If this interests you, also read about Dashi-Dorzho Itigilov.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dashi-Dorzho_Itigilov

> The Buddhist monks approach him as a living person and shake hands with him. Some devotees even claim that Itigilov is still alive, only immersed in a hibernation- or nirvana-like state.

> In April 2013, Vladimir Putin went to Buryatia to "hold a conversation" with Itigilov and other lamas.

This is even more fascinating... Warning: graphic image.

So the monks drank Urushi tea which is poisonous. They also drank water from nearby river which had near fatal doses of arsenic. Both the tea poison and arsenic stay in the body after death preventing decay. They also fasted to remove excess fat and water from the body which would otherwise attract insects and bacteria.

But this still doesn't explain why some monks succeeded and not others.

In traditional burials, something called adipocere occasionally develops.

Basically body fats become saponified sealing the rest of the body from insects and bacteria, preventing a normal decay.

But it doesn't happen every time, it depends on the percentage of fat, humidity and probably a number of other parameters.

Another variable is the sterility of the tomb, clothing, etc.

The article reminds me of how incredibly different the modern world has become and whilst we may consider ourselves to be at the most 'advanced' stage in human history, I think these ancient cultures could teach us a lot. We have an abundance of knowledge about the external world, yet very little knowledge on the internal.

What do you mean by external / internal?

Do you mean physical / spiritual?

While I can't speak for the person you're responding to, my recent interesting Zen Buddhism has left me quite impressed with the things they figured out centuries ago that only really entered our social world relatively recently via the field of psychology.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), for example, as one of the few proven effective approaches in therapy, is in many ways not so different from (zen) Buddhist practices. And the growing body of research on meditation and mindfulness is at least indicating that these things are very good for an individual's well-being.

While I personally do not care much for the more spiritual and religious sides of all this, I've definitely become less dismissive of these things.

Those things were known before psychology named, published, and formalized them. They were just called "common sense" and presented alongside a number of competing ideas. Buddhism is no different in this regard: everything it gets right is not known to be right until someone uses a reliable process to verify it. Until then, there is little reason to accept it as a known truth.

Yes, I suppose that is another way to put it. Strangely, I find the word spiritual can scare people off! (I blame religion..!)

What 'annoy' me the most is that modern humanity may know a lot, but individuals don't know much. It's not because it's been discovered, collected, printed and industrialized that one know.

Fascinating. I wonder if their meditation practice enabled them to live on such a restricted diet. Surviving a year eating only bark and pine needles does not seem possible...

A very-very good audio, well made and interesting. Especially well made because of authentic noises and sounds. Very natural. Does anybody know of any other similar podcasts?

And I like the British ascent.

"losing their chance at immortality"... author is not really paying attention to the idea of reincarnation there.

Elsewhere in the article, it says that the monks believed that their asceticism alone would allow them an incarnation in Tushita Heaven, home of the devas and the bodhisattva, for 1.6 million years. As there is a time differential of 146097:1 (400y:1d) there, that would be about 11 years of Earth time.

They also believe that while in Tushita, they will retain spiritual abilities on Earth for as long as their physical bodies remain preserved.

So by the meditation and asceticism, they get off the reincarnation hamster wheel for about 11 years, get a subjective 1.6 million years studying under the next Buddha [0] before then, and if they also elect to self-mummify, they may possibly get to channel positive mojo to their hometowns through their dessicated flesh while they wait for their next turn.

Immortality never comes into play, anywhere.

[0] Or training with Goku?

It's been crossed out so I'm presuming the author saw your comment and corrected it

I am not sure it can be called an "art" nor "self-preservation." Not even sure about "self-mummification" (http://io9.com/the-gruesome-and-excruciating-practice-of-mum...). Yet, because the uniqueness of what's described, an interesting read for the curious.

Well that was kind of horrifying.