The five different funeral ceremonies of Tibetan (be careful in the photos)

The majority of Tibetans are Buddhist. In the Tibetan Buddhism’s creed: life is a cycle; death is another part of life and a new existence. They believe people have an afterlife and it is a reflection of this life. Thus, the funeral ceremony is an essential part of Tibetan’s life. There are five major funeral ceremonies in Tibet while they match different decedents.

1. Stupa burial
The stupa burial is the highest standard funeral ceremony in Tibet, which is a special funeral ceremony only for the Tulku. Tibetan Buddhists think some lamas (Tibetan monk) are emanations of Buddha; they called them Tulku. Tulku have a hierarchical structure, the highest class of Tulku is Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama. When the Tulku passes away, other lamas will clean their body and put the corpse in to a stupa. The Tulku is enshrined in the stupa in a temple. The stupa burial is also has hierarchical. Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama can have a golden stupa, and other Tulkus only can have silver, wood or mud stupas. 

2.Cremation
Cremation is also a high standard funeral ceremony. It also for some highly respected lamas or Tulkus. When these lamas pass away, people will pour butter on the firewood to burn the corpse. Then they scatter the remains in to the river.

3.Sky burial

Sky burial is a major funeral ceremony for Tibetans, it also called bird-scattered. Tibetans believe in the transmigration of spirits; so there is no need preserve the body, it is just an empty vessel. They let the birds eat their corpses and think in that way they can give their body to nature. When a Tibetan dies, his family will invite a person called “Dead people carrier”, this person will carry the dead body to the top of the hill at morning. The sky burial will be processed on a large flat rock of that hill, while the vultures are already circling there. A rogyapas (“body-breakers”) will disassemble the body; he will separate the meat and bone. He will also cut the meat into pieces and crash the bones to ashes. The meat will feed the vultures and the ashes will be mixed with tsampa (barley flour with tea and yak butter) and feed the wild dogs. During the whole ceremony monks will chant mantra around the body. If the body was eaten clean, that reflects the dead man was a respected and kind man when he was alive; but if the vultures don’t eat the body, that reflects the dead man was a bad man when he was alive. In that situation, the family member will beg monks to continue to chant mantra until the body is eaten clean.

Here is some photos I got from internet:

The body breakers are crashing the bone    

                               
                                                            A vulture is eating a head

4. Water burial

The water burial is another major funeral ceremony in Tibet. It is for some poor Tibetans who cannot afford a sky burial and invite the monks or the orphan, infant, and the old people with no family members. When those Tibetans pass away, people will carry them to the riverside. Then dismember the corpse, put it in a white bag cloth and add some rocks. They will tie the bag and throw it into the river.

5.Burial

The burial is the lowest funeral ceremony for Tibetans. This kind of funeral ceremony is only for the extremely evil person such as robber, murderer or someone who dies from infectious diseases such as leprosy or smallpox. The burial has two meanings for Tibetans: to stop the infections of disease and punish the criminal to let them go to hell and have no chance for transmigration. In this situation, burial in Tibet is totally different. People will dig a deep and slender hole. The decedents are carried head over heels then put into that hole.

Tibetans also have other kinds of funeral ceremonies, but they are dying off. These five funeral ceremonies are very important in Tibetan’ life and also an indispensable part of Tibet’s special culture.