Mount Everest: The Goddess Mother of the World, Part 2 of 2

Living on Mount Everest are the Sherpa people, who mostly belong to the ancient Nyingma, or Red Hat, a religion of Tibetan Buddhism, the oldest Buddhist religion in Tibet, which combines Buddhism and animism. The Sherpas embrace the Himalayan mountains as sacred and offer their respects by constructing Buddhist monasteries at the base, placing prayer flags on the slopes, and creating wildlife sanctuaries for the animals that live in the mountains. These mountain-dwelling people have long worshipped Mount Everest as a goddess, naming her Chomolungma, meaning “Goddess Mother of the World.”

Tragically, the effects of global climate change on Mount Everest are now evident and endanger the people and wildlife who call this region home. The Paris Agreement report warned that one-third of the 10,000 or so glaciers in the region will disappear by the end of the century. The glaciers assist in regulating climate and maintaining lower temperatures. In the Himalayas, the glaciers hold 40 percent of the world’s fresh water and are the source of one-quarter to one-fifth of the world’s drinking water. As glaciers melt, temperatures increase at an exponential rate. Farmers struggle to irrigate their crops, with decreased water supply causing desertification in some areas. The water shortage will be a disaster for the 250 million people living across the mountain region and the 1.6 billion people who depend on the glaciers as their water source.

All information concerning the scientific evidence of climate change and its solution is in Supreme Master Ching Hai’s Book, “From Crisis to Peace.” Free for download at: Crisis2Peace.org Mount Everest, with its unparalleled beauty and magnitude, is truly a spectacular gift from Mother Earth. She has provided shelter to numerous plants and wildlife and has served as an important water source for the planet and the world’s population. May every one of us do our part in adopting the compassionate and eco-friendly vegan lifestyle.