Buddha Boy, 33, arrested for rape of minor

World News, AFP, Updated: Jan. 10, 2024; Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Nepal's "Buddha Boy," 33, arrested over alleged rape of a minor

Accusations go back more than a decade (file).

Nepal's Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) said they arrested Ram Bahadur Bomjon, 33, on Tuesday [1/9/24].

Police claim to have picked him up at a house on the outskirts of Kathmandu, where he had allegedly been hiding.

Accusations of abuse and sexual misconduct against Ram Bahadur Bomjon stretch back more than a decade.

KATHMANDU, Nepal - Nepalese police said Wednesday [1/10/24] they had arrested the spiritual leader, whose followers believe him to be a buddha [in the making, or a reborn rinpoche, bodhisattva, or tulku] over allegations of disappearances and rape at his ashrams.

Ram Bahadur Bomjon, known to the world and among his devotees as "Buddha Boy," became famous as a teenager after witnesses said he could meditate motionless for months without water, food, or sleep.

The 33-year-old guru has a devout following but has long been accused of physically and sexually assaulting his followers. It is said he had been hiding from authorities for several years.

He was arrested after being on the run "for several years," police spokesman Kuber Kadayat told AFP.

Police arrested Bomjon in Kathmandu on a warrant issued for the alleged rape of a minor at an ashram in Sarlahi, a district south of Nepal's capital.

They said he was caught with bundles of cash amounting to 30 million Nepali rupees (equivalent to US $225,000) and another $22,500 in foreign currency.

Accusations of abuse and misconduct against Bomjon stretch back more than a decade. Dozens of assault complaints were filed against him in 2010.

He said he beat the victims because they disturbed his meditation. An 18-year-old Buddhist nun accused the guru of raping her at a monastery in 2018.

Police opened another investigation against him the following year after family members reported the disappearance of four of his devotees from one of his ashrams. The whereabouts of the four are still unknown, Dinesh Acharya of the Central Investigation Bureau told reporters on Wednesday.

"Unless we know what situation the missing are in, we are not in a position to call it murder," he said.

Before he went on the run, Bomjon still commanded a legion of followers as the allegations against him mounted. At one point, tens of thousands of people had gathered to witness his reputed miracles of meditation deep in the jungle.

When he was aged 16, Bomjon disappeared for nine months to wander the wilderness of eastern Nepal, prompting a round-the-clock vigil by Buddhist monks (lamas) who prayed for his safe return. Source: Nepal spiritual Leader Ram Bahadur Bomjan, "Buddha Boy," arrested over alleged rape of a minor (ndtv.com)

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  (Wisdom Quarterly) Dear Nepal police, we know it may look bad, but he's a good boy. His father didn't love him enough and let him run around the forest all the time. His brother tried to stop him, but there's no arguing with spiritual fervor to transcend this world of the senses. He doesn't know about girls, and maybe all he had to go after were nuns. We're sure he's sorry and can explain. All we ask is a fair trial where witnesses can be brought forward so they can say their peace and facts can be investigated. While you hold him, can we request a quiet cell maybe with a nice view and a cushion for sitting. He doesn't eat much or need water. Let him show you he can be a model monk, if not a good prisoner, by just letting him sit in peace. We'd hate for his followers to break him out. Even the Buddha himself was accused of sexual misconduct that time, remember? Jealous rivals put her up to it, so one woman tied a pillow to her belly and publicly defamed the Awakened One by allowing herself to be prompted to accuse the Buddha of being the father. But Sakka, King of the Devas, could not bear such unrighteousness so he metamorphosed into a mouse and gnawed through the threads holding the pillow in place until it fell to the ground in front of everyone, clearing the Tathagata and putting to shame his libelous slanderers and jealous rivals. We're not saying that's happening here, just that in the United States we pretend to believe that an accused person is actually innocent until proven guilty. Do you think you guys can pretend the same thing and at least provide Mr. Bomjon with the semblance of a public trial that allows the possibility that this is all a mix up or a case of false accusations? P.K. Sarkar, the founder of Ananda Marga, was jailed. So was MLK Jr. Gandhi had a tough time. We're just say, we know it looks bad, but let's let the law run its course and have a fair jury empaneled to decide. Thank you in advance.

Who is "Buddha Boy"? (video)

George Saunders, The Incredible Buddha Boy (GQ, May 2006); Discovery Channel; Zaron Burnett III (Mel Magazine, Feb. 2019); Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

How it all began: Buddha Boy under a giant pipal tree in Nepal (Gopal Chitrakar/Reuters)

The year is 2005 when National Book Award-winning author George Saunders travels to Kathmandu, Nepal to meet “Buddha Boy,” as the Western press had dubbed him, born Ram Bahadur Bomjon.

Saunders treks deep into the jungle far from the Himalayan range in the north of this tiny country on an adventure for GQ magazine. He reports back that he feels he’s experienced a miracle, a divine presence. He published his account in GQ:

We reach the inner fence: as far as anyone is allowed to go. At this distance, I can really see him. His quality of nonmotion is startling. His head doesn’t move. His arms, hands, don’t move. Nothing moves. His chest does not constrict/expand with breathing. He could be dead. He could be carved from the same wood as the tree.

He is thinner than in the photos; that is, his one exposed arm is thinner. Thinner but not emaciated. He still has good muscle tone. Dust is on everything. His dusty hair has grown past the tip of his nose. His hair is like a helmet. He wears a sleeveless brown garment.

His hands are in one of the mudras in which the Buddha’s hands are traditionally depicted. He is absolutely beautiful: beautiful as the central part of this crèche-like, timeless vignette, beautiful in his devotion.

I feel a stab of something for him. Allegiance? Pity? Urge-to-Protect? My heart rate is going through the roof.

Buddha Boy after months (Riedel Jeff/GQ)

Later, George Saunders added:

Soon I’m sitting canoe-style between Lama One and Lama Two. I can hear Lama One mumbling mantras under his breath. Suddenly he turns to me, again makes the gesture, points into the Enclosure.

I get it now: The gesture means, “Look, there is something emanating from the boy’s forehead!”

Do I see it? Actually, I do: Vivid red and blue lights (like flares) are hovering, drifting up from approximately where the boy is sitting, as if borne upward on an impossibly light updraft.

“What the heck,” I think. My face goes hot. Is this what a miracle looks like, feels like, in real time?

I close my eyes, open them. The lights are still drifting up.

A noise begins, a steady drum-like thumping from inside the Enclosure, like an impossibly loud heartbeat.

For several concept-free seconds, it’s just: colored up-floating lights and the boy’s amplified heartbeat.

DOCUMENTARY

There is a Discovery Channel documentary, The Boy With Divine Powers, filmed roughly at the time Saunders visited.

It discusses the doctors and medical professionals who had come to confirm whether this teen boy really had subsisted -- as a breatharian without food, water, or sleep -- under a tree for 10 months.

• Read George Saunders' whole account in GQ
• Zaron Burnett III's looks into it for Mel Magazine
• What Buddha Boy wants to tell humanity (2017)
• Where's Buddha Boy today? (maitriya.info/en)

Remembering "Buddha Boy" (video)

Best Documentary, April 4, 2018; Dhr. Seven, Crystal Quintero (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Nepal: little buddha (full documentary)

In Nepal, five hours from Kathmandu, thousands of people regardless of caste go each day on a pilgrimage, on foot or by cart. For there in the middle of the forest is a teenage boy they come to see, meditate, and pray in front of, Ram Bahadur Bomjon. Twenty-four hours a day this young man sits at the roots of a large tree in deep meditation. He does not move, does not eat, does not drink, does not go to the bathroom. He remains seated quietly, breathing very lightly, very gently, and does not need anything. For believers he is the Future Buddha Maitreya now born on the planet. Miracle or not? We follow the traces of this boy that all Nepal is already calling "Little Buddha."

Our Buddha Boy and Goddess Girl (video)

Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Crystal Quintero, Ashley Wells, Wisdom Quarterly; Deccan Times

Buddha Boy was elevated to guru by followers and well-wishers (dharmasangha.info)

Goddess Girl, as we're calling Sadhvi Saraswati, is standing up for ahimsa (Indian Express)

(Maitriya Guru) Buddha Boy/Ven. Dharma Sangha's blessings from Feb. 5, 2016 (Maitriya.info)

 

The Buddha was right! Follow the Dharma.

In this day (dystrumpian times) and age (Kali Yuga), it is not easy to find a proper role model, a hero/heroine, an idol who does not quickly disappoint.

Buddhists (and anarchist punks) have no need for heroes, it is said. But that's not to say we don't enjoy admiring good people doing good things (rejoice/saddhu-saddhu-saddhu!) even as the world comes after them for doing it.

Monster (Mara) breathes down Buddha's neck

Take our heroine Dr. Jill Stein, M.D., Green Party presidential candidate who stood up to the twin-monsters Donny and Hillary and did not succumb to Barry or Bernie's misleading sweet talk. She stands up to corporations at the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) as a water protector and is arrested and threatened with fines and jail.

Where's my Grrl Crew, Boo? - I'm CariBOO.

Kids look up to rich automatons Tadolf Swiftler and Catty Purry because that's what they're fed. Not us.

When we want youthful idols to look up to, we look toward the Himalayas to "Buddha Boy" (Ram Bahadur Bomjon/Maitreya?/Ven. Dharma Sangha) and Sadhvi Saraswati-ji, whom we're calling the living "Goddess Girl" (not to be confused with the revolving Nepalese Kumari).

I blame it on Russell Brand, my ex.

If for no spiritual reason, look how they stand up for animals and our environment! But there are spiritual reasons relating to lives lived dedicated to meditating and awakening in a time of great lust, anger, and confusion (aka "greed, hatred, and delusion," the Three Poisons of the heart and mind in Buddhism).

It's been seven years of meditation, long enough -- according to the historical Buddha -- to attain enlightenment.

(Satipatthana Sutra/"The Four Foundations of Mindfulness Discourse")

Who is Buddha Boy?

It all began in 2005 under a tree in Nepal.

Ram Bahadur Bomjon (Sanskrit, राम बहादुर बामजान), nicknamed "Buddha Boy" (born circa April 9, 1990), is also known by the monastic names Palden Dorje and now Dharma Sangha. He was born in Ratanapuri, Nepal. He rose to fame when he drew media attention and tens of thousands of visitors by months of complete fasting and meditation. He began his meditation on May 16, 2005 until large crowds disrupted him "because there is no peace" when they started coming to see him in large numbers. He left and reappeared elsewhere in Nepal on December 26, 2006. He left again on March 8, 2007. On March 26, 2007, inspectors from the Area Police Post Nijgadh in Ratanapuri found Bomjon meditating inside an underground chamber of about 7 square feet. More

Buddha Boy no show at Hindu killing festival (Wisdom Quarterly) Gyanendra's kin leads campaign against animal sacrifice [at horrific Hindu Gadhimai Festival]...by Nepal's Buddha Boy Ram Bahadur Bomjan taking up cudgels on its behalf. 

Buddha Boy beats instigators... "I took minor action against them after taking them under control when they came to disrupt my meditation... Did Buddha Boy really stand up to instigators?

 

The Incredible Buddha Boy (Longform.org) A legend is growing in Nepal, where people say a meditating boy hasn't... 

The Gadhimai [Killing] Festival: Why it Must Never Happen Again

Mass slaughter of innocent animals for insane Hindu (Judeo-Christian) sacrifice ritual

The 2014 Gadhimai festival is now over, but there are actions you can take to... Stop Animal Sacrifice is website promoting awareness and action against animal... Nepal is predominately Hindu [according to census officials who purposely miscount whole families to make this small country the only Hindu nation in the world] but was the [alleged] birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha [who was actually born in ancient Kapilavastu, more likely in Bamiyan, Afghanistan]. ...Thousands of buffaloes were standing in an enclosure when [Hindu] butchers... 

Gadhimai festival in Nepal - Occupy for Animals! It takes up to 25 attempts to kill a big buffalo. The suffering is unimaginable. Campaigners have protested against the widespread public [religious] sacrifice in Nepal... stands in the way of abolishing archaic practices such as animal sacrifice as well... religious icons like the "Buddha Boy" Ram Bahadur Bomjan, among others. 

A buddha differs from an ordinary arhat.

Palden: Buddha Dharma ...to collect as much information as possible regarding the wonderful ascetic and... According to scriptures, Nepal is an abode of sacrifice and meditation of... When he was only 4 to 5 years old he used to take food set aside for him only after... 

Buddha, The Sensible Rationalist! (nirmukta.com) Great store, great wealth is thine; make (cow) sacrifice! ... young Brahmin to debate the Buddha regarding Varna Dharma. The boy tells the Buddha to disprove the fact that Brahmins were ... In contrast to Jainism's extreme opposition to violence toward animals, the Buddha took a moderate stand on this issue.

You take the good, you take the bad, you take it all and there you have...bad karma decrying a good aspirant to enlightenment in our dark and dismal times. About four tiny but fishy websites (Irregular Times, Setopati, The Halkoriya Times, who spell their own name wrong, and Buddha Boy Media) seem to be dedicated-haters trolling Buddha Boy to defame him and take the con view as we take the pro view. But it is good to take in all honest views.

• Anti-Buddha Boy propaganda: halkoriatimes.wordpress.com
• Bad karma: buddhaboymedia.wordpress.com
• Who is ["Goddess Girl"] Sadhvi Saraswati? 

Living Goddess says, Stop eating cows!

DeccanHerald.com edited and expanded by Wisdom Quarterly

[Practice nonharming. Be patriotic. Love your duty, country, religion (indianexpress.com).]

  

Ascetic Hinduism is all about ahimsa

Amid the raging debate over cow slaughter and consumption of beef, a sadhvi [female-sadhu or ascetic] attending a meet of various Hindu outfits here has said those who consider eating beef as a status symbol should be hanged [in public as a negative example to others].

Beautiful, kind Sadhvi Saraswati

The remarks made by Sadhvi Saraswati here last evening triggered a sharp reaction from the Congress, which said her speech would spark communal hatred [because minority Muslims and Christians kill and eat a lot of beef] and asked the BJP-led government in Goa to lodge an FIR against her.

• No FIR against Sadhvi Saraswati over beef consumption remarks... (indianexpress.com, July 19, 2017) No FIR was lodged against Sadhvi Saraswati over her statement... 
• Arrest Sadhvi Saraswati for hate speech against beef-eaters: BJP's... (firstpost.com)
• FIR filed against other sadhvi, Sadhvi Prachi, for calling for "a Muslim-free country" in 2016 thereby hurting feelings

"I appeal to the Government of India that those people who consider eating meat of their own mother as a status symbol should be hanged," Sadhvi Saraswati from Madhya Pradesh said.

"They [those who eat beef] should be brought before the public and hanged. Then only people will know that it is our duty [dharma or social obligation] to protect 'gau mata' [lit., 'cow mother,' source of sustenance, nourishing parent]," she said while commenting on beef consumption during the inauguration of All India Hindu Convention at Ramnathi village here.

Passion for cow-kindness leads to hyperbole?

Sadhvi Saraswati, president of Sanatan Dharma Prachar Seva Samiti of Chhindwada in Madhya Pradesh, also wanted the Hindus to keep arms in their homes to protect themselves:

"If we do not stock arms, we will be destroyed in future," she said.

"Today Bharat [India] is under attack from all directions. Efforts are being made to separate Kashmir from Bharat and also stop the Amarnath pilgrimage. Bharatmata-Gaumata [Goddess "India Mother-Cow Mother"] are being censured," she said.

World-weary beauty and junior Hindu saint

Slamming the demand by some political parties to ban the outfits calling for the creation of the "Hindu Rāshtra," she said they should realize that no power in the country can prevent Hindus from establishing the "Hindu Nation" [in addition to the one India established in Nepal].

She said, "There is no such thing as saffron terrorism," adding that: "Saffron means dedicated life for the nation and dharma."

Nearly 130 Hindu organizations from 21 Indian states and countries including Bangladesh, [Buddhist] Sri Lanka, and Nepal are attending the four-day convention, its organizers said. More

• The American sadhvi (Ph.D.) from Hollywood living in India
• How a Westerner embraced the Eternal Dharma (Hinduism) 
• Has the young goddess gone too far? Lynching, guns, purity

"Buddha Boy" returns for world peace (video)

Buddha Boy (Ram Bahadur Bomjon, March 29, 2017); Dhr. Seven (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly

(Raidenway) Nepal's Buddha Boy has returned for world peace 2017

Buddha Boy 2017, message in his own words

If I were a monk I could study and practice.

"Murder, violence, greed, anger, and temptation have made the human world a desperate place. A terrible storm has descended upon the human world, and this is carrying the world towards destruction.

"There is only one way to save the world and that is through dharma (spiritual practice). When one does not walk the righteous path of spiritual practice, this desperate world will surely be destroyed. Therefore, follow the path of spirituality and spread this message to your fellows.

"Never put obstacles, anger, and disbelief in the way of my meditation's mission. I am only showing you the way; you must seek it on your own. What I will be, what I will do, the coming days will reveal.

"Human salvation, the salvation of all living beings and peace in the world, is my goal and my path. 

If I were a boy, I could dream all day.

"'Namo Buddha sangaya, Namo Buddha sangaya, Namo sangaya.' I am contemplating on the release of this chaotic world from the ocean of emotion, on our detachment from anger and temptation, without straying from the path even for a moment.

"I am renouncing my own attachment to my life and my home forever; I am working to save all living beings. But in this undisciplined world, my life's practice is reduced to mere entertainment.

"The practice and devotion of many Buddhas is directed at the world's betterment and happiness. It is essential but very difficult to understand that practice and devotion. But though it is easy to lead this ignorant existence, human beings do not understand that one day we must leave this uncertain world and go with the Lord of Death.

"Our long attachments to friends and family will dissolve into nothingness. We have to leave behind the wealth and property we have accumulated. What's the use of my happiness when those who have loved me from the beginning -- my mother, father, brothers, relatives -- are all unhappy?

"Therefore, to rescue all sentient beings, I have to be Buddha-mind and emerge from my underground cave to do vajra meditation. To do this I have to realize the right path and knowledge, so do not disturb my practice.

"My practice detaches me from my body, my soul [spirit, gandharva, not eternal "self"], and this existence. In this situation there will be 72 Kali goddesses. Different gods [devas] will be present, along with the sounds of thunder and of tangur, and all the celestial gods and goddesses [akasha devas and devis] will be doing puja (worship [paying honor]).

"So until I have sent a message, do not come here, and please explain this to others. Spread spiritual knowledge and spiritual messages throughout the world. Spread the message of world peace to all. Seek a righteous path and wisdom will be yours."

• MAIN WEBPAGE: maitriya.info/en
• Dharma: dharma.maitriya.info/en
• Prayers: dharma.maitriya.info/en/news
• Mantras: dharma.maitriya.info/en/mantras
• Speeches: dharma.maitriya.info/en/news
• Video: dharma.maitriya.info/en/video...
• Audio: dharma.maitriya.info/en/audio...
• All speeches in PDF: dharma.maitriya.info/uploads
• All speeches in DOCX: dharma.maitriya.info/uploads

Nepal's Buddha Boy (Discovery Channel video)

(BuddhaBoyVideos) Five-part documentary on Nepal's "Buddha Boy"about Ram Bahadur Bomjon who has been meditating for years without food or water. He is thought by many to be a bodhisattva, being reborn to become a supremely enlightened buddha with the capacity to teach and establish a dispensation. Therefore, there are throngs of followers seeking to encourage him, bask in his boundless compassion and goodness, and the rarity of such a feat. Meditation in the vicinity of his forest must be more fruitful and inspired (were it not for the hullabaloo created by the sort of devotional pandemonium that runs contrary to what he is trying to accomplish).

BUDDHA BOY 2010 (Discovery Channel)

Buddha Boy (Ram Bahadur Bomjon or Palden Dorje) is a Nepalese teenager whose remarkable path parallels the life of Siddhartha Gautama, who meditated until he reached buddhahood. This documentary establishes that Buddha Boy is indeed meditating 24 hours a day without any food or water, a medical impossibility. The camera keeps rolling nonstop for four days, the amount of time it takes a human to die of dehydration.

Discovery Channel documentary: "The Boy With Divine Powers" (5 part series)

The meditating teenager was seen sweating and shifting during that time but continued his endeavor unabated. The cameras were absent when Buddha Boy spontaneously burst into flames as claimed by 59 eye witnesses. The flames, possibly a result of a Tibetan meditation practice known as tumo, did not consume him. They came from him. Amateur footage of at least part of the event show him standing and somewhat distressed by the heat.

• 2010: Buddha Boy beats up locals?

Buddha Boy beats locals?

"I took minor action against them after taking them under control when they came to disrupt my meditation. I let them go after they apologized," Republica quotes a second hand source as saying.

Did Buddha Boy really stand up to instigators? Nepal's most famous meditator, Ram Bahadur Bomjon (Palden Dorje), came to international prominence as a teenager in 2005 by fasting (completely abstaining from food and water) in the forest while meditating.

To this day, no reports of the fast being broken have come to the attention of Wisdom Quarterly. Buddha Boy got his name by behaving like Siddhartha, the historical Buddha, who is also thought to have been born in modern Nepal (although this is disputed) when it was a part of greater India. He then meditated for six years to reach enlightenment. Similarly, Buddha Boy has said he needs six years of intense, undisturbed meditation.

Following in Gautama Buddha's footsteps

Bomjon is now being investigated along with his attendants for scuffling with 17 local villagers. Various reports explain that the villagers came to disturb his meditation, provoking him by jumping on his platform and mimmicking him. Other reports point out that the villagers were criticized for engaging in Hindu animal sacrifices at Nepal's 2009 Goddess Gadhimai festival. Buddha Boy took a very unpopular stand in Nepal by condemning the ritual slaughter.

Buddha Boy on animal cruelty

Reports claim Bomjon admitted he and his attendants struck villagers with hands and sticks. His story is that they climbed onto his meditation platform and mimicked him. "I was therefore forced to [slap them two or three times]," a BBC reports him as saying.

Nepal's Republica quotes the president of his support group as claiming that Bomjon had said, "I took minor action against them after taking them under control when they came to disrupt my meditation. I let them go after they apologized."

The villagers -- perhaps hoping to parlay the situation into a monetary settlement or perhaps to discredit the Buddhist Bomjon in a Hindu country -- say they were beaten relentlessly even after they apologized. One man had a head injury that he said resulted from being hit with an axe handle. The villagers, who said they were innocently foraging for fruits and vegetables before they were assaulted, have filed formal complaints with local police.

The Hindustan Times reports that Buddha Boy has let it be known that he cannot be bothered to attend a court hearing. He is, after all, a saddhu (religious mendicant) in a society that still holds such recluses in the highest regard, awe, and even fear.

• Nepal's Buddha Boy investigated for attacking group (BBC)
• Buddha Boy Bahadur Bomjan: Batterer? (About.com)
• Buddha Boy thrashes locals (Republica)
• African slavery today: 40,000 trafficked for sex
• New protests sweep across Europe

Buddha Boy's message (English subtitles)

(Suprememastertv.com) Known to the media as the Buddha Boy (Ram Bahadur Bomjon, Palden Dorje, or Tapasvi Bomjan). Since May 16, 2005, Buddha Boy has been meditating without food or water in the jungles of Nepal.

Ram Bahadur Bomjan: "A message of peace to our world today. Murder, violence, greed, anger, and temptation have made the human world a desperate place. A terrible storm has descended upon the human world. And this is carrying the world towards destruction. The only way to save the world is through the path of Dharma [roughly speaking, righteousness]. When one doesn't walk the righteous path of spiritual practice, this desperate world will surely be destroyed. Therefore, follow the path of spirituality and spread this message to your fellows.

Never put obstacles, anger, or disbelief in the way of my meditation's mission. I am only showing you the way; you must seek it on your own. What I will be, what I will do, the coming days will reveal. Human salvation, the salvation of all living beings, and peace in the world are my goals and my path. Namo Buddha Sangaya, Namo Buddha Sangaya, Namo Sangaya. I am contemplating the release of this chaotic world from the ocean of emotions, on our detachment from anger and temptation. Without straying from the path for even a moment, I am renouncing my own attachment to my life and my home forever. I am working to save all living beings.

PART II

But for this ephemeral world, my life's practice has been a mere entertainment. The practice and devotion of many buddhas are directed at the world's betterment and happiness. It is essential but very difficult to understand that practice and devotion. Although it is easy to understand this simple knowledge, human beings don't understand it. But one day, we must leave this uncertain world to go with the Lord of Death. We must leave behind our longtime friends and family members to dissolve into nothingness. We have to leave behind the wealth and property we have accumulated.

What's the use of my happiness when those who have loved me from the beginning, my mother, father, brothers, relatives are all unhappy. Therefore, to rescue all sentient beings, I have to be Buddha-mind and emerge from my underground cave to meditate deeply and follow the path of God[hood], to realize the right path and the knowledge. So please do not disturb my practice.

My practice detaches me from my body, my [spirit], and this existence. In this situation there will be 72 Kali devis. Different [devas] will be present. There will be the sounds of thunder and many other sounds. At this time the celestial devas and devis will be doing divine worship. So until I have sent a message, do not come here. And please explain this to others. Spread spiritual knowledge and spiritual messages throughout the world. Spread the message of world peace to all. Seek the righteous path, and wisdom will be yours.

• Oldest Buddhist monument gets a makeover in Nepal
• 3 year-old girl rescued from Nepal
• Worsening corruption in Nepal

Buddha Boy no show at Killing Festival

Republica.com

BARIYARPUR, Nepal -- "Buddha Boy," Ram Bahadur Bomjon, has not turned up at the Gadhimai Mela by Friday, Nov. 20 although he had promised "to stop the animal sacrifice" at the twice a decade Hindu festival. Buddha Boy, who left his place of meditation at Halkhoriya on Thursday, has not shown up to stop the sacrificial killings at the festival, which is set to begin on November 24-25.

News of his possible arrival and his promise to stop the slaughter at any cost had led to the administration to mobilize additional police and government forces to prevent any untoward incident. He was expected to arrive between 3:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. and a large number of journalists and devotees had waited for him through Thursday night. There were rumors that Buddha Boy would start meditating at the sacrificial spot in front of Gadhimai temple.

“We have planned to stop him from coming to the vicinity of the sacrificial spot, out of security considerations,” a police officer there said. “If he tries to get in forcefully, we will take him under control and bring him out of the security cordon,” he added.

There has been speculation that the recent security arrangements made Buddha Boy change his mind. The security cordon was strengthened during the night to stop him from coming to the sacrificial spot. Around 1,200 security personnel including police and armed police were deployed in the area. More>>

International Coverage

• Gyanendra's kin leads campaign against animal sacrifice
  At home, the campaign against the mass animal killings has been boosted by Nepal's Buddha Boy Ram Bahadur Bomjan taking up cudgels on its behalf.... (Times of India)‎.
• Activists outraged by Nepal's plans for mass animal sacrifice (Times Online)
• Indian help sought as Nepal refuses to ban ritual slaughter (India Business Blog blog)
• Drive against massive animal sacrifice gathers momentum
  Ram Bahadur Bomjan dubbed as the Buddha Boy, who stole the limelight for Buddha-like meditation in Bara forests for years allegedly without water and food... (Himalayan Times).
• Journey's With George (Saunders), or Why Magazines...
  My favorite piece was another GQ story, "The Incredible Buddha Boy," in which Saunders goes to investigate a claim that a boy in Nepal had been meditating... (Huffington Post).
• Killing field: stop the Gadhimai sacrifices immediately
  Even Ram Bahadur Bomzon, the “Buddha Boy” from Bara district, has urged to stop the Gadhimai sacrifices. Despite all these calls, sadly, the preparations to... (Republica).‎
• Despite protests, Nepal to host world's largest animal sacrifice (TopNews)
• Central level security sought for Gadhimai fair (Republica)
• Religious groups against violence during Gadhimai festival
  Animal rights groups from in and outside the country, apart from Buddha boy Ram Bahadur Bomjan, have protested against the animal sacrifice.... (Republica).

"Buddha Boy" studied by science

Footage of "Buddha Boy" (a.k.a. Palden Dorje or Ram Bahadur Bomjan), who has been meditating without food or water for three years. Bodhisattva Bomjan is known to the world as a teenage "buddha-to-be," someone aspiring to reach full enlightenment with the power to establish and teach the Dharma. Scientists tested the claim that he has been fasting to see if he is really going without food and water as is popularly believed.

• OFFICIAL WEBSITE: paldendorje.com

See Buddha Boy Live

CANCELLED: Blessings from Nov. 18-23, 2009. Ram Bahadur Bomjan was to appear at Gadi Mai Mela festival to protest the sacrificing of millions of animals before they are killed on the 24th, an ancient Hindu/Nepalese blood sacrifice that has taken place once every five years for several millennia. However, for security reasons, Brahmin priests were unwilling to allot a space for the ceremony (puja).

NEW PLAN: The "Buddha Boy" Palden Dorje plans to make a peaceful appearance on Nov. 24, 2009 at the site of Gadhi Mai festival, near Nijgad in Bara District, Nepal -- when the sacrifices would otherwise take place (Source and updates).

• "Buddha Boy" re-emerges from jungle after year...
  KATMANDU, Nepal (Huffington Post, 11/11/08) — A teenage boy who many believe is the reincarnation of Buddha has re-emerged from the jungle in southern Nepal and gained thousands of fans...
• Unsolved Mysteries: 1,000s flock to see "Buddha boy"
  The Buddha Boy, a meditating teenager in southern Nepal is drawing attention... (theunexplainedmysteries.com).

Buddha Boy in Brief

Early coverage when nes of Buddha Boy's amazing feat spread around the world

This Discovery Channel documentary entitled "The Boy With Divine Powers" was shot by a crew able to film the Buddha Boy continuously for 96 hours. The crew filmed day and night, during which he observed a total fast, abstaining from all human food and drink.

Discovery Channel: in-depth examination of the worldwide "Buddha Boy" sensation

Whether devas fed him deva-sustenance through his pores, as legend suggests was offered to the historical Buddha (MN 36:27), is a matter of metaphysical speculation. However, according to scientists in this documentary, an average person will die of kidney failure after 96 hours of not drinking any fluids. Buddha Boy exhibited none of the classic signs of physical deterioration associated with dehydration. Upon closer inspection, the film crew around the tree could find no hidden water pipes or food stashes.