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An imperishable monk in Buryatia is a phenomenon of life after death. The mystery of the imperishable bodies of Tibetan monks Sleeping Buddha in Buryatia

A miracle happened in Buryatia - in the Ivolginsky datsan, cameras recorded the movement of the body of Khambo, Lama Itigelov, who died in 1927. Is this really possible and why are people ready to believe in imperishable relics?

Shot taken by a surveillance camera at the residence of Khambo Lama Etigelov

Director of the Mesoamerican Center Yu.V. Knorozova RGGU, professor Galina Ershova told Novye Izvestia in detail about the phenomenon of the body of the Buryat lama, about what the researchers saw during the exhumation. And not only about this...

Why do people worship incorruptible relics, believe in their miraculous power, even if they have never seen them and have no idea where they came from?

This phenomenon, by the way, is well understood for Russian culture, where the worship of "imperishable relics" as a guarantee of the expected revival acquired special significance back in the period Kievan Rus. The appearance of the cult of imperishable relics was formed, perhaps due to the special climatic regimes of the catacomb caves, combined with the specific diet of the inhabitants of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.

As Archpriest Alexander Men commented, the word "relics" means "the body of the deceased."

Alexander Men

The relics of saints may be in varying degrees of preservation. The remains of the ascetics of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra are imperishable (naturally mummified), and in the tomb of Seraphim of Sarov in 1903 only bone remains were found. However, the popular belief in "absolute incorruptibility" subsequently led many to disappointment in faith - when it turned out that most of the relics were just bone remains. However, in order to justify this popular belief, I would like to note that the facts of perfect incorruptibility - like the case that happened in Buryatia already in our time - are so rare, short-term and incredible for ordinary consciousness, that a paradoxical situation develops: people keep the memory of a real event as almost a myth the preservation of the body, which really naturally turns into a complete mummy over time. But those who have not observed this unique state themselves are simply not able to believe in it.

- Is it true that the body of a Buddhist lama was exhumed at his own request?

Yes. All this came true only because Itigelov himself ordered to get his body after 75 years before "leaving". And on September 10, 2002, an exhumation took place on the territory of a cemetery near Ulan-Ude - at the initiative of the head of the Buddhist Church of Russia, Khambo Lama Ayushev, as well as with the permission of relatives, in the presence of official authorities and forensic experts.

In a box raised from the ground was an elderly man sitting in a lotus position, covered with silk fabrics. At the same time, his body turned out to be completely intact - with soft muscles and elastic skin, bending joints. Information about the Buryat Lama, who was recovered from his grave, got into the media. The public took this news in different ways: some people simply did not believe it, deciding that it was a “joke” or “Buryat falsification”, others thought it was an ordinary mummy. Many publications were therefore sustained in the ernic style.

- And what indicates the reality of the phenomenon of the Buryat "miracle"?

The mere fact that the body after exhumation turned out to be completely intact, and there were no signs of mummification or embalming. Hairline and nails are preserved. When pressing on the skin and muscle integuments, the recesses restore their normal state. There are no cadaveric spots, skin without signs of decomposition and the presence of fungi. No aromatic, resinous or putrid odors were detected from the contents of the box and from the body. After removal, the body retained its position without special devices.

On the lower leg and hand, the skin was slightly damaged during undressing. In the opened wound, a photo published in Geo magazine clearly shows red, uncoagulated blood. And the witnesses claimed that the blood had a jelly-like appearance.

The unusual state of the body was such that the doctor of the forensic medical examination who was at the exhumation 3.M. Mandarkhanov refused to examine the body on his own and demanded the creation of a special commission.

- Well, isn't that a miracle?

I was fortunate to be involved in the study of biological samples. We were allowed to take samples of exfoliated epidermis from the feet, two sections of the nail edge and hair. So the results showed that Itigelov purposefully, but not constantly used bromine (bromine-containing plants), which led to an excessive content of this element in the skin. In high doses, bromides inhibit the processes of excitation in the central nervous system, including the spinal cord, but have almost no effect on the centers of the medulla oblongata, which controls oxygen respiration, blood circulation, and partially the somatic nervous system.

We assumed that Itigelov reached his state by turning off the vital energy-exchange functions of the body and entering into deep meditation. In this way, he was able to simulate an anabiosis-like state - a temporary cessation of life. In itself, this phenomenon in wildlife is not new.

Since the 19th century, it has been discovered that after a state of "waiting" microscopic rotifers, fish and newts, and frogs, and warm-blooded hamsters and mice can return to life. Even supercooled monkeys were revived when they were no longer breathing and their hearts were not beating. There are many known cases in different countries when even frozen people returned from such a state. Folk Russian medical books contained entire sections devoted to the revival of those frozen alive. Long term storage in a chilled state of viable sperm and other living components is no longer a "miracle".

- And what happened to the body after being removed from the grave? Has it not changed?

That's just the point, that changes were visible already in two years. Itigelov was placed in the sacred part (on top of the altar) of the main church of the Ivolginsky Monastery. After some time, certain changes began to be observed. First, moisture was initially released from the mouth. A few months later, there was a rather noticeable release of moisture that settled on the walls of the glass cube in which the body was initially stored. A little later, salt began to actively stand out on the skin - on the face and the rest of the body. The color of the skin began to gradually darken.

Re-examination (organized by me as part of the project) in the presence of MD. V.N. Zvyagin, head Department of Personal Identification of Forensic Medical Examination (Moscow) and Ph.D. K.M. Yugov, who examined the body during exhumation (Ulan-Ude), was carried out in November 2004. In general, the tissues became more elastic, characteristic depressions no longer formed when pressed, although the muscle tissues still retained elasticity. There was no mobility in the joints. On the entire surface of the body there were deposits of salt, from which the skin burst in some areas. Upon contact, a rather pleasant smell was felt. The line of the mouth, like the eye, no longer differs. According to subjective assessment YES. Gorina, body weight compared with the moment of exhumation decreased by about 15 kg. An official “Protocol of examination of the body of Khambo Lama Dasha-Dorji Itigelov” was drawn up, where it is noted that in the two years that have passed since the initial forensic medical examination of the body of Khambo Lama Itigelov (09/11/2002), the first slight signs of mummification appeared, expressed in parchment density skin, in the loss of their elasticity, in the absence of movements in the joints (this was noted in the Protocol).

- Is it known about such practices in the world? Or was Itigelov the first in this?

Of course not. In the world, there are many cases of accidental preservation of the bodies of the dead, for example, in Italy. In some traditions, there were even special practices, among which were breathing regulation, a special diet, cleansing procedures medical support. Specifically, these methods were developed in the Hindu-Buddhist space. Known case in Vietnam, Japan, India. Itigelov clearly followed these traditions. It is known that he wrote comments on "Dymbryl Dodvo" (comprehension of the Void) - the teachings of the founder of Tibetan Buddhism Bogdo Tsongkhavy, who also tried to save his body, but on the seventh day showed signs of decomposition.

In Buddhism, despite various attempts, such practices have not become commonplace, which is due both to the difficulty of implementation and the lack of canonical justifications within the framework of religious doctrine. Nevertheless, Lama Itigelov, preparing for death, managed to master the mysteries of the "imperishable body".

This discovery, made in China back in the late 1970s, became known only relatively recently. In the Celestial Empire itself, they practically did not write about it. Details were given in an interview with a Taiwanese newspaper by Professor Li Guangzhu of the Institute of Ancient Religions (Taiwan).

The remote area in the province of Sichuan, with its wild beauty, has long attracted philosophers and religious ascetics who sought solitude. Now archaeologists visit here: the remains of a large monastery of the 3rd-7th centuries AD have been found here.

It is also interesting in that it is adjoined by underground catacombs dating back to even more ancient times. Researchers are constantly opening new corridors and chambers in them, for the most part immured, in which human remains and ritual objects are found. The find about which in question, was taken here in 1979.

The flooded shaft, which was once a steeply descending corridor, was first examined by scuba divers. Judging by the sediments at the bottom, the water has stood here for at least two thousand years. After pumping it out, archaeologists entered the mine. The corridor, located in a natural cave, led into the bowels of a granite mountain. In its narrow chambers with low ceilings were human remains and various items. The discovery awaited archaeologists in the farthest chamber, which was apparently walled up back in the era of the first builders of the catacombs - in the 4th century BC.

Since water could not penetrate it, the researchers expected to find well-preserved things there. The reality surpassed all their expectations. In the cell were found two human figures sitting in the lotus position in the half-decayed robes of Taoist monks. Across from them, against the wall, lay a dog. The resemblance to living people was so great that at first they were mistaken for superbly made wax sculptures. I was amazed by the degree of preservation of the bodies.

The soft skin showed no signs of decay. Ears, nose, eyeballs, covered with eyelids, hands are completely preserved. It was as if these people had given up their spirit only a few hours ago!

The archaeologists did not dare to take the bodies out of the chamber for fear of damaging them. The operation to take particles of flesh for analysis caused a shock among scientists: in those places where the bodies touched the scalpels, blood came out! When the examination continued, it turned out that the body temperature of the monks was 17 ° C, that is, it was higher than the temperature in the cell itself.

It also turned out that the monks have beating hearts. They pulsed at a rate of one beat every few minutes. Blood circulated through the vessels in weak shocks, the lungs pumped air. It turned out that the strange "dead" did not need oxygen, being content with the air that was in the chamber, mechanically taking it in and releasing it back in the same composition.

Thousand years of sleep

The specialists who examined the monks had no doubt that they were alive, but were in deep lethargy. The dog was in the same condition. It was decided to try to bring her out of hibernation. Oxygen was brought to her, an artificial respiration device and a heart muscle stimulator were connected.

Resuscitation procedures led to the fact that the dog trembled, its paws convulsively stretched out, its eyes opened, and it whimpered softly. However, a quarter of an hour later the dog died. Her heart stopped and her body soon showed signs of decay.

Apparently, interference in the unusual process of life of the animal's body turned out to be disastrous for him. They decided not to touch the monks until a more detailed study of the situation, including a detailed analysis of the failed resuscitation of the dog. The camera was sealed up again. According to Professor Li Guangzhu, the cell has never been opened since then. He also said that there was a vessel in front of the monks, at the bottom of which the dried remains of some brown liquid were preserved.

At first it was mistaken for blood, but the analysis showed that it was something else. Traces of this substance were found in the larynx of the monks, its spots were also visible on the muzzle of the dog. Isn't this the "elixir of immortality" that ancient Chinese authors wrote about? asks the professor. In China, there are several legends about sages who drank the miraculous elixir and fell asleep in the depths of the mountain. Legends point to different areas and mountains. It is possible that all these legends are echoes of a really happened event - the confinement in the chamber of the ancient catacombs of the monks, who fell into a lethargic sleep. And the bowl that stood in front of them contained the same elixir.

Through meditation into the future There are, however, scientists who believe that no special "elixirs of immortality" are required for long-term, hundreds and thousands of years, to maintain the vital activity of the organism. There are forces in man himself that can delay death for a long time, you just need to put them into action.

Buddhist monks believe that these powers are activated through prayer and meditation. One example of such an impact of meditation on a person is the phenomenon of the Khambo Lama of the Buddhists of Eastern Siberia, Dashi-Dorzho Itigelov. In 1927, at the age of 75, he asked the monks to read him a well-wishing prayer for the departed and plunged into meditation, during which his heart stopped. In his will, he indicated that he would not die, but only leave for a thousand years. In order for people to be sure that he was alive, the lama ordered to examine him after 75 years.

Buchman (sarcophagus), where he was in the lotus position, was first opened by a group of lamas in 1955. Convinced of the complete safety of the body, the lamas performed the prescribed ceremonies, changed clothes on Itigelov and again placed him in the bukhman. In 1973, his body was re-examined. And in 2002 (75 years after Itigelov's death), Buchman was opened in the presence of doctors and forensic experts. The commission stated that the lama was outwardly recognizable and had all the signs of a living body.

“His joints were bent, soft tissues were pressed through, and taken samples of skin, hair and nails showed that their organic matter is no different from the organic matter of living people,” said Professor G. Ershova, Doctor of Historical Sciences. No special conditions were created for storing the body. Therefore, so high degree its preservation has baffled scientists. Buddhists believe that Itigelov is still meditating and is on the path to enlightenment.

This is far from the only example. For more than 300 years, the former abbot of this temple, Wu Khak Minh, has been sitting in the lotus position in the courtyard of the Dau Temple near Hanoi. Towards the end of his days, he stopped eating and retired to a small brick chapel.

Before diving into his last meditation, he asked the monks to bury him only if they smelled decay. “If there is no decay, then know that I am alive and offer prayers to the Buddha,” he said.

In the 1990s, this old story caught the attention of Vietnamese scholars. X-ray examination of the "statue", located in the chapel on the outskirts of the temple, showed that it was indeed a human body. Moreover, it was not embalmed, and this makes it doubly surprising that it is so well preserved in a tropical climate, when monsoon rains pour for months and humidity is kept at 100% for a long time.

In the same temple is the fully preserved body of another abbot, Wu Khak Min's successor. Comparing these cases with the find in Sichuan, one could assume that the Chinese monks also plunged into their strange lethargic sleep under the influence of prayers and meditation, if not for one “but”. There was a dog in the cell, immersed in the same dream! It turns out that not only meditation had an impact on the body of the “sleepers”. Obviously, some completely material means was also used - perhaps the very “elixir of immortality” that mankind has been looking for for more than one thousand years.

Igor Voloznev

In section

A year ago, Russian scientists brought from Buryatia to Moscow unique body parts of the Khambo Lama Dasha-Dorzho Itigelov. The incorruptible great teacher himself is in the Ivolginsky Monastery, near Ulan-Ude. And before that, the lama spent 75 years of his life in the grave. That's right - your life. Already preliminary results analysis of the biomaterial showed that science for the first time encountered the phenomenon of "immortality" of a long-dead person. Unfortunately, the head of the traditional Buddhist sangha of Russia soon banned biomedical research on the monk's body. However, the analysis of the previously obtained results continued. Now the Moscow experts have the first conclusions, which can safely be called sensational. They shared them with the correspondent of "Version".

According to scientists involved in the study of the phenomenon, first you need to understand how it became possible that parts of the body of the Hambo Lama ended up in their hands. After all, the Buryats do not dig up graves, and even visiting a cemetery is an extremely painful procedure for them. But Itigelov left a clear will, which the monks fulfilled. So the lama was sure that he would complete his mission. But what? To do this, you need to refer to his biography.

One of the legends says that the llama could walk on water.

Dasha-Dorzho Itigelov was the head of the Buddhists of Eastern Siberia from 1911 to 1917. He gained fame as a philosopher and physician. He spent his whole life in Buryatia and only once traveled outside Siberia - to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty. During the First World War, he organized hospitals and received several government awards. There were legends around his name during his lifetime. One of them says that the monk could, like Christ, walk on water.

The circumstances of the death and burial of the Hambo Lama in 1927 are very unconventional for Buddhism. Surrounded by his students, Dasha-Dorzho Itigelov sat in the lotus position and ordered his body to be removed from the grave after a while, promising to return alive. Then he began to read by himself the prayer of accompanying the deceased and plunged into deep meditation. When the disciples considered that there were all signs of death, the body of the lama in the same lotus position was placed in a cedar sarcophagus and buried in the village cemetery.

The authority of the teacher was indisputable. The students have visited Dasha-Dorzho twice since then: in 1955 and 1973. They were convinced of the incorruptibility of the body, dressed Itigelov and again lowered into the grave. In September 2002, Itigelov's body was exhumed from the sarcophagus in compliance with all legal procedures. Forensic experts drew up an act in which they noted the integrity of the skin, nails, hair, softness and elasticity of tissues, and the mobility of the joints of the hambo lama. It became clear that this is not mummification, not embalming, not tanning, and not even the result of preserving the body in permafrost conditions, but some other, still unknown state.

Laboratory analysis confirmed that the body of the monk lives

“When the scientific group arrived in Buryatia, the current Khambo Lama Damba Ayusheev, fortunately for us, provided us with the necessary biological material - five hairs and a cut of a nail,” says Galina Ershova, head of the project to study the Itigelov phenomenon, doctor of historical sciences, professor at the Russian State Humanitarian University. - And also a few pieces of skin that fell off when the monks changed Itigelov's clothes. We have now completed a series of possible analyzes of the provided samples. In the laboratory of forensic medical examination, they were conducted by Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Viktor Zvyagin - a world-class figure in such examinations. In particular, he examined the remains of members of the royal family.”

Initially, it was assumed that organics, living protein compounds in the body of a llama would be destroyed, and tissues would be consolidated due to inorganics, as is the case in mummies. It turned out quite the opposite! Infrared spectrophotometry showed that the protein fractions of Itigelov cells have in vivo characteristics. Professor Zvyagin, a man with vast experience, was amazed.

Galina Ershova did not immediately answer the correspondent's direct question whether the Hambo Lama is alive or dead.

I fear hurting the feelings of believers. Now Itigelov, of course, is not alive - after all, he cannot get up and go. But, leaving for another world in a state of meditation, he plunged not into death, but into another state. The results of the research suggest that the llama artificially introduced himself into suspended animation. This is what happens to some species of living organisms under stress. But how to reach this state? Stop breathing, oxygen exchange? If there is no oxygen, a chain reaction of destruction begins in the body. Or did Itigelov use some superficial, as yogis call it, “light breathing”, which lasted for decades? By the way, the lama's will contains a key figure for Buddhists - 75 years. It is tied to the stages of Buddha's enlightenment."

So he was buried alive?

Undoubtedly.

It turns out that all this time in the grave he was also alive?

Yes, I believe that was the case. The state of Khambo Lama Itigelov changed after he was removed from the grave, practically before our eyes. Just then they did not pay attention to some obvious signs. There is such a phenomenon: at the time of death, the body sharply loses moisture. And Itigelov, when he was removed from the grave and was outside the box, began a sharp exodus of moisture from the body. The glass cube in which the monks in the monastery had placed him suddenly began to fog up. This was the moment of the final departure of the great teacher. And at the same time a triumph. He came back alive, as promised!

That was the lama's idea. I don't know if he believed that he could make the body obey itself again: come to life, stand up. Hardly. Dasha-Dorzho was a doctor and perfectly understood what muscle atrophy without movement is - it is almost impossible to restore their functionality. But he expected to remain in a hibernation-meditation state until he was removed from the sarcophagus. Itigelov entered a state of suspended animation to prove the infinity of spiritual power. He knew that he would meet the stipulated time. I sincerely admire them.

"Golden devotees" are not uncommon in Tibet

Now Galina Ershova is looking for analogues of the “Itigelov phenomenon” in the Buddhist southeastern religious space. There is a version that the dried-up figures of meditating lamas, covered with either lacquer or gold, could be phenomena of this order - living people in a trance.

The unique phenomenon makes one wonder whether the Buddhist practice of “meditating on a teacher” is connected with this, the professor continues. - Apparently, these people were forever associated with the information space, or, in Buddhist terms, with emptiness. But they were not dead, but bodily and spiritually belonging to our world. They became a kind of resonators that helped the monks in a trance to enter the general information field, to touch the understanding of the cosmos. “To meditate on someone” means to completely identify with some spiritually strong person, and then he transfers the seeker to other worlds and spaces.

The bodies of these ascetics can be seen in the temples of Tibet and Southeast Asia. Probably, at the dawn of history, they went through the same spiritual path as Itigelov, before going into physical death. However, there is no reliable evidence. Itigelov is the only phenomenon scientifically described. According to Ershova, he realized his task. He was a man who actively lived in the interests of his people, and this is probably the reason for his last amazing deed. Predicting changes in the country in the new millennium, he left his body as a sacrificial message that humanity has no right to lose.

How he managed to do this is still a mystery. Now the second expedition, funded by the Unknown Planet project, is being prepared, already to Tibet and South East Asia to study the issues of psychophysiology on the spot - meditation, the practice of controlling one's own body, yoga techniques, breathing. Experts believe that we should at least try to understand the abilities inherent in a person that lead to such a state of the body as observed by Itigelov, and express them in scientific terms. At the same time, the soil and geology of the region will be studied. There is already an agreement with NASA - the Americans will provide satellite images of the area in different ranges. For the purity of the study, it is necessary to know if there are any radiation and soil anomalies in the area of the former burial place of the Hambo Lama.

Itigelov can return the soul to the body

Currently, the body of Dasha-Dorzho Itigelov is in the Ivolginsky datsan, the center of Russian Buddhists, 30 kilometers from Ulan-Ude. “For us, the phenomenon of Itigelov is that he made atheists doubt their unbelief, removed doubts from those who doubted that they were right, and strengthened believers in fortitude. He left a message without saying a word,” said Hambo Lama Damba Ayusheev, current head of the Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia.

Buddhists still treat Itigelov as a living person in a special state of consciousness and physicality. They believe that neither knowledge nor a sharp mind can make a person like Dasha-Dorzho. To do this, you need to experience great compassion for all living beings, to become a bodhisattva - "an ideal being who is filled with compassion for everything that exists, but does not want to taste freedom until all the others are not free ...".

And despite the fact that the official Buddhist church denies the possibility of returning the lama's soul to the body, the monks believe that Dasha-Dorzho can come to life if desired. Same

Ivolginsky datsan is located in Buryatia, 30 km west of the city of Ulan-Ude. Here, on five hectares of the valley, there is a complex of Buddhist temples (dugans), a monastery, since 1991, the Buddhist University “Dashi Choynhorlin”.

The young men studying in it live together with lamas in huts. Furnaces are everywhere, life is ascetic, the clothes of lamas and students differ only in hats.

3. Huts of lamas

According to Buddhist monks, the three most terrible things that can happen to a person are beauty, fame and wealth.

Itigelov said that Buddhism is not a religion, not a science, and not a philosophy. This is freedom. So they are torn from our world of suffering and things.

Since 1937, there were no officially functioning Buddhist religious centers in Transbaikalia. Thanks to the efforts of the old lamas who returned by 1945 from exiles and camps, in December 1945 it was allowed to open "Khambinskoe Sume" in the village of Verkhnyaya Ivolga of the Republic of Buryatia. The datsan was given the name “Tvges Bayaskhalantai Ulzy Nomoy Khvrdyn Khiid” (Monastery founded in the place where the Wheel of Teaching rotates, bringing Happiness and full of Joy). Since then, the Ivolginsky datsan has been the only Buddhist religious center on the territory of Buryatia.

Entering the datsan, you go around it in the direction of the Sun (clockwise, if you like), spin the drums with mantras inscribed on them, put small coins. Bypass is performed 3, 7, 21, 108 times. These are the so-called "round" ritual numbers.

6 Prayer drums "khurde"

7 I would also like to know what is inscribed here ...

Stupas. It is believed that they contribute to the preservation of peace and have a positive impact on space. People who take part in their construction, as well as those living nearby perceive their positive impact.

Inside the dugan, you move in the same way. Around the cleansing fire, which was just being burned. And, as in a child's game, you can not turn around at the fire.

The main temple of the Ivolginsky datsan is Sokshon Dugan.

The main dugan of the Ivolginsky datsan generally resembles a large children's room inside - with the manners of local icon painting, the faces of deities, their special plasticity. Ornaments, rich colors. If it is green, then it is saturated, lively green, if it is blue, then it is warm, deep.

Palace of Khambo Lama Itigelov

21 I'll make a wish, what's there...)

25 Not far from the datsan there is a spring with cold and very tasty water. Nothing so unusual is connected with it (or maybe they just didn’t tell me, the coins were generously thrown into it), but it’s nice to drink fresh water.

Return of XII Pandito Khambo Lama Itigelov

The most perfect thing about people is that they die one day. The most important achievement of mankind is the awareness of human mortality...
And here is Itigelov. With his shocking relationship with death. Buried in 1927. It was dug up in 2002. For 75 years, his body was not even touched by decay. This year will be ten years since Itigelov is with us. Here. He doesn't change. He has not old-fashioned warm hands, multi-day stubble. He sweats. Physiological processes take place in his body. He sits supported by nothing and no one and, contrary to all the laws of biology and physics, physiology and gravity, with a straight back, in the lotus position.

Scientists testify that in many respects it gives the impression of the body of a living person. There is no explanation for this, its existence explodes the foundations modern science. It is generally accepted that there are three states of the body after physical death. The first is mummification, when the body is completely dehydrated. The second is the state of peat tanning, when the human body, getting into the swamp, becomes red and loses fluid. The third state is fat-wax. Scientists call Itigelov's phenomenon "the fourth state of death." Miracles cannot be interpreted. That's why it's a miracle.

The fact is that Itigelov was 75 years old at a depth of 2.5 m in a wooden box (cedar box) surrounded by salt.

If Itigelov were in the state of a person who died an ordinary physical death, then the salt would have to corrode all the contents. But when Itigelov was raised, the cedar box (bumkhan) and the body were perfectly preserved. Moreover, the pathologists were sure that after lifting the body, it would turn into ashes in three to four hours. After all, usually drastic changes external conditions lead to such consequences. But this did not happen with Itigelov. How did a person, being in salt for 75 years, remain unchanged?

Now Itigelov has been in the Ivolginsky datsan for almost five years. The lotus position, in which it was kept for 75 years in a cedar box, after being removed from it, is preserved without the use of any supporting and fixing devices. Although in summer the heat in Buryatia reaches 40 degrees and no refrigeration units no, Itigelov's body does not rot or decay. There is no access to light, artificial lighting in the room - only dim light penetrates from the first floor.

Spectral analysis of hair, nails and a piece of skin Khambo Lama Itigelov did not reveal any destructive changes. The organic composition of Hambo Lama's tissues corresponds to the organic composition of tissues ordinary person. Internal organs intact. According to two forensic reports, no traces of embalming were found on the lama's body. It is not like the processes of mummification or tanning. The state of lethargic sleep, scientists also exclude. There is no other officially registered fact of this kind in the world.

On June 15, 1927, at the age of 75, KHP Pandito Khambo Lama Itigelov, in the presence of the lamas of the Yangazhinsky datsan, asked to read the prayer “Good wishes to the departed” (Nuga Namshi) for him. Lamas could not make up their minds and then he began to read it himself. The lamas joined in the reading of the prayer even after the end of the ceremony, and in accordance with the will of D.D. Itigelov, they placed him in the lotus position in a bumkhan (sarcophagus) and left him in a burial place in the Khukhe Zurkhen area (in the Ivolginsky district of the Republic of Buryatia).

In 1955, in accordance with the will of Itigelov XVII Pandito Khambo Lama Lubsan Nima Darmaev with a group of lamas raised the sarcophagus with the body of KP Pandito Khambo Lama Itigelov and, making sure that his body was unchanged, performed the necessary ceremonies, changed clothes and again placed in the bumkhan.

In 1973, the 19th Pandito Khambo Lama Zhambal Dorzho Gomboev with the lamas of the Ivolginsky datsan re-examined the body of KhP Pandito Khambo Lama Itigelov and, having made sure that it was safe, they placed it in a bumkhan.

On September 10, 2002, XXIV Pandito Khambo Lama Damba Ayusheev with a group of lamas of the Ivolginsky datsan, in the presence of secular persons (forensic experts, etc.), opened the bumkhan of Khambo Lama Itigelov and, having performed the necessary ritual actions, transferred it to the Ivolginsky datsan.

The phenomenon of finding the body of the Teacher aroused the activity and interest of Buddhists not only in Russia, but also abroad. After all, he did it consciously, on purpose - about what is happening to him today, he wrote, leaving, 85 years ago.

On the days of Itigelov's meetings with the people, he sweats and gains weight by 100 grams.

In 2002, 3 thousand people came to Itigelov, in 2003 - 20 thousand, next year again an order of magnitude more - 200 thousand, in 2005 - 350 thousand, in 2006 there were already more than half a million. The queue stretches into the valley for a kilometer.

Due to the large number of pilgrims, they decided to cover Itigelov with glass, and people, seeking blessings, no longer touch the body, but the hadaks from his hands, released behind the glass.

Days of Worship 2012 - February 21; March 31; the 6th of May; June 4; July 23; September 19; November 6; December 8

Itigelov has a great-niece, Yanzhima Vasilyeva. Her great-grandmother was the elder sister of the lama. Yanzhima created the information center “Together with Itigelov” in 2002, and the Itigelov Institute in 2004. Smiling and energetic, talking about her relative, she says that she is most of all “afraid of zombifying people”, therefore she does not insist on anything in principle. She is afraid that Itigelov is turning into a brand. But, of course, the lack of PR for this brand is the best PR. The answer is who she considers Khambo Lama Itigelov to be: “Because of our modesty, we do not say that the Buddha has come.” As for the Ivolgin lamas, they are silent, like partisans. Or change the subject...

According to the preserved genealogy, Itigelov was born in 1852 in the area of Ulzy-Dobo (the southeastern shore of Lake Sagaan Nur, now the territory of the Orongoy rural administration of the Ivolginsky district of the Republic of Buryatia). His father Mantagaray Etigel had 3 sons and a daughter. Having lost his parents, Itigelov had to start working early. From childhood, he was distinguished by a purposeful and independent character.

From the mid-60s of the 19th century, Itigelov studied for more than 20 years at the Aninsky datsan, a large spiritual, philosophical and cultural center located three hundred kilometers from his homeland. The rector of the datsan during this period was Khoyto Lamkhai Ayushin Galdan. He determined Itigelov's scholarship at the expense of the inhabitants of the villages of Oybont, Tokhoryukta, Nurei and Mogoy. Since Itigelov was of the Cossack class and had to serve, the inhabitants of these villages also paid compensation from service for 20 years.

Itigelov's years of study came at a difficult time for the Gentiles. It was a period of forced baptism of the Buryats and other peoples of Siberia and the Far East, which was accompanied by bribery (a lot of money was paid for baptism, exemption from taxes, etc.), and the restriction of spiritual ties with Mongolia and Tibet. Itigelov, after studying at the Aninsky datsan, defended the high spiritual titles of gebshi, then gabzhi, and achieved high perfection in the sciences. After finishing his studies at the Aninsky datsan and serving in various datsans, Itigelov again began his studies at the medical faculty at the Tamchinsky datsan in 1895.

In 1898, Itigelov returned to the Yangazhinsky datsan, where he was enlisted as a full-time lama.

Since the beginning Russo-Japanese War(1904) parishioners of the Yangazhinsky datsan, the Cossacks of the Yangazhinskaya village, are called up and sent to the front. Shireete Itigelov conducts rituals to protect fellow countrymen leaving for the front.

During the period of hostilities, in order to commit virtue for the soldiers who died and suffered during the war, especially the alms-giving warriors of the Yangazhinsky datsan, Choira-dugan and Devazhin-dugan are built under the leadership of Shireete Itigelov, great efforts are made for educational activities among believers and laity. For the zeal and loyalty of the Shireete of the Yangazhinsky datsan, Itigelov is awarded a neck and chest medal by royal decrees.

In the spring of 1910, XI Pandito Khambo Lama Iroltuev paid a visit to the Yangazhinsky datsan and invited D.D. Itigelov to put forward his candidacy for the post of Pandito Khambo Lama, in connection with his alleged resignation. A year later (March 19, 1911), having gone through a difficult election procedure at the Residence of the Pandito Khambo Lama (Tamchinsky Datsan), D.D. Itigelov was elected and sworn in as the XII Pandito Khambo Lama of the Lamai clergy of Eastern Siberia.

In early February 1913, XII Pandito Khambo Lama Itigelov was invited to the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty in the capital of the Russian Empire, St. Petersburg. The delegation of the lamaist clergy was received at the Department of Religious Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. On February 19, Pandito Khamba Lama Itigelov held a solemn prayer service for the health and prosperity of the Emperor and the entire royal house at the Gunzechoinei Buddhist temple in St. Petersburg. He attended a solemn dinner in honor of the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty and on behalf of all Buryats, spiritual and secular, delivered a congratulatory speech. Then the delegation was awarded a personal audience with the Emperor, at which Pandito Khambe Lame Itigelov was awarded the Order of St. Stanislav III degree "For excellent diligence".

Soon after the delegation returned from St. Petersburg, the First World War. On the initiative of Pandito Khambo Lama Itigelov, the “General Buryat Society” was created in Verkhneudinsk, which included 120 clergy and secular persons. The main task of the new society was to attract the population to provide financial and material assistance to the state. Thanks to the activities of this society, 130,000 rubles, food, uniforms, medical supplies were collected and an infirmary was installed in the front line.

In 1915, Pandito Khamba Lama Itigelov and Dambi Heshektuev toured all the datsans. With the money raised, they bought clothes, shoes, towels, tobacco products, berries, sugar, everyday goods and sent by Easter to the active front and to hospitals. In addition, emchi lamas led by Kensur Khambo Lama Iroltuev were sent to front-line hospitals to provide assistance and treat the wounded. For special works and merits in helping people called up for war, as well as the families of the wounded and fallen, Emperor Nicholas II granted Pandito Khambo Lama Itigelov the Order of St. Anna II degree and a medal.

D.D.Itigelov was the Chairman of the II All-Buryat congress, which was held in July 1917 in the Tamchinsky datsan. Shortly thereafter, due to illness, he resigned as Pandito Khambo Lama and returned to the Yangazhinsky datsan, where he was engaged in educational activities and medical practice. He created works on Buddhist philosophy (there are more than 50 of them), wrote the fundamental work on Tibetan pharmacology "Zhor", left a spiritual testament to his parishioners, students and descendants.

I can’t ignore another completely new datsan that I visited, located in Ulan-Ude:

37 Construction is in full swing.

38 Bell of the Four Seals. The first Buddhist bell of this size in Russia. Cast at a factory near Yekaterinburg, weight 700 kg. The sound of the bell can be carried very far. Beautiful!

In this datsan, they were allowed to take pictures inside when there was no service.

Golden Buddha statue. Height 6 meters, made by special order of a datsan in China from bronze and covered with gold leaf.

The statue is filled with sacred relics specially donated by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

It's hard to believe, but it's simply impossible to imagine that, according to scientists, the recently found mummy of a Tibetan monk, which is already more than 200 years old, is still "alive".

Scientists in Ulaanbaatar came across a 200-year-old mummy of a Tibetan monk, which was discovered in the province of Songinokhairkhan.

The mummy is in a sitting position in the “lotus-vajra” position, that is, the palm of the left hand is open, and the right palm is turned down and clamped, symbolizing the sermon of the Sutra. According to the ancient traditions of Buddhist lamas, this state of a person indicates that the monk did not die, but is in a deep state of meditation, and the longer he stays in such an unusual oblivion, the closer he is to the Buddha.

In a detailed study of the mummy and after a number of different examinations, scientists made an unequivocal conclusion that the protein functions of the mummy's body have a vital state, and "the monk is still alive," he is simply in a very long and deep trance.

According to scientists led by Professor of the Mongolian Institute of Buddhist Art Genkhugiyun Purevbat, such a trance into which the monk entered is called “tukdam”, and the monk himself is the teacher of Lama Dashi-Dorzho Itigelov, who voluntarily sat in the same lotus position and read the posthumous prayer , died. This event took place on June 15, 1927.

Before sitting down and dying, Itigelov prepared himself mentally and physically for almost ten years, and bequeathed to his students to be buried intact in a sitting position. Then, after 30 years, they dug up and looked at it again, and finally it was returned only after 75 years. So everything was done by his disciples. A cedar box was built, in which a seated lama was placed and covered with ordinary rock salt, and then buried with full honors in the ground. After 30 years (in 1957) Itigelov was dug up again. Those present were amazed by what they saw - the monk, as if alive, was still sitting in the same position, only he was not breathing. They changed his robe, read the necessary prayers, and the improvised same sarcophagus with the monk was buried again, and was dug up again only in 2002.

In fact, the lama returned to our world, as he wanted after 75 years. The forensic medical examination of the city of Buryatia documented the fact that there is no natural decomposition of the body, even a putrid smell is absent. The soft tissues are elastic, the joints are flexible and have retained their mobility, there is no sign of any embalming or application of any oils on the body. Even the lama's orange robe has not lost its strength and brightness of colors.

By the way, Dashi-Dorzho Itigelov (Pardito Khambo Lama XII) is a religious Buryat figure, and in 1911-1917 he was the head of the Buddhists of Siberia.

Until now, the lama sits on the podium, in his solemn lotus position, in the Ivolginsky Monastery specially built for him. His body can be said to be imperishable, for 88 years now it has been in the same state and has not been subjected to either decay or decomposition. Many believe that the llama is alive and could return to our world only if his body was dug up a little earlier. Or simply the revival of the lama does not occur because there are no longer alive those to whom he promised to return.

But be that as it may, in fact, we don’t really know this for sure, but with these examples of “living” mummies, we can accurately state the fact that the power of faith is simply omnipotent and immense, and in many ways, it’s not yet possible for a person to understand this, not explain.