World's Greatest Teen?
Nov. 13 2008, Published 12:23 p.m. ET
His expression is serene, his dark hair cascades down his white robe, and he never speaks. In the eyes of his Nepalese devotees, that's the least part of what makes 18-year-old Ram Bahadur Bamjan divine.
According to his followers, the teen has been meditating in the jungles of southern Nepal without food and water since 2005.
Now he's back, and thousands have flocked to see Bamjan since he re-appeared in the Ratanpur jungles, roughly 100 miles south of Katmandu. Since he doesn't say anything, he gives blessings by lightly tapping the heads of his followers.
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Naturally, many Buddhist experts doubt Bamjan's claim to be the reincarnation of the Buddha.
"Being Buddha means the last birth and the highest level that can be achieved," said Buddhist scholar Rakesh. "There can be no reincarnation of Buddha, even though Buddhists believe in life after death."
Whoever he is, we have a feeling we'll be hearing more about Bahadur Bamjan in the months to come.