PREMA JYOTHI - Newsletter of the Prema Trust and Sacred Earth Community April 2025
The overwhelming sacredness of this mountain cannot fail to bring every pilgrim to their knees. It reveals the sacredness in each heart. - Savitri
Hidden from the eyes of the world by the mighty Himalayan peaks, Mount Kailash, the crest jewel of creation has, over millennia, drawn sincere pilgrims from many faiths to its feet to contemplate the oneness in the power in nature. Kailash is the heart and soul of the Himalayan regions and the most sacred of all the world’s holy mountains. It stands alone, in silent contemplation, above the Tibetan plains, drawing the eyes of all who come near with its power and purity. The circumambulation (walking around the mountain) is an act of penance and prayer. With each step the pilgrim is taken deeper into the silence within, whilst taking in the sacred landscape without. One circle (termed kora or pradakshina) symbolises one revolution of the wheel of life, the cycle from birth to death. With each step there is purification and exaltation. In anticipation of a special pilgrimage (yatra) to Kailash in 2025, we dedicate this newsletter to the spirit and presence of the Axis Mundi (the mountain at the centre of the world) - Kailash.
Who is Kailash?
Om Traiambakam Yajamahe
Sughandhim Pustivardhanam
Urva Rukamevabandhanan
Mrthyor Mukshiyam Amritat
The great Mahamrthunjaya mantra praises the three-eyed one – Rudra or Shiva, and invokes the immortal nature of the soul. Shiva’s abode is commonly identified as Kailash. Given that Shiva is cosmic awareness, how can He live in a physical mountain? The answer lies in the mystery of Shiva Himself. The beingness that is Shiva manifests itself as Shakti, the energy that creates, sustains and dissolves the creation. Mount Kailash is a living reminder of the sublime truths that underlie the nature of this creation.
Kailash from the plains
Tibetan family at Kailash
Kailash, although generally associated with the Himalayan Range, actually sits apart from the main massif of peaks and valleys that form the range. It sits alone in its own inimitable splendour, accompanied by two unique bodies of water. Surrounding Kailash is the barren Tibetan plain, with the Himalayas many kilometres away. Like Shiva, there is a sense of aloofness, of withdrawal from the fluctuations of the world. It is as if Kailash, like Shiva, is sitting in deep meditation.
A sight to behold for lifetimes... Shiva, in his supreme form as Mt. Kailash. It's said that of billions of people on earth, only a select few can ever reach his holy land. It happens only when Lord Shiva gives his permission. There are multiple accounts of people making attempts to visit Kailash only to be held back.
Grace alone matters here. Aum Namah Shivaya.
Savitri & Satyavan
The Quest for Shambhala: The Hidden Kingdom
For thousands of years rumours and reports have circulated suggesting that somewhere beyond Kailash in Tibet, beyond icy peaks and secluded valleys, there lies an inaccessible paradise, a place of universal wisdom and ineffable peace, called Shambhala. It is said to be inhabited by a spiritual community of adepts who form an inner circle of humanity, secretly guiding its evolution. In that place, so legends say, sages and yogis have existed since the beginning of human history in a valley of supreme beauty.
There are countless versions of this wonderous place, some such as Lama Garje Kamtrul Rinpoche’s, Govinda Lama Anagorika’s and more recently Avadhoota Nadananda’s describing a journey to a physical place, and many others who have visited in dreams and visions and who which describe the place as invisible, the causal aspect of the planet, made of subtle matter. All agree that the journey is difficult and dangerous, one must have a high level of purification, and that there are mysterious forces guarding it.
On my first quest to Kailash to discover its hidden kingdom, its transcendental inner zone, I endeavoured to reach the inner paths. I was woefully unprepared both spiritually and mentally. A powerful force field prevented me getting close. I tried walking forward several times but could not take a single step as if some invisible force was stopping me. When I looked around I could see many cairns of stones built by pilgrims but none ahead, as if many other pilgrims had also been stopped at this point.
On reluctantly returning to the monastery, a lama instructed “Find the Shambhala within and the outer world will all seem like Shambhala.” He told me of the valley leading to Dolma Pass where if one meditates deeply one is assisted in experiencing an inner paradise, the bliss and oneness associated with Shambhala. He said what was important was not to reach the caves of the inner Masters of Shambhala, but to reach the cave of our own hearts, to move beyond the quest of the mind, ever creating problems and trying to solve them, and become established in the Oneness of who we truly are. “Nothing else is important. Nothing else exists. That is Shiva”. - Savitri
Kailash – the inner journey
A journey to Kailash is a journey for the discovery of the secrets of our innermost being. We may not recognise this inner calling or understand it, but the soul hears and responds. It is a journey that opens us up energy levels that are entirely outside the frequencies in which ordinary humanity is familiar, in ways we are not yet able to comprehend.
We open to the transcendent within us. We begin to explore the possibility of other worlds, above and beyond our comprehension. There, we experience a field of Grace, where the great ones’ wisdom guides us to find our true beingness. It is a rite of passage from the ordinary to the sacred, from the ephemeral and illusory to reality and eternity, from humanness to divine splendour.
Many people from around the world have circled the mysterious mountain or quested for the hidden paradise of Shambhala to discover themselves, but until we realise our own inner depths we will never be able to begin to understand or connect with the full significance of Kailash. - Savitri
The Waters of Kailash
The sacredness of the great mountain extends far beyond its footstep on the landscape. The plains below its icy magnificence hold sacred waters that send the blessings of Kailash out to the whole world.
Manosarovar and Raskshashtal – the duality personified
Manosaravar, the lake of light, is the source of three rivers that link the Tibetan plateau to the subcontinent of India: the Brahmaputra (the son of Brahma); the Indus (from which the name India derives) and the mystical Saraswati, the underground flow that connects with Ganga (the Ganges) and Yamuna rivers at the sacred environs of Prayag (near Varanasi).
Manasarovar (R) and
Rakshashtal (L) from the air
Manasarovar and the Mountains
Master Sundareshwara states the following about the two lakes:
“Manasarovar (the lake of the Higher Mind) has clear blue waters and a high vibration Beneath the lake lies a bed of crystalline structure that gives the Lake its purity and imparts an energetic field conducive to spiritual practice.
It is said that the lake arose from the mind of Brahma. This means that it contains the spiritual essence of creation within its waters. The ‘swans’ that inhabit the lake are the celestial vehicles – vahana, of Brahma and Saraswati (the masculine and feminine aspects of creation). In days gone by there used to be many lotuses that grew at the lake’s edge. Now there are the occasional ones, but hard to find. If you find a lotus at the lake it is a great blessing.
The vibrations of the lake are very refined. Attune yourself to its energies and you will enter a purified state of mind. Manasarovar is the purified essence of Kailash, with the snows of the mountain imbibing the nectar of the One – Shiva, the pure awareness. To meditate by the lake is to open yourself to the pure essence of Shiva within. To circumambulate the lake is to take the steps to Divine Revelation.
Rakshashtal is the very opposite of Manasarovar. As Manasarovar brings down celestial energy, Rakshashtal draws up the energy of inert matter from the Earth. It is important to note, it does not contain malign energy. The Bon priests1 used to worship Rakshashtal equally with Manasarovar. It is simply its matched opposite, representing the duality of nature. Within the lake, Divinity sleeps. Within Manasarovar, Divinity is awake.
Many sages prefer to dwell at Rakshashtal as they will not be disturbed for people are afraid of this lake as they think that there are demonic forces inhabiting that part of the Kailash region. The enlightened Ones know that whilst the apparent duality seems real, it is merely a reflection of the mind’s separation of nature as being dual – prakriti (nature) as separate from purusha (divinity). This is illusion – maya. There is no separateness. However, over the years some misguided rituals have been performed at this lake. Therefore, the energies can appear dark and foreboding. Look beyond this and we see that Rakshashtal is as much a child of Kailash as Manasarovar.”
1. Bon was the old religion of Tibetans prior to Buddhism migrating from India through the great sage Padmasambhava.
Manasarovar is the purified essence of Kailash, with the snows of the mountain imbibing the nectar of the One
– Shiva, the pure awareness.
A Pilgrimage to Kailash – A journey into sublime sacredness
In October 2025 Savitri and Satyavan (Phillip) will lead a sacred yatra to Mount Kailash. The route takes us through Lahsa (the capital of Tibet), visiting monasteries and the Potala Palace, Shigatse (where we experience the heart of Mahayana Buddhism), Saga and on to Lake Manasarovar, staying two nights. The circumambulation (Kora in Tibetan and Pradakshina in Sanskrit) of Kailash then starts. Unlike most Kora, we will spend 10 days at the North Face of Kailash, allowing ourselves to go deep into its mystery and sacredness. This aspect (face) of Kailash is the most well-known.
“Find the Shambhala within and the outer world will all seem like Shambhala.”
Kailash – North Face
The Kora will then take us up and across the Dolma La pass (19,000 feet) to Zuthulpuk. From there we descend to Darchen, ending one of the most sacred walks on this planet. (The aerial photo on the next page shows the route).
We then travel to Kathmandu to finish the journey, with yatris (pilgrims) being able to stay for a while if they wish.
If you feel the call of Kailash and wish more details go to www.indiasacredjourneys.co.nz and also contact us at savitri@sacredearthnz.com (Note: We only take a small group due to the nature of this pilgrimage and there are only two places left.)
Aerial Diagram of Kailash Kora Route
Kailash the mystical tradition – the mountain speaks
I was called to step through the Mystical Doorway of Kailash
“When I began the Kailash kora, tears began to flow. It was as if Kailash is a portal to the deepest core of the heart.”
My conversation with Kailash:
“I have come to teach people about their inner Divinity. Every aspect of the outer kora is but a symbol of the inner journey which must be taken by a sadhaka. Just as there is a secret doorway into my mystical heart you must learn to recognise the doorway into the heart of your own true nature which is the true heart of all. You must learn to surrender to me in the heart.”
I wonder about the secret mystical doorway into the heart of Kailash. Which, they say, you can enter after 13 koras.
“I am here to show you the doorway to your own heart.”
It is as if Kailash opens a portal to our own spiritual heart, spiritual nature. However, It would take an eternity to relate everything that is mysterious about Kailash. We are all moving towards self-realisation but there are certain places on the planet that quicken this journey
Kailash is called the centre of the world. This is merely a way of describing the importance. He is not a mountain, in the sense that most think of a mountain as a pile of rock. He is a lighthouse, a beacon, what people experience when they go there will depend on their readiness.
The Divine is everywhere, everything, accessible anywhere at any time. The Divine is you and you are the Divine.
As to awaken to the Self the Divine luminance is experienced in all of nature. You will see when you go to Kailash that this Divine luminosity is amplified manifold. Why? Because the nature of Kailash is not just rock. The nature of Kailash is resonant stone that vibrates to a frequency that causes the experience of opening.
For some this is emotional, for some this is mental, for some this is deep inner awareness that emerges from within in resonance with the vibrations of Kailash. It depends on the person and their ripeness
Kailash is a mountain that nobody climbs, for its sacred energy produces a barrier to such an endeavour. I attempted to walk up to the North Face of Kailash. Along the way, I came to a place where I could not take another step. The mountain said “NO”. This must have been the same for a Chinese expedition that attempted to climb its slopes.
This mountain has great power, great holiness and great mystery. It calls those who are ready to come to its feet, to bow their heads and enter the stillness of the Heart. Then the Kailash Yatra has fulfilled its purpose. - Savitri
