Incredible facts
Dutch scientists have scanned a Buddha statue dating back to the 11th or 12th century and found the mummified remains of a monk inside it.
Buddhist expert Erik Bruijn, who conducted the study, determined that it was the mummy of the Buddhist master Lukuan, who belonged to the Chinese school of meditation.
The researchers performed a CT scan at the Minder Medical Center in Amersfoort in the Netherlands.
Monk's mummy (photo)
In addition, pieces of paper with Chinese writing were found inside the statue at the place where the organs were removed.
Many practicing Buddhists believe that these kinds of mummies are not dead but are simply meditating.
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The mummy has been sent to Budapest, where it will be exhibited at the Hungarian Natural History Museum until May 2015.
Live mummy
In January, the mummified remains of a man meditating in a lotus position were discovered in Mongolia.
The mummified remains of a Mongolian monk sitting in a lotus position.
The mummy is about 200 years old and has been preserved in animal skin. It is believed to be the mummy of Lama Dashi-Dorjo Itigelov, a teacher born in 1852. One expert says that the mummy is in a deep state of meditation called “tukdam”.
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Over the past 50 years, there have been about 40 such cases of Tibetan monks meditating.