Ancient burial box in China ‘may contain remains of the Buddha’
An ancient ceramic box unearthed in China may contain the 2,500-year-old remains of the man we now know as the Buddha, researchers have claimed.
Some believers claim that the 2,000 pieces of cremated bones unearthed in a ceramic box in Jinchuan Country China are the body of the Siddharta Gautama, known as the Buddha.
The remains were buried in the chest by monks 1,000 years ago, and carry an inscription saying they belong to the Buddha.
The inscription claims that two monks collected remains from the Buddha together, then buried them in the box.
The inscription reads, ‘In order to promote Buddhism, they wanted to collect śarīra (a term for relics of the Buddha). To reach this goal, both of them practiced the instruction of Buddhism during every moment of their lives for more than 20 years.
‘Sometimes they received the śarīra from others’ donations; sometimes they found them by chance; sometimes they bought them from other places; and sometimes others gave them the śarīra to demonstrate their wholeheartedness.’
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The Buddha is thought to have lived 2,500 years ago.
The chest was found by villagers while conducting roadworks in China’s Jingzhou Prefecture.
Buddha was born in modern day Nepal, and his remains were divided up among his disciples upon his death, according to myth.
