RE: Hindus and Sikhs call for the right to open-air cremations
This is an interesting concept, rosie. I too would have thought that very little importance could attach to the dead body per se. After all, it is only the 'envelope' which contains the atman, or eternal soul. So what does it matter just what happens to the body after the soul has left. Mind you, as I mentioned in my email to you, the Buddhists believe that it takes four days for the soul to leave the body so they prefer not to bury the cadaver for that amount of time - which can lead to problems in a hot climate, as you can imagine!
My preference would be for burial in a cardboard box in the middle of a forest. I believe there's an organisation that organises ecologically correct burials. That'll do me. (As will any other kind of disposal - I'm not that fussy!)
Love
Sunanda xxx
RE: Hindus and Sikhs call for the right to open-air cremations
Hi Sunanda,
It isn't only Buddhists who like to keep a body for a few days before disposal. Christians do it as well, to give the soul time to leave the body.
I don't know anything about Hindu customs so cannot comment on this idea of open-air cremations, but I know that cremation in Britain has to be carried out according to the Cremation Act of 1888. This means that the body has to be consumed within a certain time limit, and must be completely reduced to ashes. I am not sure if an open fire would reach a high enough temperature to be able to cremate a body, especially in this climate, in order to comply with the law, and also, the open air cremation pyres might be an attraction to morbid 'sightseers', or might offend public decency. It is for these reasons that cremation is carried out in crematoria with equipment especially designed for the job, and away from prying eyes.
I want to be buried in a normal cemetery, but with a biodegradable coffin. No embalming, nothing - just allow the creatures whose job it is to take care of things like decomposition, to get on with their jobs in peace.
Love,
Patsy.
xxxxxx
RE: Hindus and Sikhs call for the right to open-air cremations
Hi Rosie,
Do we know why the river Tyne will be the chosen site? I live not too far from Newcastle and i really can't see that happening anytime soon.......too many people would object!
Kate
xxxxx
RE: Hindus and Sikhs call for the right to open-air cremations
Anybody watch Heaven & Earth on Sunday morning? There was a discussion about this last week. They had a panel of people who are for these open creamations and why. Can't realy recall all of it but part had to do with the ritual at the buriel fire - had to walk around it so many times and then throw something over your shoulder to litethe ....???wood - this was like a closing seromony for the family to say the soul has now departed and we continue life. This made a lot of sense to me.
One father who had lost his son was also very upset as it seems that when the body is cremated (in a crematorium) it is only done for a specific length of time - according to their beliefs it has to burn much longer (probably to do with the lower intensity of heat as mentioned above?) - he eventually managed to buy 2 slots in order to make the cremation longer but as there was such demand for the crematorium no amount of money could persuade them to do it for longer than that.
Sorry that I did not pay more attention while I was watching! Maybe we have somebody on the forums that can say more.