[ko_kyi]

If I am not mistaken, the pose of the boy is the one attributed to Siddhartha when he was determined to either attain enlightenment or die trying - I forget what all of them are, but each pose of Buddha figurines represents some event in Siddhartha's journey and symbolically, an attitude or mental state.

[sagar]

There are two possible explanations.

1. it is a great hoax perpetrated by lamas on gullible religious folks

2. it is indeed true, the boy's metabolism has somehow shut down and his body does not require either nutrients and water. Not likely, as he looks healthy and nourished... his skin is little pale, but is not going blue like those starved people

Hmm, I'd go with #1.