How sacred is "Holy Mountain" Ren Gang Qi Bo?

Everyone has a Kong Rinpoche in his heart.

In Tibet, many people's lifelong dream is to make a pilgrimage to Ganrinpoche. There is no shortage of sacred mountains in Tibet. The four sects of Tibetan Buddhism, Bonism, Hinduism and Jainism all regard Gangrinboqi as the head of the holy mountain and the center of the world.

Why Kong Rinpoche?

The roof on the roof

The roof of the world is in Tibet, and the roof of Tibet is in Ali.

Ali, Tibet, is located in the southwest of China, with an average elevation of 4,500 meters. Crustal uplift, river and lake deposition, flowing water cutting and weathering erosion naturally create magnificent and completely different landform features such as mountains, soil forests, moraines, volcanoes and grasslands here with simple and powerful construction methods.

Alpine meadow. Figure/Shen Jing

There is a small mountain range in the south of Ali, Gangdise Mountain. The main peak of Gangrinboqi is only 67 14 meters above sea level (the highest peak of Gangdise Mountain is actually 709.5 meters Lengbugang Day). To the south of the Gangdise Mountains is the Himalayas, the most famous mountain in the world. There are only 10 peaks over 8000 meters.

In front of the towering Himalayas, Gon Rinpoche is really not towering.

However, the meltwater of Gangrenboqi Snow Mountain gave birth to four rivers-Ma Quan River, Shiquan River, Xiangquan River and Peacock River. They began an epic rush in four directions, which gave birth to brilliant human civilization along the coast. Miraculously, after flowing in different directions and regions, they all finally flooded into the Indian Ocean.

Gangrinpoche Valley. Figure/vision china

Shiquan River (Sange Zangbo) on the northern slope is the positive source of the Indus River. Xiangquan River (Zangbu, Qin Lang) flowing from the south slope is also the source of the Indus River; Maquan River (Daqu Zangbo) flowing from Dongpo is the source of Yarlung Zangbo River. The Peacock River (Majia Zangbo) flowing down from the southern slope is the upper reaches of the Gogol River, a tributary of the Ganges River. Rivers gave birth to splendid ancient civilizations on both sides of the strait: ancient elephant civilization, Tibetan civilization, ancient Indian river civilization and Ganges civilization. ...

Nearly a million years ago, the Asia-Europe plate and the Indian Ocean plate squeezed to form the Gangdise Mountains. Since then, Gang Rinpoche has stood on this plateau and witnessed the eventful changes in the future of human civilization.

Everything has animism.

Ali is beautiful, with snow-capped mountains, rivers and vast grasslands, but it is not suitable for survival.

The huge mountains in the Himalayas in the south block the warm and humid airflow from the Indian Ocean; Kunlun Mountain blocked the airflow of the westerly circulation in the north. The average altitude is 4500 meters, oxygen is thin, ice, snow, wind and hail are rampant, and the reflection of snow and glaciers intensifies the cold.

After the long and complicated god-making movement of primitive ancestors, primitive Boni was born about 3500 years ago. The primitive Boni religion believed that "everything is animistic" and regarded the surrounding mountains, lakes, water, wind, snow, hail and animals as gods.

Born in a corner of Tibet, Bonism is one of the oldest religions in the world. At that time, except for Brahmanism and Zoroastrianism, most of them only had pantheism and simple sacrifices, which did not take shape in culture.

Around the 6th century AD, Shenrab Mivo unified Tibet, established Xiangxiong Dynasty in Xiangxiong area not far from Leboqi, Ganzi, and reformed the original Bonism into Yongzhong Bonism. In the era of Xiangxiong, tribal chiefs, princes and nobles and their subjects all prostrated themselves at the foot of Gangrenboqi, praying for its protection.

For thousands of years, ancestors all over the world regarded huge rocks and glaciers as a ladder to heaven. The ancient Greeks believed that their gods lived on the top of Mount Olympus overlooking the Aegean Sea.

Tibetan ancestors also thought that every mountain and lake might be the place where the soul of a certain god lived, so they decided that those grotesque peaks and lakes were "sacred mountains and lakes". At that time, people did not have the concepts of modern geography and altitude measurement, and they could only judge the height by naked eyes. Although the absolute altitude of Gangrinpoche is not high, it is very conspicuous from a distance.

The extremely high snow peaks are shaped by glaciers, often with sharp mountain shapes and tough lines; The top of Feng Qi Mountain in Gangrenbo is more "rounded" and the mountains are magnificent. The top of Feng Qishan in Gangrenbo faces the sun, and the snow does not melt all year round. It is covered with snow, which makes it more dazzling in the sun.

Gangrenbo Qi Feng is composed of gravel layers with alternating soft and hard lithology. When the mountain is formed, the strata with different lithology are tiled and superimposed, forming a nearly parallel horizontal texture. The world image of Bonism is "nine-fold harmony", and the nine overlapping symbols of the world have nine layers, just opposite to the nine horizontal marks on the top of Qi Feng of Gang Rinpo. The huge ice trough and horizontal rock formation at the top of Qi Feng in Gangrenbo also formed a natural "swastika"; It is called "Yongzhong" and symbolizes eternity.

Hundreds of years later, the Xiangxiong Dynasty perished, but Bonism's reverence and love for nature and worship of sacred mountains (including Gangrinboqi) have continued in Tibet for thousands of years until now.

A sacred mountain, different beliefs.

During the Tang Dynasty, Ganbu annexed Xiangxiong Dynasty, unified Tibet and established Tubo Dynasty. At this time, Buddhism was introduced into Tibet from India.

When Buddhism spread, it encountered the rejection of local Bonism believers in Tibet. Master Lotus Peanut, who came to Tibet earlier to preach, "skillfully" absorbed the elements of local religion, accepted the gods of Bonism as the protector of Buddhism, and offered sacrifices to holy mountains and lakes together.

In the 10 century, it was said that Buddhist masters Millary Ba and Bognis exorcists were so poor that they had to practice in Gangrinboqi. They decided to hold a competition, and the winner could occupy the holy mountain. The first game is to see who can reach the top at sunrise. Millary Ba said in the second game: What if we draw again this time? The poor and impatient man said, even if I draw again, I will lose. As a result, the two men tied again and gave up willingly.

Millary Ba said: You can't win or lose the game. Your offer is favorable to me, which shows that you are generous and kind. I have to be so rude because I can't bear to part with this mountain. There is an extraordinary hill nearby. As your practice place, what do you think? That's as poor as Ben said: the master said exactly what I wanted. There is a black hill next to Gangrinpoche. It is said that Milarepa moved it to a poor place to practice.

This famous "anti-French" story circulating in Gangrinboqi seems to have a happy ending, but in fact it implies the reality that Buddhism and Bonism fought a long and fierce struggle, and Bonism was finally defeated.

/kloc-in the 20th century, the once prosperous Tubo dynasty fell apart, and a descendant of the royal family fled from Lhasa to Ali Zada, where the Xiangxiong dynasty and Bonism originated and flourished.

Nature seems to have drawn the boundaries and possibilities long ago, and the fluctuation of civilization will not be too far away from here. Millions of years ago, Zada was an ancient lake with an area of over 500 square kilometers. The uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Himalayan movement led to the rise of the lake basin and the sudden drop of the water level. As the lake is drained, the sediments washed by the lake are exposed and washed by seasonal water, forming various shapes now. Because of the cementation of calcium, the "trees" made of these soils can't stand upright, and the dry and cold climate makes the vegetation gradually disappear, eventually forming today's magnificent and unique landscape-Zada soil forest.

The sandstone in Zada soil forest has the same properties as the loess in the Loess Plateau, so it is easy to drill in and will not collapse. This terrain is easy to defend but difficult to attack, and the descendants of the fleeing Tubo royal family built huge and complicated caves on it.

With the help of the terrain, the kingdom will be built into a fortress. The palace is at the highest point of the cliff and can be seen in all directions. When the Guge dynasty was established, "Guge" meant cave.

The Guge dynasty respected Buddhism and invited Indian monks to preach Buddhism, and monks gradually entered the ruling class. 1 1 century later, Buddhism basically expelled Bonism from Ali, which was a legendary period of confrontation between Buddhism and Bonism.

After the fighting subsided, the bones still regarded the distant Gangrinpoche as "the residence of the gods" and "the center of the universe"; Buddhism actually absorbed a lot of Bonism and became a unique "Tibetan Buddhism", and determined Gangrinboqi as the legendary Sumi Mountain.

A large number of non-native products such as grapes, apricot meat and silk have been unearthed here. The palace is also built with a lot of wood, but there are no trees growing on the nearby plateau. Murals record people and livestock carrying wood across the Himalayas at an altitude of nearly 5000 meters.

Although Zada is located in remote Tibet, its trade is prosperous and not closed. Up to now, there are vendors from India and Nepal, carrying vegetables and fruits with yaks and horses and crossing the Himalayas; Exchange salt, yak meat, wool and other items with Ali people in the oldest "barter" way.

East section of the ancient tea-horse road. In fact, the ancient tea-horse road did not stop in Lhasa, but went west, crossed the Himalayas and extended to India and Nepal. To this day, India is still drinking butter tea made from tea produced in Ya 'an, Sichuan. Cartography/Chili powder

For thousands of years, horses and yaks have walked out of narrow paths in this "place where only rats and birds can pass". On the harsh plateau, people exchange things they need and help each other, so that life can continue to this day. These paths formed the famous "Tea-Horse Ancient Road".

On the murals of the ruins of Guge Dynasty, there are blue pigments made of lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, and there are also many cultural elements from Asia and Europe, such as the Tian Fei in Dunhuang and the Double Lion in Persia. There are also a lot of Hindu idols. In fact, it is located in the center of the ancient tea-horse road, which is a place to connect Chinese and western civilizations.

Dunjuraj, a Tibetan cultural researcher, believes that Bonism, which originated from the ancient Xiangxiong civilization, also spread to India and had an impact; The worship of the holy mountain and the holy lake may have spread through the ancient tea-horse road.

Nowadays, in addition to Tibetan Buddhism and Boni, Hinduism regards Gangrinboqi as the ascetic place of Shiva, one of the three great gods. Jainism calls Gangrinboqi the spiritual "Archytas Bodhisattva", which means the highest mountain and the holy land of liberation. The worship of Gon Rinpoche, which spans different civilizations, religions and races, has solidified in the long history.

Holy Lake and Ghost Lake

It may be inevitable that Gangrinboqi will become the holy mountain of Tibetan Buddhism, Bonism, Hinduism and Jainism.

During the Han Dynasty, people at that time went up along the Yellow River and decided that the present Kunlun Mountain was the source of the Yellow River, so they regarded her as the legendary Kunlun. Therefore, some scholars believe that Kong Rinpoche gave birth to so many rivers that people of all ethnic groups began to worship her.

The lake at the foot of Gangrenboqi is also recognized as a sacred lake: after the battle in the 10 century, the lake was renamed as "Mabian Yongcuo", which means "invincible and victorious".

This is the most transparent freshwater lake in China. The lake is clear, sparkling and endless. Known as "Yao Pool in the Western Regions of Datang". Gangrinboqi and Mabian Yongcuo, collectively known as "Gangcuo", are worshipped at the same time as Shenshan Shenhu.

Yongcuo in Mabian is a famous "holy lake", but her companion is a "ghost lake"-Laangcuo, which means "poisonous black lake" in Tibetan. Lancang is a saltwater lake. The lake is dark blue. There are rare plants and wild animals around, and cattle and sheep don't come to drink.

The vast lake area is empty and silent, lifeless; Gao Yuanfeng is very big, and it has huge ripples on the lake of Ranco, which makes it more complicated.

Among the many holy mountains and lakes in Tibet, the existence of "ghost lake" seems a bit strange. More strangely, most of these "ghost lakes" are located on the side of the sacred lake. For example, there is also a "ghost lake" color forest fault next to Namco, namely "Tianhu"; It seems that behind the light, darkness always follows.

Whether it is a "sacred lake" or a "ghost lake", it is actually revered in Tibet. Tibetans don't wash and bathe in lakes, take out garbage and hunt wild animals, so lakes in Tibet are always exceptionally clean and clear, and they are also a paradise for wild animals.

Tibetans believe that no matter how ugly things are, they may be affected. One day, the holy lake and the ghost lake will be connected by a river, and the water in Laangcuo will be as holy and sweet as the water in Yongcuo.

Now it seems that this view is not unreasonable. Yongcuo and Laangcuo in Mabian used to be a lake, and the water source came from the meltwater of nearby Gangrenbo, Fengqi and Namnani peaks. With the climate change, the supply of meltwater is far less than before, the water level of the lake gradually decreases, the riverbed rises, and a small mound separates the two lakes. But when there is plenty of rain and the water level rises, the two lakes are likely to continue to be connected.

This mound is now a traffic artery in and out of Pulan County. Driving on this road, the lake is clear and clean, and the white clouds are very low, as if within reach; In the distance is the snow-covered Gangrinpoche. Aside from the legend of sacred mountains and lakes, this is still a simple and ultimate beauty.

Kolachen

Tibetan ancestors believed that once the mountain was sacred, it would be blessed after it was turned over. And Kong Rinpoche is the head of the holy mountain. If you revolve the mountain around her, you will be saved. If you turn ten times, you can avoid suffering from hell in reincarnation. Turn it 108 times, and you can make a positive result.

The road up the mountain can be roughly divided into two routes: the outer ring and the inner ring. The outer ring takes Gangrinpoche as the center, starts from Tachin, passes through Qugu Temple, reaches Zheripu Temple, climbs Lashankou in Zhuo Ma (5630m above sea level), and finally returns to Tachin. The inner ring line is centered on Mount Injeto. It is said that the mountain-crossing road was opened by Gu Zangba, a master of the Kagyu Sect, in the 3rd century/Kloc-0. Cartography/Chili powder

For thousands of years, people have trekked thousands of miles in Qian Shan year after year to worship in this bitter and cold place on the plateau.

Jung said: "Every original image contains a fragment of human spirit and human destiny. They all participated in countless repeated joys and sorrows in the history of our ancestors. Generally speaking, they always follow the same route."

Believers who climb mountains and mountains. Figure/insect creativity

After the liberation of Tibet, great changes have taken place in the lives of the Tibetan people. Now, religious elements are actually integrated into the daily life of Tibetans. Tibetans often choose to come to worship in winter, that is, after the busy farming season, and then return to their daily lives after the worship.

Self-salvation can be accomplished not only through pilgrimage. Tibetans can worship Buddha and pray at ordinary times, which is reflected in the small things in life: respecting nature, not setting foot in lakes, not killing at will, and choosing celestial burial after death ...

Tibetans will also choose to go to Gangrinpoche to worship when they encounter insoluble confusion and pain in their lives or are eager to eliminate evil. No killing, no swearing during the pilgrimage. Seeing the pilgrimage team, passing Tibetans often give generously and give money and food to show their respect.

In the documentary "Ancient Tea-Horse Road", a couple who lost their son decided to go on a pilgrimage. The plain-looking, weather-beaten middle-aged man said, "Everyone's life has its ups and downs. In this extremely difficult pilgrimage, I am willing to sacrifice myself and pray for (all) living life. In this process, I can also find peace and calm for my family. "

Nowadays, roads and railways have been connected one after another, and many Tibetans have traveled from Sichuan to Gangrenboqi to worship-taking the route of the ancient tea-horse road in history. Before the expressway was connected, it was basically unimaginable. When Tibetans make a pilgrimage, they will also pray for "these great men who have worked hard to build roads."

On the road around the mountain, Tibetans can often be seen kowtowing, holding pads, wearing long aprons and folding their hands to show their understanding of the will and teachings of the Buddha, and touching their foreheads, mouths and chests to show that their body, language and heart are integrated with the Buddha.

This is the most solemn pilgrimage ceremony. In the documentary "Turning the Mountain", a Tibetan with a bag on his head said, "I used to love drinking and my life was a mess. Through this asceticism, I realized what kind of person I should be. "

JASON ZHANG wrote in the film The Shooting Notes of Gang Rinpoche: "Shooting Gang Rinpoche is a kind of practice in itself. Although I am not a Buddhist myself, I feel very close to Buddhism. Buddhism has many methodologies to help a person practice. Through this practice, many things in his heart will be seen more clearly. "

Standing at the foot of Kong Rinpoche and looking up at her huge mountain, many people suddenly felt a sense of awe. This kind of emotion has nothing to do with belief, but a reflection of human instinct.

In Gangrinpoche, Buddhists turn mountains clockwise and Catholics turn mountains counterclockwise. When they met on the road around the mountain, different congregations just passed by calmly and worshipped each other.

They come and go, just turning and turning. Suddenly, it seems that the earth, the sky and the whole Ganzi Leboqi are really turning.

-End-

Author su,

Photo editing | |HonYi

Map editor? chilli powder

Photo seal photography | Shen Jing

Special support: Fang Maohuo, Master of World Heritage, University of Tsukuba, direction of Buddhist art history.

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