2418 Yoga Mummy

Let me just say I'm all for yoga.  Not just the limb stretching practice, but the serene contemplation of the infinite and calm inner peace.  But I'm a little amazed by the lengths that some folks go to.

Recently a mummified monk was discovered in Mongolia.  He was sitting in the approved lotus position and looked as if he had died while meditating.  He is believed to be 200 years old.

But according to some he is not dead.  He's actually in a high meditative state just one step removed from being a Buddha.  It's known as tukdam.  As in, we tukdam under our arms and carried him to the lab to see if he was still alive.

Or someone else tukdam, because there's evidence the monk was stolen from another part of the country and was about to be auctioned off.  Damn.  That close to nirvana too.

Something similar apparently happened to another mummified monk discovered even more recently.  This mummy was found in a gold painted statue.  No wonder it looked so lifelike. It once was.

The news article had the headline, "Surprise! 1000-year-old mummified monk found in statue."  Um.  I'm not sure "surprise" is the right word.  Surprise is a word I use with a piñata.  How about, "Shocking News!"

Anyhow, apparently, when the statue was moved, a rolled up rug fell from the bottom and what look like human crossed legs were revealed.  A CT Scan followed and yep, there was a 1000-year-old monk.  Tukdam again.  But this time his caretakers had covered him with paper mache and painted him gold.

I just hope he doesn't finally wake up at this point.  Laying in a CT scan covered with gold-painted paper mache.

"Man... That musta been some party...."

America, ya gotta love it.