Buddhism in the modern world...

_BeautifulSpringtime

Thought you might be interested in this young man in Nepal:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4479240.stm

federica

..... Yes, Mystifying isn't it....?

zenmonk_genryu

A little sad.

bushinoki

I'm still waiting on a more conclusive report to make a decision on this matter. Like I've said to others, if he's the real deal in someway, it affects global politics, but if he's not real, then it doesn't affect me.

zenmonk_genryu

Well he's certainly not a reincarnation of the Buddha.

Simonthepilgrim

zenmonk_genryu wrote:

Well he's certainly not a reincarnation of the Buddha.

And he has Buddha Nature.

bushinoki

Reverend, I'm going to agree with that. However, he might still be something important. We shall see.

zenmonk_genryu

Of no importance at all, as you'll soon see. :winkc:

bushinoki

I agree that any importance he has will not pertain to Buddhism. However, if he shows to be "enlightened" in some way, he will attract a following, largely Buddhist, and there will be a slight shift in the overall balance of power in the world. Think of it this way, HH the Dalai Lama has quite the engaging speaking schedule, often spending months on the road traveling in several different nations, what if this kid starts doing something like that. That's what I'm referring to.

federica

Nothing is impossible....















(Unless you try going through narrow revolving doors with a pair of skis over your shoulder.....)

buddhafoot

federica wrote:

Nothing is impossible....

(Unless you try going through narrow revolving doors with a pair of skis over your shoulder.....)

I love this.

Now instead of telling my son, "Son, put your mind to it and you can grow up to be anything you want" - I can tell him

"Son, put your mind to it and you can grow up to be nothing."

-bf

Sangha

They should really check to make sure he's still breathing.

DaltheJigsaw

Interesting.
We will see with time.

Avuso

Documentary about the boy: http://www.youtube.com/user/BuddhaBoyVideos#p/u/9/v29clGMWU84

compassionate_warrior

The documentary says he hasn't eaten in almost a year. This case might be different, because the boy has been meditating all that time, but there was an American woman back in the 90's who made headlines by figuring out the technique for living without food (I don't know if she drank water). There is a specific technique that yogis in India use to subsist on "air", or "spiritual energy", as the above-mentioned documentary says. She made headlines across the US not just because she, herself, lived without food (doctors had studied her and confirmed it), but she was able to teach the technique to others; anyone who wanted to try it. She lived a normal life, she was not in a constant meditative state, unlike the case in Nepal.

Simonthepilgrim

compassionate_warrior wrote: »

...............................(T)here was an American woman back in the 90's who made headlines by figuring out the technique for living without food (I don't know if she drank water). There is a specific technique that yogis in India use to subsist on "air", or "spiritual energy", as the above-mentioned documentary says. She made headlines across the US not just because she, herself, lived without food (doctors had studied her and confirmed it), but she was able to teach the technique to others; anyone who wanted to try it. She lived a normal life, she was not in a constant meditative state, unlike the case in Nepal.

I think you are referring to this dangerous fraud:

Fresh-air dietician fails TV show's challenge

Yahoo News, October 25, 1999

A DIETICIAN who claims it ispossible to live off fresh air has failed in a television documentary to practise what she preaches.
An Australian programme, 60 Minutes, asked Jasmuheen, a former financial adviser whose real name is Ellen Greve, to demonstrate that she could live healthily without any nutrients other than air for one week.
Last month, Verity Linn, an Australian environmentalist, was found starved to death by a loch in West Sutherland with a copy of the teachings of Jasmuheen in her belongings. Ms Linn died one week after beginning a planned three-week fast.
Jasmuheen, who claims not to have eaten real food for years, agreed to be cut off from the outside world for the test. But the programme-makers were forced to call a halt to the trial after four days when she showed signs of becoming seriously ill.
Jasmuheen had initially been confined to a hotel room in Brisbane with teams of female security guards in constant attendance. Her progress was checked by a female doctor, Dr Berris Wink, president of the Queensland branch of the Australian Medical Association.
But when she began showing signs of stress, high blood pressure and dehydration after just 48 hours, the self-styled guru blamed it not on food and fluid deprivation, but polluted air.
The cult leader claimed that her confinement close to a busy main road meant she could not get the nutrients she needed to survive as a Breatharian. Dr Wink told her she was already clearly suffering the effects of dehydration. "You are now over 5 per cent dehydrated. If we let this go much longer, that's going to damage your kidney," she said.
60 Minutes moved Jasmuheen on day three to a mountainside retreat about 15 miles away from the city , where she was filmed enjoying the fresh air she said she could now live on happily. However, as the filming progressed, it became obvious that Jasmuheen was becoming ill. Her speech was slow, her pupils dilated and she had lost almost a stone. One doctor advising 60 Minutes urged Jasmuheen and the programme to stop the challenge. After four days, Jasmuheen told the programme's presenter, Richard Carlton: "I feel really good, now I'm here. Well, I look like I've lost a lot of weight and the doctor confirms that."
Dr Wink told her: "You are now quite dehydrated, probably over 10 per cent, getting up to 11 per cent." She also announced: "Her pulse is about double what it was when she started. The risks if she goes any further are kidney failure. 60 Minutes would be culpable if they encouraged her to continue. She should stop now."
Jasmuheen challenged the decision, saying: "Look, 6,000 people have done this around the world without any problem" She blamed 60 Minutes for putting her beside a busy main road at the start of the experiment. "I asked for fresh air. Seventy per cent of my nutrients come from fresh air. I couldn't even breath," she said.
Dr Wink told the programme, which decided not continue the test after the four-day period: "Unfortunately there are a few people who may believe what she says, and I'm sure its only a few, but I think it's quite irresponsible for somebody to be trying to encourage others to do something that is so detrimental to their health."
Next month an Australian doctor and his wife who say they are Breatharians are due to go on trial charged with manslaughter after a woman died in their care.

compassionate_warrior

Thank you, Simon. We didn't hear about this in the US.