More on the "Meditating" Monks.

This past Friday, I published a post on a mummified monk found in Siberia who some had speculated was not dead but in deep meditation.

I wrote that the story was not unlike the claims by followers of Ashutosh Maharaj who believed that he was also in samadhi and not dead.

Ashutosh had been declared clinically dead in January, 2014 but has been kept in a freezer since that time, rather than cremated. As I reported, the followers Ashutosh had won a court battle in Dec. 2014, delaying his cremation until February 9, 2015.

Now, as reported by two Indian websites ( hindustantimes and the hindu.com) a Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court adjourned till March 19 the matter of Ashutosh's cremation. It looks as if he'll remain in deep freeze for at least another month or so.

Today, The Siberian Times is reporting an update on the mummified monk.

Professor of the Mongolian Institute of Buddhist Art at Ulaanbaatar Buddhist University, Ganhugiyn Purevbat said he is certain the remains are those of a man called Tsorzh Sanzhzhav, who lived 200 years ago. Last week, Purevbat had speculated that the mummy was not dead, but in deep meditation, but Purevbat has changed his mind.

He said: "Earlier I said that maybe Lama is not dead but was in very deep meditation in the ancient tradition of Buddhist lamas. But it is not so. Tsorzh Sanzhzhav and his teacher were specially buried in this form".

The story did not explain the reason for the professor's change of heart.

The mummy will be cleaned and taken back to Sodnomdarzhaa Mountain, 50km from the Tsakhir in the Arkhangai district, where he was found on January 27.