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When it seems inhumane, why is it practiced?

I know Buddha didn't find.

Wikipedia document says:

Sky burial (Tibetan: བྱ་གཏོར་, Wylie: bya gtor, lit. "bird-scattered" is a funeral practice in. which a human corpse is placed on a. mountaintop to decompose while exposed to. the elements or to be eaten by scavenging. animals, especially carrion birds.

So are people still doing this kind of funeral practice? And what is meaning of it?

Though the body is decomposed and exposed to the elements, this isn't seem a respectful way to do.

ChrisW
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Swapnil
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1 Answers1

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Upasaka Swapnil, interested,

It's a still practiced way in the high cold mountains, with also practical aspects, since such as fire-wood for burning is raw and soil might be frozen. Next to that it serves good for Asubha-meditation for yogies and monks.

Nothing generally wrong with such and not inhuman but not beloved by those attached to body as the Self and Subha.

Good to watch for everyone to get more detached to rupa: Sky Burial: Tibetan Burial Ritual (video on YouTube)

(Note that it has not been given for trade, exchange, stacks or entertainment but to use it skillful as means out of this wheel)

ChrisW
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  • Thank you so much Bhante. I got that this is the way to restrain from desire. – Swapnil Jun 26 '19 at 06:45
  • And is it practiced only in vajrayana tradition? – Swapnil Jun 26 '19 at 06:46
  • The introduction to the video suggests there's another purpose/reason: Sky Burial follows the ritual of "jha-tor", the giving of alms to birds in a northern Tibetan monastery - where the bodies of the dead are offered to the vultures as a final act of kindness to living beings. – ChrisW Jun 26 '19 at 08:01
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    Yes, Upasaka Swapnil, although donating one body to monks was also usual in Theravada, for asubha meditation. –  Jun 26 '19 at 09:48
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    Nyom Chris, yes, that is the deaths and the relatives thought as a "final" giving of Dana. Such kind of value less abounding was usual in all traditions, mostly to what ever animals, worms... –  Jun 26 '19 at 09:49
  • Thanks a lot Bhante. Is it same as organ donation? So is it their own decision to offer own body to birds? – Swapnil Jun 27 '19 at 08:11
  • I must be thankful to my friend who has sent me a video of this ritual. So may he is thinking something weird is happening, had asked me if it is real. I will explain him what is it. Thank you so much again. – Swapnil Jun 27 '19 at 08:24
  • I was fortunate to have visited Lhasa last fall and discuss some with folks there. It is still very much practiced, although, like other similar religious practices, discouraged by the Chinese. I was told it is typically a unanimous family decision. – GVCOJims Jun 28 '19 at 13:56