US 13-YEAR-OLD 'IN EVEREST RECORD'

CALIFORNIA BOY, 13, BECOMES
YOUNGEST PERSON TO CLIMB EVEREST

BEIJING (AP) - A 13-year-old American boy became the youngest climber to reach the top of Mount Everest on Saturday, surpassing the previous record set by a 16-year-old Nepalese. Jordan Romero called his mother by satellite phone from the summit of the world's highest mountain, 29,035 feet (8,850 meters) above sea level. He is now one climb away from his quest to conquer the highest peaks on all seven continents. “He says, 'Mom, I'm calling you from the top of the world,'“ Leigh Anne Drake told The Associated Press from California, where she had watched her son's progress on a GPS tracker online. “There were lots of tears and 'I love you! I love you!'“ Drake said. “I just told him to get his butt back home.” The teenager with long curly hair - who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa when he was 9 years old - says he was inspired by a painting in his school hallway of the seven continents' highest summits. “Every step I take is finally toward the biggest goal of my life, to stand on top of the world,” Jordan said earlier on his blog.

Jordan's climbing team reached the peak hours earlier than expected. At the summit, Jordan left behind his lucky rabbit's foot and planted some seeds that a Buddhist monk at a local monastery had given him for luck on his journey, Bailey said. Then he took the satellite phone and called his mom. Jordan continues the recent trend of young adventurers. Earlier this month, 16-year-old Australian Jessica Watson became the youngest person to sail around the globe solo, nonstop and unassisted. Thousands lined Sydney Harbor to cheer as she cruised past the finish line in her pink yacht. And in January, 17-year-old Johnny Collinson of Utah became the youngest person to climb the highest peaks on all seven continents.


In the same way as in being successful in reaching the highest mountain's top, any spiritual practitioner does not reach Krishna only by his own efforts. If one becomes greatly fortunate, he receives the creeper of devotion from the spiritual master and by his constant efforts, and the grace of the Lord, he start to undertake devotional service to Krishna.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

By the mercy of both the spiritual master and the Supreme Lord, he (the spiritual practitioner) receives the creeper of devotion which is initial faith in devotional practices. The spiritual practitioner installs this creeper of devotion in budding stage in the core of his heart and waters it by the process of hearing and chanting, doing the work of a transcendental gardener. The mercy of Sri Guru coming into play, the creeper sprouts and slowly growing traverses the boundary of the material universe into the spiritual Vaikuntha planets and on reaching there, with renewed efforts, the creeper rises over to reach the Lotus feet of Sri Krishna in Goloka Vrndavana.

Śrīla Bhakti Promode Puri Mahārāja :
“Essence Of Pure Devotion - Bhakti Siddhanta Sara”
Part II – “Guru Tattva”
http://bvml.org/SBPPG/index.htm