10 Facts You Should Know About Self-Mummification

 The term “mummy” makes most of think of ancient Egyptian pharaohs, wrapped in what looks like toilet paper and preserved for centuries. However, there is a group of Buddhist monks in Japan who have been practicing the act of self-mummification. They believed this would help them become sokushinbutsu (“Buddha in the flesh”).

source-orrec magazine

1. Why would you do this?

The entire idea of self-mummification sounds terrible, doesn’t it? Well the first person to do this was a man named Kukai who was a Buddhist priest. He and his followers believed they could attain spiritual power and enlightenment through self-denial and an ascetic lifestyle.

2. The first 1,000 days are hard

The entire process of self mummification can be extremely long and tiring. It takes place in 3 stages. Each stage lasts for 1,000 days. In the first stage, the monk eats only nuts, seeds and fruit. This diet is paired with rigorous physical activity in order to lose body fat. This loss of fat helps the body fight decomposition after death.

3. The next 1,000 days are even harder

During the second stage, the monk eats only bark and roots in diminishing amounts. He also spends a large amount of time meditating. These efforts combat decomposition after death.

4. You’re going to vomit your guts out

The second stage leads the body emaciated. The level of body fat is now at an extreme low, and the lack of physical exercise and excessive meditation makes the body loose muscular tissues. The monk then drink tea from the urushi tea which is extremely toxic. The toxins cause heavy vomiting, sweating, and urination. It also builds up within the body and kills any maggots and insects that might try to feed off the body.

 
5. You’re going to get buried alive

At the end of 2,000 days of fasting, meditation and consumption of poison, the monk gets into a stone tomb that is big enough to allow him to sit. The tomb is then closed, literally burying him alive with only a small bamboo tube for air and a bell. The monk rings the bell every day to signal his life. When the bell stops ringing, the tube is taken out and the tomb is sealed.

6. The last 1,000 days

The tomb is left alone for 1,000 days. The extreme conditions of stage 2 ensure the body dries up and mummifies. At the end of the third stage, the body is taken out and kept in a temple where it is worshipped as the living Buddha.

7. There’s a high chance that you’re going to fail

A lot of monks have attempted self-mummification, however only about 2 dozen were successful. Some may have given up while others could just decompose due to bad climatic conditions. The monk’s that decompose in the tomb are buried and respected for their endurance.

8. You’re going to break some laws

Self-mummification was practised in Japan till the 19th Century. In 1877, Emperor Meiji created laws that forbade the opening of the grave. The last known mummy is that of Tetsuryukai. At the end of his third stage, his followers had to secretly dig up his grave to see if he had mummified. When he was, they decided to change the date of his death to 1862, before the law was made in order to not go to prison. His body is still enshrined at Nangaku Temple.

9. The who’s who of self-mummification.

Some of the mummified monks can still be visited in several Buddhist temples all over Japan. The most famous sokushinbutsu is Shinnyokai-Shonin who sits at the Dainichi-Boo Temple on Mount Yudono.

10. The newest Buddhist mummy:

source-Times of india

In January 2015, the old sokushinbutsu found a new companion from Mongolia. Like the Japanese monks, the Mongolian monk is also in the lotus posture. Some Buddhists believe he is still alive and in a meditative state. However, scientists are convinced he has been dead for 200 years.