CT scan finds remains inside Buddha statue

digitalbeachbum
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iwbiek
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this is quite common.

this is quite common. yogis, whatever their tradition, often pass into death sitting up, then are propped up with a stick, decorated with garlands of flowers, and buried in mounds or entombed in that position. this type of grave is known as a samadhi, and it's often the easiest way to tell if the holy man was a muslim or not (muslims are only buried lying down).

"I have never felt comfortable around people who talk about their feelings for Jesus, or any other deity for that matter, because they are usually none too bright. . . . Or maybe 'stupid' is a better way of saying it; but I have never seen much point in getting heavy with either stupid people or Jesus freaks, just as long as they don't bother me. In a world as weird and cruel as this one we have made for ourselves, I figure anybody who can find peace and personal happiness without ripping off somebody else deserves to be left alone. They will not inherit the earth, but then neither will I. . . . And I have learned to live, as it were, with the idea that I will never find peace and happiness, either. But as long as I know there's a pretty good chance I can get my hands on either one of them every once in a while, I do the best I can between high spots."
--Hunter S. Thompson


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iwbiek wrote:this is quite

iwbiek wrote:
this is quite common. yogis, whatever their tradition, often pass into death sitting up, then are propped up with a stick, decorated with garlands of flowers, and buried in mounds or entombed in that position. this type of grave is known as a samadhi, and it's often the easiest way to tell if the holy man was a muslim or not (muslims are only buried lying down).

Yeah I know of those procedures but making them in to a statue? It looks like the bronzed him or made a cast of him, then poured a casting of him. Then cut it in half, put him in it, then sealed it shut.


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yeah, sort of an extreme

yeah, sort of an extreme version of a reliquary or stupa, i guess. not surprising, considering buddhism's long tradition of venerating relics. actually, i'd be interested to know if this was found in a stupa or pagoda.

"I have never felt comfortable around people who talk about their feelings for Jesus, or any other deity for that matter, because they are usually none too bright. . . . Or maybe 'stupid' is a better way of saying it; but I have never seen much point in getting heavy with either stupid people or Jesus freaks, just as long as they don't bother me. In a world as weird and cruel as this one we have made for ourselves, I figure anybody who can find peace and personal happiness without ripping off somebody else deserves to be left alone. They will not inherit the earth, but then neither will I. . . . And I have learned to live, as it were, with the idea that I will never find peace and happiness, either. But as long as I know there's a pretty good chance I can get my hands on either one of them every once in a while, I do the best I can between high spots."
--Hunter S. Thompson


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Very interesting. Amazing,

Very interesting. Amazing, and sad, how far thousands of people have gone in the pursuit of their deaths in the belief they would ascend in the process. At least they weren't taking others with them. That puts them ahead of most religions

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iwbiek wrote:yeah, sort of

iwbiek wrote:
yeah, sort of an extreme version of a reliquary or stupa, i guess. not surprising, considering buddhism's long tradition of venerating relics. actually, i'd be interested to know if this was found in a stupa or pagoda.

Where do you live again? I see it is currently at the Hungarian Natural History Museum until May 2015.


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Vastet wrote:Very

Vastet wrote:
Very interesting. Amazing, and sad, how far thousands of people have gone in the pursuit of their deaths in the belief they would ascend in the process. At least they weren't taking others with them. That puts them ahead of most religions

Up until recently I thought Buddhism was immune to murdering others and causing wars or skirmishes.


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digitalbeachbum wrote: Up

digitalbeachbum wrote:

 

Up until recently I thought Buddhism was immune to murdering others and causing wars or skirmishes.

  Back in the 1990's my former Muay Thai instructor ( a Laotian ) was a Buddhist and was previously involved in the war in South East Asia and fought on the side of the Americans.  I can only assume in that capacity that he's killed people.   There were probably Buddhists fighting on both sides of the war.   Excessive brutality was the norm, apparently.  After all, it was a war.


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digitalbeachbum wrote:Vastet

digitalbeachbum wrote:

Vastet wrote:
Very interesting. Amazing, and sad, how far thousands of people have gone in the pursuit of their deaths in the belief they would ascend in the process. At least they weren't taking others with them. That puts them ahead of most religions

Up until recently I thought Buddhism was immune to murdering others and causing wars or skirmishes.




i think that's because we in the west think everyday lay buddhists somehow take their faith more seriously than everyday lay christians or jews. most of them barely give buddhism a thought, even among monks. i remember reading how disillusioned an american zen prsactitioner was when he actually went to sit zazen in japan. in america, among americans, the meditation sessions had been sincere and rigorous. even shifting in the uncomfortable lotus position would get you a stern rebuke from the head monk, and dozing off earned you a swat with the fly whisk. while not in zazen, members of the community drifted about serenely, ate macrobiotic food, and spoke of nothing but satori. in japan, however, the young monks, often sent there by families who could not support them, frequently fell asleep during zazen with no repercussions. during breaks they smoked, talked boisterously of worldly things, and laughed loudly. this american was scandalized--and why not? after all, nobody in the west is going to become a buddhist if he doesn't take it seriously. in buddhist countries, however, it's the norm. people live, die, eat, screw, drink, and fight, all while carrying the label "buddhist." yet westerners frankly don't want to know this: it shatters the myth of the mysterious, spiritual east.

"I have never felt comfortable around people who talk about their feelings for Jesus, or any other deity for that matter, because they are usually none too bright. . . . Or maybe 'stupid' is a better way of saying it; but I have never seen much point in getting heavy with either stupid people or Jesus freaks, just as long as they don't bother me. In a world as weird and cruel as this one we have made for ourselves, I figure anybody who can find peace and personal happiness without ripping off somebody else deserves to be left alone. They will not inherit the earth, but then neither will I. . . . And I have learned to live, as it were, with the idea that I will never find peace and happiness, either. But as long as I know there's a pretty good chance I can get my hands on either one of them every once in a while, I do the best I can between high spots."
--Hunter S. Thompson