Meaning found in the sky burials
An exert from the book of living and dying;
"For Tibetan people, karma has a really vivid and practical meaning in their everyday lives. They live out the principle of karma, in the knowledge of its truth, and this is the basis of Buddhist ethics. They understand it to be a natural and just process. So karma inspires in them a sense of personal responsibility in whatever they do."
The ritual places emphasis on buddhism's interconnectedness of human beings with the environment. The sky burial is viewed as one final act of giving as this donation of human flesh to the vultures saves the lives of small animals that the vultures would have eaten as their next meal. An example of this is Sakyamuni, a Buddhas, who demonstrated this virtue. To save a pigeon, he once fed a hawk with his own flesh.
This ritual gives the person's body meaning; a source of sustenance for vultures and preserves the lives of other animals that would have become the vulture's next meal. It is considered an act of generosity on the part of the deceased, since the deceased and his/her surviving relatives are providing food to sustain living beings. It is the last act of giving for the person who has eaten flesh themselves their whole lives
At a sky burial, it is viewed as disrespectful if lamas or visitors cry as death is not perceived as something that should be feared or sad over. It is this burial that further reiterates that death is not the end, but is a serious journey for the Tibetan Budhhist soul. Hence, this belief gives their own lives meaning and purpose; to enact good deeds and virtues towards others with the intentions to help them. The good karma they evoke will determine better rebirths and eventual enlightenment to nirvana.
This ritual gives the person's body meaning; a source of sustenance for vultures and preserves the lives of other animals that would have become the vulture's next meal. It is considered an act of generosity on the part of the deceased, since the deceased and his/her surviving relatives are providing food to sustain living beings. It is the last act of giving for the person who has eaten flesh themselves their whole lives
At a sky burial, it is viewed as disrespectful if lamas or visitors cry as death is not perceived as something that should be feared or sad over. It is this burial that further reiterates that death is not the end, but is a serious journey for the Tibetan Budhhist soul. Hence, this belief gives their own lives meaning and purpose; to enact good deeds and virtues towards others with the intentions to help them. The good karma they evoke will determine better rebirths and eventual enlightenment to nirvana.