A 200-year-old mummified monk found in the lotus position in Mongolia is "not dead" and is instead one stage away from becoming a Buddha, it has been claimed.
The remains were found wrapped in cattle skins in central Mongolia.
Senior Buddhists say the monk is in a deep meditative trance known as "tukdam".
Over the last 50 years there are said to have been 40 such cases in India involving meditating Tibetan monks.
Dr Barry Kerzin, a Buddhist monk and physician to the Dalai Lama, said: "I had the privilege to take care of some meditators who were in a tukdam state.
"If the person is able to remain in this state for more than three weeks - which rarely happens - his body gradually shrinks, and in the end all that remains from the person is his hair, nails, and clothes.
"Usually in this case, people who live next to the monk see a rainbow that glows in the sky for several days. This means that he has found a 'rainbow body'. This is the highest state close to the state of Buddha".
He added: "If the meditator can continue to stay in this meditative state, he can become a Buddha. Reaching such a high spiritual level the meditator will also help others, and all the people around will feel a deep sense of joy".
The monk was discovered after being stolen by a man hoping to sell him on the black market.
Mongolian police arrested the culprit and the monk is now being guarded at the National Centre of Forensic Expertise.
