UNHEARD: THE MISSING PAGES OF HISTORY – SANGHA TENZIN: The 500-year-old Mummified Monk

A quirky title, right? Or should I say a weird one? Whichever your choice, I can guarantee you that the rest of the article is bound to surprise you even more. Mummification is defined as ‘the embalming and drying of a dead body and later wrapping it up as a mummy.’ When we hear the word ‘mummy’, we are immediately reminded of the stories about the mummies of Egypt, who were mummified using a chemical procedure called embalming and later on, they would be wrapped up in linen. So, what’s so different about this particular mummy?

The mummy of the 500-year-old monk – Sangha Tenzin

So, before I get into the crux of the story, let me give you a little background information about the topic. In 1975, an earthquake shook Northern-India. Gue, a tiny village in the Spiti valley of Himachal Pradesh, was also affected by this quake. As a result of this, an archaic tomb opened up in the in this tiny hamlet. Inside the tomb, officials discovered the mummified body, of what was later identified as, a Buddhist monk who went by the name of – Sangha Tenzin. However, this mummy wasn’t like the others. It had perfectly preserved teeth that could be seen through its open lips, hair on his head and intact skin. But it wasn’t until 2004, that the local police had the tomb excavated and the mummy relocated to a specially constructed tiny concrete museum, two miles from where he was excavated. The only thing that separates tourists and the mummy, is a thin sheet of glass, which for some reason seems to create an even chillier atmosphere.

Another similar naturally mummified body of the Thai Buddhist monk – Luang Pho Daeng – at Ko Samui, Thailand

The reason behind the mummy being treated with such respect? The answer to this lies in an age-old ritual that was undertaken between the 11^th and 19^th centuries by a few-selected Buddhist monks of Yamagata in Northern Japan. Only the most devoted and spiritual monk could undergo this ‘procedure’ or ritual, called – ‘Sokushinbutsu’, or to put it in simpler terms – natural mummification. They would do so, in order to reach the highest form of enlightenment.

The mummy of the Buddhist monk – Huineng, in China

Basically, these few selected Yamagata monks would eat only a tree-based diet, that is roots, nuts and herbs, to completely deplete the fat-reserves in their bodies. During this time, they would also ingest poisonous cycad nuts and lacquer tree sap, to induce vomiting, remove the moisture from their body and to prevent the flesh-eating insects from feasting on their dead body. Towards the end of this process, which can take anywhere between several months to almost 10 years, the monk would be put on a special diet to preserve the meat on the bone. So now, by the time the monk is dead, the body is completely devoid of any fat and the organs have completely shrunk in size. As a result, the already desiccated body, which has nothing else to lose, does not decompose as it otherwise would, thus preserving its physical form. And so, begins the puzzling process of ‘Natural Mummification’.

The small museum where the body of Sangha Tenzin is preserved

This was an overall background to the baffling process that is – Natural Mummification. Now, coming to the story of Sangha Tenzin. Since the mummy of this monk is located in an extremely remote village in northern India, a thin majority of people have visited this place. So, allow me to paint a picture of the tiny little museum where Tenzin’s body is preserved:

After an extremely long drive, you arrive at the gates of the small village of Gue. The climate around is quite chilly, but it sets a perfect undertone for the sight you’re about to see. You travel another 11kms, only to be greeted by another pleasant site. As you step into the small concrete structure atop a mountain, your eyes immediately fall on a small glass box behind which lies a desiccated and dried out lama. You would have expected a person to feel a chill down their spine when they saw, in front of them, a 500-year-old mummy with his teeth still visible through his parted lips, gaping at the beautiful valley in front of him.

Observe the erect posture in which Tenzin’s body sits

With his firm posture – fist around one leg and chin resting on the knee, this 15^th century monk looks like he could come alive any second. So how did he manage to maintain this erect posture, even 500 years after his death? The answer to this lies in yet another special procedure that the Yamagata monks followed during their desiccation. They would attach a type of restrainer called – ‘gomtag’ or a meditation belt, around their neck and thighs to maintain the upright posture, even after their death. During the slow and torturous process of starvation, the monks would also run candles along their skin, to dry it out completely. Post their death, they would be placed in an underground room to be allowed to dry out for a period of another three years, and during the time, they would yet again, repeat the procedure of running candles along their body. Slowly, with time, the monk becomes a ‘Statue in Living’, or as they are more commonly known, a – ‘Living Buddha’.

The villagers believe that Sangha Tenzin followed this elusive and less popular process of mummification, because the town of Gue, back in the 15^th century, had experienced a devastating scorpion infestation. Therefore, Tenzin asked his followers to allow him to mummify himself. After his spirit left his body, a rainbow appeared across the sky and the town was rid of the pesky scorpions forever.

Sangha Tenzin is revered and respected by the Buddhists

Although there could be several other reasons behind the monk’s shocking decision to desiccate himself, the fact remains that after all, he did follow a painstaking procedure that requires an immense amount of willpower. Even when you look at the pictures above, you are reminded of the immense amount of endurance and willpower that humans possess. Across the world, less than 30 of such self-mummified monks have been found, mainly on the Japanese island of Honshu. Recently, two more such mummies of Buddhist monks have been discovered. One in Ladakh, and another 200-year-old mummy in Mongolia. The monks who underwent this peculiar procedure of Natural Mummification, did not view it as an act of suicide, but rather as a way to reach the ultimate form of enlightenment.

To read about another such obscured piece of history, click on the link below:

The Nine Unknown Men – Itihaas to History

Sources:

A 500-year-old Mummy with Teeth – BBC

Go away to Gue – The Hindu

Skip Egypt and Go To Gue, the Spiti Village With India’s Only Natural Mummy! – The Better India

Mummy of Sangha Tenzin – Atlas Obscura

Media:

Sokushinbutsu – Wikipedia