



Corpse of 200-Year-Old Monk Found in Lotus Position

Glowing through the statue's golden cast, the human skeleton is believed to belong to Buddhist master Liuquan, a member of the Chinese Meditation School.


They found out that Liuquan's internal organs had been removed.

"The mummified body hidden inside the buddhist statue is sitting on a roll of cloth," Buddhism expert Erik Bruijn told Discovery News. "On this cloth are Chinese characters written in black ink, mentioning the name of the venerable monk: Liuquan," he added.

According to Bruijn, the name means "Six Perfections."

"It refers to the virtues perfected by a being who seeks buddhahood through the systematic practice of the six perfect virtues but renounces complete entry into nirvana until all beings are saved," Bruijn said.

The museum speculates Liu Quan Liuquan may have "self-mummified" in order to become a "living Buddha."


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Researchers aren't certain when or how this monk's organs were then removed.

The Buddha statue is currently on display at the National Museum of Natural History in Budapest. It will remain there until May.

Image: A scan reveals the body of a nearly 1,000-year-old Buddhist monk inside the statue of Buddha. Credit: Drents Museum.