2016 Ubiquity Kailash Kora Day by Day Itinerary Kailash from Silung

2016 Ubiquity Kailash Kora
Day by Day Itinerary
Kailash from Silung Gompa
Day 1
Friday, 5 August:
Arrive Kathmandu
You will be met at Kathmandu airport on arrival and brought to our hotel
close to Bodhanath stupa, the most sacred Tibetan buddhist site outside of Tibet and where many Tibetans have made their home in exile. The stupa is a
veritable powerhouse of blessings and we will be irradiated by its grace.
As many of you will have travelled a long way to get to Nepal we will use to day as an arrival day for you to relax and recover from your journey, saving
the formal gathering for the following day. If however you are feeling fit we
will have guides on hand to introduce you to Bodhanath so you can have a
gentle exploration.
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Day 2
Saturday, 6 August:
Kathmandu Temples & Sightseeing
Despite Nepal with it ’s location on the Southern slopes of the Himalayas and
the meeting point and cultural synthesis for the Tibetan plateau and the In dian subcontinent, Nepal and it ’s capital Kathmandu are much more akin in
appearance and culture to India, with approximately 82% of the country
’s
population identifying themselves as Hindu and around 9% as Buddhist. This
is evident through the architecture and the proliferation of colour from Nepali
women's clothing to the spices festooning market stalls. It is with Kathmandu’s
ancient Indic roots in mind, that we dedicate our first day to introducing our selves and honouring these ancestors sacred places.
After a gentle day ’s touring we will return to our hotel with time to relax be fore a 5pm orientation meeting followed by a traditional Nepali dinner with
live traditional Nepali music.
Buddha eyes, atop Swayambhanath stupa
Day 3
Sunday, 7 August:
Tibetan Buddhism
Today we immerse ourselves in the culture of the high Tibetan plateau and
the great tradition of Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana Buddhism). First thing, fol lowing breakfast, we will visit the ancient stupa of Swayambhunath, the mon -
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key temple. The mound that the stupa now finds itself on rose spontaneously
from what was an enormous lake filling the Kathmandu Valley. The stupa and
small temple now sit atop the mound, with incredible views across Kath
mandu. From the Monkey Temple we will go for an audience with a Lama and
special blessing ceremony for a safe and auspicious journey to Tibet. And in
the afternoon we will gather with the throng of Tibetans circumambulating
the great Bodhanath Stupa, making prayers as we walk for loved ones at
home and the benefit of all sentient beings. Bodhanath Stupa is the largest
single stupa in the world and despite being a little younger than Swayamb
hanath it is the most revered site for Tibetan Buddhist in Nepal. It is consid ered the cause for Buddha ’s coming to Tibet; as fable has it on completion,
the four builders prayed for the dharma to flourish in the North and were re born as the great Tibetan Dharma King Tritsong Detsen; Shantarakshita, the
first Buddhist teacher to come to Tibet; and the third Padmasambhava, who
would become the great Guru of Tibet and founder of the Vajrayana tradition.
After a day full of sacredness we will return to our hotel for an early night in
preparation for our flight up onto the Tibetan plateau.
Day 4
Monday, 8 August:
Fly to Lhasa, Tibet
We rise early for our flight, which on a clear day will afford us inspiring and
dramatic views of the high Himalayas and a view of Everest ’s peak. The flight
is just 1.5 hours but in that time we will be transported to a different world not to mention getting off the plane at an elevation of 3600 metres (2.25
miles) above sea level. Due to the change in altitude, (2200 metres higher
than Kathmandu) we will take our first day very easy to aid our bodies in ad justing to the lower oxygen levels. Complete rest and easy days during the
first few days at altitude pay dividends later in the trip; rest and plenty of hot
lemon ginger are the order for the day.
Day 5
Tuesday, 9 August:
Jokhang and Sera Monastery
Our first day touring is a gentle one but one in which we will visit the holy of
holies for Tibetans, the Jokhang. This is the central temple of Lhasa, the tem ple in the centre of the mandala of the holy city of Lhasa and the house of
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the Jowo Rinpoche, a pure gold statue said to be one of only two and crafted
by divine hands during the time of the Buddha. It is said to carry the blessing
of the Buddha, (the other remains in Bodhgaya the place of his enlighten
ment.) The Jowo Rinpoche came to Tibet with the Chinese Princess
Wencheng when she married the Tibetan King Tritsong Detsen, and before
departing China for ”those barbarian lands” the princess begged her father to
bring the great Buddhist icon with her. The Emperor in a supreme act of love
for his daughter parted with this most precious icon, and it is Princess
Wencheng and the Jowo Rinpoche who are
credited with bringing Buddhism to Tibet.
Tritsong Detsen later converted
and requested Shantarakshista
to travel from India to Tibet to teach.
Lhasa’s holy of holies; the Jokhang and Monks debating at Sera
In the afternoon we visit Sera Monastery, one of the three great Gelug
Monasteries of Lhasa. If we are lucky we will be able to witness the monks
during their lively afternoon debating.
Day 6
Wednesday, 10 August:
Nalendra Monastery
Most visitors to Lhasa stay within the confines of the city but we will drive to
the Nalendra Valley, about 1.5 hours drive into the country. Nalendra is named
after the great Nalanda Buddhist Monastery in India. Founded by the Bud
dha’s direct students, it went on to become a thriving sacred university and
perhaps one of the highest seats of learning this planet has seen. It was the
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great teachers of Nalanda who brought the Buddhadharma to the world. Nal endra was the seat of the Sakya master His Eminence Chogye Trichen Rin
poche. The monastery, set in beautiful countryside, is a simple and will pro -
vide us with an insight into a functioning monastery.
We will return to Lhasa and in the evening attend a Tibetan cultural night with
traditional music, food and dancing.
The Potala
Day 7
Thursday, 11 August:
Drepung, Potala and Norbulingka
In the morning we visit Drepung Monastery, the second largest of Lhasa
’s
three great monasteries, attached to Drepung is Nechung Monastery; the seat
of Tibet ’s great oracle. Then we visit the Potala; the parliament / palace /
monastery of old Tibet and seat of the Dalai Lama. The Potala, appearing
more like a ship than a building, sits on a hill in the middle of Lhasa, majesti cally looking over the city. The Potala is full of incredible relics and sacred
items. After lunch we go to the Norbulingka, the Summer Palace of the Dalai
Lama, set in (at least for Tibetan standards) park-like grounds, it feels less
like a palace and more like a small stately home.
Early to bed in preparation for our first day on the road en route to Kailash.
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Day 8
Friday, 12 August:
Gyantse via Yamdrok Lake
We drive due West and begin to witness at ground level the majestic scenario
of the Tibetan Plateau, wide open spaces and magnificent mountains. We will
most likely see our first Yak, a majestic being; half bison, half horse. And then
on to Gyantse, a small town with a big
history. Not only is Gyantse home to an incredible tantric stupa created by
Newari artisans from Nepal, but it is the scene of a brief battle between a
makeshift Tibetan militia and the British Army led by Francis Younghusband in
1904.
Yamdrok lake & Gyantse Tantric Stupa
Day 9
Saturday, 13 August:
Shigatse and Tashilhunpho
It is a short drive from Gyantse to Shigatse, the second largest city in the Ti betan Autonomous Region (TAR). Shigatse is built around Tashilhunpho
Monastery, the seat of the Panchen Lama, the second most powerful religious
leader in Tibet prior to the Chinese invasion. It is an impressive monastery
that houses a giant statue of Maitreya Buddha, the future Buddha, which re mained untouched during the Cultural Revolution. Although much of the
monastery was destroyed, thankfully it is now almost fully restored.
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The great seated Maitreya statue at Tashilhunpo Monastery
Day 10
Sunday, 14 August:
Drive to Saga
From Shigatse to West Tibet are only small border towns and tiny villages.
The tarmac road from Lhasa to Western Tibet was only completed very re
cently, before then the journey took 5 days driving over very rough roads in
4WD vehicles, now it takes just 2 days in comfortable small buses. Yet the
stark open and inspiringly beautiful plains of this high altitude desert remain
the same, and if it were not for the airy feeling of floating in the heavens one
would forget that the plain is more than 2 miles above sea level, with nomads
leading herds of yaks to fresh pastures.
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Saga itself is a terrible town, and serves no purpose other than as a border
post and a place to stay before continuing the journey West to the jewel that
is Kailash.
Day 11
Monday, 15 August:
Drive to Darchen
Today is another full day in the saddle, but never a dull moment as one is
mesmerised by the incredible scenery and the feeling of imminent blessings
to be received.
It’s towards the end of the day we first spot the holy Manasarovar Lake and
then Kailash, the Guru himself, jutting up from the earth and out from the
clock of mountains that surround him. We will stop to pay homage and offer
prayer flags before proceeding to Darchen, the small town at the foot of
Kailash named in honour of the darshan (sacred blessings) the great moun tain offers forth.
When I first travelled to Western Tibet in 2001 the accommodation was very
very basic (your garden shed would have been 3 star,) but now it is reason ably comfortable though we will still choose the simple family run places.
Kailash Kora
Kora is the Tibetan word for sacred circumambulation, where they walk
around sacred places and buildings clockwise, both to charge the site with en ergy and receive a blessing themselves. A kora of Kailash is the most sacred
of them all. A kora around Kailash is an arduous high altitude trek, that covers
53 kilometres (34 miles,) through a pass 5,600 metres above sea level, 300
metres higher than Everest Base Camp. Though Tibetans walk it in a day and
most westerners in 3, we will take 5 to allow luxuriant time to imbibe the
spirit of the mountain and for sacred practice. But more than physical exer tion, a kora of Kailash draws on one ’s spiritual resources as the great blessing
machine that it is, the mountain slices through the obscuration and defile
ments in the sincere pilgrim ’s mind-stream. This is the bigger test and initia tion. I have seen a 65 year old five foot retired nurse from Ireland almost skip
around the mountain whilst a 25 year old strapping mountain man was left
weeping in the rocks unable to continue; it is the internal experience that is
the most profound and what we are there for. And weeping in the rocks un -
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able to continue is not a loss, it is the victory of soul over flesh, it is that per son’s own pilgrimage, it is their journey, their transformation.
And so we have arranged this pilgrimage so that it is accessible for people
who are willing of heart but are no longer or have never been a mountain
goat. Everyone will be able to walk to the North Face, where the great purple
crystal that is Kailash becomes unsheathed from the cloak of the inner moun tain circle and shines upon the willing pilgrims with all His radiance. We will
take two days instead of the usual one to walk there and then spend a whole
day in practice and reflection. Then people can decide if they are ready to go
through the Dolma La Pass and complete the kora or return to Darshan and
continue their meditation at the foot of the mountain.
Axis mundi, on the first day of the Kailash kora
Day 12
Tuesday, 16 August:
Begin kora
After a leisurely start we will prepare our kit for the kora and then visit Silung
Gompa on the inner kora, for incredible up close views of Kailash and a final
blessing before we being our walk. After a light lunch and final preparations in
Darchen we will start, walking half way to the North Face and stopping near
Chukka Gompa to spend the night. Whilst on the kora we will stay in tents
that will be arranged by our guides and porters with cooks to prepare us
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healthy trekking meals. The gear will be carried by a train of yaks, with each
pilgrim carrying a light day pack.
We will walk about 11km (6miles) and it will take about 5 hours with frequent
stops at sacred places along the route.
Day 13
Wednesday, 17 August:
Walk to North Face
Today we start the walking early since it will be about 12 kilometres, not
much further than the previous day, but a little steeper and a little higher with
the trail taking us to the North Face of Kailash where we will camp for 2
nights, sleeping at an altitude of 4800m (3 miles) above sea level. For most
people this will be the highest campsite of their life. Expect auspicious
dreams.
We will camp close to Dirapuk Gompa, a small monastery and one of the
highest permanently inhabited places in the world, a few brave monks being
snowed in through the winter each year.
Yak train around kora
Day 14
Thursday, 18 August:
FULL MOON at North Face
We have timed our journey to be at the North Face of Kailash for the August
Full Moon. This day will be dedicated to prayer and sacred practice and rest in
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preparation for the big day through the pass. There will be the opportunity to
see through a gap in the inner vale of mountains and receive darshan up
close and personal from Gang Rinpoche (snow jewel, the Tibetan ’s affectionate name for Kailash, named for the constant smattering of snow across its
peak despite being below the summer snow line).
Dolma La Pass
Day 15
Friday, 19 August:
Through the Pass / Return to Darchen
For the group continuing on the kora and through the pass it will be a very
early start to enable us to complete the 17 kilometre walk through the pass
before the sun goes down and to be through the pass before the winds get
up and ground softens unduly. We will walk almost a kilometre straight up
into the sky for what will at times feel like a stairway to heaven, to the sacred
Dolma La Pass, named after the beloved Goddess Tara, who loves all sentient
beings as a mother does. She will certainly bless us - and Tibetan ’s consider
crossing through this path to be a rebirth with the karma accumulated in this
life dismissed (and then time to clear past karma). We will continue down the
even steeper other side, careful to stay sure-footed despite the euphoria, for
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several kilometres yet until we find the first flat ground to camp beside the
flowing fresh mountain stream.
For those returning to Darchen it will be a slow meander back down from the
North Face, revisiting the sacred places, with perhaps a bus ride for the last
few kilometres back to rest at Darchen.
Day 16
Saturday, 20 August:
Complete kora / Mentsalkhang
Today is an easy downhill walk, albeit still approximately 13 kilometres, wind ing through the valley back to Darchen, stopping at Zutulpuk Gompa on the
way (the site of a famous spiritual contest between the Tibetan saint and
favourite son Milarepa and Bonpo adept.) Milarepa won and Buddhism con signed the Bon tradition to second place in the Tibetan psyche. Bon is a
shamanistic tradition, and Bonpos (Bon practitioners) used to walk around
Kailash anti-clockwise.
On arrival to Darchen we will meet with the rest of the group who will have
spent the day at the Mentsalkhang (small Tibetan Medicine Hospital on the
edge of Darchen, serving pilgrims).
Chu Gompa & Manasarovar
Day 17
Sunday, 21 August:
Rest day at Manasarovar
Kailash is the great Shiva lungs of the planet and Lake Manasarovar is the
great Yoni, balancing male and female archetypes, with the water that creates
the lake pouring off Kailash from the heavens. It is a short drive from Darchen
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and one of the world ’s highest lakes, created by crystalline blue waters, Man asarovar sits in the most majestic abode scattered with Gompas like jewels
around a tiara. Today we will rest beside Chu Gompa, named for the hot min eral springs where we will bathe to soothe our aching muscles and replenish
the body.
Day 18
Monday, 22 August:
Tour Lake Manasarovar
The circumference of Manasarovar is approximately 105 kilometres with
sandy, beach like shores. Today we pay homage to this great lake, with a kora
driven in our bus stopping at several Gompas.
Day 19
Tuesday, 23 August:
Drive to Saga
We begin the return journey with a full heart and still many jewels to savour
along the road home.
Day 20
Wednesday, 24 August:
Drive to Tingri
Tingri is a small Tibetan town close to Qomolungma (Everest) on the Tibetan,
Northern side. Our drive to Tingri will take us through some of the most spec tacular scenery on the planet, where at times it appears as if the vast Hi
malayan mountain chain is a skeleton strewn across the horizon.
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Rongbuk Monastery with Qomolungma behind
Day 21
Thursday, 25 August:
Rongbuk and Qomolungma, North Face
From Tingri we visit Rongbuk, which although very small was considered one
of the most significant seats in old Tibet, and at 4,980 metres is the highest
fully fledged monastery. The book Tintin in Tibet features a monastery in spired by Rongbuk. From here we will travel closer to Qomolungma for inspir ing views of the mountain, which looks very different from the North.
Day 22
Friday, 26 August:
Drive to Kathmandu via Milarepa’s cave
We take the plunge down from the high altitude plateau and starkness of Ti bet towards the lush verdant humidity of Kathmandu. The contrast in colours
and culture is enlivening. En route we will visit a cave very significant in the
story of Tibetan history, its beloved son Milarepa.
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Returning to our hotel alongside Bodhanath stupa, your new heart home
Day 23
Saturday, 27 August:
Free day and celebration
The day is set aside for rest and shopping, journalling and sharing stories
whilst sipping tea overlooking Bodhanath stupa. And in the evening we will
have a celebration banquet.
Day 24
Sunday, 28 August:
Homeward
It’s time to return home and scatter the multitude of blessings to the four di rections. I always say there is your life before Kailash and your life after; time
to begin the latter.
NOTE:
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The Friendship Highway, the road connecting Nepal and Tibet, linking Lhasa
and Kathmandu, was severely damaged in the April 2015 earthquake. If it has
not been reopened by the time we visit, instead of driving back to Kathmandu
we will instead return to Lhasa and fly.
Created by Jeremy Ball, August 2015
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