Discover the remains of the Buddha in China

The inscriptions on a ark found in the village of Gansu, China, show that the inner remains belong to the Buddha.

The cremated remains of Buddha , also known as Shakyamuni Buddha (Siddhārtha Gautama), were found in a porcelain box in Jingxuan County, Gansu Province, China, along with more than 260 Buddha statues, Live Science reported on November 14.

The inscription inscribed on the ark said: "The monks Van Cuong and the Ming belong to the French Hoa school at the temple worshiping Van Thuat Bodhisattva in Long Hung pagoda in Kinh Chau, collecting over 2,000 relics as well as teeth and bones Buddha and buried in the shrine room in electricity on June 22, 2013 ".

The porcelain box contains cremated remains that belong to the Buddha.(Photo: Chinese Cultural Relics).

In the area where the ashes and statues were found, the archaeological group also discovered remnants of a structure that might belong to the shrine room.

According to the inscription, the monk Van Cuong and Minh Minh took more than 20 years to collect the ashes of the Buddha."To spread Buddhism, they want to collect relics. In order to achieve this goal, both monks follow the teachings taught in Buddhism for more than 20 years. They receive relics from donors and lovers. flags found or bought from elsewhere ", inscription inscription.

The inscription does not mention 260 Buddha statues buried near the remains. Archaeologists are not sure if the statues were buried at the same time as the cremated remains. The findings were led by the research team, led by archaeologist Hong Wu of the Gansu Cultural and Archaeological Institute, in two articles published in the Chinese Cultural Relics magazine.

Archaeologists have not made any conclusions on whether or not the true remains of the Buddha, who passed away 2,500 years ago. Many previous archaeological discoveries in China also reveal the remains with inscriptions claiming to be Buddha's remains, including a skull found in a gold chest in Nanning.

Two meter tall statues were created during the period between the Northern Wei Dynasty (386 - 534) and the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279 years). During that period, Kinh Xuyen was the traffic gateway at the eastern end of the Silk Road.

The statues depict Buddha, Bodhisattvas, Arhat and gods. Some statues only specify the head, while the rest are large-sized statues of real people, many even carve individual figures standing on pedestals.

Local villagers discovered statues and ash while repairing roads in December 2012. Hong Wu's archeology team excavated all the statues and boxes containing ashes in the following year.