pilgrims to Kailash, after the difficult journey getting there, are then confronted with the equally arduous task of circumambulating the sacred peak. This walking around the mountain (clockwise for the Buddhists, counter-clockwise for Bon adherents) is known as a Kora, or Parikrama, and normally takes three days. In hopes of gaining extra merit or psychic powers however, some pilgrims will vary the tempo of their movement. A hardy few, practicing a secret breathing technique known as Lung-gom, will power themselves around the mountain in only one day. Others will take two to three weeks for the Kora by making full body prostrations the entire way. It is believed that a pilgrim who completes 108 journeys around the mountain is assured enlightenment. Most pilgrims to Kailash will also take a short plunge in the nearby, highly sacred (and very cold) Lake Manosaravar. The word 'manas' means mind or consciousness; the name Manosaravar means Lake of Consciousness and Enlightenment. Adjacent to Manosaravar is Rakas Tal or Rakshas, the Lake of Demons. Pilgrimage to this great sacred mountain and these two magical lakes is a life changing experience and an opportunity to view some of the most magical scenery on the entire planet.

Additional notes on Tibetan pilgrimage:

For Tibetans, pilgrimage refers to the journey from ignorance to enlightenment, from self-centeredness and materialistic preoccupations to a deep sense of the relativity and interconnectedness of all life. The Tibetan word for pilgrimage, neykhor, means “to circle around a sacred place,” for the goal of pilgrimage is less to reach a particular destination than to transcend through inspired travel the attachments and habits of inattention that restrict awareness of a larger reality........By traveling to sacred sites, Tibetans are brought into living contact with the icons and energies of Tantric Buddhism. The neys, or sacred sites themselves, through their geological features and the narratives of transformation attached to them, continually remind pilgrims of the liberating power of the Tantric Buddhist tradition.......Over time pilgrimage guidebooks were written, giving instructions to pilgrims visiting the holy sites and accounts of their history and significance. These guidebooks, neyigs, empowered Tibet and its people with a sacred geography, a narrated vision of the world ordered and transformed through Buddhist magic and metaphysics.



Kelly, Thomas and Carroll Dunham and Ian Baker; Tibet: Reflections from the Wheel of Life; Abbeville Press; New York; 1993

Shiva meditating.

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International Trade & Travel Links
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Kailash Mansarovar Yatra

To the Hindus, the Himalayas are central to their cosmology. The peaks are the petals of the Golden Lotus which lord Vishnu created as a first step in the formation of the universe. On one of these peaks - Mount Kailash, sits Shiva in a state of perpetual meditation, generating the spiritaul force that sustains the cosmos.

The ancient text, Rigveda has a mention of the Himalayas, their formation and sacredness. The most sacred peak in the Himalayan range, Mount Kailash, is said to have been formed 30 million years ago during the early stages of the formation of the Himalayan chain.
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According to the Jains, at the dawn of history their first law giver, Rishabhdev attained Nirvana on Mount Kailash.
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Mount Kailash is situated in Tibet where it is given the dignified title of 'Kang Rampoche' meaning 'Precious Jewel'. Near Mount Kailash, during the geological shift in the initial statges of the formation of the Himalayan mountain chain four rivers arose from the area, flowing in four different directions : the Indus flowed north, the Karnali south, the Yarlung Tsangpo flowed east and Sutlej travelled west.
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People have been visiting Kailas - Mansarovar for centuries. Almost all the major passes of Uttarakhand lead to Kailas - Man
sarovar. Because of the Indo-chinese border dispute, Indians were not allowed to visit Kailas - Mansarovar for nearly two
decades. However, since 1981, under the auspices of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs and with the cooperation of
the Chinese Government, Kumaun Mandal Vikas Nigam has been conducting trips to Kailas-Mansarovar through the

Lipulekh pass. Even though only a limited number of people are allowed to visit Kailas - Mansarovar today, the very fact that the trips have been resumed raises hopes that, in the near future, more Indian pilgrims will be allowed
to visit Western Tibet, the region of sacred mountains and lakes. It is because of Kailas - Mansarovar, which is 865
Kilomet. from Delhi, that Kumaon is sometimes called 'Manaskhand'. Many of our myths are associated with
this unusual mountain and lake. The Buddhists, the Jains
and the Bonpas of Tibet too, consider this abode of Lord Shiva and Parvati and the lake born from the mind of Brahma to be a sacred place.

Therefore, it is not surprising that one often comes across
Om Mani Padme Hum (hail to the Jewel (of creation)
​

"There are no mountains like the
Himalaya, for in them are Kailas
and Mansarovar. As the dew is
dried up by the morning Sun, so
are the sins of mankind dried up
by the sight of the Himalaya."


-Skanda Puran
Mount Kailash​

in the lotus) written on stones (the Buddhists), people making anti-clockwise pilgrimage around Mt. Kailas (the Bonpas)
or a few ones specially visiting Astpaad near the southern face of Kailas, (the Jains) in the Kailas - Mansarovar region.


Rakastal & KailasOne has to walk 53 Km to go around the Mount Kailas ( 6675 m ), which is also known as the centre of the universe in the Hindu Puranas and the Buddhist texts , Astpaad in Jain texts and Yungdruk Gu Tseg ( nine storey Swastika Mountain) in Bonpa tradition. Its highest point is Polmapass at 19000 feet (4515 mtrs). South of Mount Kailas are Rakastal (4515 m), Mansarovar (4530 m), and further south the peaks of Gurla Mandhata (7683m). The circumference of Mansarovar is 90 Km, its depth is 90 m and total area is 320 Sq. Km.The lake freezes in the winters and melts only in spring. It looks unbelievably fascinating on moonlit nights. The circumference of Rakastal , also known as Ravan Hrid, is 22 Km from the corner of which originates the
Sutlej river. A 6 Km long channel -Gangachhu- connects Manas with Rakastal. From Tanakpur or Kathgodam one can
reach Kailas-Mansarovar via Dharchula - Tawaghat - Lipulekh Darma and Johar valleys.

​

Sunset on sacred Mansarovar​

However, at present one can go only through the route chosen by the two governments, and join the pilgrimage conducted
by the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (Indian Territory) and Tourist Co. of Ali (in Tibet), from June to September, after one
has completed all formalities.

Earlier Route :

Distance from Delhi 865 Km.​

Route from To Distance Accommodation
New Delhi Kausani 458 km T.R.H.
(by bus)
Kausani Dharchula 160 km T.R.H.
(by bus)
Dharchula Tawaghat 19 km
(by bus)
Tawaghat Pangu 6 km (on T.R.H.
(1128 m) foot)
Pangu Sirkha 10 km
(2250 m) (on foot)
Sirkha Gala 12 km T.R.H.
(2378 m) (on foot)
Gala Gipti 2 km Dak
(2440 m) Bunglow
Malpa 9 km
Malpa Bundhi 9 km T.R.H./P.W.D.
(2018 m) R.H.
Bundhi Gunji 17 km T.R.H.
(2740 m)
Gunji Kalapani 9 km T.R.H.
(3200 m)
Kalapani Navidhang
Navidhang Lipulekh Pass
(5334 m)
Purang Guest House
Purang Gurla Pass
(4910 m)
Rakshashtal
(4515 m)
Gurla Mountain
(7683 m)
Mt. Kailas
(6675 m)

​

Latest Route:

​

​

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Dear ChiefCowPie,


Thank you for the wonderful photographs and beautiful descriptions.

With love..........Kumar.

 

But it has nothing to do with Krishna. Take it to another thread, it doesn't belong here. We are simply discussing Krishna -nothing else. Sex enjoyment as a spiritual path? hahaha. yeah, right. well, ok I respect your freedom of choice, but it has nothing to do with Krishna. If you post it here, you're misleading people into thinking that it has to do with Krishna. Please, take your garbage and get out!

 

"One day a fruit vendor approached Nanda Maharaja's house, and Krishna gathered some food grains with His little palms and went to the vendor to exchange the grains for fruit. On the way, almost all the grains fell from His palms, only one or two grains remaining, but the fruit vendor, out of full affection, accepted these grains in exchange for as much fruit as Krishna could take. As soon as she did this, her basket became filled with gold and jewels." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.11)






"I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor, who is tending the cows, yielding all desires, in abodes built with spiritual gems and surrounded by millions of purpose trees. He is always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds of thousands of laksmis, or gopis." (Brahma-samhita 5.29)