The legend of the white snake. Altai legends about Altai lakes Chinese legend about a magical lake
Leifeng Pagoda was built in 977 (Northern Song time) by King Tian Hongchu in honor of the birth of his son. Under the pagoda there was a repository of Buddhist relics: a silver pagoda of Indian emperor Ayu, a figurine of Shakyamuni Buddha seated on a lotus, in turn standing on the head of a dragon, and a rare wood-carved sutra. Old photos of these relics are now displayed inside the pagoda, but it is not said where they went.
Photo 1 was taken from a boat on Lake Xihu (West Lake). Trees that look like naked Christmas trees near Moscow, eaten by a beetle, are not Christmas trees at all. This is a two-row swamp cypress or taxodium that sheds its needles in the winter. Found this out thanks to kmaal
1.
The beautiful and one of the most famous Chinese love legends, “The White Snake,” is closely associated with the Leifeng Pagoda.
Under the cut there are 16 photos and letters, letters...
There is an escalator attached to Leifeng Tower for those who are too lazy to walk up.
2.
An old photograph of Leifeng Tower shortly before the collapse. The fact is that during the late Ming, at the end of the 16th century, Hangzhou was attacked by Japanese pirates. The pirates burned the tower, only its brick skeleton remained, all the wooden parts of the pagoda were burned. After the fire, the tower was not restored, so it stood, burnt, for almost 500 years. Why? More on this below.
3.
During the late Qing, rumors spread that parts of the Leifeng Pagoda protected against evil spirits, promoted the birth of sons, and helped in the breeding of silkworms. Of course, people began to dismantle the pagoda for amulets and amulets.
In 1924 the tower collapsed. Photo 4 shows what remains of the ancient tower. A new Leifeng Tower was erected over its remains in 2002.
4.
Inside the tower there is an elevator that will take you to the 4th, 3rd, 2nd floor. View of Hangzhou from the 4th floor of Leifeng Tower - in photos 5 and 6.
In photo 5. The edge of the Western Lake. Photo 1 (before the kata) was taken from the part of the lake on the right in the photo. There they are, the Christmas trees. not fir trees, but swamp cypresses.
5.
The island on the lake (photo 6) is a wonderful place, called the Island of Three Ponds Reflecting the Moon. You can buy a ticket for a ship going to the island from different sides of the lake and then go from there in different directions on the ship. This pleasure costs 70 (or 75, I don’t remember exactly) yuan per person.
On the left in photo 6 - Su Dam, built by Su Dongpo, the poet and governor of Hangzhou in 1089. germ_babushka13sent a wonderful thing written by the poet Su Shi.
The rain over Xihu has stopped.
The autumn distance is clear.
Half a sixth in the fall
There is more water here.
......................
I'm heading back
Alone, without worries...
Let my frail boat
The wave is rocking!
Su Shi (Su Dongpo)
6.
Well, about why the Leifeng Tower was not restored, although it was not forgotten, it was a very famous, popular place. Emperors Kangxi (1654 - 1722) and Qianlong (1711 -1799) visited the tower several times and made inscriptions dedicated to it.
The tower was not restored because the very popular legend “White Snake” is associated with the tower and its destruction. The legend is depicted in carved pictures on one of the floors of the modern Leifeng Tower. I will use them for storytelling.
White and Blue snakes are sisters. They cultivated themselves for many years and became Celestials. But in Heaven they became bored and fled to earth to understand human life.
In photo 7. - Celestials watching the flight of the White snake to the ground. On the right in the photo, many will recognize the Eight Immortals. On the throne is Mother Lady of the West with a dragon staff in her hand and a curtain headdress, such as was worn by rulers in old China.
7.
The white snake, whose name in human form was Bai Suzhen, flies from Heaven to Earth, silly...
8.
On earth, Blue Snake, White Snake's sister, became a maid named Xiao Qing, she did not accumulate as much merit as her sister.
The girls settled in Hangzhou. While walking on the day of the Qingming holiday (All Souls' Day), near the Broken Bridge on Lake Xihu (another famous place in present-day Hangzhou), the girls met a young man Xu Xian, an assistant pharmacist. Xiao Qing, seeing that her sister liked the young man, used magic to make it rain. Xu Xian hid the girls under the canopy of his boat and borrowed an umbrella, taking the girls' address. Meeting at the Broken Bridge and an umbrella as an excuse to get acquainted is a popular theme in Chinese paintings.
9.
Soon, Bai Suzhen and Xu Xian got married, moved to Zhenjiang and opened their own pharmacy. Bai Suzhen became pregnant. The young people were happy, but then the Buddhist monk Fa Hai intervenes in the story. In a past life, he was a huge turtle in the palace in Heaven and stole three precious, magical objects from Buddha Zhulay: a cape, a staff in the form of a dragon and a golden cup. He settled in the Jinshan Monastery and sent a fever to the people so that they would bring more donations to the monastery. But the pharmacist Xu Xian and his wife Bai Suzhen successfully dealt with the fever and Fa Hai was angry.
Fa Hai told Xu Xian that his wife was an evil spirit, a werewolf. On the day of the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, among other things, it is customary to drink wine with realgar (arsenic monosulfide). Realgar is believed to protect against evil spirits. Xu Xian served this wine to his wife. Bai Suzhen, under the influence of realgar, took the form of a large white snake. The amazed Xu Xian fell dead (here he lies in photo 10).
10.
Bai Suzhen saved her husband by stealing a potion from Mount Kunlun for him and fighting the Celestials along the way.
Monk Fa Han lured Xu Xian to the monastery and locked him there, persuading him to become a Buddhist monk.
Bai Suzhen and Xiao Qing rush to help Xu Xian. They raise the inhabitants of the river, shrimp, crabs, and turtles (pictured 11) to fight Fa Han. But they could not cope with Fa Han, the owner of three magic items. Xu Xian became convinced that his wife was an evil spirit.
11.
The girls return to Hangzhou. Xu Xian escapes from the monastery and also comes to Hangzhou, where he again meets his wife and her sister at the Broken Bridge on Lake Xihu.
The blue snake (Xiao Qing) raises her sword in anger at her sister's husband for being so soft (pictured 12). But Bai Suzhen forgives her husband and they are happy together again. They have a son.
12.
Fa Hai comes to the young couple's house and separates them, imprisoning Bai Suzhen in Leifeng Tower. The blue snake goes to the mountains to improve himself in order to gain strength and free his sister. The scene of Bai Suzhen's farewell to Xu Xian against the backdrop of Leifeng Tower in photo 13.
13.
For eighteen years, Bai Suzhen was imprisoned in Leifeng Tower. But after these years, Xiao Qing, having gained strength, defeated Fa Hai (with the help of the Buddha Zhulay). The Leifeng Tower collapsed and the family of the female werewolf Bai Suzhen and the pharmacist Xu Xian were reunited. (pictured 14).
The collapsed tower gave freedom to Bai Suzhen, so when Japanese pirates burned the Leifeng Pagoda in the 16th century, it was not restored.
14.
Now the tower has been rebuilt.
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Yes, here is a photo (there is one) of Buddhist relics, ct. were kept at the base of Leifeng Tower.
Silver Pagoda of Indian Emperor Ayu.
16.
Statue of Buddha Shakyamuni seated on a lotus, in turn standing on the head of a dragon
17.
Lake Xihu near the city of Hangzhou was as beautiful many centuries ago as it is now. And then one day in the spring, on the equinox, at that wonderful time when the willows are gently green on the lake and the air is filled with the magical aroma of blossoming peach flowers, the celestial Lui Dongbin appeared by the lake. While admiring the scenery, he decided to have a little fun. He turned into an old Tantuan dumpling seller and began inviting customers.
One man bought tantuan for his little son. I ate that dumpling and then didn’t want to eat it anymore. Three days have passed. The father became worried and ran with his son in his arms to the Duanqiao Bridge to look for the merchant he met there. The old man seemed to be waiting there for him. His father asked him to return everything as it was. Lu Dongbing smiled, took the baby from his worried father and climbed onto the bridge. There he suddenly turned the baby upside down and shouted: “Get out!” And the dumpling, intact, as if three days had not passed, fell into the lake.
It was not an easy dumpling, but a pill of immortality. Knowing his true nature, the Magic Turtle and the White Snake, who lived here, immediately rushed after him. For five hundred years they mastered the art of longevity, and their strength was equal. The White Snake swallowed the pill of immortality, and her magical skill doubled.
18 years passed quickly.
The white snake wanted to find that boy who had already become a young man. She turned into a girl, as beautiful as a newly blossoming white lotus flower. And she decided to be called young lady Bai (white).
One day, Lady Bai passed by the Sudi Dam. He looks: some beggar old man is selling a small green snake there. And she cries bitterly. The young lady took pity on it, bought it and took it to the lake to release the snake to freedom. Suddenly a light green haze rose above the surface of the water and a very young girl in a green dress appeared in front of her. She called herself Xiao Qing. The girls decided to become sisters: Lady Bai - the eldest, Xiao Qing - the youngest.
One day the girls were walking near the Baidi Dam and the Duanqiao Bridge of Lake Xihu and suddenly saw a handsome young man. The guy sat on a large spreading willow and watched a colorful street performance. Lady Bai screamed with joy: she recognized in the young man the same boy from Tantuan whom she had dreamed of finding for so long. The girl decided to use witchcraft and cunning to force him to come down. And that's what I came up with! Suddenly, black clouds thickened, lightning split the sky, and terrible peals of thunder roared. Everyone ran away, and the guy climbed down from the tree. But to the girl’s chagrin, he did not stay near him, but hurried to the lake and called a boat, which immediately set sail. Then Bai and Xiao Qing from the shore began to shout, wave their arms, and beg to be taken too. The guy looked out of the cabin and saw two unfortunate girls on the shore of the lake, shivering from the cold and wet to the skin. The young man asked the boatman to return and take the girls. After many thanks, Xiao Qing asked the name of their kind savior. The young man told how, as a child, on the local Duanqiao Bridge, fate brought him together with a celestial being, and since then he was nicknamed Xu Xian (Celestial Xu). He does not have a wife, he lives with his older sister, along with her family. Their house is near the Qingbomen Gate. Xiao Qing laughed, clapped her hands and said, “This is fate! My sister is also alone, without a husband. It’s hard to live without support and support!” And she added: “You are simply made for each other.” At these words, the young man blushed deeply, and Bai lowered her head in embarrassment: They already understood this, because at first sight they fell in love with each other very much. The wedding did not take long to arrive. Xu Xian considered it inconvenient to stay with his sister’s family, and the couple moved to Zhenjiang, taking young Xiao Qing with them.
They opened the Baohetan Pharmacy in Zhenjiang. Young lady Bai compiled miraculous recipes, her husband prepared medicines. They did not take money from the poor. Soon people started talking about the pharmacy. Her fame grew. Everything seemed to be fine, but then trouble came knocking on the house.
On the day of the Beginning of Summer Festival, the younger sister began to persuade Bai to go to the mountains to wait out the dangerous afternoon time for them. But the White Snake relied on her thousand-year-old magical powers, and she did not want to bother her husband if they left together. Then Xiao Qing left alone. And Xu Xian suggested that his wife, who was pregnant, drink a special wine, which is beneficial for both the mother and the unborn child, and also drives out spirits. Oh, how the White Snake did not want to drink this wine. She was not a simple person, and this wine was not even good for her. But she didn't want to upset her husband. And after the wine, her body suddenly became very weak, her head began to spin, and she could barely make it to the bed. And when, after some time, Xu Xian approached the bed and threw back its curtains, he no longer found his wife there: a white snake curled up in a ring was fast asleep in the bed. Xu Xian screamed in fear and fell dead.
When Xiao Qing returned, she was greeted by nothing but dead silence in the house. She ran around the house in anxiety, saw Xu Xian’s body on the floor and next to him in the bed was the White Snake sleeping in her former form, and immediately understood everything. She had difficulty waking up her older sister. Bai was horrified to see her husband's lifeless body. “I don’t know of a single medicine here that can bring him back to life,” she said sadly. “I will fly to the Kunlun Mountains for the only thing that can save him - for the herb of immortality. You will stay here to keep an eye on everything." The White Snake sat on a cloud and flew to Mount Kunlun, the abode of the immortals. She easily found the red magic herb lingzhi. But as soon as she picked a blade of grass, a white crane, guarding the grass of immortality, attacked her. The Southern Bound Immortal appeared nearby. The girl, bursting into tears, began to beg him: “Reverend and noble old man! Let me take just this one blade of grass to resurrect my beloved.” The elder nodded his head and expressed his agreement, and Bai returned home unhindered, carrying the wonderful blade of lingzhi grass at her chest.
The magic herb brought life back to Xu Xian's body. And he, deciding that the girls knew nothing about the reason for his sudden fainting (and he thought that it was a simple short-lived fainting spell and nothing more), only three days later he told them about the snake he had seen and about the fright. The White Snake showed great surprise on her face: “And I didn’t even know what to think! Well, tell me, how can such a simple woman like me turn into a snake? It was just your imagination." And her younger sister Xiao Qing added: “You probably dreamed of Cang Long (green dragon) - and this is a very good addition to the family!” After some time, Xu Xian believed that he had really imagined everything, and the couple lived again in love and harmony, as if nothing had happened.
What happened to the Turtle?
After the White Snake, ahead of the Turtle, swallowed the Immortality Pill and became twice as strong as its centuries-old enemy, the Turtle retired to the Western Borders, harboring anger and a desire for revenge.
One day, taking advantage of the opportunity, she stole three of his jewels from the sleeping Tathagata Buddha: a Golden Cup, a cassock and a Buddhist staff. She turned into a monk, called herself Fa Hai and came to the Jinshansi Monastery and after some time became its abbot. People no longer liked visiting this temple. One day, angry that there were few candles burning in the temple, its abbot (Turtle) sent diseases to the city. The abbot hoped that all the people would run to the temple in fear and his fortune would increase. But it was not there! People knew where to find salvation. They ran to the pharmacy of Bai and her husband. Miracle pills immediately stopped all diseases! Putting on the clothes of a wandering monk, Fa Hai went to look at the famous Baohetan pharmacy, which sold such powerful medicines. His anger knew no bounds when he recognized the White Snake in the girl who wrote miraculous recipes! The old anger flared up with renewed vigor. After waiting for the pharmacy to close, and when Bai had already gone upstairs, the monk slipped inside and went straight to Xu Xian. “Ah, Benefactor, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month there will be a service at the Jinshansi Monastery. Come and pray to return to the path of truth.” Xu Xian gave the monk alms and promised to come.
On the appointed day, Xu Xian was at the temple. Fa Hai immediately saw him and began to whisper: “You don’t know who your wife is! She's a werewolf. You must become a monk." Xu Xian did not believe him and did not agree. Then Fa Hai forcibly locked him in the monastery.
The White Snake, together with Xiao Qing, waited for Xu Xian for a long time in vain and came to the monastery for him. But the abbot of the monastery did not even talk to them. Instead he hit with his staff. Magical knowledge told Bai that this was her main old enemy. She took the magic hairpin out of her hair - and instantly streams of water poured into the monastery. Then Fa Hai took off his cassock and threw it outside the gates of the monastery - a dam grew behind the gates and blocked the path of the water. The white snake realized that it had no weapon against Fa Hai. In addition, her first child was about to be born. Together with Xiang Qing, she returned to the lake and began to think about what to do next. How to take revenge on the treacherous Turtle?
Meanwhile, Xu Xian escaped from the monastery using cunning. Not finding his wife at home and realizing that she had been gone for a long time, he returned to Hangzhou. I walked sadly through the places where they walked together. One day, having climbed the Duanqiao Bridge (from which our story began), he burst into tears: “Where can I look for you now, my wife?”
Although the White Snake and Xiao Qing now lived at the bottom of the lake, that’s why they were sorceresses. Through the water, they heard Xu Xian's voice and hurried to appear before him. It’s probably not worth telling how happy everyone was. They went to Xu Xian's elder sister's house. Time passed quickly. The New Year is already over, and on the Yuanxiao holiday the White Snake gave birth to a healthy, strong baby. And for all the relatives, happiness knew no bounds.
When her son was one month old, according to Chinese custom, Bai had to show him to her family and friends. Xu Xian suddenly remembered that they had abandoned all of his wife’s jewelry in Zhenjiang. And then a merchant shouted on the street: “I’m selling the golden crown of the phoenix! Who wants a wonderful decoration? “It’s just in time,” thought the happy husband and rushed out into the street to the merchant. The White Snake really liked the crown, and she immediately tried it on. Who would have thought that this crown was not simple. Fa Hai turned the golden cup that had once been stolen from Buddha into it and turned into a merchant. Once you put this crown on, you can’t take it back: it pulls your head tighter and tighter. Bai felt terrible pain, everything swam and flashed before her eyes, and she fell unconscious on the floor. The husband rushed to his wife in despair, trying to help in some way. And then Fa Hai appeared in front of him: “Benefactor, I have come to free you from the werewolf.” He blew on the crown, and it again turned into a golden cup, and it shone with a dazzling brilliance that completely hid the White Snake. Xu Xian was about to rush at Fa Hai, but he heard the pleading voice of his Bai: “I beg you, my love, go away! Take care and raise our son. Xiao Qing, my sister! Leave quickly! You can’t defeat Fa Hai now, gain skill and avenge me when you can.” The voice became quieter, she became smaller and smaller until she turned into a white snake. Fa Hai put her in a golden bowl and disappeared. He built the Leifengta Pagoda on the top of Thunder Mountain next to the Monastery of "Purity and Mercy". In it he walled up a bowl with a White Snake.
Several years passed like this. During this time, Xiao Qing became a master of martial arts. When she realized that she was already able to avenge her named older sister White Snake, she began to look for Fa Hai. And when she found it, their battle lasted three days and three nights. Nobody could win. The sound of weapons reached the sky and interrupted Buddha's many years of sleep. He opened his eyes and saw his magical treasures - a robe and a staff that Fa Hai had once stolen. And returned them to their place. He destroyed the Leifent Pagoda and raised his golden cup to heaven. The White Snake barely managed to jump out of it and rushed to help her younger sister. Fa Hai, deprived of three magical things, realized that he could not win the battle on his own and flew to Heaven to beg Buddha Tathagata to save him. But Buddha did not even want to listen and angrily pushed the false monk, and he fell from heaven directly into Lake Xihu. The white snake took out its magic golden hairpin from its hair, it flashed - and the lake instantly dried up. There's nowhere for a werewolf to hide! Suddenly a huge crab appeared and pulled Monk Fa Hai into it. It became difficult for the crab to crawl as before, so from then on he began to crawl sideways, and then all the crabs began to do so. And when you eat a crab, opening its dorsal shell, you can see in it something similar to a shaven-headed monk. This is to remind people of the story of the White Snake.
When it grew to gigantic size, it extended its huge limbs and thereby destroyed the shell. The lighter parts of the egg floated to the top and formed the heavens, while the dense parts sank down to become the earth.
This is how earth and sky appeared - Yin and Yang.
Pangu was pleased with his deed. But he was afraid that heaven and earth would merge again, so he stood between them . His head holds up the sky and his feet are firmly planted on the ground. Pangu grew at a rate of three meters per day over an 18,000-year period, increasing the space between sky and earth until they were fixed at a safe distance from each other. Having completed your mission, Pangu died with a clear conscience, and his body was used to create the world and all its elements .
Wind and clouds were formed from his breath , his voice became thunder and lightning, his eyes shone with the sun and the moon, his arms and legs appeared in the four directions of the world, his teeth and bones glittered with precious stones, and his phallus rose like mountains. His flesh turned into soil and plants, his blood into rivers, and so on.
And even though Pangu died, many believe he is still in charge of the weather , which fluctuates according to his mood.
Legends of Chinese dragons
The dragon occupies a central place in the legends and myths of China. The first dragon appeared in the mythical era of Emperor Fu Hsi , and filled the hole in the sky made by the Kung Kung monster. Chinese legends say that his waking, sleeping and breathing determined day and night, season and weather.
There are five types of dragons in Chinese mythology:
- guarding gods and emperors;
- controlling wind and rain;
- earthly
- river and sea;
- guardians of hidden treasures.
The dragon is the highest spiritual force , the oldest in Eastern mythology and the most common motif in Chinese art. Dragons represent heavenly and earthly power, wisdom and strength. They live in water and bring wealth and good fortune, as well as rainfall for crops.
The dragon always participates in traditional Chinese New Year parades to ward off evil spirits who want to ruin the holiday.
Myths about Chinese Kung Fu
Shrouded in legends and kung fu of China. Kung Fu - martial art , the purpose of which is self-defense, health preservation and self-improvement. There are common themes in different styles that imitate the movements of animals, drawing inspiration from various Chinese philosophies, myths and legends.
In conclusion
The legends and myths of China, which were originally regional, spread through pictographic writing, overcoming language barriers. But even now in every province of the Celestial Empire, there are local beliefs, and very strange and amazing ones. The gods here are cheerful and playful and endowed with human weaknesses. China is a magical country, shrouded in countless legends and myths!
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There is no place in the world more beautiful than Lake Manasarovar! There is nothing to hide: only the first views of the lake appearing on the horizon make my heart beat faster every time, and powerful flows of energy and the sensation of touching something ancient, hidden and sacred excite the body and mind; It’s as if you are instantly tuning into the source of standard vibrations that bring you clarity, peace, harmony and happiness.
The striking and stunning beauty and life-giving sacred waters attract pilgrims before performing the Kora around Kailash. According to tradition, the pilgrim is supposed to first walk around the lake clockwise, then go through Kora, and then go to the Tirthapuri hot springs. In the previous two trips, we made Kora around Manasarovar in a jeep; this time it was planned to spend the night only a couple of times on the shores of the magical lake, certainly performing the ritual of bathing in the “living” water of the lake.
Returning in the afternoon from the Garuda Valley and Tirthapuri, our bus again made a stop opposite Kailash at my loud request. Still, from this angle you can take non-trivial shots, so that later at maximum magnification you can look for a long time at the ornaments and bas-reliefs of Kailash and its satellite mountains. On the edge separating the southern and western edges of Kailash, there is a mystical three-story Mount Tijung, which is also called Little Kailash. Huge stone blocks seem to have been placed on top of each other by currently unknown forces, and a vertical crack-gutter dividing the mountain into two halves allows us to draw analogies with an open book. It is also noteworthy that the snow cone or pyramidal cap of Tijunga never melts, even in the middle of summer. You can notice that a little higher up on Kailash there is almost no snow at all, but the roof of Tijung seems to be hiding something underneath from prying eyes.
That day the weather was very cloudy, and Kailash was constantly enveloped by rapidly moving clouds. On the southern side of the sacred mountain there are two sarcophagi or two towers, as they are sometimes also called - Mount Astapad and Nandi. Between them runs the secret trail of the Inner Crust, which was almost impossible to legally access in the year of the Water Horse. There was a Chinese military checkpoint on the road from the village of Darchen leading to the secret valleys. And for any step left or right from the path of the traditional Outer Cortex, of course, not execution was due, but such a violation of order would threaten the guide with deprivation of his license, and the agency with fines and being blacklisted.
On the left is the ridge of Astapada, the sacred mountain of adherents of the ancient Bon religion. Therefore, the Bon trail of the Inner Kora runs counterclockwise around Astapad to the 84 Mahasiddha plateau, where the cave of the Bon priest Naro Bonchung, who fought with the yogi Milarepa for the right to Kailash, is located. To walk the Inner Kora according to the Buddhist tradition, you first need to climb into the man-made Santorisha niche with 13 chortens on the southern face of Kailash. A strip of chortens can be clearly distinguished in this frame, to the right of a vertical crack and scratches/chips that differ in color from the rock of the mountain’s body. Then you have to overcome the Serdung Chuksum La pass with a height of 5834 meters - a jumper connecting Kailash with the Nandi tower. Nandi is the name of Shiva's bull. Some studies say that there is a system of tunnels between Kailash and the towers, and there are vast voids inside all three mountains. According to legends, representatives of previous civilizations and Teachers of humanity sit inside in a state of deep meditation, samadhi. And throwing away all skepticism, tell me: can nature, the magician, create such regular geometric shapes? Of course, calculations have already been made on how erosion, a glacier and other natural phenomena could have formed the Kailash mandala, but it is not at all possible to believe in them. And the pyramid on the roof of Nandi? Who built these huge megalithic structures? Let's speculate when we go to Koru and see many other mysteries. And now it’s time to jump on the bus again and rush to the shores of the magical Lake Manasarovar.
Every time we stay in a guesthouse on the shore, run by a hospitable married couple. In the very cozy and warm kitchen it is pleasant to spend evenings with a mug of tea and conversation. The old map, which all the guests always looked at for a long time, was forced by the Chinese to be removed and replaced with a new one, where Tibet is already listed as part of China. But while it is not yet completely dark, there is time to walk along the shore and enjoy the beauty of the lake.
In Tibetan the lake is called Mapamyum Tso, which means "victorious". But in the West, the name Manasarovar, formed from two Sanskrit words - “manas” (consciousness) and “sarovara” (lake) has taken root. According to Hindu legend, the lake was born in the mind of the god Brahma. The Indian poet Kalidasa wrote in the 3rd century AD: “When the earth of Manasarovar touches the body, when someone bathes in it, he will go to the paradise of Brahma. Whoever drinks its waters will go to the paradise of Shiva and will be freed from the consequences of his 100 sins lives. Even the beast that bears the name of Manasarovar will go to the paradise of Brahma. Its waters are pearls." The living waters of the lake are also sacred for Buddhists - according to legend, Queen Maya conceived Buddha Shakyamuni on the banks of Manasarovar. For Hindus, Kailash is the abode of the god Shiva, his favorite place of meditation, a symbol of male passive and unmanifested energy, while the lake is a symbol of active, manifested female energy, which is associated with his wife Parvati. Tibetans have similar beliefs: for them, Kailash is the home of the god Demchog, the wrathful manifestation of Buddha Shakyamuni, and Manasarovar is the habitat of his friend, the goddess Dorje Phagmo. Together they symbolize wisdom and compassion.
Of course, as soon as it got dark and the sky lit up with myriads of stars, I went to film. Clouds were still floating across the sky, and I didn’t want to go far from the guesthouse. Firstly, there was a Chinese military garrison nearby; secondly, I have read and heard stories more than once about how stray dogs tried to surround a traveler who had lagged behind his comrades. This year, by the way, dogs were almost not heard or seen, even at the beginning of Kora and at Darchen. Apparently the Chinese shot them down.
So including anything other than the sky and the Milky Way in the frame was extremely problematic. All that was left was to raise your head and smile, contemplating the stars while the camera did its job.
During each evening of shooting, I watched and sometimes caught dozens of shooting stars in the frame.
The next morning we easily woke up early and managed to catch the sun rising from behind the far shore. Gradually, it tinted the clouds in warm colors, and then shone with a bright flash, warming the waters of the lake that had cooled overnight.
An amazingly beautiful picture, a complete delight for the eyes. And we can keep silent about internal sensations, especially since everyone has their own, unique ones.
"Living" water from Manasarovar has healing properties. I have never drunk better water in my life. Every time, like many pilgrims, I take with me several bottles of live water, so that later, when my health fails, I can take a sip or two and soon feel relief and a surge of strength. I drank the water I collected in 2010 a long time ago. I didn’t sign the bottles, but it seems that I still have the water I filled in 2011. There is definitely one recruited in 2012. After several years, the water has not lost a drop of its taste, has not become cloudy, and no sediment has formed.
Next door there is a lake with dead water - the lake of demons Rakshas Tal. We went to him and performed ablutions in him only in 2010. But on Rakshas Tal there is always a storm, waves rush onto the shore, while on Manasarovar, even with a very strong wind, there are only light ripples. And there are only 5 kilometers between the lakes, and they are connected by a narrow channel. No one lives in Rakshas Tal, but Manasarovar, on the contrary, is rich in fish, and its banks are full of different birds.
And if there are hypotheses about the artificial origin of Kailash and the surrounding mountains, then there are also various legends about the lakes. Manasarovar was formed around 300 BC, and Rakshas Tal - around 650 BC. Artificial reservoirs were created, according to legend, by Big Men (Titans) 20,000 BC. and into a new era. They were created for the most part for peoples who went to live underground, where they then went themselves. It is believed that the depth of Manasarovar is 82 meters. But some studies report that the lake has no bottom. That is, in the center of the lake there is a well that goes deep into the Earth. Such wells are found in other places on our planet. You may have come across articles online about how some lake suddenly dried up, and then at its dried bottom you discovered a bottomless pit where the water had gone. I read one article about how regularly one of these lakes dries up and then floods again. So, a buoy was lowered into the waters of Manasarovar, which gradually moved away from the shore until it stopped close to the center of the lake and began to circle there. Therefore, at the bottom there is a well, near which a whirlpool naturally appeared.
The sun's rays hit their faces, lighting up smiles. And we can remember one more legend. One day, Shiva and his wife Parvati were meditating on the banks of Manasarovar. Being in a state of bliss, Shiva promised to fulfill any request of Parvati. Parvati asked to impart the knowledge of yoga to her. Shiva agreed, but on the condition that no one else could overhear the sacred knowledge that bestows transformation and liberation. The area was deserted, only the long-weathered skeleton of a fish lay on the shore of the lake. During the transfer of knowledge, Parvati became bored and fell asleep. Noticing this, Shiva became confused, as someone listened to him carefully from beginning to end and even asked questions. The power of yoga knowledge revived the little fish, and it listened to the teaching with great attention. Shiva transformed the fish (matsya) into the great yogi Matsyendranath (fish king). Matsyendranath and his followers are known as Natha yogis, they have magic over nature, beyond strength and live for hundreds of years.
My favorite monastery in Tibet is perched on the hilltop of Chiu, which translates to “little bird.” It was here that Guru Padmasambhava spent the last seven years of his life before ascending to heaven across the rainbow on his horse.
The monastery contains an unusually powerful little cave where Padmasambhava meditated. The energy there is so powerful that I practically have no control over my body. I had stronger sensations only when I climbed to the northern face of Kailash in 2012.
The monk will open a cave for you, you just need to know where it is, and will let you meditate for 10-15 minutes if there are no other pilgrims.
After Chiu, it is worth walking to the stupas on the neighboring hill towards Kailash, whose snow cap is clearly visible on the horizon on cloudless days.
It seems that the number of stones here is growing rapidly from year to year. And in the year of the Water Horse, when the vibrations of Kailash are considered to be especially strong, the flow of pilgrims was extremely large. Hence the closure of all internal valleys, and the crowds of military men near Kailash and on all approaches to it.
Some stones I remembered from previous pilgrimages, others I saw for the first time.
A special sacrament is to walk around stones and yak skulls, walk around stupas and chortens, and watch how prayer flags of five colors, symbolizing the five elements, flutter playfully in the wind.
Our guide June told us that in the east of the lake they collect water for ablution, and in the west they collect stones that are used to sharpen knives. On the southern shores of Manasarovar you can find five types of colored sand, which the monks use to build mandalas. The five colors also symbolize the five elements and the five dhyani buddhas. And in the north grow plants from which Tibetans make incense.
It is believed that before Kora it is good to perform a ritual of bathing in the sacred waters of Manasarovar, in order to burn away old karma, cleanse yourself and go to Kora renewed, interacting with the vibrations and energies of Kailash. Although June, on the contrary, said that one should perform ablutions after Cora, and she always does so.
The wind continued to blow mercilessly, but this did not stop anyone, and we set off along the shore away from the guesthouse behind the rock, where the bottom is more pleasant for entering the icy water. Walking on pebbles is much easier than when your feet sink into the silt and literally freeze with every step. And near the shore the lake is quite shallow, so you usually have to walk quite far up to your knees. You need to plunge headlong three times.
And so you walk along the stones, stepping carefully, trembling slightly from the cold water and knowing that soon you will have to dive into the miraculous magical waters. And at some point you stop, and the thoughts in your head stop behind you, and taking a deep breath and closing your eyes, you almost fall, giving yourself over to the lake. Intoxicated, you jump out screaming from the cold, and immediately a second time, followed by a third. And you feel that you are already different. Something has gone, your energy shell has changed. Everything bad, all the problems and troubles, everything has completely disappeared somewhere or you stop attaching the slightest importance to them. A unique moment of transformation, dividing the day, and perhaps your life, into before and after.
And without any haste, you walk to the shore, scoop up water with your palms and enjoy every sip. The height is about 4600 meters, there are fantastically beautiful landscapes all around, and you walk along the sacred waters absolutely naked, the way nature created you. And you are in harmony with nature, the whole world and yourself. And on the shore it’s no longer cold at all, you don’t want to dry yourself, the same frisky wind blows across your body. But you are already different, changed. Tuning in to the original vibrations, again catching the desired, seemingly lost frequency.
And now you can return to the guesthouse and leave for the foot of Kailash in the village of Darchen, so that the next morning you can set foot on the sacred Kora route. True, before this you definitely need to visit the friendly Yongjie in her restaurant, where there is even a menu in Russian, and give her the gifts you brought. I thought that during the two years of absence Yongjie had forgotten me. But then she smiled sweetly and suddenly asked: “Where is your friend?” Seryoga,
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