The Mystery of the Kailash Trail - Chapter 5 - Part 5

Chapter 5: Part 5: Did the wild yaks go to the Manasarovar Lake?

The sight of moving shadows of dusk climbing up the peaks of Kang Renpoche Mountain was swallowing it. The dark shadows came much early today than during the days of the past month. It must have been due to the leftover storm clouds over the region, thought the young monk at the Dirapuk Gompa. It had been a strange day that had followed the rainstorm. He had returned from the eatery run by Yeshe’s parents and was thinking of the group that had entered the mysterious valley that could be a Beyul, a sacred and hidden area.

He wondered about the turn of events. The other monks had discussed the developments and were sitting near him. They looked at the mountains outside the windows of the monastery. The young monk spoke to them about the enthusiasm of Brother Tameng from Choku, the energy of the old man Dawa, the youthful courage of Norbu and Yeshe, and the loyalty of Sangye, the great old horseman from Qinhai. These were the different peoples of the kora, along with people like Yeshe’s parents, the yak-boys, the horse-boys, the helper-women at the various eateries and boys from Darchen and Shiquanhe and other places who came here, each year, to help the pilgrims who came from many different countries.

Did anyone really know about the many mysteries and magical stories of the Kailash Kora, the mountain peaks of Kang Renpoche and the awesome diversity of dimensions across the region to the Manasarovar and Rakshas Lakes? The senior monk at Dirapuk was worried about the location and discovery of the mysterious valley, very nearby and yet totally unknown. Could it be a Beyul? What should one think about the herd of large wild yaks?

One of the younger monks had worked in Nepal and had read many books in Science and especially Biology, before he had discovered the fact that the search for pure knowledge was more fulfilling and more supreme. He had left a good career in science in Nepal and had been accepted by the senior Masters of Dirapuk and their Drukpa Centre in Nepal. He had come to Dirapuk after five years in Bhutan. The scientist-turned-monk offered a brief submission, “Masters, and brothers, there is nothing strange about the herd of large wild-yaks. It is possible that an entire group of wild yaks would have stayed trapped inside these higher valleys for centuries. They would have obviously become very different from the other wild yaks.”

The senior Monk asked, “Young brother, can it really be possible? That isolated animal groups would become different if not able to meet other animal groups? How can that be possible? Does that happen to humans? That is indeed strange. Magical are the ways of the rules of existence. There is so much more to learn. Can it be possible that this could be true? Can it be such a simple answer to such a mysterious question?”

The young monk who had discussed with Brother Tameng about the sightings of the wild yaks, wolves and the twelve pilgrims, said, “It may be so. The wild yaks could have become different from other wild yaks. But why would they walk during the rainstorm? Would it not be wiser for such a group to hide inside their own territory? And Brother Tameng said that it was very clear that the entire herd of large wild yaks were male, extremely large, and almost equal in size to one another. Where have we ever seen a herd of wild yaks that were all male and equal in size? That is very strange.”

“Also, it is the mystery of the herd of the large wild yaks walking through the rainstorm and coming to a standing halt in front of the twelve pilgrims. Why would they do that? Did Brother Tameng really see what he saw? I thought at first that he could have been mistaken. But old man Dawa was with him. He knows this region and he knows the pilgrims, and he knows the wild animals of the mountains. He will not make such a mistake,” said the young monk, “And, what about the wolves? Why would they accompany or stand near the herd of large wild yaks? They would follow them from a distance, and they would be only one or two at any time. Brother Tameng said that they saw almost as many wolves as there were the numbers of large wild yaks. And why did the group of pilgrims not get frightened by the wild yaks and wolves?”

The assembled monks nodded in agreement. They had heard of stranger stories from the mountains but not one as mysterious as this one. And this was not a story, thought the senior Monk. It had really happened, and only within the past twenty-four hours. He thought about the turn of events, quietly, watching the changing shadows of the mountain peaks. Sometimes, it seemed like a huge monkey was about to catch the moon, while at other times it seemed like a dragon had been swallowed up in one gulp by the mountains. The shadows came in all shapes over the mountains.

He came to a decision, and said, “Brothers, we have heard what was said to us by our brother. I know Brother Tameng and Master Rinchen. They are not lunatics or of those whose mind suddenly starts to travel these great distances across the mountains. There are those whose minds have traveled back to more than four or five centuries, and there are those who say that as they sit in meditation on the kora, they can feel that five to six spirits also sat with them in prayer, lending their strength to each other.”

“We will keep a watch on the valley tonight. I want two brothers to take separate locations on the valley. Get some good pilgrim guides or sherpas to help you sit through the night, fearlessly. I need not say that anything can happen. Take your prayer beads and if you want, the spinning prayer-drum. Use the tents that are already in place. Do not construct or borrow any other tent. Do not go to sleep. Just keep a watch over the valley. It would be very helpful and will help us decide if what happened yesterday, at midnight, will repeat itself tonight.”

“I will focus on the Beyul. There must be mention somewhere. It cannot be this close and stay unknown in myth or religion. How could this valley have been hidden away for so many centuries and especially when the mouth of the valley opens into the most crowded location in the Ngari province? Do you know that there are small cities in India or Nepal that have more people than the entire Ngari prefecture? And yet, this valley is the most crowded. Why did the herd of large wild yaks chose to walk down this valley, together, in the stormy night.”

The young Monk replied, “Master, as Brother Tameng of Choku mentioned, it was Master Rinchen who picked up on one point. That was the fact that the twelve pilgrims who sat out there in the circle of stones did not get frightened. It seemed like they were expecting the wild yaks to meet them at that place. Is it strange? We have so many domestic yaks carrying supplies and goods through the kora. Could it be that the pilgrims thought that the herd was consisting of large domestic yaks? It was dark, and raining heavily. They could have been mistaken?”

The senior Monk commented, “I agree. If it was so, why did we not see or spot them in the daytime? Where did the twelve pilgrims go? Did they foolishly attempt to climb the inner kora or attempt to climb the Kang Renpoche Mountain? No. It could not be such a simple explanation. If one would try to climb the unknown peak, he would attempt it in the daylight hours. Why would they try to do so at night, during a rainstorm?”

The two monks chosen to sit it out in the valley requested permission of the senior Monk to leave the monastery premises and stay out through the night. The young monk who had befriended Brother Tameng went up to the windows of the monastery and looked at the Kang Renpoche mountain peak. What was out there? Why were people not allowed to climb the mountain? Could it be that the twelve pilgrims came here to the kora and waited somewhere for a stormy night? Why would they do that? Have these pilgrims foolishly tried to climb the mountain?

The young monk continued to play with his thoughts. Those twelve pilgrims knew why they chose to sit it out on the circle of stones. They knew that they would have to sit through the rainstorm. The wild yaks did not frighten them. Was there something out on the slopes of the Kang Renpoche Mountain? Did the wild yaks, wolves and the pilgrims walk up the Mountain and disappear? Or did they walk down to the Manasarovar Lake and kept walking away from the tourists and pilgrims at Darchen and at the lakes? It had been said that mountains keep their secrets efficiently. If you want to share in them, you had to ask them politely or through prayers.