Whoa Nelly

Cue Twilight Zone music.

Several different people had recently been telling me of a strange and amazing photograph taken in the southwestern Mongolian province called Bayankhongor on the first day of Tsagaan Sar, February 18. They said it showed a Buddha image seated on the rising sun. Sure it does, I thought. And then today my translator Khishigt sent me the photo.

Just as we had gathered at dawn on the sacred Dornogov mountain called Khan Bayan Zurkh, the Bayankhongor people gathered on their sacred mountain called Khukh-Ovoo to make auspicious prayers and offerings for the new year. As the sun crested the horizon, the assembled faithful were astounded to see what looked for all the world like the image of a Buddha seated on, or emerging from, the sun itself. One quick-minded policeman named Tsogtbaatar snapped several pics and noted the time, 7:52-3am.

Well, here it is for you to judge for yourself. I made it a little more hi-res than usual so it will pop up large when you click it, but otherwise I didn't alter it at all in photo software. Please share your thoughts in the comments!

Comments

[Sarabaite]

Beautiful image!
Good to have you back. It made me really sad when you had the comment from the healer about how you don't often have people help you out. My guess is that you're probably pretty independent and self-sufficient, so people often leave you to your own devices. Or -- maybe that comment is just about myself. I know that I almost never ask for help, even when I should, and my friends often have a hard time with my lack of vulnerability. Either way, I hope you're feeling better!

[Jae-Min]

Looks like Guru Rinpoche but I personally see it as coincidence. If it were a sacred image, my thoughts are that it would be more solid and clear. Tibetans, including my lama witnessed the form of His Holiness the Dalai Lama giving teachings on the moon last year! They say it was vivid and a commonly shared experienced by people all over the world. It happens occasionally from what I hear.

[Karen]

Wow what an amazing image! From my Christian perspective something popped straight into my mind - St Francis of Assisi.
Perhaps a sign for the animals of Mongolia - and the whole world. A reminder of how people should care for them.

[Vedran]

So what you are saying Konchog is that this apparition was actually visible with naked eye, and then it was photographed? If it's so- fine, but othervise it only looks like something you get if you point your lense directly at the sun.

I think apparitions are real- all the virgin Mary's in christian countrys, verses from Kur'an in islamic etc. BUT as Buddha sead "Mind is the source of all things, mind creates them, mind directs them" So if enough people have idea in their collective consciousness that there is possibility for such appearance it will actually appear in reallity so even passive non-belivers will be able to see it. This however would be message from our mind to it's self rather then message from supernatural beings watching over us.

[Palzang]

I had the exact same image on my fried egg that day! No, actually not. But it is an interesting image, though I'd hesitate to call it miraculous. Probably the mountain played some sort of refraction trick on the light. But a pretty picture indeed.

[Norma]

Looks like a fortune teller gazing over her crystal ball to me.

So much for Rorschach. ;)

[Adam Byrn Tritt]

Thank you.