Buddhist mummies, also called flesh body bodhisattva

Bodhisattva

In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is either an enlightened existence or an enlightenment-being or, given the variant Sanskrit spelling satva rather than sattva, "heroic-minded one for enlightenment ." The Pali term has sometimes been translated as "wisdom-being," although in modern publications, and...

s, full body sarira

Sarira

Śarīra are generic terms for "Buddhist relics", although in common usage these terms usually refer to a kind of pearl or crystal-like bead-shaped objects that are purportedly found among the cremated ashes of Buddhist spiritual masters...

s, or living buddhas (Sokushinbutsu

Sokushinbutsu

Sokushinbutsu were Buddhist monks or priests who caused their own deaths in a way that resulted in their mummification. This practice reportedly took place almost exclusively in northern Japan around the Yamagata Prefecture. It is believed that many hundreds of monks tried, but only between 16 and...

) refer to the bodies of Buddhist monks and nuns that remain incorrupt, without any traces of deliberate mummification. These are venerated by some Buddhists who believe they successfully were able to mortify their flesh to death. The practise to purposely make undecomposed bodies is seen as controversial and contradictory in Buddhism believing in impermanence

Impermanence

Impermanence is one of the essential doctrines or three marks of existence in Buddhism...

. Many were destroyed or lost in history.

Causes

Some Mahayana buddhist monks left instructions to be followed after their deaths, which often included having them buried sitting in a lotus posture, put into a vessel with drying agents (such as coal, wood, paper, or lime) and surrounded by bricks, to be exhumed later, usually after three years. The preserved bodies would then be decorated with paint and adorned with gold. It is a common method in China. Some covered the bodies with clay or salt.

According to Victor H. Mair in the Discovery channel

Discovery Channel

Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...

 series The Mystery of the Tibetan Mummy, the self-mummification of a Tibetan monk, who died ca. 1475 and whose body was retrieved relatively incorrupt in the 1990s, was achieved by the sophisticated practices of meditation, coupled with prolonged starvation and slow self-suffocation using a special belt that connected the neck with his knees in a lotus position, believing that could relieve a famine.

The mummies of monks (Sokushinbutsu

Sokushinbutsu

Sokushinbutsu were Buddhist monks or priests who caused their own deaths in a way that resulted in their mummification. This practice reportedly took place almost exclusively in northern Japan around the Yamagata Prefecture. It is believed that many hundreds of monks tried, but only between 16 and...

) in Japan practised nyūjō (入定), which caused their own death

Suicide

Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...

 by adhering to a wood eating diet made up of salt, nuts, seeds, roots, pine bark, and urushi tea. They were then buried alive in a pine-wood box full of salt connected by a tube for air and would ring a bell signaling they were alive. When the bell stopped ringing the air tube was removed. Japan banned unburying in 1879 and assisted suicide, including religious suicide is now illegal.

Theravada

Some names lost or unknown.

• Mahākāśyapa
  Mahakasyapa
  Mahākāśyapa or Kāśyapa was a brahman of Magadha, who became one of the principal disciples of Śākyamuni Buddha and who convened and directed the first council. Mahākāśyapa is one of the most revered of the Buddha's early disciples, foremost in ascetic practices...
  
  
• Bo-tan-wei-en
• Thamanya Sayadaw
• Luang Phor Kasem Kemagoh
• Luang Pho Daeng
• Luang Phoo Song
• Luang Phor Wat Paknam or Luang Phor Sodh

Mahayana

Some names lost, Taoists or Way of Former Heaven

Way of Former Heaven

The Way of Former Heaven encompasses five religious groups of Chinese origin. They claim to strive for the unification of Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and other religions. They were violently suppressed at one point in history...

 religion (先天道).

• Shōnyo (証如)
• Zōga shōnin (増賀上人)
• Ninga (仁賀), a student of Zōga
• Gensan shōnin (源算上人)
• Komatsuji shōnin (小松寺上人)
• Ganzai (願西尼) (nun)
• Kaijin (沙門戒深)
• Senkaku (priest)
  Senkaku (priest)
  was a Japanese Buddhist monk of the Tendai school. He was a scholar, editor and a literary critic.His major work, Man'yōshū chūshaku, was completed in 1269. This was a treatise on the collected poems in the Man'yōshū anthology...
  
   (暹覚法師)
• Angin Kitsudō (案山吉道)
• Kyūen (久円), a student of Kitsudō
• Jikigyō Miroku (食行身禄)
• Nikkan (日鑑上人)
• Itō Sankō (伊藤産行), a student of Miroku
• Manzō (萬蔵)
• Shan Daokai (單道開)
• Huizhi (慧直)
• Zhiyi
  Zhiyi
  Zhiyi is traditionally listed as the fourth patriarch, but is generally considered the founder of the Tiantai tradition of Buddhism in China. His standard title was Śramaṇa Zhiyi , linking him to the broad tradition of Indian asceticism...
  
  
• Zhikai (智鍇), a student of Zhiyi
• Zhixi (智晞), a student of Zhiyi
• Sengche (僧徹)
• Daoxiu (道休)
• Dayi Daoxin
• Daman Hongren
  Daman Hongren
  Daman Hongren was the 5th Chan Chán Patriarch in the traditional lineage of Chinese Chan. He is said to have received Dharma transmission from Daoxin and passed on the symbolic bowl and robe of transmission to Huineng, the Sixth and last Chan Patriarch...
  
  
• Fapu (法普)
• Youxuan (幽玄)
• Suiduan (遂端)
• Hangxiao (行修)
• Wang (王羅漢)
• Laode (老德和尚)
• Baoyin (寶印)
• Chang (常羅漢)
• Chongyan (崇演)
• Chunan (楚南)
• Cunshou (存壽)
• Daxing (大行)
• Daoang (釋道昂)
• Daolin (釋道林)
• Daoyin (釋道因)
• Dexiu (德秀)
• Fachong (法充)
• Fapu (法普)
• Faqin (法欽)
• Guting (古庭)
• Guangyu (廣玉)
• Heluojie (訶羅謁)
• Faming (法明)
• Huanzhong (寰中)
• Hui (慧禪師)
• Huikong (慧空)
• Huishi (慧寔)
• Huiyan (慧嚴)
• Jianzhen
  Jianzhen
  Jianzhen was a Chinese monk who helped to propagate Buddhism in Japan. In the eleven years from 743 to 754, Jianzhen attempted to visit Japan some six times.-Life:...
  
  
• Jueqing (覺慶)
• Pengpeng (沙門釋彭彭)
• Puyuan (普願)
• Ruyu (如玉)
• Shifan (師範)
• Shiyu (世瑜)
• Wenyan (文偃禪師)
• Qingliangwenyi (清涼文益)
• Wuji (無迹)
• Wulou (無漏)
• Hangxiu (行修)
• Yefang (業方)
• Yi Xing
  Yi Xing
  Yi Xing , born Zhang Sui , was a Chinese astronomer, mathematician, mechanical engineer,and Buddhist monk of the Tang Dynasty...
  
  
• Youxuan (幽玄)
• Zhiyuan (智圓禪師)
• Zhutanyou (竺昙猷)
• Ziyu (子瑀)
• Zongyuan (宗淵)
• Niunao (拗撓)
• Baoan (寶安)
• Canghuan (藏奂)
• Daibing (代病)
• Daozhou (道舟)
• Guangyi (光儀)
• Guangji (沙門廣寄)
• Huayan (華嚴和尚)
• Huaiyu (懷玉)
• Sengbian (僧辯)
• Wenxi (文喜)
• Yuanshao (圓紹)
• Jinggan (靜感比丘尼) (nun)
• Lingjiao (靈覺比丘尼) (nun)
• Huiyin (惠隱尼) (nun)
• Defeng (德風和尚)
• Dinghui (定慧和尚)
• Shengchuan (聖傳和尚)
• Longshan
  Longshan
  Longshan may refer to the following in mainland China or Taiwan:*Longshan culture , late Neolithic culture, centred on the central and lower reaches of the Yellow River*Longshan County , of Xiangxi, Hunan*Longshan District , Liaoyuan, Jilin...
  
   (隆山祖師)
• Falong (法龍和尚)
• Huade (華德和尚)
• Bi Yuexia (碧月俠) (Taoist)
• Bi Dengxia (碧燈俠) (Taoist)
• Bi Chenxia (碧塵俠) (Taoist)
• Yingong (銀公)
• Mosi (摩斯)
• Chushan (楚山和尚)
• Chen Jinggu (陳靖姑) (Taoist woman)
• Wuji (無際大師)
• Shinsō Gyōjun (心相行順大行者)
• Kōchi (弘智法印)
• Tanzei (弾誓上人)
• Arisada (宥貞法印)
• Shungi (舜義上人)
• Shūkai (秀快上人)
• Myōshin (妙心法師)
• Longde (隆德禅师)
• Huihuan (慧寬法師)
• Xianliang (顯亮沙彌尼) (nun), student of Huihuan
• Haiyun (海雲禪師).
• Zhou Fengchen (周凤臣) (laywoman)
• Tian Zhichao (田志超)
• Jiaofeng (焦豐居士) (layman)
• Yuantong (圓通和尚)
• Xinhui (性慧)
• Xintian (性添)
• Haicheng (海澄)
• Chanhua (禪化)
• Lijin (立謹)
• Zhiyuen (智遠)
• Faxing (法信)
• Yikong (一空)
• Yunhe (雲鶴)
• Mingyue (明月)
• Mingliang (明亮)
• Lin Guanrong (林观荣) (layman)
• Haimo (海墨老和尚)
• Wu Yunqing (吴云青) (Taoist)
• Dizang(Jin qiaojiao) (地藏(金喬覺))
• Puwen (普文和尚)
• Liaozhen (了真大師)
• Zongsheng (释宗胜)
• Wang Chunrong (王春荣) (laywoman)
• Yinlian (隐莲法师)
• Pu-Chao (普照法師)
• De-Hsiu (德休師父) (nun)
• K'ai-Feng (釋開豐)
• Mrs Sung (宋老太太) (laywoman)
• Ma Jinying (馬金瑛) (Taoist woman)
• Gao Bangniang (高榜娘) (laywoman)
• Gao Guaniang (高瓜娘) (laywoman), sister of Gao Bangniang
• Miaozhi (妙智和尚)
• Zhugu (珠姑) (Zhaijiao
  Zhaijiao
  The zhaijiao are informal Buddhist societies that became extremely popular in Taiwan under Japanese rule, albeit prominent throughout the Qing dynasty....
  
   nun)
• Wujinzhang (無盡藏比丘尼) (nun)
• Bingong (賓公生佛)
• Yuet Kai (月溪法師)
• Cheung (張禪師爺) (Taoist)
• Vũ Khắc Minh
• Vũ Khắc Trường

Vajrayana

Some name lost

• Kūkai
  Kukai
  Kūkai , also known posthumously as , 774–835, was a Japanese monk, civil servant, scholar, poet, and artist, founder of the Shingon or "True Word" school of Buddhism. Shingon followers usually refer to him by the honorific titles of and ....
  
  
• Jōjin (成尋)
• Yuihan ajari (阿闍梨 維範)
• Kōgyō-Daishi
• Rinken ajari (検校 阿闍梨 琳賢)
• Junkai (淳海)
• Gekkōkai shōnin (月光海上人)
• Shinkai shōnin (岑海上人)
• Bogd Khan
  Bogd Khan
  The Bogd Khan was enthroned as the Great Khaan of Mongolia on 29 December 1911, when Outer Mongolia declared independence from the Qing Dynasty after the Xinhai Revolution. He was born in the Kham region of eastern Tibet, today's Sichuan province of the People's Republic of China...
  
  
• Śubhakarasiṃha (善無畏)
• Dashi-Dorzho Itigilov
  Dashi-Dorzho Itigilov
  Dashi-Dorzho Itigilov was a Buryat Buddhist lama of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, best known for the lifelike state of his body, which is not subject to macroscopic decay.- Biography :...
  
   (no known methods of mummification detected, the body's condition is not clear for scientists)
• Honmyōkai shōnin (本明海上人)
• Zenkai (全海法師)
• Chūkai shōnin (忠海上人)
• Shinnyokai shōnin (真如海上人)
• Enmyōkai shōnin (円明海上人)
• Tetsumonkai shōnin (鉄門海上人)
• Kōmyōkai shōnin (光明海上人)
• Myōkai shōnin (明海上人)
• Tetsuryūkai shōnin (鉄龍海上人)
• 13th Dalai Lama