Sky burial vs Cremation

[Marco19]

Dear firends,

I'll be happy if any Tibetian Buddhist explains how and when the crematio started, and is it an ancient tradition or adapted to replace the sky burial.

Thank you.

 

[DreadFish]

Dear firends,

I'll be happy if any Tibetian Buddhist explains how and when the crematio started, and is it an ancient tradition or adapted to replace the sky burial.

Thank you.

Well, as far as I know, cremation is not practiced in most of Tibet. Cremation is practiced in India and has been for centuries I believe. Likewise im sure it's been practiced in other parts of the world natively.
Sky burial is done in Tibet for both religious and practical reasons. On the practical side, up in the tundra there is a layer of permafrost close below the surface of the ground, so they cannot bury the dead, and there are few trees, so they cannot afford to make a funeral pyre for cremation, so they practice sky burial. On the religious side, sky burial is a final compassionate act by the one who died, as in dying they are offering up their body to nurture and feed other living beings.

 

[terryboy]

I was in Shangrila last year, the region that is culturally Tibetan but politically Chinese. It's a beautiful place with beautiful people and culture.

In Shangrila, they don't practice sky burial possibly because there's no vultures. Water burial is the norm, the body of the deceased will be dismembered into pieces, packed and thrown into the river. I had the chance to visit the burial site.

In the winter when it's too cold, water burial is not possible, so they turn to cremation.

 

[Chuda]

I didn't know Shangrila is a real place! I always thought it was a mythical place, which is a heavenly realm, like Shambala. Or is Shambala and Shangrila supposed to be the same thing?

 

[AmerikanZen]

I've never witnessed a Sky Burial so I wouldn't know.

 

[Harmonious]

What is sky burial? I've never heard of the term before.

 

[Shuddhasattva]

Corpse is taken out to a high valley or cliff area populated by vultures, dismembered and fed to the vultures.

 

[Father Heathen]

[youtube]yJrM5NHoa5Y[/youtube]
Tibet -

 

[Harmonious]

Corpse is taken out to a high valley or cliff area populated by vultures, dismembered and fed to the vultures.

Thank you.

 

[Harmonious]

[youtube]yJrM5NHoa5Y[/youtube]
Tibet -

Thank you. That video was very informative and very respectful of the honor of returning the body back to serve nature.

 

[Father Heathen]

Thank you. That video was very informative and very respectful of the honor of returning the body back to serve nature.

I really like the chanting, myself.