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Sky Burial in Tibet
  How it works
After death, the deceased will be left untouched for three days. Monks will
chant around the corpse. Before the day of sky burial, the corpse will be
cleaned and wrapped in white cloth. The corpse will be positioned in a fetal
position, the same position in which the person had been born. The ritual of sky
burial usually begins before dawn. Lamas lead a ritual procession to the charnel
ground, chanting to guide the soul. There are a few charnel grounds in Tibet.
They are usually located near monasteries. Few people would visit charnel
grounds except to witness sky burials. Few would want to visit these places.
After the chanting, the body breakers prepare the body for consumption by the
vultures. The body is unwrapped and the first cut is made on the back. Hatchets
and cleavers are used to quickly cut the body up, in a definite and precise way.
Flesh is cut into chunks of meat. The internal organs are cut into pieces. Bones
are smashed into splinters and then mixed with tsampa, roasted barley flour.
As the body breakers begin, juniper incense is burned to summon the vultures
for their tasks, to eat breakfast and to be Dakinis. During the process of
breaking up the body, those ugly and enormous birds circle overhead, awaiting
their feast. They are waved away by the funeral party, usually consisting of the
friends of the deceased, until the body breakers have completed their
task. After the body has been totally separated, the pulverized bone mixture is
scattered on the ground. The birds land and hop about, grabbing for food. To
assure ascent of the soul, the entire body of the deceased should be eaten.
After the bone mixture, the organs are served next, and then the flesh.
This mystical tradition arouses curiosity among those who are not Tibetan.
However, Tibetans strongly object to visits by the merely curious. Only the
funeral party will be present at the ritual. Photography is strictly forbidden.
Tibetans believe that photographing the ritual might negatively affect the
ascent of the soul.
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