Boy probably not reincarnated Buddha

There have been reports that a 15 year old Nepalese boy is the reincarnation of Buddha.

Ram Bahadur Banjan, 15, sits cross-legged and motionless with eyes closed among the roots of a tree in the jungle of Bara, about 100 miles south of the capital, Katmandu.

…

Many visitors believe Banjan is a reincarnation of Gautama Siddhartha, who was born not far away in southwestern Nepal around 500 B.C. and later became revered as the Buddha, which means Enlightened One.

It’s quite a show, with 10,000 people reported to be visiting the site to view the boy each day. One of the things that has people excited is the claim he has gone six months without food or drink – miraculous if true. The Royal Nepal Academy of Science and Technology has even been asked to send scientists to look into it.

Actually I don’t think they need to go to all that trouble. I think the answer to how he apparently manages without food or drink can be found in this snippet:

Mahat said visitors can catch a glimpse of Banjan from a roped-off area about 80 feet away from him between dawn and dusk.

Followers then place a screen in front of him, blocking the view and making it impossible to know what he is doing at night, Mahat said.

"We could not say what happens after dark," Mahat said.

Ah-So - he goes without food during the day. Unusual perhaps, but not especially enlightened.

What me, miss meals?

Comments

[Ray]

The figurine is Ho-Tai (Good Life) a Chinese demigod, and not Buddha.

And how is this proof that he is not a reincarnated Buddha ?

[Skeptico]

OK genius, please point to where I claimed this is proof that he is not a reincarnated Buddha.

[S.Johnston]

It's rather interesting how the original buddha believed in neither soul nor reincarnation. In some few hundred years after his death, there came two splits in buddhism, mahayana and theravada. Mahayana was in Nepal and most of India (excluding the overwhelming majority of Hindus) whereas theravada is in Sri Lanka and some parts of southern India. Buddhism was a response to Hinduism which does maintain in reincarnation and the soul. Had buddha maintained that there was a soul or reincarnation it would have contradicted his ideas because he didn't think that it was your fault being born in the Hindu castes because of your previous life's work. The divine attributes were given to sidartha much later by India.

[Correction]

The corpulent figure is the Chinese conception of the Maitreya Buddha, not the founder of Buddhism, the Sakyamuni Buddha. This mistake is rather common, not only in the general population, but also among skeptics who are not aware of the areas where they are ignorant. This is especially amusing since skeptics usually pride themselves in being among the intellectual elite -- proof positive that intelligence alone is no proof against errors born of arrogance.

[Skeptico]

I am aware of that. It’s colloquially known as “the fat Buddha” - which was the whole point. (It was a joke.)

Lighten up dude.

[golden child]

time will tell.

[aveniko]

I hope that he is the reincarnated of Gautama Buddha. But only time will tell. Let the boy meditate and if he reach enlightenment, then he will be call the Buddha. In this time of age, we need great being to enter this world. The world is full of violence and hatred. Perhaps, the Awaken One have been reborn. But only time can tell.

[Rockstar Ryan]

I hope so too. I also hope pigs fly over my house shitting gold nuggets. And they drop a stripper factory next door. And a beer volcano springs up. And that I had my own personal Ninja. And ...

[julian]

i think this is a hoax.
we should have seen other boys that could fasten for 6 months.
but no reccords of that.
even those who meditate a lot look skinny,they loose weight.
the boy looks good.

[Jonathan Dresner]

S. Johnson is incorrect to say that Gautama Buddha did not believe in reincarnation. His belief in the nonexistence of an eternal soul did not prevent him from arguing that our karmic essence, the ethical energy and character we accumulate over our lives, passes on to another (disappointing and ultimately empty) cycle of incarnation after death. What he argued, though, is that reincarnation is not something to be desired: rather our efforts should go towards extinguishing our ignorance which will end our production of karmic consequences, at which time we can be not reborn and therefore be happier.

This raises another more fundamental problem with the idea that this teen is the reincarnation of Gautama Buddha: As an enlightened individual, the Buddha would not be reincarnated after the end of his life. He's gone. Never to return, like the flame of a candle burnt to nothing.

It's possible that Nepalese/Tibetan Buddhism, being in the Mahayana tradition, has somehow transformed Siddhartha into a bodhisatva (an enlightened individual who has vowed to remain in existence until they have aided in the salvation of all other sentient beings), but traditional Mayahana teaching actually casts Buddha as a somewhat selfish solitary figure and the bodhisatvas as morally superior.

[LovetoaMuse]

What difference does it make whether one intellectualizes he is the reincarnation of anything? I am just trying to grasp the fascinating energy involved in sitting still for months and years, even if it might be only 12 hours a day.
How do people with "agendas" reconcile the notion of doing nothing and being world famous for it? Will warlords come to realize how futile their machinations are in the context of this boy's attitude?
Will the world have the patience to wait 6 years? How will the media handle the build up? What will happen May 16th, 2011?

[GARY]

I think 40 days should be maximum cause the bible says forty days of flud and Jesus fasted 40 days.So that would be a hoax.

[David]

It's easy to see what the boy does at night. Find someone with an infrared camera (the ones that can film the heat of bodies) and leave it there filming the fasting boy for several nights.

Please keep me updated with news about this... I am totally intrigued by it.

[sandeep shrestha]

Gautam Buddha was born in Kapilvastu, Nepal. He was a prince born to Maya Devi Shakya. His real name was Prince Siddharta Shakya. When he attained enlightenment, he was known as Gautam Buddha. Since he was a Shakya, he was called Shakyamuni Buddha. There are still Shakya's living in Nepal. And the living goddess "Kumari" can only be chosen from a girl of Shakya caste. When Buddha was born, he fell to the ground on his feet and walked 7 steps, from where 7 lotus grew.
Ram Bahadur Bamjam, was also born to a woman named Maya Devi Tamang. Tamang boys are sent to monastaries to become a Lama. And it is not common for lama's to meditate.
Why do people want to prove whether he is true or not, or real reincarnation of Buddha. If he wants to meditate, let him meditate. It shouldn't be anyones problem. If he is a NamoBuddha (new buddha), time will tell. there is no need for people to make false statements about him and take examination to prove whether he has eaten or not. People have only predicted that he might be reincarnation of Buddha. But no one has yet termed him as Buddha. When Gautam Buddha started to meditate, he was a simple man who wanted to attain enlightenment. Only once he attained enlightenment, he became Gautam Buddha.
So let's all let Ram Bahadur meditate now in peace, and if he attains enlightenment, which he says will happen in 6 years time, he indeed is our "NAMOBUDDHA"
So there is no need to take his physical examinations or investigations.
Thank You.

[BronzeDog]

So there is no need to take his physical examinations or investigations.

Because we just have to have blind faith in his honesty and correctness. Searching for truth is pointless, because we KNOW with our super-omniscience powers that he's the real deal.

[David]

ok... don't get me wrong guys... I am not saying that the fasting boy is not something special because he definitely is. My intentions are just to prove the true authenticity of his mission, and to do this I need someone to go and film him for a long period of time with an infrared camera... I mean... c'mon... you people should understand the real intention here. Peace and Love.

[FOLLOWER OF CHRIST]

THERE IS ONLY ONE TRUE AND LIVING GOD, HE IS CREATOR OF ALL THINGS. HE HAS A SON WHICH IS LORD AND HIS NAME IS JESUS CHRIST. JESUS DIE FOR ALL THE WORLD'S SINS AND WAS MADE SIN, WHO KNEW NO SIN, NEITHER WAS THERE ANY GUILE FOUND IN HIS MOUTH, BUT THIS WAS ALL DONE FOR US, BECAUSE HE LOVES US AND HIS FATHER LOVES US, TO RECONCILE US BACK TO GOD THE FATHER. GOD RAISED HIM UP IN 3 DAYS!!!

DO NOT PRACTICE IDOLATRY!!! PUT AWAY ALL IDOLS (FALSE GODS)!!!

WORSHIP HIM (GOD)!!! LIVE FOR HIM (GOD)!!! SERVE HIM (GOD)!!! ACCEPT AND SERVE HIS SON ALSO!!! JESUS CHRIST!!!

PREACH AND TEACH JESUS CHRIST!!!

LOVE YOU ALL!!!

[BronzeDog]

The verbal equivalent of a blunt instrument. Someday, I hope that the Christians who prefer diplomacy and civil discourse will atrophy away verbally violent spammers like you, Follower.

[Dave]

Christian rhetoric... has anyone said he is God? The Buddha strongly opposed idols as he never wanted himself to be portrayed in a sculpture and so during his lifetime he never was captured in a visual form. Follower your post served no function and might have actually scared a few people away from Christianity...

[Reverend Sasquatch]

Plenty of cheeseburgers and soda at the Ministry of the Internet. We don't care what you believe so long as you bring at least one dollar to save your miserable soul. We also offer a bulk rate for saving multiple souls at a time. Five souls for ten dollars and so on. Please move quickly as this offer only lasts for this week-end.

Praise Jesus. Hallelujah! Amen, brothers and sisters.

Reverend Sasquatch of the Ministry of the Internet where we're saving souls one dollar at a time, or less when we're having a sale.

[Reverend Sasquatch]

If anyone tells those dirty, unwashed sinners that we're really charging double on the week-ends then they're going to have to go and sit underneath the tree with that kid in Nepal.

[Religious Critic]

The only person who really ever knew what Gautama thought was Gautama himself. There's been 2500 years for human error andambitions to distort what he actually thought and taught. How many distortions and versions on Jesus Christ are there? There are many different theories on who he was... (Son of God, revered prophet, descendent of King David, etc.) and what his teachings actually were. I suspect there is the same with the Buddha. As for this question, is the boy the Buddha reincarnated, time will tell. If he is, there will be undeniable proof. If he isn't, we won't hear too much more about him I wouldn't say.

[Maxwell]

buddha is in everything call it buddha nature.
enlightment simply means waking up.
buddha will never be reincarnated as we all have the power within ourselves to reach enlightenment. people reincarnate because they did not reach enlightment through their pryor lives.
"Thousands of people walk this earth each day as enlightened beings."
The dude in the picture is Hoti he's known as the laughing monk. Basically he is the buddhist version of Santa. He carried a bag of toys and treats on his back to give to children. He spent most of his life chilling with kids and playing in the streets he was in know way buddha. This whole meditating thing brings to mind a thousand year story where a monk sat and meditated for years ignoring people that came to see him until one day a man came and set next to him he started grinding bricks together the monk ignored him this continued for weeks until the monk asks "what are you doing" The man replied, "Im trying to make a mirror" The monk laughed arrogantly and asked,"How can you make a mirror by grinding bricks." The man smiled and said " How can you make a Buddha from meditating the monk didn't realize the man was already enlightend
That's probably the key to this kids disappearing either he became enlightened and blinked out of existence or who knows?
The chan/zen creator/bodhidharma or "Tamo" historically blinked out of time for like 50 years he also starred at a wall at shaolin temple for months listing to the ants scream boring wholes through the rock with his eyes. japanese newspapers reported his historical death at over 150 years old
Enlightened beings don't have to prove it you don't need undeniable proof
look at the shaolin monks for instance they historically have done greater feats then most of you care to realize when was the last time you herd of jesus doing a one finger hand stand you cant pierce a shaolin monks iron palm. basically enlightment cant be explained by words. words only create emphasis on feeling all that is true cant explained by the words of man

[Rockstar Ryan]

Enlightened beings don't have to prove it you don't need undeniable proof

Sweet! Someone else I can convince of the Gnomes that live in my ass. Right on brother! They drop dollar bills in my pocket every night. Who needs proof?

[BronzeDog]

look at the shaolin monks for instance they historically have done greater feats then most of you care to realize when was the last time you herd of jesus doing a one finger hand stand you cant pierce a shaolin monks iron palm.

Of course, Jesus's very existence is questionable. And, of course, Shaolin monks perform feats well within the laws of physics when not engaging in wire-fu with digitally removed wires, just like magicians do when "teleporting" tigers all across the stage or divining what card you drew from the deck.

[maxwell]

The thought of people believing in the reincarnation of buddha is hilarious.
One Finger Zen actually exists holms, No wires or editing needed...
Shaolin monks achieve physical feats beyond what the normal conceivable consciousness can portray. Everybody can push themselves beyond their own physical limits, with the power of their minds. Check out jet li's documentary on the history of shaolin KungFu or National Geographic's Myths and Logic of Shaolin Kungfu.

I study under a 34th generation fighting monk. He's happy to kick anybody's ass if they have any problems with shaolin or its chan followers. You dont belive me, Go see Master Shi Yan Ming at the USA Shaolin Temple. He can definitely teach a lesson or two about respect.

[maxwell]

lol

[BronzeDog]

The problem, maxwell, is that you're inflating their abilities. The performances they do in reality do not involve any sort of magic or trickery: Just simple physics, a tough body, and lots of practice. A "higher consciousness" is not required.

I've seen a fair number of them, and I think they're impressive for what they are, not what you paint them out to be.

[Burp]

Sitting still, as a teenager, for half-a-year? I know of lots of kids that can do that. They are catatonic after being molested.

[Matthew]

Apparantly the Buddha Boy has disappeared.