How Far Would You Go For Spiritual Enlightenment?

Hey ATS, I came across some fascinating information concerning the practices of Buddhist Monks and their journey to the ultimate enlightening experience. Take a look and I suggest checking out the link provided at the bottom of the page for additional information on the process and practices involved in this unbelievable ritual along with additional pictures and videos.

Would you slowly commit suicide for the sole purpose of religious enlightenment? There are approximately 24 Buddhist monks who did so in the Yamagata Prefecture that occurred in the early 1800s. This practice was folklore until Buddhist monk mummies were discovered in July of 2010.

Sokushinbutsu was tried by hundreds of monks, as it was the celestial trifecta of religious experiences in Japan. As stated earlier, only about 24 monks were successful. The experience of committing suicide by the monks began in an elaborate process of 1,000 days (a little less than three years) of eating only nuts and seeds to eliminate all body fat. Some folks would consider this a normal Hollywood celebrity diet. Over-zealous exercises were employed.

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For another 1,000 days, the monks only ate bark and roots and began drinking a poisonous tea made from the sap of the Urushi tree, normally used to lacquer (eliminate) their bowls. In other words, there was profuse diarrhea occurring among the participating monks. Though the vomiting and diarrhea was important to later mummify themselves, the ideal outcome of drinking the sap of Urushi trees was to make their body poisonous and inedible to maggots. In turn, their body would not deteriorate by natural processes.

Finally, a self-mummifying monk would lock himself in a stone tomb barely larger than his body, where he would not move from the lotus position. His only connection to the outside world was an air tube and a bell. Each day he rang a bell to let those outside know that he was still alive. When the bell stopped ringing, the air tube was removed. Another 1,000 days ensued. Then, some unfortunate monk was summoned to open the tomb and see if his body was mummified. If all was well, and mummification had been achieved, the monk was declared a Buddha and the body was put into the temple for viewing.

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www.environmentalgraffiti.com...

well I wouldn't commit suicide or give up
my faith or my soul to gain enlightenment.
And I wouldn't betray family or my honor.

I think enlightenment can wait til I die
of natural causes.

Boy did those guys loose the plot,the Buddha went through years of ascetism and self deprivation and in the end concluded that was not necessary for enlightenment all one had to do was follow his teachings.

What is acheiving enlightenment? I imagine if you have that kind of dedication you already had self-relization. Which in my opinion is all enlightenment realy is. You understand yourself and through understanding yourself you understand those around you by being able to put yourself in their position/perspective...The test of being "enlightened" is functioning daily with people. Not mummifying yourself, that's like giving, in my opinion again.

reply to post by TV_Nation

Peace love and light, it's just it, enligtment.
The universe wants to preserve things and these monsters just won't give up, it's assimilation, brainwashing into the collective, true spiritual wisdom comes from inside, from the self, from the blue water, there you will find god in the universe. This is the religion of the red, the snake, avoid it at all costs, the religion of sacrifice, insanity mixed with bliss at the end for desire of control and power. You don't exist anymore. Ironical as it sounds god is a black man, creation is intended to live, not for sacrifice, to be, to preserve and peace is something else, it's being in peace, as existing and having peace at the same time.

Your title I'm not sure is the best choice but whatever.

I wouldn't call that spiritual enlightenment in itself, it's similar to committing suicide. Buddhism talks about impermanence as being a law, why you'd then turn yourself into a mummy...doesn't make a lot of sense. The Buddha also talked about the middle path being the correct approach after being heavily ascetic. Extremes of thought/action aren't possessed by the wise.

As far as the title, I think most would do anything if given steps that they knew would bring about "truth" and they could feel it. But with all the various systems, it'd pull you apart almost as far as "How far would you go for spiritual enlightenment".

reply to post by ghaleon12

It's the problem, you never know what you chose, so I would be sharp as a cat on my toes.
Suicide is not a way out, only for them, life is suppose to be an expiriance, either if it's good or bad.
I would say live with your soul, these are creeps, you never know who you bond your self to, it's the problem.
I hear the end coming, so let it come if it comes, it's abandon ship before it comes, it';s what they are doing.
Only the lord can judge and suicide is not a way out, it's giving into the illusion.

I have been known to go to incredible lengths and distances to seek enlightenment.

To the Pizza Parlor sometimes miles away.

To the Strip Clubs sometimes miles away.

To the Bistros and Bars sometimes miles away.

To the Ocean sometimes miles away.

To the boutiques and shoppes sometimes miles away.

It's exhausting, demanding and trying, but yet worthwhile if you truly want to understand the nature of our universe.

I am getting closer to true understanding and ready for the next big step in my journey...The Day After Thanksgiving Sale at Macy's.

Yeah I am nervous, but I think I am ready, wish me luck everyone, it's coming up soon.

There is a rational explanation. Aliens instructed these people on how to go about the process, hoping it would more widely take root. Death of the ego is almost guaranteed. Otherwise how do explain that anyone would eat urushi sap, which contains similar compounds to what causes a poison ivy rash (urushiol)? Think about all the delicious, purified energy waiting to be consumed once it is released from the body (I'll have some brow chakra if you don't mind). Encouraging a spiritual way of life is a way of getting the cattle to fatten themselves up. It is one's way of asking to be eaten at the banquet and a willingness to slaughter one's self humanely!

Somebody posted this in another thread but I shall include it here:


The difference is that I unlocked its secrets.

this isnt something they just discovered proof of.

2007: www.thethinkingblog.com...


And from the wikipedia page for sokushinbutsu:

References

* Hori, Ichiro (1962). "Self-Mummified Buddhas in Japan. An Aspect of the Shugen-Dô ("Mountain Asceticism") Sect". History of Religions 1 (2): 222–242. doi:10.1086/462445. links.jstor.org... Retrieved 2007-06-28.

Gradually dying gives you a foot in each camp.
You become detached from normal cares, and lose identification with your body.
At the same time you become increasingly aware of a beauty and love that transcends this dimension.

Anyone working with the dying sees this happen to some of them.

I would never advocate doing ths voluntarily, but if anyone here ends up slowly dying, it may be worth remembering that the time of dying can be a blessing.

reply to post by EnlightenUp

Yes once you lose your feelings you are gone, you feel you are. You don;t feel then you are a snake, coldness, so you need the sun. What we have is a gift, it's special, life is special. You need will to change your self, you don't change your self by becoming a robot, that is giving in. Going against gravity is hard, same as change. If you become a vegtable you get eaten, these are the rules. So I would say be a vegtable with out being a vegtable.

I for example gave up meat, they give up meat so they can do stuff to get the benefits, I gave up meat because I wanted to, because of animal suffering "not to gain any benefits enlightment" These are greedy freaks.
Wow I'm alive, not a robot, it is a big deal.

I always do what I want and judge my own actions, until god says otherwise it's the way it is. People don't care anymore, it's the problem, I too don't care about some, but some is not all.

reply to post by pepsi78


Eventually one grows old and weary of fighting gravity altogether and concludes the best way to defeat it is to exist outside its scope of influence and give it nothing to pull down. There are no limits on how long it will fight you if you choose to keep fighting it. It will not tire. You cannot negotiate with it. The rebellion against the essential natural order is hell. What attempts to erect itself against it to towering heights is eventually brought back to earth.

Do not go against it. Achieve escape velocity!

Eventually one grows old and weary of fighting gravity altogether and concludes the best way to defeat it is to exist outside its scope of influence and give it nothing to pull down.

I have a better idea, what we see here is better, they took the easy way out, bliss until the rebirth, the pheonix.
I like the notion of the idea that to me it's intresting, to go on discovery as we are. It's so special.
Why become mister know it all, they don't know the other side of the coin anyway, because they chose a side.
I;m not for suffering but to give it all up, it's moching creation. Look at them, they moched it. It's "we don't care"
because we found out that we don';t have to.

When you find your self laughing and not caring you are with them, there is no turning back, you become cursed.
You wanted power and greed, you wanted to find out more, but you only found out half. Then you come to people and state become like me , I'm cursed, "it's an illusion" nooo nothing can explain it, it's an illusion. By doing that you moch creation and the universe. What is the creator creates, perfect balance to feel, to be to enjoy. It's the problem with this cults, they just dig and dig, then they find their selfs on the other side, just one side.
Want to go to the metaphisical realm go ahead, I hear something big is coming it;'s way.
I'll get the thrill to get blasted by a comet, or sunken in the water. At least I'm not a hipocrite killng it's self out slowly with poison to get rid of it all and to wonder who knows where. Zen philosophy states just that, let it all go.
Clear your mind, empty it. Then you become a machine, you give in when in fact the concept of creation is the other way around. Angels have will, they can chose to go wrong. Etheral beings in concept have nothing to do with the religion of the sun, I would take it these things are colored bluish. It's doing the right thing , becoming better by your feelings and by your own choice, doing it as a robot does not count.

It will never count, it can't and it should not. If we get to go out of here even better, maybe we could chose a better spot in the universe this time.

reply to post by pepsi78


Each of us will make our own decisions about our path. Why judge them for theirs? Why would you seemingly demand that one take the difficult path, just for its own sake of it being difficult? Why does this act trouble you? Does your ego look upon that with horror and see its own impermanence?

Mock creation; for it does a fine job mocking itself; it's its own joke only half told. We are where the line and the bag meet for the punch.

ETA: It's neither greed nor power. It's leaving silly creatures to fight amongst themselves when their instincts are too powerful for them to manage. Either attrition or wisdom will prevail.

Originally posted by EnlightenUp
reply to post by pepsi78

 

Each of us will make our own decisions about our path. Why judge them for theirs? Why would you seemingly demand that one take the difficult path, just for its own sake of it being difficult? Why does this act trouble you? Does your ego look upon that with horror and see its own impermanence?

Mock creation; for it does a fine job mocking itself; it's its own joke only half told. We are where the line and the bag meet for the punch.

ETA: It's neither greed nor power. It's leaving silly creatures to fight amongst themselves when their instincts are too powerful for them to manage. Either attrition or wisdom will prevail.

edit on 9/17/2010 by EnlightenUp because: (no reason given)

I don't demand it, I just want it to stop, with it's an illusion, here take the red pill, become like us.
Here eat this cup cake. here it has sprinkles. No tec can;t explain it, it's an illusion. No it's just empty space.
So we are not really the ones that do this, it's them. You have to give your self to them free.

You are right, cross the line and you are red, cross back and you are blue.
Chose, red or blue, game it. Dark or light, then they switch sides to confuse it even more.
Why not have peace and be ? It's what happens to you when you chose a side. I chose none.
Then I hope I get to chose the next place in the universe where I want to be. Maybe in a spaceship or maybe as an etheral being. I'm really growing tierd of this solar system.

Am I the only one that thinks slowly killing yourself for self-actualization is stupid?

What happened to medidating in a forest and becoming a vegan?

That option sounds so much better than drinking poison and eating bark then locking yourself in a stone tomb until you die of thirst.

Originally posted by ohsnaptruth
Am I the only one that thinks slowly killing yourself for self-actualization is stupid?

Everyone is doing it! Some choose to go faster or slower.

What happened to medidating in a forest and becoming a vegan?

Meditate in a forest and wait for a bear to eat a vegan! One might argue that it still like its vegetables, preprocessed anthropomorphically.

That option sounds so much better than drinking poison and eating bark then locking yourself in a stone tomb until you die of thirst.

Some people are weird.

Originally posted by ohsnaptruth
Am I the only one that thinks slowly killing yourself for self-actualization is stupid?

What happened to medidating in a forest and becoming a vegan?

That option sounds so much better than drinking poison and eating bark then locking yourself in a stone tomb until you die of thirst.

Once you give in you get influenced, you can't turn back, it's hard. You have to have will.
I know how it is, put your self in the water to see how hot it is, but I would leave one foot on the ground, then you get the taste and you expose them and you say, that is not it. Extreme temeratures lows and highs. I like it when it's cold, makes me feel so alive, frozen in ice. Then I can have a cup of tea"without poison" and taste how good it is.
It's my reward for staying like a freak frozen, then I get to go frosen again, to once again enjoy my cup of tea.
These guys enjoy hot tea in the lake of fire. they melt.
It's their choice, why try to influence others ? become like us, give your self to us.

Meditate in a forest and wait for a bear to eat a vegan! One might argue that it still like its vegetables, preprocessed anthropomorphically.

I am a vegan, not because of enlightment, but because of animal suffering. I see it, I don't like it.
If I meditate I do it to calm down a little bit. You are a vegan but that does not mean that you do not eat proteins,
I drink milk, eat chease but spare the animals, the wild animals are innocent they don't know, but I do.
Once you know it you can't touch it.