“When my days are done, take me quietly to the mountain tops;
Gently lay this empty vessel among the highest peaks;
There, the birds can have my remains;
for I at last will be free.”
Sky burial was once a common Tibetan cultural practice wherein the physical earthly body of the deceased was placed on a mountain top, exposing it to the elements and animals–especially to birds of prey. Once laid to rest, the physical remains were eaten by birds and the rest were, over time, absorbed back into the earth. Because the majority of Tibetans adhere to Buddhism–and thus, the concept of rebirth–there is little spiritual necessity to preserve the body. Although not as common, sky burial is still practiced to this day.
In Tibetan culture, the practice of sky burial is known as “jhator,” which literally means, “giving alms to the birds.”
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