Visit to Manasa Sarovar and Mt.Kailash
A devotee's experience
By Agastya Seikritt
To undertake a Yatra to Mt.Kailash, is to undertake a Yatra to your own divine self. The happiness and grace that a pilgrim can experience on such a trip are beyond words. Yet I want to share a few of the highlights that I have undergone on my pilgrimage in June 1996 and June 1997.
When Sri Swamiji went to the Kailash Manasa Sarovar region in 1995 I was crying inside. My deep longing to visit this place together with Him had now become an impossible wish. I knew that I could not join Him on His trip and it would be his last visit in this Avatar. My sadness was intense but Sadguru's grace does not know limits. Shortly after Sri Swamiji's Kailash tour He came to Europe and blessed my family with a one week visit in the Czech Republic. Sri Swamiji gave a brilliant concert there and after appeared several times on the national T.V. His visit was like a dream. Sri Swamiji blessed many new souls and His unconditional love was received by many good people. During that period Sri Swamiji encouraged me to visit Mt.Kailash on my own.
During my conversation about the Yatra, Sri Swamiji ensured me that He would be with me during the whole tour. He even promised to give me darshan at Mt.Kailash. Hearing these words, I started trembling in a state of bliss. My old and deep longing to be with Sri Swamiji at the abode of Lord Shiva would come true. Before the departure, I visited Mysore Ashrama to again get inspiration and blessings of Poojya Sri Swamiji. At that time I was somewhat doubtful because I had foot injury and my general condition was somewhat weak. Sri Swamiji scattered the last doubts by blessing with a crystal. He instructed me to throw this crystal into Manasarovar lake. This was the last and final signal. How could I fail if Sadguru gave this hidden insurance to reach the Kailash region?
It is really hard to reach that place. I saw people returning to Khatmandu without having the Darshan of Mt.Kailash. Unless your Samkalpa is solid like a rock, you can never this holy region and undertake Parikrama (circumambulation). High altitude, scorching heat during the daytime and tremendous cold in the night are just a few obstacles on the way. Total lack of comfort and facilities had to be accepted as the daily routine. I was very fortunate. With the crystal in my pocket and my mind constantly focused on the Lord, this Yatra led to the most beautiful experience in my life. I had no arrangements for this Yatra, simply I booked a flight to Khatmandu, Nepal and looked for a chance. Within a few days I succeeded and God had sent me a companion. His name is Sunil and he is a great Bhakta from London. He is a very strong and tall Gujarati with a captivating personality.
The significance of Mt.Kailash as the navel of the earth and the abode of Lord Shiva is known to millions of Hindus. Even to other faiths like Buddhism, Jainism etc., the Kailash region is the centre of the universe. The greatest gift is to experience this very fact.
After travelling for 8 days from Khatmandu, we reached Manasarovar and had the first glimpse of Mt.Kailash. To be honest, I was very tired when we reached there. I could not enjoy that first Darshan. I was even somewhat disappointed. I did not feel anything. I spent the night in Darchen, the base camp for Parikrama. The presence of the Chinese made me nervous and tense. We had very dirty accommodation and a lot of noise during the whole night. Due to high altitude and poor facilities I could not find rest and peace that night. I got up totally exhausted the next morning. To think of Parikrama that day was out of question. There was no power in my body and I wanted to cancel the circumambulation. I was so sad at that moment. There was a big problem here. If I would not start the Parikrama that very day, the idea had to be cancelled totally. The time would not allow me to wait. Suddenly I started praying to my beloved Sadguru. Oh my Lord! If you want me to succeed on this Yatra, I need your grace. My legs are now your legs, my arms are your arms, my mind is your mind. Everything is you and there is nothing separate from you. Oh my Lord! I love you. These thoughts came to my mind effortlessly. What a great medicine this prayer was! Shortly after this I started the final section of the pilgrimage, namely the circumambulation of Mt.Kailash. After walking for about for an hour (I had to walk 56 kilometres in total at an altitude of 5600 meters), everything started to change. My weak physical condition started to disappear. The Lord had charged every cell of my being with new life. A soft and sweet energy started to enter me. I became stronger and stronger. Suddenly I felt I had the strength of an elephant. My whole body felt a tremendous expansion and I started to merge with everything around me. This intensity of energy and happiness I had never experienced before. I was so happy and started automatically to sing Poojya Sri Swamiji's bhajans - "Bhava bhava shankara" and "Shambho mahadeva". My companions started to sing along. Then I knew that this Yatra would change my life. One hour later Mt.Kailash showed himself in a fantastic panorama. I was overwhelmed; my body and mind could hardly bear that bliss. It became still stronger and suddenly I could clearly see my beloved Sadguru Poojya Sri Swamiji sitting on top of Mt.Kailash. He was sitting in Padmasana and was covered with a brown Kashmir blanket. He was showing the palm of His right hand. Out of his hand came a beam of golden light and pierced my heart. The joy which permeated me was indescribable.
At that moment I had totally forgotten Sri Swamiji's promise to give me darshan. I recognised our beloved Guru Datta in the form of Lord Shiva. The ultimate truth that the whole creation is the expression of His love had dawned upon me. I could see the oneness of the Divine reality even in the grains of dust. An eagle appeared in front of me and again I perceived the Lord in it. Actually I could experience that all objects which appeared in front of my eyes were nothing but divine cosmic expressions of the one God. My life was blessed. Even now, when I think of that experience I shudder with joy.
While performing Parikrama, now and then the mountain showed a different face. At every view a different kind of happiness occurred in me. We spent one night I a tent very close to the mountain that I did not dare to stretch my legs towards the mountain. The respect I felt did not allow me to do so. That night I could not sleep. I got visions of great siddhas who I supposed live in this area. It was exciting and very real. In the morning the temperature must have been below zero degree centigrade. It was terribly cold, yet I wanted to take bath in a white gushing stream of water which came from the glaciers of the Mt.Kailash. Without a second thought I took a full bath and I was not bothered by the biting cold of the water stream. To me it was a stream of nectar which purified me at the bottom of my soul. After that I sat in meditation for some time. It was just before sunrise. After meditation I started praying to Lord Shiva. I requested Him to give me darshan. After some time I heard an inner voice which asked me "Agastya, do you really want darshan?" "Yes" I replied and asked "please show your true form". Then something strange happened. There was no picture or any form before me and a voice told me that the real darshan is formless! It is the infusion of pure knowledge. It is to understand what is real and what is unreal. We have to know what is true and what is untrue. I was blessed with this understanding. I was totally satisfied with this kind of darshan.
I kept on praying and at this holiest of all places, I surrendered myself totally to the Sadguru. Suddenly I got a vision of my life. It was like being a witness to myself. I started to understand all difficulties I had faced so far in my life. Then I stared to laugh about me. How foolish I could act! All problems have their source in ignorance. Ignorance is removed by the grace of Sadguru. He is the eternal light who dispels darkness. One who understands this principle is the richest person on earth. There is nothing higher than the grace of the Lord. Is there anything more desirable than having association with God in human form? Our Datta family is really blessed.
The rest of the Yatra went on with this high spirit and all the difficulties of the journey were nothing compared to the revelations I had. I crossed the Drolma La pass, the highest point (5800 metres) in the Parikrama This place is inhabited by a goddess called Tara. She is the goddess of death, it is said. If one passes through this place, it is as though one is reborn. I experience the same feeling when I crossed it. Just beyond this pass is the frozen lake - Gouri Kund. One has to cross big boulders and a rough terrain to reach there. I sprinkled some water of that lake on my head and collected some water to be offered to Sri Swamiji.
After the Parikrama, I had many dips in the holy Manasarovar. I chanted Datta Stava many times and rejoiced the presence of Sri Swamiji in his astral form.
After this wonderful experience, I returned to Khatmandu, already planning for another visit to Mt.Kailash the following year.
In June 1997, with the blessings of the Almighty and Sri Swamiji, I guided an international group of 12 devotees to the Kailash region. This time, the tour, including the Parikrama lasted 28 days. On full moon day, we camped at the northern face of the mountain, performed Homa and sang Sri Swamiji's bhajans. What a wonderful experience!
On this tour, we had dedicated staff and porters, professional equipment and great weather conditions. There were no significant obstacles. By the grace of Poojya Sri Swamiji, all went well.
(The author has, in the past three years, conducted several tours to the Himalayas, including Badrinath, Kedarnath and other holy places. Inspired by the spiritual atmosphere of the Himalayas, he plans to establish a spiritual retreat centre in the five acre land he has recently purchased. He plans to conduct a tour to Mt.Kailash and Manasarovar again in June 1998, after the birthday celebrations of Poojya Sri Swamiji.)
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