These are crystals of various colors, sparkling like jewels, as hard as diamonds, unbreakable by hammering, and impervious to fire. They are found in the ashes after the cremation of a revered monk. Notably, the Buddha King Tran Nhan Tong of the Tran Dynasty and Venerable Thich Quang Duc, prior to the liberation, both left behind relics for future generations after their passing…
Crystallization After the Buddha’s Transition
Relics are the crystallized remnants left after the cremation ceremony of the Buddha and esteemed monks. For ordinary people, after cremation, only ashes and unburned bone fragments remain. In addition to the Buddha’s relics, there are relics of saints and enlightened masters who also leave behind many relics, including bone relics, tooth relics, and crystal relics. The hair and nails of the Buddha during his lifetime are also revered as relics.
Crystal relics are the result of the marrow crystallizing into slightly round and hard beads of varying sizes. Some are as large as beans and corns; others are as small as grains of rice. Relics come in a variety of colors and opacities. Typically, they are white, red, pink, blue, and yellow; some are as clear as glass or ivory white like grains of rice. Some emit a gentle light like crystal, while others have a bright, lustrous hue akin to coral. Crystal relics are the fruits of diligent practice in maintaining precepts and the profound meditative powers of the Buddha and high monks.
Some beads believed to be preserved relics.
According to Buddhist scriptures, the significance of venerating relics is profound. After the Buddha entered Nirvana, he conveyed that in the future, when the Buddha is no longer present in the world, venerating the relics is akin to encountering the Buddha. Worshipping the relics creates a spiritual impression during the act of reverence, making sacred vows before the Buddha more steadfast. This means that venerating the Buddha’s relics is akin to venerating the Buddha himself.
Historical records in Buddhism state that when the Buddha Shakyamuni passed away, his disciples cremated his body. After the fire died down, they were astonished to discover numerous transparent crystals mixed in the ashes, in various shapes and sizes. Notably, these crystals were as hard as steel, radiating multicolored beams of light, resembling precious gems. The disciples counted 84,000 beads, filling eight boxes and four jars. Later, the Buddha’s relics were divided into 84,000 parts, contained in 84,000 small stupas distributed across various countries.
The Existence of Buddha Relics
Buddha relics not only have historical significance but have also appeared numerous times in contemporary times. Many instances of high monks leaving behind relics after their passing and cremation have been documented.
King Tran Nhan Tong, the founder of the Truc Lam Yen Tu Zen sect, also left behind relics after his death. He renounced his royal life to practice asceticism, taking the name Huong Van Dai Dau Da, and was known as Truc Lam Dai Si. When the Buddha King passed away, his disciples followed his will and cremated him at Nga Van Hermitage. Phap Loa, the second patriarch of the Truc Lam sect, poured fragrant water over the cremation pyre, obtaining crystal marrow and over 3,000 crystal relics. The crystal marrow was enshrined in the Quy Duc tomb (also known as Duc tomb), while a portion of the relics was preserved at the Buddha King stupa in Nga Van, and the rest was brought back to the stupa at Tu Phuc Pagoda in the Imperial City of Thang Long, later distributed for worship by the people and Buddhists.
Buddha relics have also appeared in many places around the world, wherever there are esteemed monks. In December 1990, a high monk, Hoang Huyen Phap Su, in Singapore, passed away. After his body was cremated, 480 hard beads were discovered in his ashes, large like soybeans and small like grains of rice, appearing almost transparent and sparkling like diamonds. After analysis, researchers confirmed that these were indeed relics.
In March 1991, a monk at Wutai Mountain in China was cremated as per his wishes. In the remaining ashes, 11,000 relics were discovered, setting a world record for the most officially recorded relics.
In some cases, relics are parts of the body that remain unburned. In 1994, a monk named Vien Chieu at Avalokiteshvara Mountain told his disciples during a sermon, “I will leave my heart for sentient beings.” He then sat in meditation and passed away. Following the monastic protocol, his disciples placed his body on a green stone slab, surrounded it with wood, and proceeded with the cremation. The fire blazed brightly for an entire day and night. In the cooled ashes, the disciples retrieved 100 relics of varying sizes. Some were round, while others spread out like flowers (flower relics). These flower relics were beautiful, sparkling like snowflakes, surrounded by small relics the size of grains of rice in vivid reds, yellows, blues, and browns… truly miraculous. However, the most astonishing thing was that the monk’s heart remained unburned. After the flames extinguished, the heart remained soft and warm before gradually cooling down and solidifying into a large, dark brown relic. About 100 disciples present at the cremation ceremony witnessed this extraordinary phenomenon.
The ‘Immortal Heart’ relic of Venerable Thich Quang Duc.
The ‘Immortal Heart’ of Venerable Thich Quang Duc is also a real case of a relic being a part of the monk’s body. This is a mysterious phenomenon that is hard to explain. Before the reunification of the country, to protest against the policies of the Diem regime, the monk self-immolated at a street intersection. Later, the body of Venerable Thich Quang Duc was taken for cremation. When the bones had turned to ashes, the monk’s heart was found to still be red and intact. That ‘Immortal Heart’ remains to this day.
A Challenge to All Explanations
In recent decades, scientists have begun to seek explanations for the mysterious phenomena mentioned in Buddhist scriptures, just as they have studied natural phenomena, the universe, and humanity. However, when they embarked on researching the phenomenon of relics, they encountered numerous difficulties and obstacles.
Regarding the formation of relics, many different explanations still exist today.
Some sociologists suggest that the habit of vegetarianism, coupled with the frequent consumption of large amounts of fiber and minerals, can lead to the formation of phosphate and carbonate salts during digestion and absorption, which gradually accumulate in the body and eventually turn into relics. However, this hypothesis is not convincing. There are millions of vegetarians worldwide, yet not everyone who is cremated leaves behind relics. There are also countless Buddhists, but why do ordinary believers not have relics in their bodies?
Some scientists argue that relics could be a pathological phenomenon, similar to kidney stones, bladder stones, gallstones… This hypothesis is also weak. After cremation, no relics are found among the ashes of individuals with these ailments. Moreover, high monks with relics are often very healthy during their lifetimes and have long life spans.
Buddhism also has its own perspectives on the issue of relics.
- The first viewpoint holds that relics are the result of a process of cultivation and rigorous training.
- The second viewpoint asserts that relics are the result of moral cultivation, only arising in those with great compassion and who consistently do good deeds, thus they produce relics after passing away.
Ultimately, how are relics formed? What are their components? They are neither metal nor non-metal, not diamonds or emeralds, merely the ashes remaining after the cremation of practitioners, yet they do not burn away, shining and sparkling in defiance of time, remaining undamaged… A series of such questions remain enigmas without answers to this day.
Buddha relics play an essential role in the spiritual beliefs of Buddhists. Relics are not only a factor in generating merit but also serve as a catalyst for transforming human souls from aggression to kindness, from immorality to morality.
