Does Buddha Live Reincarnated in the Nepalese Jungle?
Does the mighty Buddha live again in the form of a 17-year-old boy that spent more than one year in a remote jungle in southeast Nepal? Thousands of pilgrims who flocked to the site for a glimpse of Ram Bahadur Bamjan (aka Bonjan) certainly think so.
Ram’s first contact with the press was back in 2005, when tens of thousands of followers came to see the “Buddha Boy” sit cross-legged among the roots of a tree. His enlightened claim was that he had been without food or water for ten months.
Is he the reincarnation of Siddhartha Gautama, who was born in about 560BC and later became revered as the Buddha? It would appear that the answer depends upon whom you ask.
To some, he is a charlatan, but the long-haired white cloth-attired young man speaks only of peace and the end of discrimination, which is a hard act to follow.
There are several factors that raise a few doubts as to who this young man really is and whether or not he should exchange his gleaming white cloth for an orange prison ensemble. During past appearances, thousands of pounds were collected from devotees, leading to allegations that he was really a conman.
One French journalist filmed Buddha Boy nibbling on fruit while supposedly midway through a fast, and another correspondent found him fast asleep while he was supposed to be meditating.
The young man appears to be in good health and plans to talk to small groups for the next week or so.
“The whole jungle area where he has appeared has turned into a festival and around 10,000 people came to see him,” said a police spokesperson.
Buddhist authorities are not convinced and probably never will be.
Are YOU?
(Link)
By MDeeDubroff on 05-06-2009
Comment by Cleve
June 5th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
A zen master once said:
“When you are hungry, eat; when you are tired, sleep.”
Sounds real enough to me.
Comment by Mary
June 5th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
I thought that Gautama had reached nirvana, which means he isn't showing back up.
Comment by fred
June 6th, 2009 at 12:09 am
Gautama's "special teaching" (if you believe Mahayanists) was that once reaching enlightenment, the truly good person would choose to stay around until *everyone* gets to go.
Comment by Dharma
June 6th, 2009 at 2:19 am
Holy Cow! Buddha's back in the form of BamBam? Where's PebblyPoo? I'm hungry, think I'll go eat something.
Comment by count duckula
June 6th, 2009 at 2:45 am
get a haircut hippie
Comment by James
June 7th, 2009 at 7:21 am
People will believe anything. It's amazing how stupid humans are.
Comment by bob
June 7th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Does it really matter if he is or isn't ? Sadly his message is getting lost in the static here.
Comment by Sonam
June 7th, 2009 at 8:01 pm
Karma reaps its own rewards. If he and his crew are misleading the Sangha, then it will come back to haunt them later. It might come in the form of he's revealed to be a complete fraud. But what does all that matter? Stunts and tricks have nothing to do with settling the mind in meditation. Perhaps he will achieve anuttarasamyaksambodhi, but then again, so can everyone. Namo Buddha!
Comment by pacat
June 7th, 2009 at 10:09 pm
I vote charlatan This kid is too alert and I think I saw him playing with an I POD.Just another sham man.I don't have to live with him so he goes with my blessing. If you look at his eyes they tell all.Now look at the eyes of the people around him.See any difference?
Comment by Mujaku
June 8th, 2009 at 1:03 am
There is no evidence in the Buddhist canon that prolonged sitting leads to awakening. The Avatamsaka Sutra from the Buddhist canon tell us: "If physical action were religious practice, then religious practice would be walking, standing, sitting, lying down, looking around, up and down." Clearly they are not. To become a Buddha means to awaken to the true Mind which transcends phenomena – even phenomenal bodies that sit.
Comment by lovetruthjoy
June 8th, 2009 at 7:37 am
He is not the Buddha reincarnated, nor does he say he is.
Gautama has "graduated."
His aim is to reach Buddhahood for the sake of sentient beings.
It is a noble cause. You could aim for that too!
Comment by Loki
June 8th, 2009 at 9:48 am
That guy looks cool to me. I suspect Tibetan boudhism to be a major fraud. Let's go back to India!
Comment by Shoryaa
June 8th, 2009 at 11:34 am
A conman or genuine no one knows yet. The documentary about this kid that came on Discovery channel covered a lot of his daily activity which was to sit in deep meditation. People were coming from all over the place to see this kid, this event even attracted many scientist and journalist. most of them were trying to find out how a human body can survive without food and water for such a long time. His family(elder brother) and some villagers from his own village was in charge of all the things related to him(mostly the donations from the devotees). Yes he was in deep meditation, but suddenly one day it all ended when this boy disappeared, including his family. Now i am looking at this news again after a long time. People have a tendency to doubt the good. But the question is what good is coming out. With all that disturbance in jungle think of what harm his presence would be doing to the wildlife. There was only one "Gautama Buddha" and he reached out to people himself by helping them without taking anything in return. Any comparisons of that divine soul to any person who starved himself for days and meditated deeply in jungles will be unjust. God is everywhere and so is Ignorance.
Comment by Loud Shirt Chip
June 8th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
Q. What did the Buddhist Priest say to the Domino's Pizza delivery man?
A. "Make me one with everything!"
Comment by Mijonju
June 16th, 2009 at 3:39 am
hahaha.. he might be on drugs too..
Comment by Visit Nepal
June 17th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
There is always a rumor and controversy surrounding myth. Moreover the controversy increase when it comes to politically troubled Himalayan region. At least people have faith on this young boy and thousands are showing up meaning the village which was never known to the world has a source of income and it would be a good thing for poor people from that town. No matter he is real or not, I do feel like Visiting Nepal in 2011 hopefully that would answer the query.
Comment by sharat
July 10th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
If the boy had been meditating where on this very hell is that written the you cant have food or sleep !
Gracious, its the people who would publicize the enormity of the person or can demolish within seconds.
They cant just sustain the positive vibes !
Aah these journalist can't be blamed too… to catch the boy eating apple and catching him sleeping while meditating, this job itself would have left the journalist with sleepless nighs and days without food. Good
Job the journalist, and referred the agony over getting those snaps…..
Ha ha these kind of humans makes silly humans…..
Comment by sharat
July 10th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
If the boy had been meditating where on this very hell is that written the you cant have food or sleep !
Gracious, its the people who would publicize the enormity of the person or can demolish within seconds.
They cant just sustain the positive vibes !
Aah this journalist can't be blamed too… to catch the boy eating apple and catching him sleeping while meditating, this job itself would have left the journalist with sleepless nighs and days without food. Good
Job the journalist, and referred the agony over getting those snaps…..
Ha ha these kind of humans makes silly humans…..
Comment by sharat
July 10th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
If the boy had been meditating where on this very hell is that written the you cant have food or sleep !
Gracious, its the people who would publicize the enormity of the person or can demolish within seconds.
They cant just sustain the positive vibes !
Aah this journalist can't be blamed too… to catch the boy eating apple and catching him sleeping while meditating, this job itself would have left the journalist with sleepless nighs and days without food. Good
Job the journalist, and referred the agony over getting those snaps…..
Ha ha these kind of humans makes silly humans…..
Comment by sharat
July 10th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
I agree with on the amazing part of humans….
If the boy had been meditating where on this very hell is that written the you cant have food or sleep !
Gracious, its the people who would publicize the enormity of the person or can demolish within seconds.
They cant just sustain the positive vibes !
Aah this journalist can't be blamed too… to catch the boy eating apple and catching him sleeping while meditating, this job itself would have left the journalist with sleepless nighs and days without food. Good
Job the journalist, and referred the agony over getting those snaps…..
Ha ha these kind of humans makes silly humans…..