Siberia: A 200 year old mummy of a monk was found preserved in Mongolia last week in lotus position with his legs crossed, arms folded and wrapped in cattle skin.
The mummy is being examined at National Centre of Forensic Expertise in Ulan Bator.
The scientists are determining, how the mummy has been so well preserved for such a long time, though cold is cited one of the reasons.
The identity of the monk has not been ascertained but is being speculated that he could be the teacher of Lama Dashi-Dorzho Itigilov, who was also found mummified.
Professor Ganhugiyn Purevbata, founder of the Mongolian Institute of Buddhist Art at Ulan Bator has advanced a unique theory that the monk is still alive and is in deep meditation mode called “tukdam”.
He said, "Lama is sitting in the lotus position vajra, the left hand is opened, and the right hand symbolises of the preaching Sutra."
That is very close to Nirvana, which according to Buddhist beliefs, is the highest possible state achievable when the physical body dissolves.
"If the meditator can continue to stay in this meditative state, he can become a Buddha," Dr Barry Kerzin, a physician to Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.
The police arrested the 45-year-old man who was trying to sell the mummy in black market and sent the mummy for further research.
