Beaming Buddha Boy Brings Big Bucks [UPDATED]
Thousands of pilgrims are pouring into the dense jungle of southern Nepal to worship a 15-year-old boy who has been hailed as a new Buddha.Six months outside...bald head...light on forehead...sunburn, maybe? An interesting aspect of this story is the results of this event:
Devotees say that Ram Bomjon, who is meditating silently beneath a tree, has not eaten or had anything to drink since he sat down at his chosen spot six months ago.
Witnesses say they have seen light emanating from the teenager's forehead.
A thriving market has grown in the once pristine forest, supplying pilgrims with everything from chewing tobacco and bicycle repairs to incense and religious amulets. The ground is covered with litter.Chewing tobacco, huh? Who would have guessed. Interesting how these so-called worshippers seem to be acting in ways contrary to what Buddhists claim to value, including destroying the harmony of the peaceful forest, littering, and having to be held back by fences so they can't prod their god.
A fence was built around Ram's tree to prevent pilgrims from prodding him, then a second, and now a third is planned, as well as a bus park, leaving Ram at the center of an ever-growing circle of commerce.
Full story here.
UPDATE [03-22-06]: Many have wondered what happened to the boy. Seems he left...just left. Rather anti-climactic, isn't it? Read the latest from this BBC report.
Labels: David C. Price
posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 11/22/2005 10:25:00 PM
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4 Comments:
hey, I am from nepal and this is really causing a craze in here.This Buddha boy (after 3 months of his meditation) has told people that not to take him as Buddha or his reincarnation. He only wants to find the truth that Buddha achieved through his meditation. I know its hard to belive in such things and we can't take it as it is (huh, after all we have to live in this world) but still I respect the boy. Why should a 15 years old boy whose brain is hardly matured (a scientific fact) is giving himself pain. May be a time will come when his sacrifice will big enough that we wont be able to hide it under our prestigious world where peace is scarce. I dont belive in reincarnation because it cant be seen but sacrifice can not only be seen but can also be felt.
However, what I like by this news is that some people will be soon awared that Buddha was born in Nepal not in India and Mt. Everest is in Nepal not in Tibet, China.
HI
Read the original texts before they were altered into the official Bible. Even Jesus does not say reincarnation is wrong or bad, when He asked " Who do people say I am?" Your unquestioning programming is showing.
His Peace be with you
"And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment"
Hebrews 9:27
By the way, Anonymous, not to be rude, but I'm not sure if I have ever come across worse exegesis than your use of Scripture. Do you really think Jesus was saying something about reincarnation through that question?? It is an amazing stretch to think that Jesus was implying something of His present identity over some previous one (or whatever you were trying to say). Jesus was clearly drawing a distinction between what people around town were (mistakenly)saying about him and what those who followed him believed and understood Him to be. In this He provided Peter an opportunity ("but who do you say that I am") to make his profession of faith in Jesus as "the Christ; the Son of the Living God."
My perspective has nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with "unquestioning programming" and everything to do with understanding the point of scripture and recognizing self-defeating and unsustainable worldviews when I see them. If what you have communicated is all you understand of Scripture, I really hope you will take a fresh look and try not to read your presuppositions into it. Thanks for stopping by and for commenting.
Oh, one more thing: If you could provide me with information regarding the "original texts" to which you were privy, I'd be most appreciative.
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