Do you wish to know *even* more?

 

Yes, this is really turning into a bad habit! Here´s an improved version of ChatGPT´s little essay on self-mummification among Shingon monks in Japan. 

What is the philosophy behind self-mummification in Shingon Buddhism?

The Philosophy Behind Self-Mummification in Shingon Buddhism (Sokushinbutsu)

🛕 Overview

The practice of self-mummification in Shingon Buddhism is known as Sokushinbutsu (即身仏), meaning “Buddha in this very body.” It was practiced by certain ascetic monks, particularly in Japan’s Tōhoku region, between the 11th and 19th centuries. These monks sought spiritual immortality by undergoing a gradual process of extreme asceticism, leading to self-induced mummification before death.

Unlike Egyptian mummies, who were embalmed after death, Sokushinbutsu monks mummified themselves while still alive, believing that through this process, they could transcend suffering and attain Buddhahood in their own body.

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🧘‍♂️ The Philosophical Foundations

The philosophy behind self-mummification is rooted in Shingon Buddhism, a form of Esoteric Buddhism (Mikkyō 密教) introduced to Japan by Kūkai (774–835 CE). It is influenced by both Tantric Buddhism and Daoist longevity practices. The core beliefs behind Sokushinbutsu include:

1️⃣ Sokushin Jōbutsu (即身成仏) – Becoming a Buddha in This Life

• In Shingon Buddhism, enlightenment is not something attained after death, but rather something that can be realized in the body, here and now.

• By overcoming physical desires, hunger, and attachment to the body, the monk transcends suffering and becomes one with the cosmic Buddha (Dainichi Nyorai).

• The mummified body is not seen as dead, but as a living Buddha, continuing to offer blessings to the world.

2️⃣ Merging with Dainichi Nyorai (大日如来) – The Cosmic Buddha

• Shingon Buddhism teaches that Dainichi Nyorai (Mahavairocana) is the ultimate, all-encompassing Buddha.

• By self-purification through asceticism, a monk aligns their body with Dainichi's eternal, enlightened presence, transcending normal human death.

• The preserved body becomes a sacred object, radiating spiritual energy, ensuring continued existence beyond death.

3️⃣ Mastery of Life and Death (Fudō Myō-ō Influence)

• Many Sokushinbutsu practitioners followed Fudō Myō-ō (Acala), a wrathful deity who symbolizes absolute discipline and transformation of suffering into wisdom.

• By undergoing the extreme pain of self-starvation, the monk demonstrates mastery over life and death, proving their spiritual strength.

4️⃣ Saving All Sentient Beings (Bodhisattva Ideal)

• The monks did not mummify themselves for personal liberation alone.

• They believed their act of extreme self-discipline would help alleviate suffering for others, acting as a living beacon of compassion even after "death."

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🔥 The Self-Mummification Process (Extreme Asceticism)

The process of Sokushinbutsu was grueling and took up to 10 years. It involved three main phases:

🔹 Phase 1: Mokujikigyō (木食行) – The “Tree Eating” Stage (1,000 Days or More)

• The monk eliminates body fat by eating only nuts, seeds, berries, tree bark, pine needles, and roots.

• They engage in intense meditation, fasting, and chanting to purify the mind and body.

• The goal is extreme bodily purification while weakening the body without damaging internal organs.

🔹 Phase 2: Water Fasting and Poisoning the Body (Another 1,000 Days)

• The monk begins drinking Urushi tea, made from the sap of the Japanese lacquer tree (Toxicodendron vernicifluum).

• This is poisonous, causing vomiting and diarrhea, which prevents bacteria and insects from decomposing the body after death.

• The monk gradually reduces water intake, slowly dehydrating the body.

🔹 Phase 3: Burial and Final Meditation

• Nearing death, the monk enters a small underground stone chamber, sitting in the lotus position.

• A breathing tube is provided, and they continue chanting mantras and meditating.

• When the chanting stops, the tube is removed, and the tomb is sealed.

• After 1,000 days, the tomb is reopened. If the body is found preserved, the monk is declared a Sokushinbutsu (a living Buddha). If decomposition occurs, it is seen as a sign of insufficient purification.

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⚖️ The End of the Practice

• The Japanese government banned self-mummification in the late 19th century (Meiji era) due to its extreme nature.

• However, several Sokushinbutsu remain enshrined today in temples, particularly in Yamagata Prefecture.

• Monks today no longer practice full self-mummification, but some still undergo modified ascetic practices inspired by it.

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🛕 Notable Sokushinbutsu Monks in Japan

• Tetsumonkai (1789–1871): A famous self-mummified monk enshrined at Dainichibō Temple.

• Shinnyokai Shonin (1787–1851): One of the best-preserved Sokushinbutsu, also in Yamagata Prefecture.

• Kūkai (774–835, Founder of Shingon Buddhism): Some legends say that he, too, entered eternal meditation and remains in his tomb at Mount Kōya.

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🛕 Final Thoughts: The Meaning of Sokushinbutsu

✅ Ultimate mastery over suffering and death
✅ Achieving Buddhahood in this life
✅ Serving as an eternal spiritual guide
✅ Demonstrating deep devotion to the Bodhisattva path

While self-mummification is no longer practiced, its philosophy still inspires deep meditation, fasting, and extreme spiritual discipline in some Shingon Buddhist circles.

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Would you like to know where you can visit Sokushinbutsu monks in Japan or explore similar ascetic traditions in other religions? 😊

Do you wish to know more?

 

Probably not, LOL. 

Is there any truth in the claim that some Shingon monks in Japan can "self-mummify", gradually turning themselves into mummies?

Yes, the claim is true. Some Shingon Buddhist monks in Japan practiced a form of self-mummification known as Sokushinbutsu (即身仏), a process in which a monk would undergo an extreme ascetic regimen to gradually mummify themselves while still alive.

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🛕 What Is Sokushinbutsu?

Sokushinbutsu is the practice of deliberate self-mummification carried out mainly by Shingon Buddhist monks between the 11th and 19th centuries in northern Japan. The monks believed that through intense discipline, they could achieve Buddhahood in their physical body without dying in the conventional sense.

• The most well-known cases are found in Yamagata Prefecture, particularly around Dainichi-Bō Temple.

• More than two dozen self-mummified monks have been discovered.

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⚰️ How Did the Monks Self-Mummify? (The 3-Phase Process)

The self-mummification process took around 1,000 days (almost 3 years) and followed these steps:

📜 Phase 1: Extreme Fasting & Physical Depletion (1,000 Days)

• The monk followed the "Mokujikigyō" (木食行) diet—consisting only of nuts, seeds, tree bark, pine needles, and roots.

• This led to extreme weight loss, eliminating body fat that would normally decompose after death.

• Intense meditation and fasting prepared the monk spiritually for the transformation.

💀 Phase 2: Starvation & Dehydration (Next 1,000 Days)

• The monk switched to a liquid diet of tea made from urushi (lacquer tree) sap.

• Urushi is toxic, making the body inhospitable to bacteria and parasites, preventing decomposition.

• Near the end, the monk ceased all food and water intake, leading to death by starvation and dehydration.

🛕 Phase 3: Burial & Mummification

• The monk was placed in a stone chamber or wooden box just large enough for them to sit in full lotus posture.

• A small breathing tube allowed air into the chamber.

• The monk rang a bell each day to signal they were alive. When the bell stopped ringing, the chamber was sealed.

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🧐 Did It Actually Work?

• Most monks did not fully mummify—their bodies decomposed after death.

• However, about 20 monks successfully mummified, and their preserved bodies are still displayed in temples today.

• These Sokushinbutsu mummies show remarkably well-preserved features, supporting the idea that their extreme diet, dehydration, and urushi ingestion prevented decomposition.

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⚠️ Why Did the Practice End?

• The Japanese government banned Sokushinbutsu in the late 19th century, considering it a form of suicide.

• However, Shingon Buddhists still venerate the existing mummified monks as living Buddhas.

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🌟 Notable Sokushinbutsu Monks

• Shinnyokai Shonin (新如海上人) – A fully preserved mummy at Dainichi-Bō Temple in Yamagata.

• Tetsuryūkai Shonin (鉄竜海上人) – Another famous sokushinbutsu whose remains are enshrined at Honmyōji Temple.

Would you like information on where to see these mummies in Japan or details about the philosophy behind self-mummification? 😊

Cryptozoology be damned

“Around the world in 80 trees” is a book published in 2018. The British author´s name is Jonathan Drori. The illustrations (which I frankly don´t like) were made by Lucille Clerc. Drori is the quintessential super-nerd, a guy who grew up outside the Kew Botanical Gardens in London and later became one of its trustees! He has also worked for the WWF and various other conservationist groups.

Drori and Clerc take us on a wild journey around the world presenting popular science facts (or factoids?) about 80 species of trees. Come and learn everything about the connection between the Leyland cypress, the British Anti-Social Behaviour Act and Lady Gardner, the Baroness of Parks. Or how about trees that can become 1,000 years old? Did you know that violins made from European spruce growing during the Little Ice Age make better sounds than any other? Or that alder made Venice a great military power during the Middle Ages, while literally keeping the entire city, ahem, above water? 

We also learn that neem oil is an excellent pesticide for use in organic farming, that goats love to climb argan trees, and that a poison extracted from the Chinese lacquer tree is used by Shingon Buddhist monks to self-mummify. Yes, you read that right. Meanwhile, Israeli scientists have managed to make 2,000 year old seeds found at Masada grow. The seeds belong to an extinct subspecies of date palm mentioned by Josephus. Or not so extinct, as it turns out! Finally, I have to mention the Wollemia, believed to be extinct for 65 million years, until it was rediscovered in a small corner of an Australian national park… Crypto-zoology be damned, here comes crypto-botany.

I´m not an expert on trees, but I did manage to find two factual errors in this book anyway. Yes, we are in “Well, actually” territory, boyz´n girlz. The first one is a major gaffe. Surely, the evil captain onboard the “Bounty” was named William Bligh, not Robert? The second one is that the author wrongly attributes “De Mirabilis” to Aristotle. It´s his distant evolutionary cousin Pseudo-Aristotle, of course. I also find Drori´s constant politically correct preaching about this and that annoying. Still, I don´t regret picking up a Swedish-translation copy of this book (full price) at my local bookstore. It did made me marvel more than once at the claim that humans (?!) are the crown of creation. Yeah, whatever…