I learnt a news today that Mongolian scientists are examining a 200 year old mummified Buddhist monk found in the lotus position, whom some believe is still alive in a heightened meditative trance called 'Tukdam'. They also say that it is very close to Nirvana which according to Buddist belief is the highest possible state achievable when the physical body dissolves. Is that kind of meditative state ever possible? Can that be true?
Meditative state is possible and it does impact the body also. The body will not decay for some people.
We don’t know whether somebody is still alive after two thousand years. This we have to see. Why would somebody hold onto a body for two thousand years. Would you hold on to the same dress for the next fifty years? When you don’t like to hold on to the same dress, why would somebody hold on to the body for so long? I don’t want to say it is a lie or anything. Body may stop decaying, but it is not necessary that the soul holds onto the body. If a soul is holding onto a body, it is not enlightened.