The Sandal on the Pamir: A Legend of Bodhidharma

Who Was Bodhidharma? Bodhidharma was the first patriarch of the Chan Buddhist tradition (known in Japan as Zen). He is also called Damo, Daruma, and… the Bearded Barbarian. The last nickname came about naturally. Unlike the clean-shaven Chinese monks, he wore a beard. Moreover, according to legend, he came to preach his teaching in China from India. And the Chinese called all outsiders “barbarians” – hu. Hence “the Bearded Barbarian.”

The Pamir Mountains: The Origin of the Name and Other Interesting Facts

The Pamir mountain system forms a unique planetary junction, where the spurs of Asia's greatest ranges—the Hindu Kush, Tien Shan, Karakoram, and Kunlun—converge. This grand uplift of the Earth's crust neighbors deep depressions, such as the Tarim (Kashgar) Basin. The Pamir is located at the crossroads of several nations: Tajikistan, China, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. However, its central, highest part, containing the main peaks, lies within the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region of the Republic of Tajikistan.

The Ancient Mystery of Mount Olam Jahon

It is, perhaps, less a mystery and more my own speculation — possibly even an overactive imagination. Yet, since there are no definitive answers, let us still call it a “mystery.” So, what is this all about?
During a hike to Mount Olam Jahon, after I had climbed onto the plateau at its summit, I noticed a few oddities — both of the plateau itself and of the peaks situated on it. It is these oddities, and the conclusions I drew while examining them, that I wish to share in this short article.