|
|
| Ram Bahadur Bomjon (1990 - ) |
|
|
 Ram Bahadur Bomjon also known as Palden Dorje (his official Buddhist name) or nicknamed the Buddha Boy, has drawn thousands of visitors and media attention for spending months in meditation. He began his meditation on 16 May 2005, since then, Bomjon has continued to meditate and is now in his third year. He gave audience and blessed his devotees with a vajra toward the end of October 2007. Bomjon's story has gained popularity because it resembled a Buddhist legend about Gautama Buddha's enlightenment, so much so that some devotees claimed Ram was the reincarnation of a Buddha. However, on 8 November 2005 Dorje arose and said to the public, "Tell the people not to call me a Buddha. I don't have the Buddha's energy. I am at the level of a rinpoche." A rinpoche is the level of a teacher, he has said that he will need six more years of meditation before he may become a Buddha. One of the fascinating aspects of this story is that Bomjon does not appear to break his mediation to eat or drink. In 2007, the Discovery Channel produced a documentary titled "The Boy With Divine Powers"[12]. On a first attempt, the film crew was required to stay outside the guarded barbed wire fence and their camera's night vision could not pick up a signal where Ram sat at the base of a tree during their non stop recording over four days. On a second attempt a few weeks later, however, the film crew was able to film Ram continuously for 96 hours, day and night, during which time he did not drink any fluids or eat any food. According to scientists on the documentary, an average person would be expected to die from kidney failure after 4 days without drinking any fluids. The boy showed no signs of classical physical deterioration caused by dehydration. At a close inspection conducted by the filming crew around the tree where Ram was sitting, no hidden water pipes or food stashes were found.[13] Some supporters this is irrelevant, just his ability to sit nearly motionless in all temperatures is impressive enough. [14] |
Date of Birth: 09 Apr, 1990
Location: Nepal
State: No State Provided
|
Views: 114
Summary
Ram Bahadur Bomjon was born on April 9th 1990 in the Ratanapuri village, Bara district, Nepal. His family is of Tamang (also known as Mumi) descent one of several ethnic groups living in Nepal descended from Tibeto-Burman origins they live mainly in the north and east of Nepal and make up 5.6% of Nepal’s population around 1.2 million. Their language, also called Tamang is related to both Tibetan and Sherpa languages. Bomjon’s parents are farmers, his mother, Maya Devi Tamang was married at the age 12, she has 5 sons and 4 daughters. Bomjon was her third son, it is said that when she was pregnant Maya found that she was unable to eat meat without becoming ill. When Bomjon was born he also would not eat meat and from an early age it was said that he would leave the house for long intervals. He was also please to see a lama or holy person and it was said he imitated them. As a child Bomjon was said to have been very serious he spent his time reading scriptures, meditating and worshipping the pipai tree that seemed to bring him joy. His father noticing his behavior sent Bomjon to study scriptures with a local Tibetan Lama. Soon after Bomjon decided to embrace a religious life and took initiation from Bomjon Som Bahadur Lama. As is the custom Bomjon went to meditate for up to a month in a cave. Som Bahadur Lama was surprised at the ease with which Bomjon seemed to adapt to the situation requiring little sustenance. It was then that he realized that the boy had a natural talent for deep and prolonged meditation. After completing his Buddhist education for two years, all the initiates went on a sightseeing trip to Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha. Palden Dorje seemed utterly taken by this place and it seemed to deepen his religious resolve. The other eight initiates returned but he refused to return. Instead, he went to Dehradun to further his religious education with the Bomjons of Dehradun a short time later he returned to the Pokhara to resume his studies. Here the young Bomjon became very ill, and was unable to move his lower body. After a time he got better, but was still limping when he first disappeared on May 16, 2005. When his mother became aware of the situation, she alerted the village and everyone joined in the search for him. A local boy claimed to have seen him while he was shaking a mango tree. Bomjon had come up and picked up a mango, and stepped fully clothed into the river. “I thought you had disappeared,” the boy remarked to Bomjon. “Have I?” Bomjon replied. “You’d better go home, and be careful not to touch me.” The boy ran home to tell his story, but nobody believed him at first. Bomjon’s relatives went to the ravine. Bomjon smiled at them when they found him as was his habit. They told him to come home. “I’ll go home at four o’clock.” Bomjon said. His family decided it would be wise to keep an eye on him, and so some of his siblings stayed with him. At four o’clock, he picked up a couple of mangoes and began to eat one. He told his little brother to bring him water, rice, his lama robes, a rosary and a picture of Buddha. His little brother obeyed. Bomjon’s sister came to tell Bomjon to come home at once. Seeing how emaciated he looked from his previous illness, she cried and begged him to come home. Bomjon told her to stop crying, and she went home. On May 18th, 2005 he found a meditation place in the forest and started to meditate. That night at midnight some pranksters came to disturb him and steel an offering left by the villagers. On May 24th, 2005, Bomjon moved again north, at the time he gave his brother second eldest brother six pipal leaves and instructed him to keep them in oil and he would be safe. He drew a boundary around his mediation area and the villagers built a fence for him. He then asked that a hut be constructed sealed with plastic on all sides where in he remained for 15 days. In the 75th day of meditation, he opened his eyes and asked his elder brother to call him "Om Namo Buddha Gyani" (Salute to the one who knows Buddha). On August 18, 2005, Bomjon called together his friends who were lamas. They asked him how it was that he was surviving without water. Bomjon replied that two snake gods protected him from either side. That day he also changed his clothes and wore a white cloth called Ngag. On November 6, 2005 he was bitten by a snake who some say was the snake god Sheshha Naga giving Bomjon the opportunity to reach the level of Bodhisattva. Bomjon sweated but continued to meditate, on November 8, 2005, Bomjon told the people that he did not have the energy of a Buddha, and he asked them not to publicize him as an incarnation of Buddha. On November 11, 2005 a bright light appeared shining from his head. His followers cried with joy and became even more fervent. “Leave me in peace, and there will soon be peace in the country,” Bomjon said. However crowds ever increased and people chanted and set up a market place, according to Radio HBC 94 FM who visited the site on December 10, 2005. The crowds were kept at a distance of about 50 meters. All witnesses claimed that Bomjon neither ate, drank or left to relieve himself. He just sat and meditated under the pipal tree. Baffled onlookers were ever increasing and then there reports of miracles a girl and a young man who was speechless began to speak. [1] On March 11, 2006, Bomjon disappeared on March 19 a group of Bomjon’s followrs met with him and talked with him for 30 minutes Bomjon said “There was no peace.” and that he would return in six years, or roughly 2011 or 2012. He left a message for his parents telling them not to worry.[2][3][4] he disappeared and then reappeared on December 25, 2006 in the Bara district he was carrying a sword which he had used to protect himself in the jungle and he claimed to have eaten nothing but herbs in the interim.[5] He reiterated his commitment to Buddhist devotion for six years and said he would allow people to come observe him as long as they kept away some distance and didn't bother him. When a reporter pointed out that pilgrims to his meditation site would be making donations in his name, he asked for the donations to not be abused or used for commercial purposes.[6] A new wave of visitors came to see him and pray at his new meditation spot.[7][8] On 8 March 2007 he left Bara district to again find a quieter place to meditate.[9] On 26 March 2007inspector Rameshwor Yadav of the area police post Niigadh found Bomjon meditating in an underground bunker of seven feet Indra Lama, a local, who has been deployed as caretaker for him since he began meditation, said the "bunker" was prepared as per Bomjon's order. "After granting audience a week ago, he expressed his desire to meditate inside the ground; so we built it," he said. [10] He remained in the bonker for 3 months before resurfacing. On 2 August 2007 Bomjon addressed a large crowd in Hallori jungle in Bara district of southern Nepal. The Namo Buddha Tapoban Committee, a committee that looks after the "modern Buddha", assembled the meeting. The notice about the first ever preaching by the boy was broadcast in a local FM radio station and the committee also invited people by phone. Around three thousand people gathered to listen to Ram Bahadur Bomjom. His message was that the only way to save this nation is through spirituality. Bomjon, 17, on 10 November 2008, reappeared and spoke to flocks of devotees in the remote forest and jungle in Ratanpuri, 150 km (95 miles) southeast of Kathmandu, Prakash Sen, near Nijgadh. With shoulder-length hair and his body wrapped in a white cloth, he is believed to have been endowed with enlightenment at Bodh Gaya in Bihar, which borders Nepal, the same place where Siddartha Gautama attained enlightenment.[15][16] Min Bahadur Shakya of the Nagarjuna Institute of Exact Methods in Katmandu stated Buddhist priests have yet to investigate the boy, who in 2005 lived in a forest for 10 months.[17]
References:
1. Official Site for Ram Bahadur Bomjon http://www.paldendorje.com/bio.php
2. Bhagirath Yogi (11 March 2006). "Nepal's 'Buddha' boy goes missing", BBC.
3. "Nepalese Buddha Boy 'reappears'", BBC (20 March 2006).
4. UPIN (20 March 2006). "'Buddha Boy' emerges, then vanishes again", United Press International.
5. [[Daily Telegraph, Buddha Boy found after retreating into jungle. 27 December 2006
6. eKantipur.com. 'Buddha Boy' Bomjon found in Bara jungle. 25 December 2006.
7. Gopal Sharma. "Nepal's mystery "Buddha boy" reappears", Reuters.
8. "Nepal Buddha Boy 'sighted again'", BBC (26 December 2006).
9. Nepal's 'Buddha Boy' does second vanishing act. 8 March 2007
10. Buddha Boy Update: Ram Bahadur Bomjon Now Meditating in Pit. 28 March 2007
11. Official Site of Ram Bahadur Bomjan
12. Nepal 'Buddha Boy' returns to jungle
13. TV show reviews: The Boy With Divine Powers http://www.helium.com/items/426080-tv-show-reviews-the-boy-with-divine-powers
14. Official Site of Ram Bahadur Bomjan
15. GQ. The Incredible Buddha Boy
16. Nepalnews.com. The "Little Buddha" goes missing. 12 March 2006.
17. "The boy with Divine Powers". Discovery Channel.
Related Links:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
