καιρός remembered

Yak horns

Turning prayer wheels, as mentioned in last week’s post, and prayer flags fluttering in the wind, as mentioned in an earlier post, are effective ways of amplifying and spreading the positive effects of the sacred texts they contain. Another very ancient custom is the use of engraved stones or animal skulls and horns to spread the mystical mantras across the earth. Whilst the former practices utilise movement and the breath of the air to carry out the work, in the latter examples it is durability that counts.

As we trek through Tibet, over high mountain passes and near remote villages and isolated monasteries, we come across these traces of human presence everywhere, left behind by others who have travelled this way before us in this impressive landscape. That is one of the reasons – another being the harsh weather conditions and the high altitude – why trekking in Tibet is an unforgettable experience.

Photo of the week: Lhasa Valley with the Potala in the distance, Tibet 1996