Virtual Yatra to Himalayas (Part 1)

[Guest guest]

font-weight:bold">Sai Ram Brothers and Sisters

font-weight:bold">

color:#6600CC;font-weight:bold">Today we have heard about another

nature’s calamity – an earthquake in the Himalayan plains.

It’s a sad story. But, let’s take this moment to think about

Himalayas. The “Himalaya”, is a spectacle of

awesome dimensions... ranges upon ranges, tiers of rock, sharp sky piercing

peaks and canyons, deep beyond measure.......how did this come about, whence

rose these citadels of ice...how did this three thousand kilometres long

mountain range come into existence?

color:#6600CC;font-weight:bold">

color:#6600CC;font-weight:bold">Let’s take a virtual yatra and explore

the “Himalayas”!!! This series

would follow in seven parts.

font-weight:bold">

font-weight:bold">Part 1 : Virtual Yatra to Himalayas

font-weight:bold">Part 2 : Manasarovar

color:#6600CC;font-weight:bold">

font-weight:bold">Part 3 : Mother Ganges

font-weight:bold">Part 4 : Geology of Ganges

font-weight:bold">Part 5 : Badrinath

Arial;color:#6600CC">

font-weight:bold">Part 6 : Sai Narayana and Badri Narayana

font-weight:bold">Part 7 : Inaccessibility to Himalayas

 

 

VIRTUAL YATRA

TO HIMALAYAS

font-weight:bold">

color:#333333;font-weight:bold">What is “Himalayas”?

color:#999999"> Is it merely a geographical

feature, a mountain range or the breath of spiritual culture?

color:red"> Mount Kailash

considered as the supremely scared site not only by Hindus but also by

Buddhists, Jains, Tibetians, followers of Bon, and by many more; Precious

Mother Gages - the river that fell from heaven into the matted locks of

Lord Shiva and then to Earth that is worshipped by many. Rishikesh, Devaprayag

and many more that were sanctified by the Tapas (penance) of Lord Rama and

great sages; Manasarover the place declared by Lord Shiva as the holiest;

Badrinath – residence of Lord Bardri Narayan and Goddess Luxmi who are

worshipped by humans for six months and by divine beings for another six months;

In a nutshell “Himalayas”

that

color:#333333">cuddle all these in its lap is identified by many religions as

the holiest place for a pilgrimage.

color:#6600FF">

color:#6600FF">

color:#333333">Hence, let’s take a virtual yatra (pilgrimage) to the

renowned Himalayas where our beloved Swami

walked in His present incarnation to sanctify the holy place further. Why He

selected Himalayas? Let’s hear it in

Swami’s own words!!!!!

font-weight:bold">

font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:green">“YOU are all waiting to hear

from Me about the journey to Badhri and what happened there. These people

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went to Badhri and

returned bhadram (safe)! That is the story in a nutshell. For danger lurked all

the time from fire, water, wind, sky and earth---all the five elements in fact.

Every moment these people felt the Lord's Grace; for about 150 persons, mostly

old and in indifferent health, to accomplish this yaathra (pilgrimage) without

a single moment of even headache was due to Swami. Swami also went to Badhri

because the Nethralingam which is the central source of Holiness there had to

be revived with spiritual efficacy. Shankaraachaarya brought five

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lingams from Kailaas

and installed one each at Dwaaraka, Sringeri, Badhri and Puri and the fifth he

placed at Chidambaram. Of these, the one at Badhri has the Naaraayana amsam

(orientation) and that had to be consecrated afresh. That was My task and these

people who came with Me saw Me doing it. I had to accomplish it this year

itself, for this is the 35th year after this Avathaar took birth and this is

also the year when the 35th successor to the Shankaraachaarya Peeta is at

Shringeri. This year is therefore important for charging the battery of

spiritual wealth, known as Badharikaashrama.”

font-style:italic">

font-weight:bold;font-style:italic">Discourse delivered at Prashaanthi Nilaya

on, 4-7-1961 (From the Sathya Sai Speaks, volume 02- Chapter 11)

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12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:purple;font-weight:bold">MOUNT

color:purple;font-weight:bold"> KAILASH

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Mount Kailash is considered

as the supremely sacred site by billions of people of many religions is a great

mass of black rock towering over 22,000 feet (6,740m) peak in the Himalayas and

is referred by the Tibetians as “Kangrimpoche” which means

“Jewel of Snow. 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. It is an arduous task to trek to Kailash through

the snow clad Himalayas and is attempted only

by a few. This curious fact is explained by the mountain's remote

location in far western Tibet.

No planes, trains or uses journey anywhere near the region. Even with

land vehicles the journey still is very demanding, takes weeks to reach and

often dangerous. The weather, always cold, can be unexpectedly treacherous which

make the journey more challenging.

Mount

color:blue"> Kailash

color:blue"> appears like a giant Shivalingam placed in a 16 petaled lotus. Hindus

believe Mount Kailash to be the abode of Lord

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color:blue">Shiva. According to legend, immortal Lord Shiva lives atop Kailash

where he spends his time practicing yogic austerities, making joyous love with

his divine consort, Parvati. The Jains call this mountain as 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. 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 this sacred mountain as

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.

 

To be

continued ……..

 

Sai Ram

 

Shivathmika

 

 

 

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