This is the moment Morgan Freeman was blessed by a holy monk and a coconut in Nepal.
The American actor, 81, was spotted while filming the third installment of his documentary series The Story of God, set to air on National Geographic in 2019.
The Oscar-winner was visiting His Holiness Charukeerthi Bhattaraka Swamiji, a monk of the ancient Indian religion of Jainism, at the Jain temple.
One of the founding principles of the faith is that anyone can be God.
During the two-hour filming session the Shawshank Redemption star questioned Swamiji about his beliefs, then he was gifted with a holy blessing.
The spiritual scene was witnessed by Mahaveer Shete, a 32-year-old businessman from Mangalore, India, who had made a nine-hour pilgrimage to visit the monk for spiritual advice.
“His Holiness asked Mr. Freeman ‘Who is God?’ and he replied ‘I am God,” said Mr. Shete.
“The monk replied with a laugh and said ‘yes’ because that is what Jainism reflects…we are all here to liberate ourselves.”
At the end of the meeting in Kathmandu, Nepal, on November 29, Freeman was blessed with a holy thread on his right hand and a coconut.
“His Holiness was amazed by Mr. Freeman’s in-depth knowledge about religion, and by his keenness to learn about Jainism,” added Mr. Shete.
“It is a wonderful religion, one that inspired Gandhi to take up nonviolence as a path to achieve his goals, which in turn inspired greats like Martin Luther King Jr.
“Swamiji also invited Mr. Freeman to his ashram in India, an offer that he accepted.”
By Isla Harvey
