The Age: Buddha Boy has nation guessing: holy or hoax?

The Age has an article about the Buddha Boy, Buddha Boy has nation guessing: holy or hoax? . They’ve some interesting updates.

For the past nine months, the 15-year-old has sat, meditating at the base of a peepal tree in Nepal’s Bara District, without food, water, sleep or the need to use the toilet. If that was not remarkable enough, on January 19, he spontaneously combusted, burning off the clothes he has worn for nine months but leaving no scars. Lest there be doubters, his followers caught that combustion on video and plan to present the footage, seen by The Age, at a news conference in Kathmandu, soon.

A boyhood friend of Ram Bahadur Bomjan, Prem Lama gets to communicate with the Buddha boy ocationally.

Prem is the only one who goes within five metres of the tapaswi and whom he very occasionally communicates through. “Whenever we talk, it’s a one-way conversation. He doesn’t ask questions,” said Prem.

There are believers as well as doubters.

Outside his own village, many are doubters. However, Upendra Lamichhane, a local reporter for the leading Nepalese paper Kantipur who has visited the site 10 times, believes the villagers are “too innocent” to pull off such a hoax.

I hope the new photo of fire erupting from his chest and video of his burning clothes will be available for us soon. I personally don’t see a 15 year old boy giving up everything worldly just to fool people. But it would be very unfortunate if his supporters start creating some staged miracles.

Susan says:

March 7, 2006 at 8:19 am

Has there been a photo of the Ram Bomjon since the fire alledgely burned his clothes off?

Has anyone spoken to the reporter who saw this video?

This website has some info too but he hasn’t posted anything more since Feb 7.

Appreciate you keeping us informed. Thanks

Susan

Niranjan Kunwar says:

March 7, 2006 at 10:54 pm

I haven’t seen any new photos or news online (if anyone notices them pls drop a comment).

The footage was apparently shown at a news conference in Kathmandu, but I haven’t read any other news source writing about it except “The Age”

Wane’s web page has a collection of links with almost everything known and available about the Buddha Boy + his comments. If you haven’t visited here is the link http://www.circusoflife.com/Main/Buddha_Boy.htm

I’ll definitely post any news related to Buddha Boy as I find them.

March 8, 2006 at 7:58 am

Thanks Niranjan,

I have seen circusoflife – he’s doing a pretty good job even if the page is a bit yuk-looking. I’m sure, like all of us, he has time contstraints and this is better than nothing. It would be great if we could get an ‘on the spot’ reliable reporter to get back to us wouldn’t it? Some intrepid traveller out there. How could we find someone like that?

I have emailed the Age, which is a respected broadsheet in Australia and shouldn’t be dealing in anything sensationalistic, to ask if they will be following up on what must be admitted to be a sensational report. If I don’t hear back from them within a week I will ask again or try to speak to their reporter directly.

It certainly is a fascinating story. I hope it is what it seems to be, I really do.