I will say only one thing. Remarkable lack of dessication for bio-tissue that has been packed in salt.

salted plum

!http://www.latinmerchant.com/images/product/regular%20(66).jpg!

Buryat Lama

!http://www.latinmerchant.com/images/product/regular%20(66).jpg!

does that bloke come in vinegar flavour as well?

I don’t understand the question.

Rule 303 said:

I don’t understand the question.

Was talked about earlier and I thought there might be more information out there. Not that I’ve done my own search yet.

Some context

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dashi-Dorzho_Itigilov

Dashi-Dorzho Itigilov (Russian: Даши-Доржо Итигэлов; Buryat: Этигэлэй Дашадоржо; 1852–1927) was a Buryat Buddhist lama of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, best known for the lifelike state of his body, which is reported not to be subject to macroscopic decay.

Itigilov was born in 1852 and began his religious education at the age of 16. He studied at the Anninsky Datsan (a Buddhist university in Buryatia, of which only ruins remain), earning diplomas in medicine and philosophy. At that time he wrote an encyclopedia of pharmacology.

In 1911, he was appointed the 12th Pandido Khambo Lama (as the head of Russian Buddhists is styled), at which post he inaugurated the period of a Buddhist revival among Buryats. Between 1913 and 1917, Itigilov was prominent in the spiritual life of Imperial Russia. He took part in the Tercentenary celebrations of the House of Romanov and opened the Gunzechoyney datsan, the first Buddhist temple in St. Petersburg and indeed in Europe. The tsar had him invested with the Order of St. Stanislas on 19 March 1917.

During the First World War Itigilov presided over the society of “Buryat brothers”, an organization helping the Russian army with money, provisions, clothes, and medicaments. He also helped set up a number of hospitals, with lama doctors helping wounded soldiers. For his charitable activities Itigilov was awarded the Order of St. Anna.

In 1926 Itigilov advised the Buddhist monks to leave Russia, since “the red teaching was coming to land”, himself choosing to remain in the country. A year later, aged 75, he asked other lamas to begin meditation ceremonies and funeral rites, since he said he was about to die. Lamas did not want to perform this meditation because Itigilov was still alive. As a result, Itigilov began to meditate alone until other lamas joined him and soon his body ceased to breathe.

After death

Itigilov left a testament asking to be buried as he was at the time of his death, sitting in lotus posture. According to his wishes, his body was put into a pine box and interred at a bumkhan (a graveyard for the lama burials) in the locality of Khukhe-Zurkhen (Dark-blue Heart in Buryat language). One of the testament clauses stipulated that his body should be exhumed by other monks within several years. This clause is interpreted by enthusiasts to demonstrate Itigilov’s precognisance of his body’s incorruptibility.

In 1955 and in 1973, Itigilov’s body was examined by Buddhist monks, who were astonished to observe no signs of physical decay. They were too reluctant to divulge their finding to the antitheistic authorities of Communist Russia and the body remained in situ until 2002.

On 11 September 2002 Itigilov’s body was eventually exhumed in the presence of the leaders of the Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia. The body was transferred to Ivolginsky datsan (a residence of today’s Hambo Lama) where it was closely examined by monks and also by scientists and pathologists. The official statement was issued about the body – it was “in the condition of someone who had died 36 hours ago”, very well preserved, without any signs of decay, with whole muscles and inner tissue, soft joints and skin.

thanks for pointing out I forgot to explain the picture

http://www.altering-perspectives.com/2013/05/dead-buddhist-monk-is-alive.html

Ititgelov left a testament where he asked to bury him as he was, sitting in lotus pose in the cedar box on traditional cemetery. It was done. There was also a statement, where he asked other monks to exhume him after several years. (This is the exciting point – this means he knew that his body would be preserved). This was done in 1955 and in 1973 by Buddhist monks but they were scared to tell everybody about this, since communist regime did not leave any space for religion in society. Only in 2002 the body was finally exhumed and transferred to Ivolginsky Datsan (a residence of today’s Hambo Lama) where it was closely examined by monks and, which is now more important, by scientists and pathologists. The official statement was issued about the body – very well preserved, without any signs of decay, whole muscles and inner tissue, soft joints and skin. The interesting thing is that the body was never embalmed or mummified.

Two years passed. Itigelov’s body is now kept open air, in contact with other people, without any temperature or humidity regimes. How Itigelov keeps this condition, nobody knows.

ta PM

Incorruptibility refers to a Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox belief that divine intervention allows the bodies of some saints to avoid the normal process of decomposition after death. The bodies of such saints, which are called incorrupt or incorruptible, undergo little decomposition or delayed decomposition as a sign of the saints’ holiness.

Covert embalming is sometimes invoked to explain the appearance of incorruptibility. The incorruptibility may occur in the presence of factors that bolster decomposition, as in the cases of Catherine of Genoa, Julie Billiart or Francis Xavier.

Roman Catholicism

In Roman Catholicism, if a body remains incorruptible after death, this is generally seen as a sign that the individual is a saint. Not every saint, however, is expected to have an incorruptible corpse. Although incorruptibility is recognized as supernatural, it is no longer counted as a miracle in the recognition of a saint.

Embalmed bodies were not recognized as incorruptibles. For example, while the body of Pope John XXIII remained in a remarkably intact state after its exhumation, Church officials quickly remarked that the body had been embalmed and additionally there was a lack of oxygen in his sealed triple coffin.

Incorruptibility is seen as distinct from the good preservation of a body, or from mummification. Incorruptible bodies are often said to have the odor of sanctity, exuding a sweet or floral, pleasant aroma.
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And there you have it, there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

I’m incorruptible.

Peak Warming Man said:

The incorruptibility may occur in the presence of factors that bolster decomposition, as in the cases of Catherine of Genoa, Julie Billiart or Francis Xavier.

We had Franic Xavier’s hand here in newcastle recently.

The catholic school kids from Francis Xavier college went on a special excursion to see the wonder.

it didn’t look very imperishable to me.

You went along and saw it?

Did you write about it, too?

Michael V said:

You went along and saw it?

Did you write about it, too?

No there was a picture of it in the paper.

In it’s special glass cabinet.

Skeptic Pete said:

I’m incorruptible.

I think that is spelled incorrigible.

I’m incorrigible.

OCDC said:

I’m incorrigible.

.

That’s true.