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Waargh
Posts: 6997
Location: hell on earth
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 Posted: Sun, 16th May 2010 01:58 Post subject: Burials in Tibet |
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ixigia
[Moderator] Consigliere
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Location: Italy
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TSR69
Banned
Posts: 14962
Location: Republic of the Seven United Provinces
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| Posted: Sun, 16th May 2010 02:12 Post subject: |
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every country their customs I guess :/
Formerly known as iconized
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Waargh
Posts: 6997
Location: hell on earth
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Waargh
Posts: 6997
Location: hell on earth
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| Posted: Sun, 16th May 2010 02:17 Post subject: |
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Some info:
| Quote: | The Celestial Burial
There are two different explanations about the origin of the celestial burial. One says it is purely native; while another says in came from India or Central Asia. However it is generally recognized that its evolvement has gone through two phases. The first one is the period of so-called aboriginal celestial burial, when people unconsciously left the dead body in the wild. Till the period between the 11th and 12the century, influenced by the Buddhist doctrines, the celestial burial had gradually started with rituals, hence started the period of so-termed ritualized celestial burial. Since then the rituals have become all the more regularized. Now it is predominantly the most prevailing funeral practice among all in Tibet.
A complete set of funeral procedures should start while the person’s life still lingers. The family members would feed the dying person with a tablet made of rare Tibetan herbs mixed with burnt ashes of the drapery, hair and nails of Living Buddhas, which is said to be able to help the dying person cut off some intrinsic qi, i.e. the human appetites, and let the soul leave peacefully. Meanwhile Lamas would be commissioned to chant scripture, so as to help the dying person to get rid of anguish and fear at the last moments. Notably the ladies and children generally are not allowed to approach the dying person, because it is said that will disturb his mood and influence his smooth transmigration.
As soon as the person dies, a piece of white cloth will be used to cover his face, and nobody is allowed to touch or move the dead body from then on. At the same time, Lamas will be commissioned to hold a ceremony called Paowa, that is said to help the soul’s exodus from the skull and rise to heaven, instead of expelling it from the asshole and falling to hell.
During the funeral preparation period, a pottery jar will be hung on the doorway of the dead person’s home as a sign of mourning. Meanwhile some cypress branches will be burned in the jar, adding in some tsamba, cattle or sheep’s blood, meat and fat, as well as the milk, cheese and butterfat, a way of serving meals to the dead. Throughout this period, all friends, relatives and neighbors shall not sing, dance or make any fun. Cats, dogs, and other livestock are to be strictly kept away from the dead body.
Wizards are also commissioned to divine and select appropriate time of the funeral, which is usually at 4 or 5 o’clock in the early morning on the fourth or fifth day after the time of death. The body is bent into a shape like a fetus in pregnancy, with his harms and legs being bound together. The body, covered with a white tweed, will be carried on back of a family member, and moved towards the funeral yard for a certain distance, and then be handed over to a professional body carrier, but by no means will it be placed on the earth on the way, or else the soul of the dead will wader about there.
On arriving, people will burn bunches of cypress branches to notify the divine vultures. The rising smoke summons the vultures flocking there. Now the celestial burial master begins to cut apart the corpse. He will incise it from its back, take out the bowels, separate the muscle from the bones, and crush the skeleton with stone, then mix this with tsampa. Then the master will first feed the vultures with the bowels, then with the bones and at last with the meats. If the vultures eat all with nothing remaining, it means the dead had not committed any sin while living, and his soul will be guided to ‘heaver’. If white vultures eat first, it is regarded as the most auspicious sign; while if the vultures eat nothing or eat only a part, then the remains will be burned, and the ashes will be spread over. In this case, the family members should commission monks to chant scripture, and release the soul from purgatory. Afterwards, the deputies of the family will treat the master with meat and wine. Yet within certain period of time, the master is not allowed to visit the family of the dead to avoid taking the soul back his home. |
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Frant
King's Bounty
Posts: 24680
Location: Your Mom
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| Posted: Sun, 16th May 2010 03:10 Post subject: |
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Slightly disturbing but in reality it doesn't really matter what happens to a dead body, it's just dead flesh and bones.
Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!
"The sky was the color of a TV tuned to a dead station" - Neuromancer
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Frant
King's Bounty
Posts: 24680
Location: Your Mom
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| Posted: Sun, 16th May 2010 05:20 Post subject: |
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Yes, true viking burial....
Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!
"The sky was the color of a TV tuned to a dead station" - Neuromancer
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| Posted: Sun, 16th May 2010 11:05 Post subject: |
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That's a good solution the Tibetans have as opposed to creating graveyards that only take up lots of space, a fair amount of materials and average construction time to build. This custom should be embraced worldwide.
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| Posted: Sun, 16th May 2010 12:41 Post subject: |
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The Zoroastrians have a similar tradition.
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| Posted: Sun, 16th May 2010 12:47 Post subject: |
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guy looks like he was hung, and also he was bound...Is it really a burial thing or more a dishonouring him a good funeral?
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