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Alessandro
Thu Aug 24, 2006 11:44 am

Dewa sanzan, Gassan and the mummies
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After visiting Yodono-san, we went in direction of Gassan. As I said before, the season was already close for the mountain, but as you will read, there are also interesting things to see around. So here I will speak about Japanese mummy, and just forget everything you know about Egyptian mummy, it's totally different.

Of course no picture inside the temple, so for you just the front gate 

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There are three mummies, but only one can be seen; they are not prepare like in old Egypt after the death of the person, but here in Japan, one decides to become a mummy and during about 15 years, follows a special diet eating nuts and vegetable, and lives alone in the surrounding mountains. When the person gets thin enough with that diet, eating and drinking less and less, and when he feels the death is very close, he drinks a special beverage. I don't know exactly what that beverage is made of, but over there the monk explain me it's the same compound used to make the red color inside the japanese bowl, if you know what I mean.
After the drink, the person dies and they don't need anymore to make some body preparation like in Egypt as with this regime, he is already like a mummy. Here the main point - I think - is to understand why a person decides to spend about 15 years alone with such a diet awaiting death. It seems that when he will die and become a mummy, his body with be empowered so he can help other people, protect them, heal them...

Interesting no? Next will be Haguro-san.

And just for you, because I feel you very interested, a picture from another web site on this subject...

http://osaka.yomiuri.co.jp/tokudane/img/td60821b.jpg