Spiritual significance the Himalayas are an ideal destination to get Spiritual Fron Abode of Gods, King of Mountains, Himalaya; you bound the ocean from east to west with A northern yardstick to measure the earth.
For the Nepalese, it is not only the ‘Abode of Snow,’ which is its literal meaning, but also the abode of the Gods and Goddesses; in fact, the manifestation of Gods and Goddesses themselves. Long before the Himalayas was mapped and measured, the existence and immensity of the Himalayas were known. In Gita, the Divine Song is supposed to have been composed around 200 B.C. Lord Krishna talks about his many manifestations in this world and says, “among things unmovable, I am the Himalaya.”
In the famous Sanskrit drama Kumarsambhava, written by Kalidasa around the 5th century A.D., the immensity of the Himalayas is described in words above.
In the Skanda Purana, another Sanskrit work on the Hindu religion written around the 15th century A.D. Lord Vishnu explains the formation of the Himalaya in these words to the other two Gods of the Hindu Trinity, and Vishnu answered thus unto.
The legend of Shangri La is based on the hidden Kingdom of Shambala.
Brahma and Shiva, “the existence of mountains, is nobler than that of animate beings, for they feel no heat, cold, pain, anger, fear, or pleasure. We three Gods, therefore, will reside in the earth as mountains for the benefit of humanity.”
Further, in the Skanda Puran, it is also written-“in the hundred ages of Gods, I could not tell the glories of the Himalayas. The dew is dried up the morning sun, so are the sins of humanity by the Himalaya.”
In later periods the Himalayas became renowned as where ancient sages retired for deep meditation. Many works on religion, philosophy, mathematics, medicine, yoga, and literature were written there.
Very few people also know that the legend of Shangri la is based on the hidden Kingdom of Shambala, which figures prominently in Tibetan religious beliefs.
There is a description of many ‘beyuls’ or ‘the hidden lands or valleys’ in Tibetan scriptures. These valleys are said to have been created by Padmasambhava, the Indian monk who introduced Buddhism to Tibet to provide refuge for Buddhists trying to escape religious persecution.
These hidden valleys consist of forests, fertile valleys rich in crops and herds of animals, gold, silver, precious stones, monasteries, sacred books, and ritual implements. People living in these beyuls are free from illnesses and hard work and attain enlightenment more easily.
Padmasambhava, addressing the people living in the ‘beyul’ of Helambu, said, the hidden land will increase your life span, merit, and wealth; and all those born in it will be liberated from the endless cycle of rebirths.’ Helambu is a beautiful valley located northeast of Kathmandu and five days walk from there. According to Tibetan religious texts and belief, about twenty other beyuls are situated in Nepal.
Sherpas migrated to Khumbu from eastern Tibet because their forefathers thought it was a beyul settled there. There are ancient sacred texts called’ lamyig’ (guidebooks) describing the beyuls and containing instructions on how to find them.
These instructions can be correctly understood only by properly initiated individuals. Even then, three levels of beyul can be seen, depending on the level of awareness attained by the seekers.
The inner valleys are accessible and visible only to those who have mastered the Buddhist doctrine. I want to request the mountaineers and the growing member of trekkers to try to understand and appreciate the Nepalese and Tibetan beliefs about the Himalayas.
If they try seriously, they may experience the emotion that the great Hindu and Buddhist sages had experienced at the sight of the Himalayas.
Mountains have also been a source of inspiration and revelation in other religions. In Judaism, Moses received the ten commandments of Mount Sinai. In Christianity, Jesus preached his Sermon on the Mount. In Islam, Prophet Mohammed received his first revelation of the Koran in the Rare Hara mountain. In this light, the spiritual significance of the Himalayas must be understood.
Some major areas are where travelers get natural and spiritual therapy during the trek.
