Kailash: In Quest of the Self

About the book This book is a rare, spiritual adventure story of one dedicated renunciant's foot pilgrimage through the mountains of India, Nepal and Tibet to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar, the abode of the gods on earth. Swami Vedananda, a disciple of Shirdi Sai Baba literally takes us with him on his journey. He gives us an amazingly frank and honest portrayal of the physical and spiritual challenges, which he had to overcome on this very difficult yatra. He shares the insights that guided and prodded him on, and the personal darshans granted him, by ascetics, saints and gods. He records for us, in detail, the remarkable meetings and profound teachings he received from several siddhas, and one in particular, a 700 year old Siddha. Swamiji grants us access to his meditations. Numerous photographs and a map show us his way. This book can be read on several levels and is a book full of blessings. Preface A Life Fulfilled The mere sight of Mount Kailash is a stepping stone for self- realization. A dip in Holy Manasarovar liberates ones from worldly desires and inspires divine knowledge. A pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar is not an ordinary pilgrimage-it is a transcendental spiritual journey- a journey toward Liberation and Realization! Mount Kailash in the Himalayas is a place of immense Divine energy. It is the mystic land of Kriya Yoga teachings and teachers; it is a place where the veil ofIgnorance begins to move away and the beginning of renunciation for the true seekers of Supreme Self starts. Every particle in the Himalayas is filled with Divinity. Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar symbolize Siva and Shakti (the two inseparable aspects of the Supreme Self). Tears of joy welled up in my eyes when I saw the Gompha where Swami Pranavananda from Andhra Pradesh lived for some time. The lonel