The Mystery of the Black Murti, or At the Origins of Advaita

“The Mystery of the Black Murti” is a traveler's diary and, at the same time, a unique encyclopedia of the religious traditions of the Himalayas and Eastern mysticism as a whole. Delving into the history and mythology of the regions visited, the author takes the reader through a gallery of faces and characters: sages, administrators, business people, representatives of the common folk, as well as foreigners, including numerous compatriots. A special place in the book is occupied by Indian mystics, their teachings and rituals, meditation techniques, and mystical practices prevalent among Himalayan hermits. The book vividly depicts temple cities, the sacred valleys of Kullu and Spiti, and the Buddhist and Bon monasteries within the territory of the ancient kingdom of Shang-Shung, identified by some researchers with the legendary Shambhala. The central image of the entire narrative is an anthropomorphic figure made of black stone, kept in the altar of the main temple of the city of Badrinath, in the upper reaches of the Ganges — the murti. For centuries, many minds have been intrigued by the mystery of its origin. Who is this stone yogi with tucked legs? Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Bonpos, who at different times inhabited the lands at the foot of the ancient temple of the “stone god,” see in it an icon of their own guru: Vishnu, Buddha, Rishabha, Shenraba. In the author's concept, the black murti serves as a unique symbol of dharmic ecumenism, uniting in the image of the primordial master (adi-guru) the mystical experience of the adepts of the major religions of the region: Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Bon.