In the Bara District of Nepal, a fifteen-year-old boy named Ram Bomjon has been silently meditating for the past six months under a pipal (bodhi) tree without taking any food or drink or getting up to relieve himself. His feat has attracted thousands of visitors and widespread media attention. Moreover, people have been referring to him as “Buddha boy” due to his

similarities to ShakyamunimBuddha. For instance, Shakyamuni is said to have attained full enlightenment while meditating under a bodhi tree, and Ram Bomjon’s mother Maya Devi has the same name as Shakyamuni’s mother.

Recently, after being bitten by a snake, Ram Bomjon briefly broke his silence to allay people’s concerns and dispel the notion that he is a Buddha, saying, “Tell the people not to call me a Buddha. I don’t have the Buddha’s energy. I’m only at the level of a rinpoche [Tibetan term for a person of lesser spiritual attainment than a Buddha]. A snake bit me but I do not need treatment. I need six years of deep meditation.”

By renouncing all material life to focus solely on God and practicing his path to enlightenment, the young saint is reaching out to his fellow human beings and generating an awareness of spirituality. Hopefully, he is also inspiring more people to let go of their material desires and turn their attention toward God.

As Ram Bomjon is demonstrating, a long meditation retreat is one way to seek enlightenment. In the Quan Yin Method, however, our beloved Master teaches us to practice the middle path and provide a model for others by balancing meditation with living and functioning in the world and serving society. Thus, thanks to God’s grace, we can practice for enlightenment and at the same time work to support ourselves.

There are many paths to developing our God nature and it is up to each of us to decide which to choose. Individuals such as Ram Bomjon are making humankind more aware of spirituality, and hopefully more and more people will embrace a spiritual lifestyle through the young practitioner’s example.