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The Self-Mummified Monks of Japan
Scattered throughout Northern Japan are two dozen mummified Japanese monks known as Sokushinbutsu. Followers of Shugendo, an ancient form of Buddhism, the monks died in the ultimate act of self-denial. Estimates of the number of self-mummified priests in Japan range between sixteen and twenty-four priests. Impressive though this number is, many more have tried to self-mummify themselves.
For three years the priests would eat a special diet consisting only of nuts and seeds, while taking part in a regimen of rigorous physical activity that stripped them of their body fat. They then ate only bark and roots for another three years and began drinking a poisonous tea made from the sap of the Urushi tree, which contains Urushiol (same stuff that makes poison ivy), normally used to lacquer bowls. This caused vomiting and a rapid loss of bodily fluids. Finally, a self-mummifying monk would lock himself in a stone tomb barely larger than his body, where he would not move from the lotus position. His only connection to the outside world was an air tube and a bell. Each day he rang a bell to let those outside know that he was still alive. When the bell stopped ringing, the tube was removed and the tomb sealed.As you can see, the process of self-mummification was a long and extremely painful process that required a mastery of self-control and denial of physical sensation. The self-made mummies of Japan are people who have earned the respect now shown to them, as they exemplify the teachings of the Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism.
Not all monks who attempted self-mummification were successful, but the pay-off for the ones who succeeded was quite high. They were raised to the status of Budda, put on display, and tended to by their followers. The Japanese government outlawed Sokushunbutsu in the late 19th century, though the practice continued into the 20th. The practice of self-mummification, which is a form of suicide after all, had to be outlawed to prevent Buddhist priests from offing themselves this way.
36 thoughts:
i saw a documentation about this last week. that is a very interesting topic. are you interested in this, or why do you write this post?
Of course it's interesting.. that's why I posted here! What was the name of the documentary?
it was a german one..
Yikes! I was with them until the sealed room that's just about human sized. Being in a space that is just slightly bigger than my body is a nightmare of mine. Ugh!
@Benedikt: Can you be more specific.. I'd really like to watch it.
I just found some more information and pictures on Sokushinbutsu: click!
Just wondering why they would even need an air tube? Sort of ironic.
That's crazy! I actually remember seeing a show on this awhile ago. It's nuts to think that they would put themselves through this, but then again the thought of being compared to Buddha I'm sure was more than enough to convince them to mummify themselves.
I'm pretty sure the Buddha would have given them a bloody great bitch slapping for doing this.
Pah.
Kudos for the self control, but man, pick a better application.
I can't think of any reason that a Buddhist would choose to do this. It seems like this is a method to prove how far they have come in their learning about self-denial. But trying to prove their progress seems to run contradictory to Buddhism. My knowledge of Buddhism is very limited, but nothing about this seems like it should be a Buddhist practice to me.
Judging from the photos, they are not at all mummified. This is what any skeleton (dressed in fancy garb) would look like. All that "self-denial" was completely pointless...unless you count their posthumous being fussed over, of course.
They Are mummified The Lacquer builds up in the body and the skin basically "shrinkwraps" around the bone there by in effect causing self induced mummification, one point they forgot to mention all the monks drank there tea with water from a certain spring that had low levels of cyanide which created a germ free environment when he died so the body did mot rot
And Boomshank what do you know about Buddhism?
ilker, the docu comes from germany in german language.. i think there is no change to see that in another language. so you won't be able to understand.
@ benedikt, you can always sub it =P
This is a really odd thing about people. I could never understand why anyone would ever do anything like this (being as nonreligious as I am). But then I never seem to understand any sort of queer things that go on in the world anymore. Very interesting creature we humans are.
>"Kudos for the self control, but man, pick a better application."
Yeah, as cool and interesting as it may be, I hardly think this elevates them to the state of Buddha.
I agree it does not sound like something that agrees with most buddhist ideals. I don't think "abandoning desire" really includes 'neglecting the physical needs of your body'. But I too am not exactly a member of that community, so I could be wrong.
Overall, cool as hell. I am quite impressed.
"Each day he rang a bell to let those outside know that he was still alive. "
somehow I find this very poetic.
I imagine a 300-year-old monk,
they go visit his cave only to find the string tied to a moving branch and a note left 270 years ago: "fuck this shit I'm going to VEGAS!"
must be a long distance relative of the egyptians
Tragic foolishness masquerading as Buddhism. They threw away life, our greatest gift from God.
Very strange stuff, it never fails to amaze me what people do to find enlightenment or spirituality.
Interesting... What nuts and seeds did they eat and where can I get that wonderful tea ?
this reminds me of the tattooed dentist of Ft. Collins CO who self-schmuckified right in his office! Horrendous.
now that's what i call dedication.
I quote: "For those of you new to Buddhism, the basic premise of the religion is that the whole of the phenomenal world -- everything you can see, hear, touch, experience -- is just an illusion that prevents you from seeing what is really true; that you are part of a greater being that stands separate and beyond our phenomenal world. As long as you don't see this, you will be continually reborn back into this world in an endless series of illusionary lives. So the goal of Buddhist priests is to separate themselves from this world enough that at death they become one with the greater being known as Buddha instead of being re-born into this world yet again. "
The Vegas theory is an interesting one though :)
Google "self mummification".
Interesting topic, i saw another documentary abt this on discovery channel on this jus today. ilker, the name's "Hour Asia - The Mummies Who Made Themselves".
I like the comment abt life being our greatest gift frm God. Pls dont insult Buddhism like that though.
about life being the greatest gift from god, most of these people were old anyway. And, it is from a Buddhist sect that believed in self mortification to reach enlightenment. I did what the guy above me did, and did my research.
If you want to see a real Buddhist miracle, look up Hambo Lama Itigelov. He mummified himself too, but retained his normal human appearance, except his face is a little messed up though.
I'm pretty sure Buddha left a group of monks who practiced things like starvation etc. because it wasn't getting him closer to any sort of answers or enlightenment.
Oh well :(
well...i think that their extreme self-denial act mirrors their extreme need for salvation.it's just a way to be saved thru their perfect and unspoiled body. it's a body that becomes saint, as salvation doesn't pass only thru the spirit and this body tries to solve the crisis between life&death,being in a state of non-life and non-death.it's a different vision of what means being "perfect",with no more earthly needs.
anyway..it's kinda complicated....
miki
I seriously don't understand wy someone would do something like this to themselves.... Is there any other benifit that they receive other than being respected and considered equal to budda? But they wouldn realy be able to experience the honour would they.... they'd already be dead...
I dont know much about Buddism. But I know that for followers of some sects of buddism their ultimate goal is to acheive "nothingness" -- simply to vanish off the face of the earth. Not to die like these monks but simply vanish. I am told that people have actually managed to do this. Is this true?
I think it's beautiful that the ancient Buddhist did this . The Japan buddist believe that anything you could see or touch was an allusion that prevents you from seeing what is really true and that we are part in a greater being that stands separate and beyond our phenomenal world.As long as you don't see this, you will be continually reborn back into this world in an endless series of illusionary lives. So the buddhist believe if they separate themselves from the world that even at death they become one with the greater being.Ideally, as a priest becomes more like the greater Buddha, they will be far less concerned about themselves than others. I think It's pretty cool I wouldn't recommend self mummification but the moral of it all to love others and to have made such a sacrifice for others is a very beautiful thing :)
"I seriously don't understand wy someone would do something like this to themselves.... Is there any other benifit that they receive other than being respected and considered equal to budda?"
I just really want to touch upon this quickly. Religion isn't about benefits, or about rewards. It shouldn't have to be --it's about believing that the world exists a certain way, celebrating it, and finding your place in that order.
The idea that religions are only as good as the benefits reaped is a large part of the many tragedies in our history. It's a really sad frame of mind for humanity to adopt, :(.
This is a very interesting topic, and until recently, there were no books on the subject in English. I recently learned that the first boo in English on the subject is being published soon. It is entitled "Living Buddhas: The Self-Mummified Monks of Yamagata, Japan". Here is a link to it:
http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-4880-7
If you all are interested, I have some great pictures of these monks at this site: http://sites.google.com/site/selfmummifiedmonks/
i think the photo of the monk-mummy in the red garb looks like he's smiling. so i guess if he's happy with it then we a ll should be... :) juchi
...isn't it as bit strange that these priests/monks are physically preserved and revered by others when it was their actual spiritual goal to deny their physical selves?
i think this is a really cool practice and i would like to travel to japan to see these monks its almost mind boggling
Buddhism does indeed teach self-denial and separation from the desires of the body. However, Siddartha Gautama, The Buddha, the Enlightened One who founded Buddhism, probably would not have supported this "self-mummification" practice. Born a prince, he lived a life of comfort and luxury until he became spiritually moved by sights of human suffering. He then went to the opposite extreme, becoming for several years so ascetic that he nearly starved himself to death. Finally, he achieved Enlightenment and discovered a "Middle Way," a path of moderation away from the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification. By Western standards, Siddartha's life from then onward would be considered very ascetic, but not to the point of suicide or self-starvation or intentionally harming the body in any way. Siddartha is said to have lived a very long life after this, teaching his principles to many disciples.
What do you think? Post your thoughts..