In which country are the bodies of the dead fed to vultures. Sky burial in Tibet: how is the funeral

The topic of death has been worrying the minds of mankind for some time, and this is natural, because in fact all that we have is life and death. In all religions, death is treated differently, some thought that burial in the ground would in the best possible way honoring the memory of the deceased, others decided that the bodies of the deceased should be cremated, but still others went further and simply began to feed the lifeless bodies of their relatives to the vultures. Read about these and other interesting burial methods below.

China. floating coffins

The Bo people, who inhabited the modern provinces of Sichuan and Yunnan, disappeared from the map of China centuries ago, unable to resist the struggle against the Ming dynasty. There is almost nothing left of the brilliant Bo culture, only amazing coffins, as if hovering along the sheer walls. The age of the oldest burial is 2500 years, and the most recent were made 400 years ago. The coffins were made from a single piece of wood and raised onto the rocks, setting them in caves and crevices, or on supports driven into the rock. Scholars offer several explanations for this unusual burial ritual. According to some, this was done so that neither animals nor people could get to them. According to another version, in this way the Bo people tried to provide the dead with an easy transition to another world, since the rocks were considered stairs to heaven.

South Korea. memory beads

Several South Korean firms offer relatives of deceased people an unusual service: the ashes after cremation are treated with very high temperatures, it crystallizes and turns into beads, which are then dyed blue-green, pink, purple or black - at the request of the customer. They are usually kept at home in a beautiful bottle.

I must say that the service, despite all the exoticism, is popular. And everything is to blame for the laws and traditions, between which the Koreans were sandwiched as between Scylla and Charybdis. The fact is that Confucianism, which has been the dominant ideology in Korea for centuries, requires zealous reverence for ancestors and mandatory burial in the ground. At the same time, in the 20th century, in densely populated but small Korea, there was a shortage of space. And the government began to promote cremation as a more “compact” way of burial. The final point in this was a law passed in 2000, according to which the graves received a “validity period” of 60 years, after which relatives must remove it. So now only three out of ten Koreans are buried in the ground according to old customs, while others are destined to turn into ashes, or, if you're lucky, into colored beads.

Tibet. Feeding the remains to the vultures

Tibetans believe in the transmigration of souls, the body for them is just a mortal shell that loses its value after death. Cremation or burial in the ground in Tibet is hardly feasible - there are rocks underfoot and almost no trees. It is not surprising that such an unusual ritual arose here as a "heavenly funeral" - feeding the remains to vultures. The rite, shocking for a Westerner, is performed on special sites by specially trained people - Rogyaps. The gravedigger makes cuts on the body with a sharp knife and leaves it to the birds.

Vultures, according to the Tibetans, perform two tasks: they eat the remains and take the soul to heaven. When only bones are left of the body, the rogyapa crushes them, mixes them with tsampa (barley flour with yak butter) and offers them again to the birds. "Heavenly funerals" are still practiced, although environmentalists and doctors are already expressing their dissatisfaction. After all, vultures are offered food not only from the remains of people who died of old age or as a result of an accident, but also from diseases, including such as AIDS and influenza.

Bali. Cremation fit for kings

Hinduism in Bali is very different from the Indian mainstream. One such Balinese feature is the Ngaben cremation ceremony. If funds permit, the ngaben is held three days after death. Otherwise, the body is buried in the ground. There it can lie for months and even years, until the required amount is collected.

When someone dies, relatives continue to treat the deceased as a living, but sleeping person. On the appointed day, the body is placed in a coffin, and that, in turn, is placed in a stretcher in the form of a temple (vada). Vad is carried to the place of cremation, and the procession takes the longest possible path, winding through the streets. The Balinese believe that it helps to mislead evil spirits. Already at the funeral pyre, the body is transferred from the vada to the sarcophagus in the form of a black bull, which is burned. After 12 days (or as soon as relatives can pay for the ceremony), the ashes are solemnly scattered over the sea or river.

Amazonia. circle of life

The Yanomamo tribe lives in the selva on the border of Venezuela and Brazil. The inaccessibility of the habitat helped them to preserve their rituals and customs, which sometimes seem shocking to representatives of Western civilization. So, yanamomo to this day practice the so-called endocannibalism - eating dead tribesmen. In fact, the funeral feast is the last stage of the funeral rite. First, the body is cremated, then the bones are crushed and put together with the ashes in a pot. Then, usually on the occasion of some holiday, the remains and bananas are used to make pasta, which is eaten by the whole village. The Indians believe that if this ritual is not carried out, the soul will forever be stuck between the world of the living and the world of the dead.

Ghana. When Form Matters

In Ghana, the Ga people can order a coffin of any shape for the deceased, just as we order a birthday cake. Mercedez-Benz - for a successful businessman, a bus - for the one who drove him during his lifetime, a giant fish - for a fisherman, a mother hen - for the most loving and beloved mother in the world. This tradition appeared in the 1950s thanks to a curiosity. The ruler of the country ordered a palanquin (a stretcher in the form of a bed and an armchair) in the shape of an eagle, but on the very day of delivery he suddenly died. Relatives without thinking twice put the body on a spectacular stretcher and buried it in them.

Today, the mortician-artists' studios have become a popular tourist attraction, and their wares (downsized) are welcome guests in private collections, museums and art galleries.

Australia. Sophisticated simplicity

In northern Australia, where the traditional Aboriginal way of life is best preserved, funerals take place in two stages. First, the body of the deceased is laid on a special wooden platform, covered with leaves and branches, and left for several months. The remaining bones are then stained with red ocher. Their further fate depends on the beliefs of a particular group of aborigines. Somewhere they are buried, somewhere they are placed in a cave, and the natives of the Arnhem Land peninsula solemnly put the bones into a “tube” from a hollow tree trunk, which is installed in a specially designated place. For the manufacture of these peculiar coffins, trees eaten by termites are used, so the craftsmen only have to process and paint the surface with totem signs. Aborigines believe that this ritual helps the soul to overcome the path full of dangers to another world.

Continuing the theme of death and burial.
WARNING: Only naturalistic photographs are available, and therefore are not recommended for viewing by sensitive and fragile people!)
HUGE THANKS TO THE AUTHOR!!!

Original taken from masterok in

“Heavenly burial” ((jhator (Wiley: bya gtor) is the main type of burial in Tibet and in a number of areas adjacent to Tibet. It is also called “giving alms to birds.” According to Tibetan beliefs, the soul leaves the body at the time of death, and the person at all stages of life should try to be useful.Therefore, the dead body is fed to the birds as the last act of charity.

It is this method of burial that many Tibetans to this day consider to be the only possible one. An exception is made only for the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama. Their bodies after death are embalmed and covered with gold.

First, I will show you the official artistic vision of this ritual, and then there will be an ordinary everyday reportage - that’s where the real tin is. So I warned you...

"City of prayer flags" - a site created for burial in the vicinity of the Chalan monastery (Chalang). Dari County, Qinghai Province, Gologo-Tibet Autonomous Prefecture, November 5, 2007. Photo: China Photos/Getty Images

"Heavenly funerals" are practiced throughout the Tibetan area, including some Indian territories, such as Ladakh or the state of Arunachal Pradesh.

Relatives of the deceased pray during the burial ceremony in the "City of Prayer Flags", a site created for burial in the vicinity of Chalan Monastery.

In 1959, when the Chinese authorities finally gained a foothold in Tibet, the ceremony was completely banned. Since 1974, after numerous requests from monks and Tibetans, the Chinese government has allowed the Heavenly Burial to resume.

The vultures gathered in the "City of Prayer Flags," a burial site set up for burial in the vicinity of Chalang Monastery.

Now there are about 1100 sites for the rite of heavenly burial. The ritual is performed by special people - Rogyaps.

Rogyapa ("gravedigger") sharpens a knife before the burial ceremony in the "City of Prayer Flags".

When a Tibetan dies, his body is placed in a sitting position and so he "sits" for 24 hours while the lama recites prayers from the Tibetan Book of the Dead.

These prayers are meant to help the soul move through the 49 levels of the bardo - the state between death and rebirth.

3 days after death, a close friend of the deceased carries him on his back to the burial place.

Rogyapa first makes many incisions on the body and yields the body to the birds - the vultures do the bulk of the work by eating all the flesh.

The body is destroyed without a trace, in Tibetan Buddhism it is believed that in this way it is easier for the soul to leave the body in order to find a new one.

Rogyapa ("gravedigger") prays before the burial ceremony in the "City of Prayer Flags". Surroundings of the monastery Chalan (Chalang). For a burial, a rogyapa receives up to 100 yuan (about $13.5). Dari County, Qinghai Province, Gologo-Tibet Autonomous Prefecture, November 5, 2007. Photo: China Photos/Getty Images

Rogyapa crushing the bones of the deceased during the burial ceremony

Rogyapa feeds the meat of the deceased to the vultures

Rogyapa cuts the body of the deceased

Rogyapa praying during the burial ceremony

Rogyapa ("gravedigger"), having finished his work, drinks tea with his family.

And now a reportage without cultural embellishment, just an ordinary thing.

In general, the body is first brought to the valley

Then unpack

Then they tie the body to a peg and incise

The Chinese government has announced its intention to take Tibetan funerals under tight control. An ancient tradition, according to which the bodies of the dead are left in the open air to be eaten by vultures, according to environmentalists, is very harmful to the health of birds.

The Chinese government has announced its intention to tightly control the Tibetan sky funeral.

An ancient tradition, according to which the bodies of the dead are left in the open air to be eaten by vultures, according to environmentalists, is very harmful to the health of birds.

The corpse of a deceased relative is tied by the neck to a stake driven into the ground so that the vultures cannot drag the remains. After that, the skin of the deceased is incised - it is more convenient for birds to eat

According to the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection, Lately unexplained deaths of vultures have become more frequent. Officials attribute this to poisoning with stale human meat.

One dead man is enough to feed a whole flock

- Tibetans arrange a heavenly burial of people who died from various diseases and infections. Birds come into contact with carriers of the infection and, in addition to dying themselves, spread it across the country,” Yun Hui, Commissioner for Tibetan Territories, shared his fears. “Therefore, we will make sure that the birds do not eat anything, in particular those who died from AIDS or various types of influenza.

The Tibetan community took the ban on burying people who died of illness according to established religious rites extremely negatively. It considers these measures the next step to establish official control over their religion.

Hungry birds gnaw a Tibetan to the bone

By the way, if the customs of the Tibetans seem barbaric to someone, then it is worth remembering that many who lived in the territory modern Russia tribes did the same, and, for example, Mordva observed this rite until late XIX century.

Before burial, our ancestors erected the remains of the deceased on a shield fixed above the ground. A year later, the bones gnawed by predators were interred. Hence the modern tradition of making a commemoration in a year. This custom was dictated by the desire not to defile the land-nurse with rotting flesh.

The remains are carefully collected

You can learn more about this from the interesting book "Unknown Himalayas" by Himanshu Joshi.

Sky burial is one of three types burials used in Tibet. The other two are cremation and dumping into the river.

The sky burial is called in Tibetan "jha-tor", which means "giving alms to the birds." According to Tibetan beliefs, the soul leaves the body at the time of death, and a person at all stages of life should try to be useful, so the dead body is fed to birds as the last act of charity.

In Tibet, there are about 1,100 sites for the rite of heavenly burial. The largest is located in Drigung Til Monastery. The ritual is performed by special people called Rogyaps.

The remaining bones are then ground into a powder, mixed with barley flour and again fed to the birds.

Tibetans believe that everyone at least once in their life should see the ritual of heavenly burial in order to realize, to feel all the transience and ephemeral nature of life.

The Chinese government intends to ban the "heavenly funeral"

The Chinese government has announced its intention to tightly control the Tibetan sky funeral. An ancient tradition, according to which the bodies of the dead are left in the open air to be eaten by vultures, according to environmentalists, is very harmful to the health of birds.

According to the Ministry of Nature Protection of China, unexplained deaths of vultures have recently become more frequent. Officials attribute this to poisoning with stale human meat.

- Tibetans arrange a heavenly burial of people who died from various diseases and infections. Birds come into contact with carriers of the infection and, in addition to dying themselves, spread it across the country, the Commissioner for Tibetan Territories shared his fears Yun Hui. - Therefore, we will make sure that the birds do not eat anything, in particular those who died from AIDS or various types of influenza.

By the way, if the customs of the Tibetans seem barbaric to someone, then it is worth remembering that many tribes living on the territory of modern Russia did the same, and, for example, Mordva observed this rite until the end of the 19th century. Before burial, our ancestors erected the remains of the deceased on a shield fixed above the ground. A year later, the bones gnawed by predators were interred. Hence the modern tradition of making a commemoration in a year. This custom was dictated by the desire not to defile the land-nurse with rotting flesh.

Fish - corpse-eaters

Something similar to the Tibetan funeral rite is taking place in India. For almost two millennia, Hindus have been burning their dead in the holy city of Varanasi on the banks of the Ganges, and then feeding the remains to mysterious fish.

According to Hindu custom, the body of the deceased must be burned on the first day after death, while the soul is still closely connected with the body. Men should be burned until the bone on the arm or leg appears, and women - so that the bone on the back or rib is visible. The rest is thrown into the Ganges.

At any time of the day or night, hundreds of half-decomposed corpses float along the river, which are gnawed by the mysterious suis fish - translated from Sanskrit, the word means "one to whom death is brought as a gift."

Scientists believe that suis means freshwater Gangetic dolphins, but the Hindus shake their heads at this heresy in sacred awe. In Varanasi, any boatman will tell how, in front of his eyes, the suis dragged into the water living people who bathe in the Ganges. Is a dolphin capable of this?

Organizing a suis fishing expedition is officially prohibited by the Government of India. The mystery will remain unsolved as long as Hinduism continues to exist.

Brilliant end

Dead Americans are made into jewels

Since 2004, the American company LifeGem has been turning the dead into diamonds. gemstone a quarter carat of the cremated remains of a loved one will cost $2,200. The certificate of authenticity of the diamond from the European Gemological Laboratory is attached.

By the way, almost a hundred diamonds can be made from one human body. From a dog or cat - a dozen.

And laughter and sin

Chinese people banned from showing striptease at funerals

In rural areas of China, they strive to attract the maximum number of people to the funeral. It is believed that this can greatly enhance the quality of the afterlife of the deceased. For the sake of the bright future of the deceased, his relatives go to numerous tricks. For example, strippers are invited to perform at the coffin.

The custom became so widespread that it attracted the attention of the authorities. Officials at the highest level decided how to regulate the burial ceremony, and decided to eradicate bone dancing as soon as possible.

reference

According to the classification of the French ethnographer Jacques Montadona, all methods of burial known in history can be divided into eight main types:

1. Throwing out;

2. Water burial;

3. Air burial (as in Tibet);

4. Burying;

5. Cremation;

6. Mummification;

7. Dissection;

8. Cannibalism.

By the way

Until recently, there was a ban on cremation in Greece. It was believed that this was contrary to Orthodoxy. When the parliament allowed the burning of the dead, the Holy Synod of Hellas Orthodox Church in response, he forbade the cremated to be buried.

The main type of traditional burial practice in Tibet is the so-called "heavenly burial". The ritual of a "heavenly" funeral involves feeding the body of the deceased to vultures. Tibetan Buddhists believe in reincarnation, so they make offerings to birds in the hope that the deceased person will receive good life in a new reincarnation. For people with strong nerves!

Sky burial is the Tibetan word for "jha-tor", which means "giving alms to the birds." According to Tibetan beliefs, the soul leaves the body at the time of death, and a person at all stages of life should try to be useful, so the dead body is fed to birds as the last act of charity.

When a Tibetan dies, his body is placed in a sitting position for 24 hours. At this time, the lama reads prayers from the Tibetan Book of the Dead. The prayers are meant to help the soul move through the 49 levels of the bardo, the state between death and rebirth. 3 days after death, a close friend of the deceased delivers the body to the burial place.

The "City of Prayer Flags" is a site created for burial in the vicinity of Chalan Monastery. Dari County, Qinghai Province, Gologo-Tibet Autonomous Prefecture, November 5, 2007.

In Tibet, there are about 1,100 sites for the rite of heavenly burial. The largest one is at Drigung Til Monastery.

First, the body is brought to the valley.

Unpack

Tie and cut

Relatives of the deceased pray during the burial ceremony in the "City of Prayer Flags", on the site created for burial in the vicinity of the Chalan Monastery (Chalang)

The vultures are already waiting

The people who perform the ritual are called rogyapas.

The "gravedigger" sharpens a knife before the burial ceremony in the "City of Prayer Flags".

Rogyapa first makes many incisions on the body of the deceased and succumbs to his birds - the vultures do the bulk of the work, eating all the flesh.

They are waiting for the birds to enjoy their food.

Rogyapa praying during the burial ceremony

And again fed to the birds. It is also possible to burn the remains.

The body is destroyed without a trace, in Tibetan Buddhism it is believed that in this way it is easier for the soul to leave the body in order to find a new one.

Tibetans believe that everyone at least once in their life should see the rite of heavenly burial in order to realize, to feel all the transience and ephemeral nature of life.

May 18th, 2017

Here comes the night. There are few people in LiveJournal and most likely they are mostly with strong nerves. Let me show you the TIN! Although it is tin for us, but for other nations it is quite a natural and long tradition.

First, I will show you the official artistic vision of this ritual, and then there will be an ordinary everyday reportage - here is the real tin.

So I warned you, think about whether to go under the cut ...