Mount Meru - Cosmic Axis of the Universe
Cosmological/Mythological (Various Earthly Identifications)
Sacred Overview
Mount Meru (Sanskrit: Sumeru, "excellent Meru") is the sacred cosmic mountain at the center of all physical, metaphysical, and spiritual universes in Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist cosmology. Unlike ordinary mountains, Meru is the axis mundi - the pillar connecting heaven and earth around which the entire cosmos revolves. The sun, moon, and stars circle around it; the gods dwell upon its various terraces; and it reaches from the lowest hells below to the highest heavens above. While Mount Meru is primarily a cosmological and mythological concept, various earthly mountains have been identified with it, including Mount Kailash in Tibet, which many consider the physical manifestation of this supreme cosmic principle.
Mount Meru is not merely large but inconceivably vast - described as 84,000 yojanas high (with one yojana equaling approximately 8-15 kilometers, this would make it hundreds of thousands of kilometers tall). Made of gold, silver, lapis lazuli, and crystal, it is surrounded by concentric rings of mountains and oceans, with our world (Jambudvipa) located to the south. The concept of Meru has profoundly influenced Asian architecture, from the stepped temples of Angkor Wat and Borobudur (built as symbolic representations of Meru) to the layout of palace complexes and mandalas that replicate its sacred geography.
Cosmological Structure
📐 Dimensions
- Height: 84,000 yojanas above ocean
- Depth: 84,000 yojanas below
- Width at summit: 32,000 yojanas
- Width at base: 16,000 yojanas
- Inverted cone shape (wider at top)
- Made of gold and precious substances
- Each face different color/material
🌞 Four Faces
- East face: Silver/crystal (white)
- South face: Lapis lazuli (blue)
- West face: Ruby (red)
- North face: Gold (yellow)
- Colors illuminate respective continents
- Our sky appears blue (south face)
- Each direction has associated realm
🌊 Seven Rings
- Seven golden mountain ranges surround
- Separated by seven cosmic oceans
- Progressively lower from center
- Outermost: Iron Mountain (Cakravala)
- Salt ocean contains four continents
- Our world: Jambudvipa (Rose-Apple Land)
- Complex vertical cosmology
🌐 Celestial Realms
- Sun and moon orbit Meru
- Stars attached to sky surrounding
- 33 gods (Trayastrimsa) at summit
- Indra's palace: Vaijayanta
- Four Heavenly Kings guard slopes
- Higher heavens above summit
- Formless realms at apex
Religious Traditions
☯ Hindu Tradition
- Abode of Brahma at summit
- Axis supporting three worlds
- Source of sacred rivers
- Site of Churning of Ocean
- Mandara used as churning stick
- Vishnu as Kurma supported it
- Center of Jambudvipa continent
☸ Buddhist Tradition
- Central to Buddhist cosmology
- Trayastrimsa heaven at summit
- Buddha taught there to mother
- Detailed in Abhidharma texts
- Mandalas represent Meru system
- Offering mandalas = offering universe
- Symbolic in temple architecture
🔮 Jain Tradition
- Center of Middle World
- Tirthankaras bathed here after birth
- Jambudvipa surrounds it
- Detailed cosmography in texts
- Never destroyed in cosmic cycles
- Eternal axis of universe
- Complex geographical system
🏛 Architectural Influence
- Angkor Wat models Meru
- Borobudur represents Meru
- Hindu temples as miniature Merus
- Tibetan stupas symbolize it
- Palace compounds designed as Meru
- Mandalas map its structure
- Sacred geography replicated
Associated Deities & Beings
Brahma
Creator god who dwells at the summit in Brahmapura. Four-faced overlooking all directions.
Indra
King of gods ruling Trayastrimsa heaven. Palace Vaijayanta at peak of Meru.
Four Heavenly Kings
Guardians of the four directions, dwelling on slopes. Protect the world from demons.
Garuda
Divine bird who circles Meru. Lives on its slopes, enemy of nagas.
Surya & Chandra
Sun and Moon gods who orbit around Meru, illuminating the world.
Nagas
Serpent beings dwelling in waters around Meru. Guard treasures in underworld.
Earthly Identifications
🏔 Mount Kailash
- Most common identification
- Tibet, 6,638m (21,778 ft)
- Revered in Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Bon
- Never climbed (by respect)
- Source of four major rivers
- Physical axis mundi
- Circumambulation pilgrimage
🏔 Mount Meru (Tanzania)
- Volcanic mountain in Africa
- 4,566m (14,980 ft)
- Near Mount Kilimanjaro
- Named after mythological Meru
- Important in local traditions
- Climbing destination
- Active stratovolcano
🏙 Angkor Wat
- Temple as Mount Meru replica
- Five towers = five peaks
- Moat = cosmic ocean
- Concentric galleries = mountain rings
- Most elaborate representation
- 12th century Cambodia
- World Heritage Site
🔮 Mandala Representations
- Sand mandalas map Meru cosmos
- Offering mandalas = gift of universe
- Three-dimensional mandala offerings
- Temple layouts based on Meru
- Visualization practices
- Tantric ritual objects
- Symbolic geography
Modern Significance
🔮 Spiritual Practice
- Mandala offerings in Buddhism
- Visualization meditation
- Understanding cosmic structure
- Temple pilgrimage
- Circumambulation practices
- Contemplative cosmology
- Living tradition
🎨 Cultural Influence
- Foundation of Asian art/architecture
- Temple design principles
- Royal palace layouts
- Cosmological paintings
- Literary descriptions
- Cross-cultural concept
- Unifying mythological image
📚 Scholarly Study
- Comparative mythology
- Axis mundi concept
- Sacred geography studies
- Architectural symbolism
- Religious cosmology
- Indo-Tibetan studies
- History of ideas
🌎 Universal Symbolism
- World mountain archetype
- Center of universe concept
- Vertical cosmos model
- Sacred space organization
- Connects human and divine
- Cross-cultural resonance
- Enduring mythological power
Related Topics
Explore Connections
Sources & Further Reading
Primary Sources:
- Vasubandhu. Abhidharmakosa (Treasury of Abhidharma)
- Vishnu Purana, Bhagavata Purana (Hindu cosmography)
Modern Works:
- Eliade, Mircea. The Sacred and the Profane. Harcourt, 1959. (Axis mundi concept)
- Kloetzli, Randy. Buddhist Cosmology. Motilal Banarsidass, 1983.