Tibet – A Mysterious Story: Mount Kailash
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Tibet · Mount Kailash: Life, Death, and the Tremor of the Soul in the Heart of the Sacred Mountain
On the vast plains of Tibet’s Ngari region, a pyramid-shaped snow-capped peak pierces the clouds. Its summit is crowned with perennial ice, and the mountain's natural gullies form a massive “swastika” symbol. This is Mount Kailash, revered by four major religions as the “center of the universe.” For centuries, countless pilgrims have measured its sacred circumference with their own bodies, while the shadows of the mountain are shrouded in unsolved mysteries and soul-shaking ultimate questions.
1. Divine Omen: The Blood “Swastika” in the Blizzard
In the autumn of 1985, a German climbing team attempted to conquer the north face of Mount Kailash. At an altitude of 6,000 meters, as they camped on the icy cliff, leader Hans noticed dark red swastika-shaped markings outside the tent, as if painted with blood by some creature. At dawn, a sudden blizzard struck, and the last words over the radio were: “The mountain is moving! The symbols are alive!” Three days later, rescuers found only a frozen hand gripping a bone fragment inscribed with tantric mantras. Local monks sighed, saying: “The blood of mortals has defiled the mountain’s skin; the mountain spirits have taken their souls.”
2. The Pilgrim’s “Time Rift”: Seven Days, Thirty Years
In 1998, a Tibetan woman, Ciren Lhamo, disappeared while prostrating and circumambulating the mountains. Thirty years later, a scientific team found her on the southeastern glacier of Kailash — her robe untouched, her face unchanged. She whispered: “I only circled seven times, and the sky darkened seven times…” Strangely, a 2015 newspaper was in her prayer cylinder. Bon priests explained: “The sacred mountain folds time; her soul was held in the ‘Bardo’ (the transitional state in Buddhism).”
3. Ice Lake of Corpses: The Millennial Spiral
Behind Zheritse Monastery at the foot of Mount Kailash lies a deep blue ice lake, fenced with chains. In 1982, glacial retreat revealed hundreds of corpses arranged in a spiral — modern climbers on the outside, Qing dynasty caravans and Tubo warriors inside, with a central skeleton seated cross-legged, turquoise inlaid in the skull, holding a bronze vajra. Archaeological instruments failed, cameras captured only faint phantoms. Monks warned: “These are the spiritual backups of past pilgrims. Disturb them, and the mountain spirits will reclaim all life spans of circumambulating devotees.”
4. Midnight Prayer Flags: The “Human Skin Drum” Under a Blood Moon
During the blood moon of 2016, photographer Kobayashi stayed alone at 5,700 meters near Zheze Pu Monastery to capture star trails. At midnight, he heard muffled drumbeats from the prayer flags and saw faceless black-robed figures carrying a crimson palanquin. Behind the curtain glimmered a half-golden mask. The guide explained: “This is a Bon ritual — every century, the skin of heretics is used to drum, sending expelled spirits back to the underworld.” Kobayashi suffered delirium that night; his Kailash photos twisted into flesh, except one displaying Tibetan text: “Seeing it is bearing it.”
Mount Kailash: The Sacred Mountain
“Mount Kailash” means “Mountain of the Gods.” For Tibetan Buddhists, circling the mountain once washes away sins; ten times grants protection from hell in 500 rebirths; a hundred times leads to enlightenment. Pilgrimage is both worship and spiritual cultivation. Through prostration, chanting, and months of arduous travel, pilgrims gradually dissolve inner greed, anger, and delusion, cultivating compassion and wisdom.
The film Kailash documents eleven ordinary villagers from Pula crossing 3,000 kilometers on pilgrimage. Every detail reflects devotion: despite accidents or avalanches, they move forward, praying for world peace. Compared to modern society, where belief is diluted by materialism and ambition, their faith is pure, simple, and life-guiding.
Prayer Flags and Milarepa’s Legend
Wind horse flags, or prayer flags, consist of five colors: blue for sky, white for clouds, red for fire, green for water, and yellow for earth. Milarepa, the Kagyu patriarch, once dueled the Bon master Naropa at Mount Kailash. Milarepa emerged victorious in three rounds, ultimately seated atop the summit. Kailash is not only a natural marvel but a repository of legends and spiritual heritage.
Pilgrims’ Footsteps: Measuring the Sacred with the Body
At 4 a.m., headlamps snake along the circumambulation path. Prostrating mothers, chanting monks, and pilgrims from afar press forward. Blisters form on their feet, yet eyes gleam with resolve: “Circumambulating thirteen times brings liberation in this life.” Mount Kailash reflects faith, but also a dialogue with the soul.
Silent Stones and Souls in Transit
At Zhuomala Pass stands the enormous rock “Liejidabu,” said to carry the deceased toward the next world. Pilgrims whisper their hearts beneath it; prayer scarves flutter in the wind. The mountain absorbs sorrow and transforms it into wind horses, carrying burdens toward the promised land beyond the peaks. This is a sanctuary for wandering souls, a place to release pain into the silent mercy of stone and wind.
Modern Reflection
From the shores of Lake Manasarovar, Mount Kailash rises like a crystal seal. Its pyramid shape and eternal glaciers inspire awe and reflection. For pilgrims and modern travelers alike, the mountain is a mirror of the soul — showing that faith, endurance, and connection with nature surpass worldly clamor. Every fluttering flag carries a wish; every footprint is a measure of life. May all who come here find their desires fulfilled, their paths smooth, and their hearts illuminated like the stars over the highlands.