xiao ais pilgrimage 1丨a life on the path of devotion
If you don't have a particular faith,
then take travel as your faith.
In this way, your whole life,
you will be on a pilgrimage!
The craze for circumambulating mountains probably started with the movie 'Kailash'. I don't have a strong religious belief,
but circumambulating mountains has always been something I wanted to do.I don't know why I set out, where it will end, what I will encounter, or what situations will arise. Everything is unknown.
Even Dorje said; circumambulating mountains is a way for Tibetans to pray for blessings. After circumambulating the sacred mountain, family, oneself, and loved ones will be healthy and free from illness. Even severe diseases will be cured by circumambulating the mountain.
I told Dorje; but I seek nothing.
He was stunned, not expecting me to undertake such a difficult and arduous journey with such a mindset, seeking nothing.
Originally, I wanted to go to Kailash, but the journey was too long, the vacation was insufficient, and funds were short. So I chose the Three Guardian Mountains in Daocheng Yading.
The Three Guardian Mountains
The Three Guardian Mountains in Daocheng, known in Tibetan as 'Gongga Risong Gongbu' (meaning 'the three guardian sacred mountains covered with eternal snow'), span over a thousand square kilometers. The main part consists of three completely separate but closely situated snow peaks arranged in a '品' shape.Ranked eleventh among the twenty-four sacred Buddhist sites in the world, it is a holy place for worship and accumulating merit. In the eighth century, Guru Rinpoche consecrated the three snow peaks and named them after the three Buddhist guardians: Avalokiteshvara (Xiannairi), Manjushri (Yangmaiyong), and Vajrapani (Xialuoduoji), thus they are known as the Three Guardian Snow Mountains. Gongga Risong Gongbu has since become famous in the Tibetan region.
Spanning over a thousand square kilometers, the main part consists of three completely separate but closely situated snow peaks arranged in a '品' shape. The northern peak, Xiannairi, is 6032 meters high; the southern peak, Yangmaiyong, is 5958 meters high; and the eastern peak, Xialuoduoji, is 5958 meters high. The three snow peaks are white, steep, and pierce the sky like sharp swords. Xiannairi resembles a great Buddha sitting on a lotus throne; Yangmaiyong resembles a serene and pure maiden; Xialuoduoji resembles a vigorous and spirited youth. Surrounding the snow peaks are over thirty jagged peaks of various shapes and sizes, creating a spectacular sight. In front of the peaks are turquoise lakes and meadows. Below the snow line, glaciers extend into verdant primeval forests. The snow mountains, cliffs, precipices, lakes, glaciers, meadows, forests, and streams create a tranquil and serene otherworldly realm.
Our circumambulation follows a clockwise route around the Three Guardian Mountains, starting and ending at Chonggu Monastery, covering about 76 kilometers. The weather is unstable and unpredictable, but I know I will complete it!
On the day of departure, we set off from the entrance of the scenic area in Daocheng before dawn. After taking a shuttle bus to Chonggu Monastery, the winding mountain road and the strong garlic smell from a talkative lady next to me made me vomit as soon as I got off the bus. I even threw up the steamed buns I had for breakfast! 'On the shuttle bus, I kept wondering why garlic exists, its destructive power is a hundred percent.'
After vomiting, there was no time to rest, and I immediately started my circumambulation journey.
The initial challenge was completely unexpected! A direct ascent of over 1000 meters on a sky-running VK route drained my remaining energy. At the top, I found a sheltered spot to rest. I had bought a large pancake and had an uneaten tea egg for breakfast. When I asked Dorje to get the pancake for me, he looked puzzled and asked where I had put it! I said, 'You packed the bags, how would I know where it is!'
Oh no, the pancake was left on the bus!
Oh my... This is just the first day, and we've already lost a day's worth of food... There are still so many days to go, how will we endure...I was instantly furious and wanted to scold this careless guy, but my mood plummeted.Then I thought: What's done is done, arguing won't help. It will only affect our moods. Forget it, forget it, forget it, I'll endure...Silently, I ate the bread I had prepared, checked our rations, and sighed! I was careless... The rations are definitely insufficient. We'll take it one step at a time!! May the sacred mountain bless us... 😂
After crossing the first major pass, light rain turned into heavy snow... We quickly put on our rain gear.From the pass ahead, Dorje, with his sharp eyes, spotted trekkers even from two mountain peaks away!
After crossing the peak, we indeed encountered a group of trekkers on the Rock Line, with Tibetan guides and horses, looking exhausted. We exchanged encouragements and then parted ways, continuing our journey...
Descending a large slope, with the sound of a distant stream and beautiful scenery, I, lacking sleep, began to feel drowsy. Reaching the valley, we found some cow sheds, took shelter, boiled water, and cooked hot food. While Dorje was cooking, I laid out a moisture-proof mat and lay down, falling asleep. It was only mid-afternoon. Seeing my car sickness and fatigue, Dorje suggested we camp here for the night, as there might not be a better campsite ahead. 'As it turned out, this simple cow shed was the best accommodation we had in our four-day, three-night journey.' Too tired to keep my eyes open, I agreed, set up the tent, took out my sleeping bag, and fell asleep.
When I woke up, Dorje had already boiled water and eaten a self-heating meal. Seeing me awake, he immediately cooked two packs of instant noodles. I ate a few bites and asked him how much food we had left.Three boxes of self-heating meals, four packs of instant noodles, and some bread... 😂😂
I explained to him: We have three days left, and we need three meals a day for two people. You've already eaten half of our food on the first day. If we don't ration it properly, we'll starve in these deep mountains!
Even this single-celled creature began to realize the seriousness of the situation. We had to ration our food to avoid starving and preserve our energy to complete the circumambulation of the Three Guardian Mountains!As night fell, the stream flowed gently, with no sounds of insects or frogs, only the dripping rain on the cow shed roof.After washing up, I took off my thick clothes and slipped into my sleeping bag.With no thoughts or distractions, wrapped in my sleeping bag, I didn't feel cold or scared. I just fell into a deep sleep.
It was the most peaceful and comfortable night of sleep!
Day 1: Walked 14 km, took 6 hours, food: some bread, one self-heating meal, two packs of instant noodles, one pack of pickled vegetables, and a pot of hot water!
To be continued...