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| The physical remains of Zen Master Vu Khac Minh have remained intact since the 18th century |
Devotees say that only high-ranking Zen masters can enter certain special states before death, allowing them to purify themselves to the point where their bodies do not decompose.
Seventy-eight years after his passing, the remains of the high lama from the Eastern Siberian Buddhist sect, Dasha Dorjo Itigelop, are still preserved as if he were alive. Russian scientists confirm that his body has not decomposed and appears nearly immortal.
Khabo Lama (a high-ranking title among lamas) Dasha Dorjo Itigelop was born in 1852 and passed away in 1927. Upon his death, he bequeathed that his coffin should be opened periodically for examination of his bones. The lama died in a meditative posture on a lotus throne, a typical position for a Zen master.
Since then, his remains have been brought to the surface three times in 1955, 1973, and 2002. The most recent opening of the coffin occurred on September 11, 2002, attended by Russian Buddhist devotees and medical experts.
Monks at Ivolginsk Datsan recount that each time they see the lama’s body, it remains intact as if he had just died. After the last exhumation, the monks decided not to bury him again but placed his remains in a special glass coffin. This coffin is kept in a special room where devotees can pay their respects to the revered elder. However, photography or video recording of his body is strictly prohibited.
In an interview with Nezavisimy Vzglyad, Viktor Zvyagin, head of the identification department at the Russian forensic institute, stated that the body of the lama resembles that of a living person. His skin remains soft, joints can move, and there are many other indicators. Even more astonishing are the infrared analyses of tissue samples, which revealed that they are completely normal like living human tissue.
The research team was astonished by this phenomenon of incorruptibility and requested that the monks allow them to obtain a few strands of hair and nails from him for analysis.
Experts suggest several reasons why some bodies remain intact after thousands of years. One reason is the process of natural mummification, which Viktor Zvyagin noted is encountered in cemeteries in South Africa.
In addition to the process of natural mummification, bodies can remain intact due to treatment with wax, fat, and peat, which can make the body resemble a type of soap. The remains of the personal doctor of the Tsar, Botkin, were found in such a state.
However, none of the aforementioned methods were used to preserve the remains of Lama Dasha Dorjo Itigelop. Devotees assert that only high-ranking Zen masters can enter unique states before death and purify themselves to the extent that their bodies do not decompose.
Apart from the remains of Khabo Lama Dasha Dorjo Itigelop, there are only three other intact bodies of monks preserved in the world, located in China, India, and Vietnam.
Unfortunately, to date, no analysis has convincingly explained the phenomenon of incorruptibility among these Zen masters. All research on these mummies is still in its exploratory phase.
Pravda
