Mysterious Tibetan Funeral Customs

When talking about Tibetan funeral customs, sky burial would come into the mind for most people because sky burial is the most mysterious ritual for people outside Tibet. Most travelers are curious about the sky burial when travel to Tibet. In fact, other types of funeral ways are also practiced in Tibet, including inhumation, cremation, water burial, tree burial, stupa burial, cliff burial, stone coffin burial and multi-person burial, etc,.

 

Inhumation

 

Inhumation is the earliest funeral practice in Tibet. In ancient times, inhumation prevailed in remote areas of Tibet and took the ruling position during the Tubo Kingdom period. It had evolved to its peak and become the noblest funeral practice when the Tubo Kingdom was also in full flourish. Today, we can still find some magnificent royal tombs of Tibet Kings and royalties. If you are interesting in Tibetan inhumation, you can make a Tibet tour to Qonggyai County of Shannan Prefecture to visit the Tombs of Tibetan Kings.    

 

However with decline of the Tubo Kingdom, inhumation is gradually taken as a humble burial way mainly for dead of infectious disease or accident or for the outlanders, who are considered as impure and not qualified for celestial burial or water burial.  

 

Sky Burial

 

In Tibetan Buddhism, it is believed that sky burial or celestial burial represents their wishes to go to heaven. It is the most widespread way for commoners to deal with the dead in Tibet. If you make a Lhasa tour taking in Drigung Til Monastery, you will have a chance a see the sky burial site there.

 

When a Tibetan dies, the corpse is wrapped in white Tibetan cloth and placed in a corner of the house for three or five days, during which monks or lamas are asked to read the scripture aloud so that the souls can be released from purgatory.

 

The body is carried to the burial site on a lucky day. Meanwhile some cypress branches will be burned to make smoke to attract condors to eat the body. If the vultures come and eat the body, it means that the dead has no sin and that his/her soul has gone peacefully to the Paradise for Tibetans believe that the condors on the mountains around the celestial burial platform are "holy birds" and only eat the human body without attacking any small animals nearby. Any remains left by the holy birds must be collected up and burnt while the Lamas chant sutras to redeem the sins of the dead, because the remains would tie the spirits to this life.

 

Many tourists making a tour to Tibet may want to watch the process of a sky burial. But they are not allowed to do it because strangers are not allowed to attend the ceremony for Tibetans believe it will bring negative efforts to the ascending of the souls. So visitors should respect this custom and keep away from such occasions. But tourists can watch a sky burial at Langmusi on the border of Gansu and Sichuan if they make an Amdo Tibet Tour.

 

Water Burial

 

Water burial is considered as a derivative of the sky burial in Tibet. Its position is two-fold in different areas of Tibet. Celestial burial prevails in central Tibet and water burial is thus only for the poor people in this area.

 

On the other hand, in the marginal areas of Tibet, especially at the deep valleys in Southern Tibet where there are few vultures available, water burial becomes the main way for the local people. They do not think of it as being inferior to celestial burial, since both are for dedication to the deities, whether in the air or under water. Thus, people there do not eat fish. Do respect their custom when you do a Tibet tour to this area.

 

Stupa Burial

 

Stupa burial is the holiest funeral practice in Tibet. Only grand Living Buddhas and very few noblemen can be qualified. Stupa is a Tibetan Buddhist religious monument and a sacred burial site. It is reserved for Dalai Lama, Panchen Lama or the Living Buddha. When they pass away, their bodies will undergo antiseptic treatment, mummification or preservation, and then reside inside of the gold or silver stupa for worship. When you travel to Tibet, you will see many stupas in monasteries of Tibet.

 

Tree Burial

 

Tree burial prevails in Nyingchi Prefecture and is mainly practiced for aborted children. The process is to clean the body with salt solution, then place it into a wooden crate, cask or bamboo basket, and carry it to forested area north-facing on the mountain, and hang on a great tree, so the other children of the family will be free from being harmed again.

 

Cliff Burial

 

Cliff burial is mainly practiced in southern Tibet. When a person dies, the body will be coated with ghee or milk, and treated with salts and perfume, and then sealed in a small cube-shaped wooden crate. The burial site is usually selected in places far away from human habitation, especially in the cliffs standing aside of torrential river valleys. Making a Tibet trekking tour, you may get a chance to find a cliff burial site in remote areas off the main road.

 

The Tibetan funeral customs have been greatly influenced by Tibetan Buddhism, Bon Religion and the nonparallel natural and cultural environment.