The floods in Nepal & the worship of false gods

The floods have drawn the world’s attention to Mount Kailash, one of Asia’s most sacred pilgrimage destinations. Many of those reported missing were travelling to or returning from the remote Himalayan peak, including pilgrims from India, Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States.

Rising 6,638 metres above western Tibet, Mount Kailash stands near Lake Manasarovar and the water source of four major Asian river systems: the Indus, Sutlej, Brahmaputra and Karnali.

Unlike other Himalayan peaks, Kailash is not climbed. Pilgrims worship by walking around it, completing a demanding 52-kilometre circuit known as the “kora” or “parikrama”. The route crosses the DolmaLa Pass at approximately 5,600 metres, where the elevation and severe conditions make the journey physically dangerous. Some pilgrims complete the entire circuit through repeated full-body prostrations.

The mountain is sacred to four religious traditions. Hindus believe it is the dwelling place of Shiva and his wife Parvati. Tibetan Buddhists associate it with Mount Meru, which they believe to be the centre of the universe, and regard it as the home of the deity Demchok. Jains identify the region as the place where Rishabhadeva, their first spiritual teacher, attained liberation. Followers of Tibet’s ancient Bon religion believe Kailash is a centre of spiritual power connected with their founder, Tonpa Shenrab. Hindus and Buddhists travel clockwise around the mountain, while Bon pilgrims journey counter-clockwise.

Many believe that completing one circuit removes the sins of a lifetime, while repeated circuits accumulate spiritual merit and may eventually bring liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth. At nearby Lake Manasarovar, pilgrims bathe or drink from the waters in hopes of spiritual purification.

The tragedy highlights the extraordinary lengths to which people will go in search of cleansing, forgiveness and eternal hope. For Christians, it is also a sobering reminder that these universal spiritual longings find their true answer not through pilgrimage or personal suffering, but through the finished work of Jesus Christ.

The tragedy in Nepal perhaps serves as a wake-up call to believers in Christ to get busy about the business of reaching the lost with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Who will go to Nepal and Tibet and tell them of the hope found in Christ?