Mummified Buddhist Monk Is Still Alive
Or At Least That’s What The Headlines Say (Disclaimer: Graphic Images)
In the year 2014, a man having doubts regarding the Buddhist Monk statue he had procured, had it CT scanned. Much to everyone’s disbelief, mummified remain of a Lama was found encased and on further investigation, all his organs were found to be replaced by Chinese scriptures.
It was not the only one. Till now 24, almost perfectly, preserved mummies of the Lamas have been found, seated in a crossed legged lotus position. So what was the reason behind it and why were the Monks obsessed with being preserved this way?
Origin
The mummy that was found in the statue was found to be that of a monk named Liu Quan.
Even today, the Buddhist monks believe that the mummified Lama is not dead but simply meditating so that he can be facilitation for bringing goodness to the world in the distant future.
Their belief stems from their ideology that if they were preserved they could be revived and they can reiterate their learnings to fellow humans of the future when the world is in an upheaval.
This method, as the Japanese called it Sokushinbutsu, was hence adopted until it was criminalized around the world in the late 19th century. It was prohibited as it paved the way as “assisted suicide”.
Process
The process was not a simple one and those who achieved it were revered as an incarnation of Buddha himself and worshiped in temples. The monks had to prepare their body for over 3 years (1000 days) to ensure that their body is well preserved.
When they were ready to plunge into Sokunshinbutsu, they would start going on a strict diet, eating only berries, pine leaves and barks of the tree to dissolve the body fat. When they were not foraging for food, they meditated and exercised intensely. Near the end of 1000 days of rigor, they survived just on salt water to remove the moisture from their bodies.
Some say that the monks also drank poisoned tea, made from Chinese lacquer to both hasten their demise, and prevent the infestation of maggots or other bacteria that cause decomposition of the body.
Once they realize their death was near, they were lowered to a stone tomb with holes for air and they would ring a bell to indicate that they are still alive. Once the bell stops ringing, their disciples knew that the master has gone into trance (death).
Then again they wait for 1000 days, after which the body will be checked for decomposition. If the body had begun rotting, the monk was still praised for his devotion to the cause and given a proper funeral. If the monk was well preserved, he was extolled to be an incarnation Buddha and worshipped as an idol in temples.
Over 100 monks were found to have tried Sokunshinbutsu, but only 24 preserved remains have been found as evidence. The most shocking instance was that of Lama Dashi-Dorzho Itigilov, a 75-year old cadaver, which is still in “the preserved condition of a 36-hour old body”.
It took them hundreds of years to master the preservation process and only a few were rigorous enough to achieve it. The body of Liu Quan is currently placed in the Hungarian National History Museum in Budapest.
Next time when you go on a diet, remember, consistency is the key (Though such an intense diet might prove to be fatal)!
