Buddhist monks praying in oil in a rare rite in Thailand in the province of Nong Bua Lamphu, engage in a religious ceremony quite strange. A monk meditating in lotus position in a pot of oil that is located above the fire. The monk remains impassive to the heat while praying. By performing such a test, Buddhist monks prove their strength and determination to the people.
A blend of herbs is first applied to the surface of the container to reduce the high heat, but the feat is still seen around his dangerousness. Bottles of oils and relics used in this ceremony will then be sold to spectators.
At first looks like an impressive act, but is not like the title suggest, not boiling oil, not just oil, also many layers herbs and earth, anyway is quite interesting.
A science teacher from Chulalongkorn University tried to debunk the said act. According to Jessada Denduangboripant there is no proof that the oil is truly boiling. “The only way to prove it is to measure the temperature of the oil he’s sitting in,” he said. “The oil doesn’t look like it’s boiling, and the pan just looks strange. The pan might have two layers to insulate the heat.” he added.
Denduangboripant also claims there are several ways to create this kind of trick, just like what he did in a 2012 video where he appears to be safely touching a boiling oil. The trick, he says, is to pour in some water in the bowl before adding the oil. The water will then absorb all the heat, but the oil never will never boil.
The next video is in Thai language but you can skip until the minute 3:15 seconds to see how they put their fingers in the middle of the water while the surrounded is boiling oil.
This in fact is quite interesting since also there are other versions of this ceremony realized by a Rishi or Ruksi also in Thailand were you can see the oil boiling, but also all the preparation layers.
My view on this is more about a cultural or tradition, this is naturally eye catching and the possibility to find someone with super abilities thanks to meditation is a great expectation, but sadly in this case is no more than a freak show, while Buddha taught that super powers are possible trough meditation, he also warned that should never being used in front of people, also he warned about making shows to make money is enough reason to kick a monk from a monastery, with other words but that was the idea. It’s very simple, what the use of being still in boiling oil, maybe if he jumps in oil to save someone, but is not the case, this is also the same issue with all the fakirs, eating glasses, cloves, gillettes, etc.
A interesting waste of time.
Advanced Meditation Techniques 