Mummy Research Paper

Words: 405
Pages: 2

Just two years ago, a mummified monk was discovered in the statue of the Buddha. The mummy was discovered when a buyer had brought it to an expert for restoration. A team of researchers and scientists performed CT scan of this statue to confirm the existence of the mummy in the statue. As they conducted the CT scan, they realise that the mummy's organs were missing. In addition, they found scraps of papers in mummy in replacement of the missing organs. The scraps of papers had chinese characters on it while other parts of the papers had rotted away. Scientists suspect that the mummy could have been a Buddhist master Liuquan, a member of a Chinese Meditation School. It is believed that these mummified monk went through a process of an extreme level self-mummification. Monks who aim to become 'living Buddhas' attempt to follow in Buddha's footsteps when Buddha had reached enlightenment. This self-mummification process consists of these monks sitting in a lotus position and following a strict diet that will eventually cause them to starve, and eventually mummify. They drink a poisonous tree sap that repels the body from insects and preserves the body as an embalming fluid. Monks believe that the mummies are not dead, but only in a deep meditative state called 'tukdam'. Buddha had conquered all sorts of distractions and evil thoughts as he achieved enlightenment. Buddha did not even budge when he was …show more content…
In Ancient Egypt, we learned that Egyptians believed in the afterlife. A portrait of the pharaoh ensured immortality. This makes me wonder if these monks believed in this as well. Did they believe in the afterlife like the Egyptians? While the Egyptians mummified their pharaoh after death, the monks went through the process of self-mummification instead. These coincidences are very interesting and makes me wonder if they were influenced by the Ancient