Living Buddhas: The Self-Mummified Monks of Yamagata, Japan

A book that goes beyond the historical aspects of self-mummification, Living Buddhas is a unique masterpiece in which the author talks about the diverse religious influences that led to the sect of Shugendo, on life and death being two sides of the same coin (and how these mummified monks are neither alive, nor dead, but in suspended animation), about the discipline and altruism of asceticism and the diverse ways people find meaning in life - whether through creating values, children or being devoted to religious life. A very rarely-researched subject, self-mummification is a shock to most people when they first hear about it. This was practiced by a Japanese Buddhist sect called Shugendo (Sokunshin jobutsu is the Japanese name for the practice of self-mummification) - a sect which favors asceticism - and it was virtually unknown to Westerners until this detailed print appeared for the English-speaking public. Shugendo is still practiced today, but the practice of self-mummification was banned in Japan. In a religion that favors non-attachment in order to avoid pain, how could such a practice be developed? Since these highly spiritual monks performed miracles during their lives. preserving their bodies as much as possible was an act of altruism. Their behavior is not that different from the ascetic saints of Europe - the incorruptibles - on which the same author wrote a book called Christian Mummification. Their self-mummification was done in three stages: -losing fat -dehydration -poisoning In the first 1000 days, the monks were doing strenuous physical activity while eating only nuts, berries and seeds, foregoing all cereals. For another 1000 days, they ate only bark and roots and decreased their food consumption almost to nothing but pine needles and resin. Dehydration and poisoning were attained by drinking a poisonous tea from the Urushi tree. This caused severe vomiting, diarrhea and made the body poisonous, so as to avoid being eaten by maggots. Afterwards they would bury themselves alive in a cave leaving only one bamboo tube for oxygen while meditating in front of upcoming death, keeping oneself in the lotus position. They would ring a bell every day for the other monks to know they are still alive. Once the bell didn't ring anymore, they sealed the cave and waited for another 1000 days, after which they checked to see whether mummification was achieved. This signified great spiritual achievement and the monk would be painted in lacquer and displayed in temples. This whole process took about a decade(!). If the self-mummification did not succeed, the bodies were forgotten in time. The state in which these monks continued their existence as mummies was considered a form of suspended animation and not actual death. Once can still see some of them in Buddhist temples in the Yamagata region of Japan, thanks to the directions provided by this book for the English speaker. The book includes lots of exclusive photos of these monks and the Buddhist temples they inhabit and also an index of their names in Japanese. The Japanese language skills and the trips to Japan were fruitfully used for writing this book and I am deeply grateful for the information in it - it is amazing how much unique information you can get access to by knowing a foreign language.

from australia im a simple man with kind and devoted wife i have spent some time studying the deities of japan my work is not finished neither is my precis of this book all i can say is i have harvested enough evidence prior to the appearance of this free book into my hands to continue my studies, my trip to japan on 19.8.2010 will include some more in depth research to glow more light onto this important moment in history andrew