Wish to Circumambulate around Mt. Kailash

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What type of physical and/or spiritual training do I require? I understand this can take years, even decades.

I work as a physiotherapist in Greenland. We have large mountains here too. I hike in them now in summer where the snow is gone.

When hiking in the greenlandic mountains there are complete stillness. One can only hear the ocean, wind and animal sounds. There is such silence so one can hear when to ice blocks are drawn together by the wind and make a peculiar cracking sound. One naturally enters meditation with very little effort.

It is indeed a great way to support ones spiritual practice to undertake practice in Nature. It becomes very evident why the Buddha recommended that monasteries and hermitages were build in nature.

If you like I can give you some advice/exercises on how to train the physical body and some tips regarding clothing and gear, when hiking in the mountains.

It would not be considered on-topic to give such information here so if you are interested we can talk in one of the chat-rooms on Buddhism SE or via email.

Take care.

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Circumnavigation of Mount Kailash won't lead to Nirvana if we are going by what the Buddha taught. The Buddha never taught anywhere in the Suttas anything about this.

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Circumambulate once to wash away sins, circumambulate 108 times to attain nirvana

In Rohitassa Sutta: To Rohitassa

"Is it possible, lord, by traveling, to know or see or reach a far end of the cosmos where one does not take birth, age, die, pass away or reappear?"

"I tell you, friend, that it is not possible by traveling to know or see or reach a far end of the cosmos where one does not take birth, age, die, pass away, or reappear."

Upvote:2

Before you walk all the way around the Mt. Kailash try to read everything that you can find on the internet about this very storied mountain, the equally storied lake and the storied flower in it. Mt. Kailash is the mythical Mt. Meru. Read about it in the "Saptha Suryodgamana Sutta" The Sermon of the Seven Suns (Anguttara Nikaya VII. 62). In it the Buddha explains in detail about the events that would unfold, and in it, this monarch of mountains will get consumed and burnt, that neither ashes not soot will remain.

The Lake Anavatapta is said to be so sheltered and covered that the direct rays from the sun would not fall and the lake would not dry up until the day this world would come to an end, as per the Saptha Suryodgamana Sutta. In this "Sermon of the Seven Suns" the Supreme Buddha, tells us about the end of the earth due to the expansion of the dying sun.

Lastly a bit about the storied flower that is found in its forest. It is the Kadupul flower - said to be the world’s most expensive flower. It survives around the Lake Anavatapta, because it is sheltered from the sun’s rays. The flower is said to be a midnight miracle, surviving during the night, and fading to nothing at dawn.

The Kadupul flower, Sri Lanka’s native blossom, is said to be the world’s most expensive flower

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I don't know much about Mount Kailash but I trekked in Nepal over 100km with my 18 year old sister when I was 24. My sister was not particularly athletic but we did fine. While I was an athlete, I had been meditating full time for the previous 5 months so I was not exactly doing vigorous exercise. One day of the trek included walking up the very steep 3200 stone steps at Ulleri. We made it fine.

69 Surya Namaskar shows a lot of fitness. Sounds like you will do fine. Maybe walk up a few hills to tone up the leg muscles.

The 'spiritual' part is having an open mind to take in the culture & atmosphere. Just go! With faith!

I always enjoy looking at the old photographs. Very warm & wholesome memories. It was a very worthwhile experience. Below is the Tibetan side of the Himalaya.

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