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bomjon
April 2008 
Ram Bomjon Reappears and Establishes New Shrine
Posted on Dec 26th, 2006
by 
J. Clifford
J. Clifford
Ram Bomjon, also called Palden Dorje by his supporters, is a teenage boy from the village of Ratanpuri, Nepal. Now 17 years old, but starting in 2005 at the age of 15, Bomjon claimed to have sat in one place under a pipal tree for ten months straight, without eating or drinking, and without moving at all even to go to the bathroom. This supposed accomplishment has earned Ram Bomjon the popular title Buddha Boy, with Bomjon's supporters saying that he was a new incarnation of the Buddha himself.
Suspicions arose that the supposed marathon meditation was a fraud when Ram Bomjon's supporters covered up the site of the meditation and would not allow anyone to see him during the night. A set of physicians sent to inspect the boy's claims were unable to do so when they were allowed to examine him only from a distance of 15 meters. Ram Bomjon's supporters said that any closer observation would interfere with the meditation, although the original Buddha was able to maintain his meditation even with thunderbolts, elephants, and angry armies hurled against him.
Just when scrutiny of all the donations, and of investigations of the veracity of Bomjon's meditation were becoming impossible to avoid, Ram Bomjon suddenly ran off into the forest. He appeared once more before a small group of his central group of supporters, who oddly just happened to have a video camera with them to film the appearance. Bomjon declared that he would go away deep into the forest to meditate for many years more, and then would make a new appearance.
Well, only a matter of months have gone by, but Ram Bomjon has been spotted again, with a change of plans. Ram Bomjon was found by villagers searching for him on the night of December 24, and then appeared more formally before villagers on the morning of December 25. Ram Bomjon was carrying a sword that he said was for his protection, although Buddha needed no such protection during the period of meditation that led to his own enlightenment.
Bomjon declared that he would set up a permanent spot of meditation near a pond five kilometers outside of the village where his original meditation took place. For the sake of not being disturbed by noise, however, Bomjon asked that no visitors be allowed to come within more than ten meters of him. Once again, there will be no opportunity to scrutinize the details of Ram Bomjon's claims. Those claims have changed, however. Now, Ram Bomjon acknowledges that he has taken medicinal herbs for nourishment.
Where will the donations to the new site of pilgrimage go? Ram Bomjon says he doesn't want the money to be used for business purposes or otherwise abused, but who will check on it? Who will audit the books? Who will stand to profit? We cannot know that now. We will, however, keep a close eye out for further reports.
Suspicions arose that the supposed marathon meditation was a fraud when Ram Bomjon's supporters covered up the site of the meditation and would not allow anyone to see him during the night. A set of physicians sent to inspect the boy's claims were unable to do so when they were allowed to examine him only from a distance of 15 meters. Ram Bomjon's supporters said that any closer observation would interfere with the meditation, although the original Buddha was able to maintain his meditation even with thunderbolts, elephants, and angry armies hurled against him.
Just when scrutiny of all the donations, and of investigations of the veracity of Bomjon's meditation were becoming impossible to avoid, Ram Bomjon suddenly ran off into the forest. He appeared once more before a small group of his central group of supporters, who oddly just happened to have a video camera with them to film the appearance. Bomjon declared that he would go away deep into the forest to meditate for many years more, and then would make a new appearance.
Well, only a matter of months have gone by, but Ram Bomjon has been spotted again, with a change of plans. Ram Bomjon was found by villagers searching for him on the night of December 24, and then appeared more formally before villagers on the morning of December 25. Ram Bomjon was carrying a sword that he said was for his protection, although Buddha needed no such protection during the period of meditation that led to his own enlightenment.
Bomjon declared that he would set up a permanent spot of meditation near a pond five kilometers outside of the village where his original meditation took place. For the sake of not being disturbed by noise, however, Bomjon asked that no visitors be allowed to come within more than ten meters of him. Once again, there will be no opportunity to scrutinize the details of Ram Bomjon's claims. Those claims have changed, however. Now, Ram Bomjon acknowledges that he has taken medicinal herbs for nourishment.
Where will the donations to the new site of pilgrimage go? Ram Bomjon says he doesn't want the money to be used for business purposes or otherwise abused, but who will check on it? Who will audit the books? Who will stand to profit? We cannot know that now. We will, however, keep a close eye out for further reports.
Access: PublicTagged with: ram, bomjon, nepal, buddhist, buddha, meditation, religion, mystery, prophet, skepticism
