Claims-Nepal Boy is New Buddah

by **heyjt** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 5:01 pm

Nepal Boy Called Reincarnation of Buddha By BINAJ GURUBACHARYA, Associated Press Writer Wed Nov 23,10:52 AM ET A teenage boy has been meditating in a Nepalese jungle for six months, and thousands have flocked to see him, with some believing he is the reincarnation of Buddha, police and media said Wednesday. 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. He's supposedly been that way since May 17 — but his followers have been keeping him from public view at night. A reporter for the Kantipur newspaper, Sujit Mahat, said he spent two days at the site, and that about 10,000 people are believed to visit daily. Soldiers have been posted in the area for crowd control, officials said. A makeshift parking lot and cluster of food stalls have sprung up near Banjan's retreat, an area not previously frequented by visitors. 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. Others aren't so sure. Police inspector Chitra Bahadur Gurung said officers have interviewed the boy's associates about their claim that Banjan has gone six months without food or drink. Officers have not directly questioned the boy, who appears deep in meditation and doesn't speak. "We have a team ... investigating the claim on how anyone can survive for so long without food and water," Gurung said. Local officials have also asked the Royal Nepal Academy of Science and Technology in Katmandu to send scientists to examine Banjan. 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. "People only saw what went on in the day, and many believed he was some kind of god." Buddhism teaches that right thinking and self-control can enable people to achieve nirvana — a divine state of peace and release from desire. Buddhism has about 325 million followers, mostly in Asia.

by **banned** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 10:36 pm

...that Buddha transcended the wheel of reincarnation so why would he be coming back? Lots of 15 year old boys sit motionless for long periods, usually when it's time to mow the lawn or take out the garbage. Anyway, heyjt, what are you doing posting here when you should be in the Parlour in the "Lost" thread????

by **jingofever** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 2:16 am

banned brings up a good point about 'The' Buddha being gone. But from what I remember about Buddhism, the story goes that there have been many buddhas, Siddharta being the most recent; there is one waiting in the wings in one of the upper levels of heaven. Maitreya they call him. Though he is supposed to be quite a ways off, perhaps tens of thousands of years. Still, they could be talking about that one. But I figure they are feeding the kid at night.

by **Seventhson** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 3:05 am

Banned - I love your healthy skepticism about religion and the challenges you present. Buddhas in reincarnation come back after they have reached enlightenment in order to help bring others to knowledge of their own divinity. Such souls on this path who have escaped the karmic wheel of required incarnations and who come back to help us reach enlightenement are known as Bodhisattvas. Buddhas as avatars are often here not because they have failed to escape the necessity in karma of reincarnation to "evolve" spiritually --- but as messengers from the Spirit of the Creator to help humanity evolve. Krishna, Buddha, Jesus, Moses, Abraham, Melchizadek, Meher Baba, Mohammed, Elijah, Elias, John the Baptist, Zoroaster, Confucious, Lao Tzu, Pythagoras, Orpheus, Avaloka, Quan Yin and many others, including probably thousands more women avatars we have never heard of because of the brute nature of patriarchal societies -- are all said to be reincarnations of the Buddha or are Avatars, sent to enlighten humanity and lift us from our suffering in the illusion of materiality. That said there are plenty of false prophets, false Christs, and probably a bundle of false Buddhas as well. Meher Baba said that there are usually something like five or seven fully enlightened masters on the earth at any given time. In Talmudic teaching there must be at least 35 righteous humans on the planet at any time in order for the Creator to keep from destroying this reality (and any one of us could be THAT righteous one who might screw it up if we "F*** up somehow). Since the soul of the Buddha is essentially an enlightened or divine soul (or more specially suited to teach and elevate us spiritually by divine inspiration) and which may have many many incarnations (and maybe more than one at the same time as in the story of Elijah and Elias where Elijah supposedly passed his own divine soul to Elias when he ascended to the heavens and then, according to some, incarnated as John the Baptist , Jesus' cousin, at the same time as Jesus was doing his mission) it is not unreasonable for Buddhist or other spiritual paths to be opened repeatedly by such a wonder as this young man. Doesn't necessarily mean he is "The One" --- but in these belief systems, it remians a possibility as a matter of faith. I generally remain skeptical of all who claim this divineness. But I also remain open to the possibility and even to the likelihood that divinely inspired Bodhisattvas may be among us. Prophets too with divine gifts and Knowledge, Gnosis or Sophia to share with us all. I have to hear what they are saying though before I would even begin to believe that they may have this divinity and holiness. But I do believe that such holiness exists and may be accessible to any of us.

by **banned** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 5:46 am

I just don't happen to think that given all the suffering in the world sitting around like a bump on a log is likely to free anyone else from the Wheel of Karma (which by the way is the highest rated game show in Nepal--"I'll buy an avatar, Pat.") I'm not anti-religion per se. I just think that the people who are cleaning out the necrotic bedsores of nursing home patients, reading to blind children, or sitting with dying AIDS patients whose families have turned them out are the real avatars of compassion on this planet. Holy is as holy does, in other words.

by **Seventhson** » Sat Nov 26, 2005 2:15 am

I have to agree that those who are righteous and do righteous acts as you describe are "holy" in the sense of doing divine work. But an avatar implies a gift to share with all humanity in a larger sense. All of us have the opportunity and the "duty" to do righteous deeds in our lives and suffer for not doing so - and humanity suffers as well. But an enlightened one may be doing spiritual work serving as an example for others, teaching us to reflect and meditate on the divine within- or their meditations may serve a higher purpose. Hardly necessarily being a bump on a log in other words. Spreading peace love and enlightenment can serve thousands, even millions or billions and save many lives and improve the prospects for many souls --- serving as an example too can have wonderful influences. So I guess I am saying don't be too hard on those who have faith in such things or belittle the concept that such things can help humanity. Better sitting meditating in the jungle and teaching thousands than sitting at a computer or playstation or in front of the MTV doing nothing to help humanity at all, like millions of teens and grownups in this country.

by **monster** » Sat Nov 26, 2005 2:35 am

the kid denies being the buddha. He's not trying to save anyone, he's trying to meditate. I honestly think you're going to start seeing a lot more of this stuff. Humanity's on the cusp of some kind of spiritual evolution.

by **banned** » Sat Nov 26, 2005 5:07 am

...to "be a lamp unto your own feet", not to follow anyone else including him. "Work out your salvation with diligence," said the Tathagata. I think a lot of what passes for spirituality is spiritual narcissism, or worse, spiritual masturbation. I highly recommend the book "Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism" by Chogyam Trungpa. Should be required reading for anyone who bandies the word 'spiritual' around, or professes to understand Buddhist meditation.

by **marykmusic** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 2:50 am

This is a name in several very old Indian plays, a recurring character known as a trickster, a ne'er-do-well, but still a "Holy Man" with a begging bowl. When it shows up touted as "the next Buddha" or something like that, I'm bettin' that the Great White Brotherhood, or Tavistock, or some other Dark Side secret society is behind it. I cringe, just a little, every time I pass a storefront in Sedona called "The Buddha-Maitreya Soul Retrieval Center." I certainly wouldn't let them touch mine. But I probably can't afford to walk in the door, anyway. More newage-rhymes-with-sewage. --MaryK

by **anotherdrew** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 8:12 am

this stuff happens all the time. When a religion becomes institutionalised (as buddism is in the 'east') there's always this kind of thing. All out brawls have broken out in buddhist temples over which faction will become the leadership, there have been many scams, etc. I'm fairly sure that this sort of case happens every few years. Compare and contrast with all the people looking at weeping statues, visages of the holy mary in a biscut, etc. Anyway, the dhama is clear that a re-incarnation of a budda has various specific marks and features, readily recognisable in their presence or absence which can be used to check if someone is or isn't. (in other words, this sort of situation was expected and planed against hundreds of years ago) Mostly this is giving people something to do, hopefully making some money for the food cart people, while not costing anyone too much; and maybe making people think about stuff they wouldn't otherwise, so maybe it will help some people.

by **banned** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 1:48 am

...and topknot/extra brain are usually a dead giveaway. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/happy.gif ALT=":D"> "...specific marks and features, readily recognisable in their presence or absence which can be used to check if someone is or isn't..."

Claims-Nepal Boy is New Buddah

Claims-Nepal Boy is New Buddah

Only problem with that is...

reincarnated buddha

Bodhisattvas and reincarnation - for Banned

Yeah, yeah, I know. My cat is a bodhisattva.

Hard to argue those points

I'm pretty sure

What Gautama Siddhartha said was...

Maitreya?

Re: Maitreya? no, he's surely not.

Yup, the elongated earlobes...

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