'Buddha boy' fasted for six months
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Just thought this is interesting to share.
Ram Bomjon maintains his vigil in the shade of his pipal tree
Pilgrims flock to see 'Buddha boy' said to have fasted six months
Thousands of pilgrims are pouring into the dense jungle of southern Nepal to worship a 15-year-old boy who has been hailed as a new Buddha.
Devotees claim that Ram Bomjon, who is silently meditating beneath a tree, has not eaten or drunk anything since he sat down at his chosen spot six months ago.
Witnesses say they have seen light emanating from the teenager's forehead.
"It looks a bit like when you shine a torch through your hand," said Tek Bahadur Lama, a member of the committee responsible for dealing with the growing number of visitors from India and elsewhere in Nepal.
Photographs of Ram Bomjon, available for five rupees (4p) from his makeshift shrine, have become ubiquitous across the region. "Far and wide, it's the only topic of conversation," said Upendra Lamichami, a local journalist.
He said no allegation had yet emerged of Ram breaking his fast or moving, even to relieve himself.
Santa Raj Subedi, the chief government official in Bara district, appealed to the capital, Kathmandu, for assistance in dealing with the influx of visitors, and for a team of scients to examine the case.
Local doctors failed to reach a final conclusion, although they were allowed no closer than five yards from the boy mystic, declaring that they could confirm no more than that he was alive.
The popularity of the phenomenon is partly because it resembles an episode in the life of the historical Buddha, who was born 160 miles away around 543 BC. The Buddha achieved enlightenment when he meditated beneath a sacred pipal tree for 49 days.
Ram Bomjon is also sitting beneath a pipal tree, in the same posture as the Buddha is depicted, but his vigil has already taken longer.
Ram's mother, who is called Maya Devi, like the Buddha's mother, admits to anxiety, particularly at meal times. But she tells herself: "God took him to the forest and I have faith that God will feed him."
She said: "He's definitely got thinner. Early in the morning he looks sunken, like there's no blood in him, but as the sun rises he seems to get brighter and brighter."
The fervour increased last week when a snake is said to have bitten Ram, and a curtain was drawn around him.
After five days it was opened and he spoke. "Tell the people not to call me a Buddha. I don't have the Buddha's energy. I am at the level of rinpoche [lesser divinity].
"A snake bit me but I do not need treatment. I need six years of deep meditation."
Despite his protestations, "Buddha boy" is famous.
A thriving market has grown in the once pristine forest, supplying pilgrims with everything from chewing tobacco and bicycle repairs to incense and sacred amulets. The ground is covered in litter.
A fence was built around Ram's tree to prevent pilgrims prodding him, then a second, and now a third is planned, as well as a bus park, leaving Ram at the centre of an ever growing circle of rubbish.
Prakash Lamsal, a businessman said: "Some people are selling 2,500 rupees [£20] worth of tea a day.
"These lamas [monks] are going to build mansions out of this. If I wasn't a bit embarrassed I'd take a van down there and set up a stall." -
My guess?
This boy is probably not an incarnation of Buddha - but it is likely he has been practising in previous lifetimes. Maybe he could be a great teacher in the future.
Practitioners who enter deep samadhi can easily go without eating or drinking for months - this is a common phenomena. -
It cannot be God's will for a teen to fast until death...........even for a noble reason -
I do not think he will die out of starvation.Originally posted by Dr Who:It cannot be God's will for a teen to fast until death...........even for a noble reason
If a person enters deep samadhi, his breathing, heartbeat, will stop. Some people enter deep samadhi and was thought to dead... and was almost sent for cremation. He does not need to eat or drink. Of course he was later awoken from samadhi.
There is a Maha Arhant called Venerable Kasyapa who is still in deep samadhi in a mountain in China near the Tibet region. Although he cannot be found (he is inside the mountain), many pilgrims reported miracles while visiting that area.
He is 2500 years old now, and lived during Shakyamuni Buddha's era. He was one of his top 10 disciple. He vowed to meet the next Buddha, Maitreya Buddha. It will be a long time later.
There are many other practitioners who entered deep samadhi and live for very long time. -
what has God got to do with buddhism?Originally posted by Dr Who:It cannot be God's will for a teen to fast until death...........even for a noble reason -
Extremists is going to behead him...
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I agree with An Eternal Now , he could be a good meditation master in the hindu tradition in his many past lives , and i dont know what is his intention.
if his intention is good, he is trying to resolve the bloodshed of terrorist with peace and loving kindness.
If his intention is bad , it could spell trouble.
Issue worth pondering ... -
Can you please learn to use fullstops bohiruci?
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What will happen if he has bad intention? Hypnotize everyone on earth into zombies?Originally posted by bohiruci:I agree with An Eternal Now , he could be a good meditation master in the hindu tradition in his many past lives , and i dont know what is his intention
if his intention is good, he is trying to resolve the bloodshed of terrorist with peace and loving kindness
If his intention is bad , it could spell trouble
Issue worth pondering ... -
Originally posted by Suicine:What will happen if he has bad intention? Hypnotize everyone on earth into zombies?
I doubt that he wld have bad intentions.
But someone who has attained supernormal powers and jhanas can still have evil intentions, for example Devadatta, who attempted to kill Buddha four times but failed. -
Closer look:
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Interestingly, the last fasting record breaker, 49 days without eating but can drink water, is a Chinese herbalist and he also did 'jingzuo' which also translate to sitting meditation.
http://app1.chinadaily.com.cn/star/2004/0325/bz9-1.html
Chen said he believed in the "magic of fasting" after studying ancient Chinese medical scriptures, which said that people could achieve longevity and maintain health through jingzuo (sitting quietly) and pigu (not eating grapes). -
wah@yandao
lol@pigu -
Anyway just a note there is no indications that this boy is enlightened or something. Samadhi does not equate to enlightenment.
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????Originally posted by Suicine:wah@yandao
lol@pigu -
no ideas how this relates but interesting read..
"Devadatta will become a Buddha after innumerable kalpas." (P.197, L.23.):
http://lotus.nichirenshu.org/lotus/lectures/lotus_12.htm
It is said that Devadatta fell into a crack in the ground at the time of an earthquake and went into hell. I wonder, what he is doing for innumerable kalpas? I guess he is repenting his wrong conducts.
"Repentance is the mysterious medicine which cures illness and the sacred dharma to change one's fate." -- Prayers of Repentance (sange-mon)
It is a saying in Japan: "If a person is very bad, he could be very good, too, after repentance." A good example in the Lotus Sutra is Kishimo or Mother of Devil revealed in Chapter 26. I will discuss about her in a later chapter.
In Buddhism there is no absolute bad or good. The doctrine of the One Hundred Stages of One's Mind teaches us that even the Buddha has the mind of hell; therefore, he can understand the people in hell. Even people in hell or a murderer has the stage of mind of a Buddha. -
There is a Bodhisattva that stays in hell till hell is cleared
He's the only hope for those in or going to hell -
Fascinating......
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Buddhism equals to daily life. Buddhism is the highest form of common sense. What the boy did isn't realistic applicable to us, the common people. We all have our own challenges & obstacles in our daily lives to overcome, whether at home, in school or at work. In whatever things we do, they must have value in it.
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I thought this guy has already declared that he wasnt a reincarnation of bhuddha or anything?
I think he is just a special soul. -
Yes, I do not believe that he is an incarnation of the Buddha. There is no need to flock there and venerate him because there is no sign that he has attained enlightenment. Entering samadhi does not necessarily mean one has attained enlightenment. Much less worship him..Originally posted by shade343:I thought this guy has already declared that he wasnt a reincarnation of bhuddha or anything?
I think he is just a special soul. -
You made a good point. Some people see Buddhsm pessimistically - a religion that only do meditation and chanting... which obviously is a lack of understanding of the Buddhist teachings.Originally posted by Spirit of Fire:Buddhism equals to daily life. Buddhism is the highest form of common sense. What the boy did isn't realistic applicable to us, the common people. We all have our own challenges & obstacles in our daily lives to overcome, whether at home, in school or at work. In whatever things we do, they must have value in it.
Furthermore... there are many great masters who attained enlightenment outside meditation. Sometimes looking into the reflection of the moon in the water, seeing the cup break, etc etc, he suddenly becomes enlightened.
Sitting meditation is only one out of the 84000 (symbolising uncountable) dharma doors.
Most important thing is to practise the dharma everywhere... not just in sitting. -
We are having the same problem now as we had back them when Gautama Bhuddha declared that he wasnt a God. Still, many of his followers elevated him to be a god.Originally posted by An Eternal Now:Yes, I do not believe that he is an incarnation of the Buddha. There is no need to flock there and venerate him because there is no sign that he has attained enlightenment. Entering samadhi does not necessarily mean one has attained enlightenment. Much less worship him..
Humans.....sheesh -
I thot, once one becomes Buddha, one no longer reincarnates. One leaves the circle of birth, death and reincarnation. Perhaps he will be the next to achieve enlightenment? But if that is so, isn't he ne le pu sa?Originally posted by An Eternal Now:My guess?
This boy is probably not an incarnation of Buddha - but it is likely he has been practising in previous lifetimes. Maybe he could be a great teacher in the future.
Practitioners who enter deep samadhi can easily go without eating or drinking for months - this is a common phenomena. -
He is not dead. nobody else i know can go without food AND water for 6 months and be alive. Perhaps u have to acknowledge there is more to other religions than u would care to admit.Originally posted by Dr Who:It cannot be God's will for a teen to fast until death...........even for a noble reason
and if this "God" you are talking about is your christian god, let me remind u that he commanded abraham to kill his son. So I don't know what u're rying to say or prove.