Koh Samui Mummified Monk

[dirtydog]

Mummy Monk at Wat Kunaram – Encased embalmed priest provides distinct sightseeing experience

Author: Pushpitha Wijesinghe

Thailand is an Asian destination synonymous with stunning beaches, exciting nightlife and a true shopper's paradise interspersed with a rich cultural heritage as seen through the many temples, monuments and palaces dotting the nation. Offering innumerable activities for both the business and leisure traveller, Thailand captivates the soul.



Located on the southeastern coastal belt, the island of Koh Samui is 700 kilometres away from the mainland's capital. The island relies on tourism, plantations mainly coconut and fisheries for providing regular income towards the livelihoods of the locals. Numerous attractions and sites dot Koh Samui. The Big Buddha statues which reach over 12 meters high, the resplendent Na Muang Waterfall and the picturesque butterfly gardens offer visitors interesting places to visit and encounter.

Koh Samui also offers many adventure tourism options. These include the Thai Boxing Stadiums situated towards the southern area of Samui, other activities such as bungee jumping, go kart riding and buffalo fighting will prove an interesting turn.



Located southwards of Lamai Town is the Wat Khunaram. This Thai pagoda houses the mummified body of the town's most famous priest, Leung Pordaeng. According to history, Leung Pordaeng renounced all worldly possessions with the aim of following Buddha's teachings. Before his death which he himself predicted, the Samuian initiated those around him to prepare for his death by building a casket.

Despite his death having occurred more than 20 years ago, to-date this body remains on display showing little sign of deterioration. Many Samuians revere this sacred preservation of Leung Pordaeng's body as nothing short of a miracle. Proving the teachings of Buddhist doctrines where attainment of supreme nirvana can be achieved through leading an exemplary life and meditation.

His death at the age of 79 years occurred due to natural causes however, throughout his life he followed the teaching of Buddhism which extended in even his diet. Undertaking several hours of meditation routinely provided a calming influence on his life. Placed in the temple is a detailed description on his life including many talismans.



Synonymous with luxury and tranquility is Anantara Bophut; a Samui hotel offering exceptional accommodation. Distinct Thai hospitality exudes from this Samui Resort which provides superlative facilities including culinary choices and lavish spa packages.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/hotels-a...e-4675777.html

About the Author
Pushpitha Wijesinghe is an experienced independent freelance writer. He specializes in providing a wide variety of content and articles related to the travel hospitality industry.

Seems the Monk died in 1973.

[larvidchr]

Nice touch with the sunglasses no one should be mummified without a fashionable pair of shades.

[superman]

It's a Roy Orbison impersonator.

[misskit]

I read one time there is a recipe for monks to follow at the end of their lives to become mummified. Maybe part of one of the Buddhist canons.

Will try to find that information. It was interesting.

[dirtydog]

^Singha beer perhaps? Although I don't believe those rumours

[misskit]

No Singha beer. Lao kao would make a better pickle, I believe.

I think it had to do with the monk slowly starving, getting all the fat off his body, then drinking salt water.

[khun Per]

There is a sign outside the temple with the official story.
However, the monk was drinking a chemical during the last month or so of his life, making his body drying out - a quite painfull way if dying.
The sunglasses are there, because a gecko family moved into to his one eye.

[harrybarracuda]

Man, the Thais copy everything, don't they?

Mummified Japanese Monks Enlightened Through Punishment

More than two dozen mummified Japanese monks who were followers of an ancient sect of Buddhism known as Shugendo, have been discovered in Northern Japan.

Their beliefs were extreme and included the strict denial of any earthly comforts. The process of self-inflicted torture according to them, was the only path to enlightenment.

This practice is more than 1,000 years old and was first executed by a priest named Kuukai, who is considered to be the founder of this extreme and deadly Buddhist scion.

There were three steps in the process that eventually led to eternal mummification, each one harsher than the one before.

Evidence suggests that these priests who lived and died over one thousand years ago, tortured themselves in an attempt to mummify their own remains; a process which took up to ten years and was the result of deliberate self denial.

The first part of the process involved a change of diet; a 1000-day period in which the priest ate only nuts and seeds that could be gathered in the forest surrounding his temple. Physical hardship was deliberately imposed with the goal of reducing the body fat to nearly nothing, allowing for easy decomposition.

Believe it or not, the second 1,000-day stage was even more restrictive. Now the priest could only eat bark and roots from pine trees, a process insured to turn any human being into a walking skeleton and to decrease the amount of body fluids, making preservation even easier.

Then the priest had to ingest a poisonous tea which further reduced body fluids and killed any maggots or insects that tried to eat the priest’s remains after death, (not to mention the priest).

The final 1,000-day period the priest was entombed in a stone room just big enough for a man to sit lotus style. As long as the priest could ring a bell, a tube remained in place to supply air, but when the bell stopped, the tube was removed and the tomb was sealed.

This resulted in some mummification for which the priest was immediately ranked a Buddha, but most of the poor fellows simply rotted away without any rank at all.

Outlawed in the late 19th century, this weird practice continued into the early 20th.

The Self-Mummified Monks of Yamagata, Japan - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com

The Self-Mummified Monks of Japan | The Thinking Blog ~ Knowledge Grows When Shared

[Pol the Pot]

There are also mummified monks in Tibet.

[grasshopper]

Think there may be the odd few in the Valley of the Kings too.

[withnallstoke]

Mad isn't it.
You can take a look at something.
With your own eyes behold it.
Only then can you judge.
Kin ferkin eejit.

[billy the kid]

insane indeed wot turns people on.
so, is his spirit still inside his head ?
thought they had to break the skull to release it
or the usual cremation way.
cruel to keep the spirit locked-up, to make a few bob, no?