The Worship Road--Tibetan Kowtow
Updated: 2007-06-20 09:31
Kangrinboqe, meaning "the holy mountain" in Tibetan, is the highest peak of the Gangdese Mountains. It is one of the centers of Tibet Buddhism, Hinduism and the Bon. According to historical records, people have been worshipping it since 1,000 BC.
Tibetans believe that humans will suffer the six samsaras, (The eternal cycle of birth, suffering, death, and rebirth in Buddhism) and that there are two ways to avoid this painful ending. One is to become a Living Buddha by studying the sutra, which is obviously difficult. The other is Zhuan Shan (walking around the mountain), which, if done enough, can free believers from the six samsaras after death. In the eyes of believers, the Holy Mountain is Heaven in reality, even though it is definitely a hard, rocky Heaven.
It is a very long and tough journey from Lhasa to the Holy Mountain, with quicksand and bad roads on the way. Believers need to walk or kowtow along a road that is 57 km long and 4,800-5,723 m above sea level. The quick ones can finish it within a day, but most people will need two or three days to finish a round. Worshipping at the four temples around the Holy Mountain is a part of Zhuan Shan.
