Vietnam's relic: the remarkably preserved mummy of an abbot
The remarkably preserved body of a 17th century monk at a temple near Hanoi has been attracting Buddhist pilgrims for
centuries.
Now scientists are seeking the best way to preserve this precious relic.
The ancient Phap Vu or Magic Rain pagoda, south of the Vietnamese capital, is a place of serene mystery dating back nearly
two millenniums.
Legend has it that the location was chosen for its beauty by a former Chinese governor of the region, two centuries after the
birth of Christ.
Among the temple's treasures is a bronze book etched in Chinese characters, said to date back to the year 210 A.D., when a
religious site was first established here.
Eighteen hundred years on, the pagoda remains an active place of Buddhist worship, attracting pilgrims from all over Vietnam.
They are drawn not just by the pagoda's picturesque setting, but by its most remarkable relic - the perfectly preserved mummy
of an abbot who died in the mid-17th century.
Vu Khac Minh was a native of Nguyen Tra village near the pagoda.
According to the temple's records, Vu Khac Minh was seeking to attain the supreme Buddhist state of 'nirvana' or
enlightenment, that would mark an end to a cycle of continuous reincarnation.
So he isolated himself in a secluded hut to meditate, having told his followers not to open the door for 100 days. When they did
so, they discovered his body, perfectly lifeless, but also perfectly preserved, despite the tropical heat.
Following his instructions, they coated it with layers of paint and sawdust, silver, resin and lacquer, a combination that has
preserved it to this day in an uncannily lifelike state.
Minh's nephew, Vu Khac Truong, who succeeded him as abbot, also meditated alone before dying and his body was also
preserved and remains at the temple, although in a far less lifelike state, having been badly damaged by floods in 1914 and then
restored.
Said Venerable Thich Thanh Hung, a monk at the temple: "These are our very precious treasures. I would
say that the present technology is not capable of discovering how bodies of the superior monks could be
preserved given the humid tropical climate in north Vietnam.
It remains a mystery how the body-statues have lasted nearly 400 years in such weather conditions. This is a
puzzle for scientists."
Dr. Nguyne Lan Cuong, from the Hanoi Institute of Archaeology, conducted x-rays of Minh's remains and was astonished by
the revealations.
While all traces of skin and internal organs have long since disappeared, the lacquer shell houses a complete skeleton with no
trace of pins or glue to link the bones together.
Dr. Nguyne Lan Cuong, from the Hanoi Institute of Archaeology noted: "We have used x-rays to prove
that this is the original intact body of a dead monk. This is very precious and the only one found in Vietnam so
far. I'm not sure about whether others will be discovered in future, but so far this is the only one."
Now Cuong and other scientists are debating how best to preserve Minh's mummy, which they call a 'body-statue'.
It was damaged in the late 1940's when French soldiers attacked Vietnamese independence fighters then holding the pagoda.
Time has also taken its toll. There is a large crack on the head and face, revealing the skull beneath.
Added Cuong: "It's very important to preserve these body-statues. There's nowhere else in the world where
people have used a mixture of lacquer, saw-dust, and tissue paper to cover bodies.
Many foreign scientists have asked me about this method, but I have not found any document explaining these
skills. This is a unique tradition of Vietnamese Buddhism and creates a close connection between the dead
and those still living."
And the 'body-statues' are revered throughout Vietnam.
Worshippers make pilgrimages to the pagoda from all over the country to pray at the feet of two monks whom they believe
may have achieved 'nirvana' and left their bodies behind as a testament.
Channel News Asia. - August 22, 2000.
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