Waving Shiv Baba’s Flag on Top of Mount Everest Summit

Waving Shiv Baba’s Flag on Top of Mt Everest Summit (8,850 Metre) 

by BK Dalip Shekhawat of Pilani (Rajasthan)

I am BK Dalip Shekhawat; I summited Mount Everest on 16th of May 2019 at 5 am from the south face in Nepal. I raised Shiv Baba’s flag at the peak of Mount Everest. It was the culmination of years of meditation, planning and intense physical training, truly putting me in the rarefied air of a very few people who have conquered the 8,850-metre peak. The expedition began in the first week of April from Kathmandu. It took us approximately 50 days to reach the summit and back.  

My daily Spiritual Regime

I get up at 4 am and start my day with spiritual meditation. All the pure energy that comes from the quiet moments, sets me up for the day. I feel calm, energetic and in control. I feel I am ready for whatever comes my way. Through meditation I have explored and unfolded my inner powers. The actual act of meditation is still a mythical quest for many because it involves sitting down and really silencing your mind working towards that “inner stillness” when our day is driven, deep inside, by societal insecurities and mundanities of everyday life. 

I meditated over years to visualize and experience the powerful atmosphere and the consciousness of the Himalayas, because it has been the traditional seat of meditation for yogis and spiritual seekers who meditated in caves. During the climb I meditated at base camp every day. I awarded the climb to myself, as a pilgrimage and not an ‘attack’ on the mountain – a word that some people use. Even the oft-repeated idea of ‘conquering-of-the-peak’ is nullified in the journey. I really wanted to feel my oneness with the entity. It was not a question of just bagging the peak, then going home and telling people ‘you did it’! That’s probably part of it, but you’ve got to pay your dues, just like anything in life. You must decide this is a priority and go about it in a conscious way.

During meditation, I connected with the power and ambiance of Shiv Baba. I requested Baba to secure my route from all dangers and visualized my success to the summit. Mount Everest Expedition is undoubtedly a lifetime opportunity to bring us face to face with all that is away from the mundane, awarding us the revelation both at the mythical as well as the mystical. One must be well-prepared before attempting a task as prodigious as this. With these enormous takeaways, one encounters umpteen and mighty intimidating hurdles such as high altitude, severe weather conditions and avalanches.

In the Death zone (also known as Domains of God), climbers face a near-death experience due to extreme fatigue, dehydration, extreme cold, and low oxygen conditions. In that state of adversity, I felt the presence of the spiritual powers around me (Baba’s power); my body became superfluous with the power to lead and push through the summit and descend safely.

Mt Everest lives up to its fearful reputation; on summit day we lost two of our fellow climbers who perished due to sudden change in weather while returning from the summit. In 2019, 11 climbers lost their lives; it was the worst season on record. As of the end of the 2019 season around 309 people are known to have died climbing Everest, I strongly believe that my spiritual connection to the Baba gave me permission to stand on the summit and return safely to base camp.  

How did this experience change me?

Mountains are powerful and unpredictable beyond our imagination, they have life of their own, they roar, they grow, they move, they breathe, and they recycle. Mt Everest made a huge impression on me. I felt stunned after seeing the cosmic size of Everest and getting the aerial view of the world from 30,000 feet, which helped me to understand the magnitude of the relationship between man and mountain.  It also gave me a better sense to size up my problems in life.

My connection with nature and its importance? 

My personal theory of mind is that I always ask myself Who am I? I believe I am a cosmic dust; my birth was a supernatural process, I need nature’s big 5 elements to stay alive and function (soil, water, air, heat, and space). These resources need to be respected and conserved.

Wrap – up

Metaphorically, I still haven’t come back down to Earth. I am very thankful to my family and my father Shri Nathu Singh Shekhawat who inspired me throughout my planning, training and climb. I am also thankful to Asha didi and Swati didi at Brahma Kumaris Center at Pilani for handing in the Shiv Baba flag to wave at the summit. I am also thankful to St Amant and Royal Winnipeg Rifles where I work, for all their support.

I will continue my journey to break barriers through meditation and raise funds to support our community. I will also humbly attempt to continue to build on life lessons that will inspire us all to leave the next generation of leaders with a competitive edge for the global village that we have become.

“Not all the challenges are real; through meditation, self discipline and commitment to the plan, we all have the power to pull off the impossible.” 

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