[link= http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2019107,00.html ]http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2019107,00.html[/link]
i heard about this yesterday from a client actually... we discuss all sorts... anyway, it did make me wonder why? afterall, i would have thought, hindus/ sikhs, perhaps more than others, believe that the soul leaves the physical body on death, so why would the disposal of the body have any affect on the soul?
so, when the soul then goes to meet those for discussion on its karmic return, is its fate also decided upon how the last funeral went?
seems like the ashes play an important role... what happens to them in india?
p.s. i wont post a link to another... very narrow minded forum! :eek:good grief!
RE: Hindus and Sikhs call for the right to open-air cremations
Personally I haven't a clue about this, and it would take a real and genuine Hindu to shed enlightenment for us(sorry for the pun!). It certainly would be novel if bodies were burned by the side of the Thames, as by the Ganges!
V
RE: Hindus and Sikhs call for the right to open-air cremations
[link= http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/features/death/ ]http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/features/death/[/link]
i am doing a bit of looking (seeing as its snowing and cold out and i dont want to be there!) and so far i found this. its a bbc site though, so i dont know about its authenticity.
what came across as surprising though, is that the actual burning of the body (or fire element) is integral for the soul to carry on "leaving"...
and that the ashes are then scattered on the ganges (preferrably). the other articale indicated that it was important for the ashes not to intermingable with others (as what does happen in cremations)... but surely, scattering on the ganges, you're going to be intermingling with all sorts!
and no... i think the tyne is a chosen site.... not sure why!!
RE: Hindus and Sikhs call for the right to open-air cremations
This is not Hinduism but related to Theosophy and such, Rosie. So I really can't say what Hindus think.
But from Theosophy it is a very down to earth (erk is that another pun?) and practical activity. The concept is, which I agree with, is that we all have an "etheric body". This is like the astral body but much nearer to the physical. In fact it consists of physical particles in what physicists call plasma. So the concept is that this body, just beyond the physical, and just invisible, takes about 3 days to detach from the dead corpse. And it aids the departed person if the physical is cremated rather than buried, for if it is buried it is still a problem that draws the "soul" back to this world and it's harder to detach. So the idea is that cremation is certainly the best way to go - but to wait a couple of days (you might put the body on ice) until the etheric and all other parts of self have truly detached from the physical form.
That's my own faith system, but again, how Hindus think exactly I must leave to them to say. But it may be similar.
V
RE: Hindus and Sikhs call for the right to open-air cremations
Interesting point Rosie, I've already decided to be cremated when I go and ashes thrown in the sea. Can't see the point of taking up valuable space on earth. So it will be interesting to see what you uncover with your question. As an aside, Native Americans had their sacred places for burial yet when experiencing a past life the soul was not interested at all in the body. At the time I asked the therapist if this was usual and she stated that she had experienced the same in every native american past life; as soon as they had died the soul had no further interest and what was done to the body for any reason. So as usual it probably comes down to man and man's personal beliefs about what happens to the soul on the point of death.
Each to their own, also burning the body was part of many cultures including the Nordics it begs the question whether they thought by burning the body it might actually burn away some dross from the soul and aid purification starting the next life with less dross to carry?
Divine Love