We could say almost without mistake, that the Honshu mummies are the most frightening we know throughout history.The reason? When you see the almost incorrupt bodies of these Buddhist monks, you may feel the same as seeing any Egyptian, Inca or Iron Age mummy: curiosity and fascination.
However , there is a small nuance in these Japanese mummies that will immediately make your skin bristle: the mummification process began in life .A slow and immensely painful process.We invite you to know more data below.
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The living mummies of Japan
They were ascetic monks.They have written documents that reflect that This practice was already carried out in 1801 and was followed until the beginning of the 20th century.You may have already seen some other documentaries on the subject.However, it is worth saying that the Sokushinbutsu mummies or Living mummies , are not as well known to the vast majority as the classical Egyptian mummies.
In Japan, mysticism, and why not say it, fanaticism, made them reach really extreme and inconceivable points.Choosing to become a mummy was a voluntary act where the person thus obtained his maximum approach to Buddha, and to reach the Nirvana.
The process could last near 10 years , a slow death and immense suffering that we can hardly even imagine.Now well...how did they do it? The transit had to run through three very specific stages:
- During the first stage, the monks maintained a very strict diet for almost three years.of nuts, seeds and water.The purpose was very clear: remove all types of fat from the body.
- In the second stage (if the monk was still alive and had followed adequately the diet), was now going to a process in which, he had to consume only roots and crusts in infamous amounts.At the same time, and at the end of that last second stage, the person was given a poisonous liquid and slow poisoning : you from the sap of the urushi tree.With that, you were getting the body to run out of fluids.
Can you imagine the suffering that you saw submitted day by day? The fervor and spiritual dedication must undoubtedly be very high to be able to withstand all this, because it is almost incomprehensible to us.However, there were the stubborn monks removing flesh and fluids from their bones, resting their Once in a purified place where he took care that there was no type of germ that could corrupt the process.
- We reached the third stage. If your stomach continues In conditions we will tell you that it has already been between 6 or 7 years since the ascetic monk began this path to become a mummy, and thus reach Nirvana.Now, it was time to retire to an underground chamber, a sealed and closed cubicle.where a bamboo cane was applied through which, to breathe. It was a grave.
There« reposarian »other 1000 days in the company of a small bell , which would agiate from time to time to indicate that they were still alive, although it did not matter if they were or not, because from there nobody returned to leave until 3 years passed more, at which time the body of the monk, the corpse, was already considered as a living mummy.
As a curiosity we will tell you that there were many ascetic monks who tried this process, but not all managed to achieve it.Even so, on the island of Honshu about 20 mummies can be seen in its temples.Fortunately, the Japanese government banned "self-mummification" in the twentieth century.A practice that still continues to call much today our attention.
If you liked this article, also discover the mummies of the Doctor Knoche: A man who created a mysterious liquid that mummified incredibly!
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