Burial in Tibet-major WTF

[Red Squirrel]

That's actually not a bad idea,and it feeds wildlife. I approve.

 

[l0cke]

I would prefer space, but this is cool.

 

[cyclohexane]

they've been doing it this way for thousands of years

 

[meltdown75]

i really didn't need to see that

 

[nakedfrog]

I would prefer space, but this is cool.

There's no birds in space, doofus.

 

[Hacp]

How is this in any way economical? The most economical way would be to use the body as food and nutrition.

 

[Turin39789]

There's no birds in space, doofus.

spacevultures activate!

 

[destrekor]

There's no birds in space, doofus.

true. But we don't have to waste any space.
If they get caught in the earth's gravity well, they just burn up on entry.

Hey, that'd be a neat way to go. Just store bodies in a large freezer until there are enough for a space cargo launch, take them to LEO, dump them, and tell the relatives of the bodies the day, date, and coordinates of said dump.

And do it at night.

Watch as your deceased loved ones enter the atmosphere, for the last time and most likely the first time, and watch them cremate themselves!

I'd sign my body up for that.

Hell, I'd sign my body up for vultures too. I really could not give a shit. Considering I'd be dead, how and or why would I possibly care?

Burying the dead just seems so... ridiculous and wrong. How the hell did we come up with that? Seriously.


What do the Brits do? They have a large population and relatively little land that isn't being used. Is cremation quite popular there?

 

[gigahertz20]

At least they are not wasting thousands of acres of land for cemeteries like we do. In my opinion, all dead bodies should be mandatory cremated. Just think how much land we are going to use up to bury dead people as the human race progresses on. I'm guessing sometime far in the future, cemeteries will no longer be used as they will consume to much land that could be used for something else.

 

[Babbles]

On one hand I really dig their funeral ritual. However on the other hand not growing up in the Tibetan culture I am not so sure if I am excited about the last image of my deceased loved ones is an image of their body being torn up by vultures.

 

[LittleNemoNES]

totally WTF
O_O

 

[Damn Dirty Ape]

http://mbvtravel.com/burials-in-tibet-not-for-sensitive-souls/

NSFW

Just when you think you've seen everything. Wow. I am curious how long did that whole picking clean thing take?

 

[Damn Dirty Ape]

On one hand I really dig their funeral ritual. However on the other hand not growing up in the Tibetan culture I am not so sure if I am excited about the last image of my deceased loved ones is an image of their body being torn up by vultures.

And then crapped out a few hours later.

 

[Schadenfroh]

This gets my WTF of the week and it is only Tuesday.

 

[nakedfrog]

At least they are not wasting thousands of acres of land for cemeteries like we do. In my opinion, all dead bodies should be mandatory cremated. Just think how much land we are going to use up to bury dead people as the human race progresses on. I'm guessing sometime far in the future, cemeteries will no longer be used as they will consume to much land that could be used for something else.

That would tend to trample on religious freedom, I think.

 

[Locut0s]

As others have said this is the traditional Tibetal method of "burying" the dead. I see no problem with it. In fact while I'm 100% atheist and so don't believe in any afterlife I can understand this idea on an emotional level, cycle of life returning to nature etc.., much better than our own western burial practices. It may look gruesome, and is, but there is something almost comforting about the idea that your body returns to nature, in a non spiritual sense.

 

[mmntech]

Might be gross but still better than worms eating your brains in a box in the ground.

 

[Locut0s]

Actually this relates directly to a study we're doing in my Environmental Monitoring and Analysis class. in the early 90's, those vultures numbered in the 10's of millions in south/south-east asia, and within a decade they've become an endangered species. It's become a huge problem for sanitation in india. read about it here if you're interested. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/vulture.html

Wow thanks for that. Fascinating read. Scary how interconnected nature is and how fragile the web of life is Here's hopping they manage to somehow bring back the vulture population!

 

[Schadenfroh]

n/m

 

[GasX]

Buzzards gotta eat, same as worms...

 

[waggy]

Hell, now they put the wood box in a cement box, which means that the corpse ends up liquefying and staying as a puddle.

actually they say that the bodies should mummify over time.

sems a waste of resources.

a few years ago one of the "educational" channels had a show about this. they would let the birds eat you. a few would be put in cliffs etc. it was kinda neat.

 

[Dumac]

Makes sense to me. I don't know what the OP is all upset about...

 

[coreyb]

I see nothing wrong with this. Seems a lot of other countries have a better relationship with death then us, I wish we did stuff like this. Nothing more depressing then a funeral where everyone gathers around the dead person who's all done up with make up and cries, so surreal.

 

[Wheezer]

Personally I think that is pretty cool.

The earth is for the living I think the idea of sticking a dead body in the ground is absurd. It is a waste of land that could be better used in other ways.

When someone goes in the ground relatives and loved ones make a pilgrimage to see the grave once twice a week, then to tapers to once a month, then once every three to six, then once a year, then once every 2-3 years then once every 5 or so...then nothing. Sure you know they are there and that idea is comforting because then they can go when they have the time but they never do, and so there is a box with a decomposing body in it taking up some prime real estate.

Fuck that, burn them up scatter the ashes or do like this guy did a feed the birds....at least something living is getting the benefit.

 

[alien42]

wonder if i could have my body cut in half so i can be fed to vultures and sharks.