Sky Burial is got to be one of the strangest burial practices that is practiced by one of the most spiritual colonies on earth. In the land of Tibet, the geography is rocky and barren, forcing the population to dispose of their dead by other means. Since they cannot dig the ground or burn much wood, they must hack up their dead and leave them in a high place to be eaten by vultures. The vultures are of a large breed and also have many within a flock so the job is done quickly. Since the Tibetan people are so healthy because they live mostly off the land, the toxicity level of their bodies is very low which in turn causes no ill effect on the vultures. The family of the deceased can choose to watch or not, which in turn would be a strange funeral, but a very memorable imprint of the life, death, life cycle.
There is a similar ritual that is practiced in some parts of India known as Dakhma or Towers of Silence which are large circular stone columns where the dead are laid out on top for the same reason. To be returned to the earth by birds of prey. I will continue that story at a later date when I get more facts straight about the practice. I know that the Tibetan monks study a book called The Book of the Dead, or Bardo Thodol, is read aloud by the monks in order to help the decease’s journey to the other side. There seems to be many levels of consciousness that must be faced and many untold truths and demons revealed. This could take several days or sometimes weeks before the deceased is ready for the sky burial. Some monks are known as the body hackers and their job is to hack up the body so the scent of blood and decay reaches the flocks of vultures. Once the vultures arrive, the funeral can proceed. As strange as this ritual can seem, it also has a very natural out come, but limited as to where it can be practiced.
