The Climbing of Chimborazo

THE POWER OF LOVE FROM THE MOUNTAIN

by Tess Burrows

There is a spiritual law 1+1 gathered in the name of Universal Love equates to far more than 2. As more gather the magnification factor goes up astronomically. This is an expression of higher energy.

Those who come together with focus in positive loving ways, caring for other beings and the Earth, give out a strength and light into the "energy soup". This can balance and transform the shadows of pain and war. Every little bit of unconditional love given out into the "energy soup" is part of the healing of the planet.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet is a shining example. His country was invaded by the Chinese. Over 1 million of his people murdered, untold torture, religious and cultural genocide, the rape of his homeland, but inspite of all this he still says "we must love and respect the Chinese". In that gentle thought is the greatest power, the power of love. In that gentle thought is the answer to the future of humanity - the only way forward in friendship, brotherhood and dialogue.

Inspired by his ideals of non-violence, compassion for all life and universal responsibility, nearly 1000 peace messages were carried to Chimborazo in Ecuador and spoken out on July 6th.(his birthday) from this, the highest mountain in the world measured from the centre of the Earth. (Due to the oblate spheroidness of the planet, Chimborazo at 6310 metres above sea level, is 2150 metres further from the centre of the Earth than Everest is!) These peace messages were sent from all corners of the globe, many nationalities, many religions, celebrities and children. It was a huge focus and expression of desire for the caring of the world and the freedom from oppression in Tibet - part of the shift in consciousness towards Earth Peace.

The Climb For Tibet team planted prayer flags on the highest point of the planet. By age old Tibetan tradition these flags are flown from the highest place possible to invoke blessings for peace, happiness and well being. These blessings are now blowing, uninterrupted by any land mass, around the Earth.

The final part of the pilgrimage to the sacred summit had began at 10.30p.m. at the Edward Whymper hut at 5000 metres, lit by a nearly full moon. It was an unusually calm night (Cotopaxi, a training climb, a couple of days earlier had thrown at us 150 K/H winds!). We passed the stupas we had built containing the prayers of Kuan Yin the Chinese Goddess of Compassion, and putting on crampons above the rocks moved well away from the ice seracs which menaced, and the area where the avalanche had struck the night before. The steep ice took all my focus - every step had to count - I couldn’t let my mind wander - ice axe in one hand swapping periodically with one ski stick - head torch on helmet holding my vision to a little circle of cold white existence - gentle tug of the rope from the harness around my waist representing an umbilical cord to the rest of humanity - on and on, up and up through the timeless night. Pete and Graham turned back at 2.30a.m. at the ridge at 5500 metres, giving up their struggle with the altitude - a sacrifice for us to make it - Mig and I would not let them down, nor would we fail all the hundreds who had sent their love and support, nor the hope that we would fly the Tibetan flag, speak our messages and offer other vital gifts to the welcoming angel of the mountain. I would give everything I had, and as the night turned into a snowy grey dawn, I knew I was blocking out the seemingly impossible safety of the way down. The altitude took its toll - Mig was throwing up - I was hallucinating - thoughts seemed to take forever to connect - the air just wouldn’t breath in properly - and the brain, what was it doing drifting about over there - I could lie down and die. 9.30a.m. saw us on the top of the first summit, with the prospect of having to wade through knee-deep snow to cover the kilometre across and up to the real summit. But the endurance of the mind is a weird thing that carries an exhausted and "wiped-out" body - no thoughts of the desperate dangers of the way down that was to take us til dusk that evening - the spirit still led us and guided us in complete humility and unconditional love to the highest point on Earth.

We were a Tibetan, an Ecuadorian and an Englishwomen, gathered, representing many, in the name of Universal Love for freedom for Tibet and World Peace.

The mountain represents the self - we can all climb within - and we are all responsible.