Tag Archives: Sokushinbutsu

Bizarre Death Ritual: 19th Century Buddhist Self-Mummification

This short-lived death ritual was believed to be a road to enlightenment.

In late 1800s Japan, several Buddhist monks called Sokushinbutsu attempted the rare ritual of self-mummification. Driven by the Buddhist quest for enlightenment and the belief that this requires non-attachment from the physical body, these monks prepared to take their own lives … Continue reading

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