Luang Pho Daeng in Thai (หลวงพ่อแดง) was a Thai Buddhist monk who died while meditating in 1973.
Who is Luang Pho Daeng?
Daeng was born in Thailand in 1894. He was briefly interested in becoming a monk in his 20s, but decided he would rather be married instead. He raised six children with his wife.
After all of his children had grown, Daeng (who was by then 50) decided to become a Buddhist monk, realizing his childhood dream. He was briefly an abbot at a temple in southern Thailand, but moved to Wat Khunaram, near his childhood home. He practiced Sokushinbutsu, a form of self mummification.
Luamg Pho Daeng died while meditating in 1973. His mummified body is on display at the Wat Khunaram (temple) on Ko Samui island in Thailand's Surat Thani Province. The mummy is notable for sporting a pair of sunglasses, placed by the caretakers to hide the decomposed eye sockets to make the display less disturbing. A native gecko species use the body as a hatchery, with eggs being laid beneath the skin.
Where is Luang Pho Daeng?
His mummified body is on display at the Wat Khunaram (temple) on Ko Samui island in Thailand's Surat Thani Province.
A Life of Buddhist Monk
Buddhist monastics lead a life marked by simplicity, distancing themselves from material connections. They adhere to the Vinaya, a set of rules that dictate their monastic lifestyle, including vows of poverty, celibacy, and silent contemplation. These vows signify their commitment to spiritual over material life, exemplified by rituals like the ceremonial head shaving, symbolizing their detachment from vanity and material concerns.
Monks, or Bhikkus, are fully ordained after a period as novices, dedicating themselves to inner exploration through meditation and prayer, free from worldly distractions. Their days start and end with meditation, interspersed with chanting, personal study, and community duties. They engage in alms rounds or receive meals prepared by volunteers, adhering to a strict two-meal-a-day rule. The dietary practices, including the consumption of Tsampa and butter tea, reflect their pursuit of enlightenment, emphasizing the importance of nourishment that supports a clear and enlightened mind.
Monks' daily responsibilities also involve the upkeep of the monastery, further contributing to their disciplined life. Their existence is a continuous journey of self-discovery, discipline, and devotion, aiming for enlightenment by embracing the spiritual realm over the material.
Buddhist mummies Sokushinbutsu
Sokushinbutsu refers to a practice observed by a small number of Buddhist monks, primarily in Japan, that involves a form of self-mummification. The process was primarily undertaken by monks in the Shingon sect of Buddhism and is considered an act of extreme asceticism aimed at achieving enlightenment and becoming a Buddha in this very body ("sokushinbutsu" literally means "Buddha in one's own body").
The practice, which is no longer performed and was never widespread, involved a lengthy, multi-stage process that could take over a thousand days. Initially, the monk would adhere to a very strict diet known as "mokujikigyō," eating only nuts and seeds found in the forest to eliminate all fat from the body. This phase could last for 1,000 days. Following this, the diet would become even more stringent, with the monk consuming only bark and roots for another 1,000 days. During this time, they would also engage in rigorous physical activities to further strip away their body fat.
In the final stage, the monk would begin drinking a tea made from the sap of the urushi tree, which is toxic. The tea induced vomiting and further reduced bodily fluids, and its toxicity made the body uninhabitable for maggots, helping to preserve it after death. The monk would then enter a stone tomb barely larger than his body, where he would meditate in the lotus position, with a small air tube and a bell. He would ring the bell daily to signal that he was still alive. Once the bell stopped ringing, the air tube was removed, and the tomb sealed. After another 1,000 days, the tomb would be opened to see if the mummification was successful. If the body was found preserved, the monk was considered to have achieved sokushinbutsu and was revered as a living Buddha.
This practice, rooted in the belief of transcending the physical body to achieve enlightenment, is considered an ultimate expression of spiritual dedication and discipline. However, due to its extreme nature and the Buddhist precept against taking one's life, sokushinbutsu was never widespread and has been discouraged and banned in modern times.