Stardust

I always wondered why some people's bodies don't decompose.
Catholics call them incorruptibles.
The Buddhists have one too.
Khambo Lama.

Khambo Lama or Dashi-Dorzho Itigilov died in 1927 in a lotus position.
He is still sitting upright and his body is remarkably well-preserved.
His body is only displayed seven days in the year.

There are more than 250 incorrupt bodies of Catholic saints.
Not accidentally preserved as in being buried in hot sand or lava.
Not deliberately preserved as in the pharaohs of Egypt.

These 250 incorruptibles are typically found lifelike, moist, and flexible after many centuries.
"They remain free of decay regardless of manner of burial, delay in burial, temperature, moisture, rough handling, frequent transference, having been covered in quicklime (a decaying agent), or proximity to other decaying corpses."

You can see them for yourself at
* New York City (St. Fraces Xavier Cabrini)
* Turin, Italy (St. Mary Mazzarello)
* Paris, France (St. Catherine Laboure)
* Granada, Spain (St. John of God)

Scientists are baffled at why these bodies have not decayed.
They do know that all humans are made of stardust.
Almost every element on Earth was formed at the heart of a star.

During a supernova, when a massive star explodes at the end of its life, it disperses different elements across the universe. The stardust makes up the planets including Earth.

Perhaps some of us realize we are stardust.
And live to shine.
And so become incorrupt.

ps1. More info on incorruptibles: http://www.catholicapologetics.info/library/gallery/incorrupt/incorrupt.htm http://www.overcomeproblems.com/incorruptibles.htm http://www.marypages.com/IncorruptBodies.htm http://www.sacred-destinations.com/russia/ivolginsky-datsan-buddhist-temple.htm http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=3,1756,0,0,1,0 ps2. Stardust http://www.physics.org/article-questions.asp?id=52

ps3. Photo credit http://www.clipartof.com