The mummified monk inside a Buddha statue

A study on a Chinese Buddha statue carried out in the Netherlands revealed a startling discovery – the statue contains the mummified remains of a Buddhist monk.

Irish Archaeology reports that the study was carried out at the Meander Medical Centre under the supervision of Erik Bruijin, an expert in Buddhist art and culture. He was aided by Reinoud Vermeijeden, a gastrointestinal doctor ,and Ben Heggelman, a radiologist, who carried out a CT scan and an endoscopy. The research confirmed that the statue contained the well-preserved remains of a monk who died around 1100 AD.

The monk is believed to be Chinese master, Liuquan of the Chinese Meditation School, though the researchers have not extrapolated what evidence enabled them to identify the individual.

Buddha statue undergoing a CT-Scan. Picture: Jan van Esch / Meander Medisch Centrum

According to NL Times, a specially-made endoscope was used to study the mummy.   Vermeijden took samples of an unidentified material and examined the thoracic and abdominal cavities.