"There is no place more powerful for practice, more blessed, or more marvelous than this; may all pilgrims and practitioners be welcome!" Milarepa, Tibetan Buddhist yogi [circa 1052 - 1136] It is said that a single circumambulation around Mount Kailash can cleanse the sins of a lifetime.

Mount Kailash is a sacred mountain to Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Bons. On the other side of the earth, the Hopi Indians believe mount Kailash to be the opposite side of their Black Mesa; forming a cosmic link between the two places. When Buddhists walk the 32 mile circumambulation around the mountain it is referred to as a kora, when Hindus make the journey it is called a parikrama. The meaning of both words means pilgrimage. Hindus believe that Lord Shiva lives upon the mountain, called Meru or in earlier texts, Sumeru.

Mount Kailash is the highest point on the Tibetan Plateau. From the four rivers at its base; the Indus, the Brahmaputra, the Karnali, and the Sutleg, spiral out to the land below.

Eighteen miles southeast of Kailash is a circular, fresh water lake called Manasarovar. Bathing in this lake is considered to be a great spiritual benefit. We will travel to this lake. There are five monasteries that have been rebuilt along the shores of Lake Manasarovar. Nearby there is another lake in the shape of a crescent moon called Rakas. It is separated by a narrow peninsula and is saltine. Together, these lakes represent the solar and lunar aspects of the universe.