Reading Lane’s account of his journey to Mount Rainier was not exactly inspirational, but it definitely affected me in a positive way. The way Lane views Mt. Rainier is admirable and I can relate to his feelings of inadequacy when in the presence of the mountain. Lane writes, “I wanted to give thanks for the day and all the places it had offered -- to leave something there as a gift, an appreciation of what the mountain had been for me. With a sight as beautiful and Mt. Rainier, I understand Lane’s feelings. Even in the fenced-in forest surrounding my local park, I feel like I owe something to my surroundings for letting me enter the area. Eventually, Lane decides to leave his blessing, but it still does not seem good enough. The mountain is just too triumphant and beneficial to the landscape. Lane writes, “It is as if the earth’s own backbone were exposed in these vast ranges, the largest mountains standing like chakras along which immense waves of energy pass.” Lane uses the word ‘chakra’ in order to more clearly personify the landscape. He perceives the mountain to have qualities of a human; a human that can continually offer solace and deeper spiritual understanding. Lane then compares his pilgrimage to Mt. Rainier to Buddhist, Anagarika Govinda’s journey (parikrama) around Mount Kailas. The Himalayan peak, located in Tibet, is unclimbed and uncharted. Located on the ‘roof of the world,’ Mount Kailas is sacred to the ancient civilizations of India and China. Govinda writes, “He who performs the parikrama...with a perfectly devoted and concentrated mind goes through a full cycle of life and death” (Lane 97). Lane explains that by the end of a pilgrim’s journey around Mt. Kailas, they will have “entered a pattern grander even than that traced by their feet” (Lane 98). These holy mountains described Lane are examples of landscapes that can offer a spiritual connection with the holy. By experiencing these mountains, one can access their “undiscovered self” (Lane 98).
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