3,280m (10,761 ft) above sea level in ZhongDian (also known as Shangrila), Yunnan in China, everyday life involves praying, chanting, walking in unison around a rotating gold-plated religious tower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
Just wonder what is their state of mind when they pray?
I know that at that altitude you suffer from lack of oxygen and have headaches and dizziness. I have been even higher in Bolivia and it was painful, you even get hallucinations.
You have even harsh experience than I do with heights. Surely, I don’t want hallucinations!
I wonder if their prayers get repetitious after a while. . . Mine are short and simple. . .
Hi Liz, I always wonder why those people in or near Tibet used to rotate wheels or towers as they pray. I suppose in unison with the rotation, they may repeat their prayers. I hope I can pray as short as simple as you do – I tend to pray repeatedly.
I have seen this and it was amazing…great photo Michael.
I think my photography my have distracted some of those who prayed!
Awesome Place, been there twice without any health challenges. Unfortunately a few years ago their old town burned down. anyhow a place to go and experience…
Yes, somewhere in my blog, I posted on the fire which destroyed part of the old town underneath the Gold Tower – how sad!
Michael… i see our path cross very often .. we should try to meet.. i am in dongguan now… if your nearby please let me know
I think we were at the same place but not at the same time; it is a four dimensional world.
Will give you a shout if I am near Dongguan.
Wow! Great picture!
Thank you, Antonia!
superb and this place is a must in my bucket list.
Yeah, worth seeing!
This is a wonderful image for “state of mind.”
Thank you, Laurie!
So you have been to Shangri-La? Compliments. What was your state of mind? Apart from feeling dizzy by the altitude.
(I also noticed the -original- swastikas at the bottom)
I didn’t feel dizzy, only that I can walk up the hills / steps slowly – not the normal pace.
I was thinking why Tibetan and similar religion involves physical exercise like rotating the wheel or even a tower, bowing and sliding forward etc, it all seems incredible to me.
Indeed. I’ve always thought that the prayer wheel concept or the written prayers blown by the wind on stupas are great inventions, just let the wind or the wheel turn and turn and say the prayer. Neat.
I thought one has to make a mental effort in prayers, these means seem to avoid the mental “work”.
It’s the industrial revolution of praying.
It is a mechanization of prayers, trying to put a perpetual motion on the praying reels / towers.