Archaeologists Discover Bone Purported to Be from the Skull of Buddha

I suspect that like many religious relics, odds are this isn't what the enclosed inscription purports it to be but it's still a very interesting find and the provenance laid out in the 1,000 year-old inscription is surprisingly informative.

Live Science - Ancient Shrine That May Hold Buddha's Skull Bone Found in Crypt

Archaeologists have discovered what may be a skull bone from the revered Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama. The bone was hidden inside a model of a stupa, or a Buddhist shrine used for meditation. The research team found the 1,000-year-old model within a stone chest in a crypt beneath a Buddhist temple in Nanjing, China. Inside the stupa model archaeologists found the remains of Buddhist saints, including a parietal (skull) bone that inscriptions say belonged to the Buddha himself. The model is made of sandalwood, silver and gold, and is covered with gemstones made of crystal, glass, agate and lapis lazuli, a team of archaeologists reported in an article published in the journal Chinese Cultural Relics.

Here's the model stuppa:


and here's the chest in which the bone was found:

Inscriptions engraved on the stone chest that the model was found in say that it was constructed during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong (A.D. 997-1022), during the Song Dynasty. Also inscribed on the stupa are the names of people who donated money and material to build the model, as well as some of the people who constructed the model. [See Photos of the Model Stupa Holding Buddha Remains] While the inscriptions say that the skull bone belongs to the Buddha, it is unknown whether it really does come from him. In the journal article, archaeologists didn't speculate on how likely it is. The bone is being treated with great respect and has been interred in the modern-day Qixia Temple by Buddhist monks.

Discovered beneath the Grand Bao'en Temple, the stupa model — which is 117 centimeters tall and 45 cm wide (nearly 4 feet by 1.5 feet) — was stored within an iron box, which, in turn, was stored within a stone chest. An inscription found within the stone chest was written by a man named Deming about 1,000 years ago, saying that he is "the Master of Perfect Enlightenment, Abbot of Chengtian Monastery [and] the Holder of the Purple Robe" (as translated by researchers in the journal article). He tells the story of how the Buddha's parietal bone came to China.

In case you missed it, the inscription was found within the outermost stone chest. Inside that chest was an iron box which contained the model stupa. Hidden inside the model stupa was a silver casket in which was found the gold casket above and it was this gold casket that contained the bone.

So the inscription goes on to say that the original temple in which the bone was stored was destroyed during war some 1,400 years earlier (2,400 years ago) which is the right time frame as Siddhartha Gautama is believed to have lived somewhere between the 6th and 4th Centuries, BCE (2,400-2,600 years ago).

What seems to be missing is the bit about where the bone was for fourteen centuries before being reinterred in 1011 CE.

Those images are sheer joy to me.

Thanks

Wow! Look at the intricate designs of these things, what a great find! Beautiful workmanship! I bet they are worth a fortune! I would imagine the bone was from someone sacred even it wasn't Buddha.

Kinda looks like a technology to hold the ideas and images of Buddha.

a reply to: theantediluvian

Sounds very similar to the "true cross" idea...

Apparently people like to make idols of fallen heros

I have a splinter of Thors hammer somewhere around here

Where the hell did i put that.... hmmm

a reply to: Akragon

It doesn't matter where you put it, you can't pick it up anyway.

I thought the same thing at first about all the "splinters of true cross", "authentic crowns of thorns" and "Holy Grails" that have turned up over the centuries.

However this is unheard of and unique I have never heard of a piece of Buddha's skull before.

Maybe this is more than just another roadside attraction.

a reply to: abe froman

ya maybe...

Found the splinter by the way...

I stepped on it a few minutes ago... now i'm stuck in the hallway

keeping relics of a cast off shell....the least buddhist thing that can be done after someone dies.

Can they get any genetic info from it?

a reply to: theantediluvian

Cool find OP!

How will we ever know if it's his remains or not?

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

keeping relics of a cast off shell....the least buddhist thing that can be done after someone dies.

You’d think so, wouldn’t you?


Temple of the Tooth, Kandy, Sri Lanka

There are stupas all over the Buddhist world that are believed to contain physical relics of the Buddha.

The following quote, fiercely redacted to avoid repetitiousness, is from the Mahaparinibbana-sutta, an account of the last acts, sermons and demise of the Buddha:

...and when homage had been paid by the Venerable Maha Kassapa and the five hundred bhikkhus, the pyre of the Blessed One burst into flame by itself.

And it came about that when the body of the Blessed One had been burned, no ashes or particles were to be seen of what had been skin, tissue, flesh, sinews, and fluid; only bones remained. Just as when ghee or oil is burned, it leaves no particles or ashes behind, even so when the body of the Blessed One had been burned, no ashes or particles were to be seen of what had been skin, tissue, flesh, sinews, and fluid; only bones remained. And of the five hundred linen wrappings, only two were not consumed, the innermost and the outermost...

Then the king of Magadha, Ajatasattu, son of the Videhi queen, came to know that at Kusinara the Blessed One had passed away. And he sent a message to the Mallas of Kusinara, saying: "The Blessed One was of the warrior caste, and I am too. I am worthy to receive a portion of the relics of the Blessed One. I will erect a stupa over the relics of the Blessed One and hold a festival in their honour."

And the Licchavis of Vesali came to know...

And the Sakyas of Kapilavatthu came to know...

And [many other clans of the warrior caste] came to know... (and) sent a message to the Mallas of Kusinara, saying: "The Blessed One was of the warrior caste, and I am too. I am worthy to receive a portion of the relics of the Blessed One. I will erect a stupa over the relics of the Blessed One and hold a festival in their honour."

But when they heard these words, the Mallas of Kusinara addressed the assembly, saying: "The Blessed One has passed away in our township. We shall not part with any portion of the relics of the Blessed One."

Then the brahman Dona spoke to the assembly, saying:

One word from me, I beg you, sirs, to hear!
Our Buddha taught us ever to forbear;
Unseemly would it be should strife arise
And war and bloodshed, over the custody
Of his remains, who was the best of men!
Let us all, sirs, in friendliness agree
To share eight portions — so that far and wide
Stupas may rise, and seeing them, mankind
Faith in the All-Enlightened One will find!
"So be it, brahman! Divide the relics into eight equal portions yourself."

And the brahman Dona said to the assembly: "So be it, sirs." And he divided justly into eight equal portions the relics of the Blessed One, and having done so, he addressed the assembly, saying: "Let this urn, sirs, be given to me. Over this urn I will erect a stupa, and in its honor I will hold a festival." And the urn was given to the brahman Dona...

So it came about that there were eight stupas for the relics, a ninth for the urn, and a tenth for the ashes.

And thus it was in the days of old.

Eight portions there were of the relics of him,
The All-Seeing One, the greatest of men.
Seven in Jambudipa are honored, and one
In Ramagama, by kings of the Naga race.
One tooth is honored in the Tavatimsa heaven,
One in the realm of Kalinga, and one by the Naga kings.
Through their brightness this bountiful earth
With its most excellent gifts is endowed;
For thus the relics of the All-Seeing One are best honored
By those who are worthy of honor — by gods and Nagas
And lords of men, yea, by the highest of mankind.
Pay homage with clasped hands! For hard indeed it is
Through hundreds of ages to meet with an All-Enlightened One!

The relics, or objects purported to be them, were further subdivided and dispersed in the centuries to come.

The Mahaparinibbana-sutta was, of course, committed to writing some centuries after the death of the Buddha.

originally posted by: MamaJ
a reply to: theantediluvian

Cool find OP!

How will we ever know if it's his remains or not?

None of you on ATS are a True Buddhist. Nor would any of you know who the TRUE MOST POWERFUL Buddha was and IS. If you had studied correctly you would know that Siddartha Guatama "The Buddha" predicted that there would be more powerful Buddhas other than himself after his death. And that Buddha that Siddartha predicted is my guru Nisargadatta Maharaj. Who he himself has claimed himself to be the most powerful Buddha in the Universe. Even more Powerful then Lord Christ, Why? He is "The Buddha of Destroyer of Egos." Be afraid of him. The secret to Life is to Die before you die! What does that mean? Dr David R Hawkins explains it best. It is surrender of the inner belief that the "EGO" holds that it is the source of its your power. The secret immortality is kneel before God and you will find the Final Doorway......I don't expect to for any of you lower beings to figure it out. For it is beyond your Ken. Just know this. Thiaoouba describes the atom to have a lifespan of 100 billion trillion years, yet awareness was is immortal. Figure it out monkey! You are fully GOD and Fully Human~Lord ArioK

m.youtube.com...

a reply to: Thiaoouba Prophecy

None of you on ATS are a True Buddhist... Figure it out monkey!

Hey, man, like, you sound really, like, you know, like, enlightened or something.

it is beyond your Ken.

But not out of reach for my Barbie.