Abstract
This paper investigates the death ritual of sky burials in Tibetan Buddhism and the reason this ritual is practiced. There are contrasting justifications of the practice that span from religious significance to practical rationales. I argue sky burials are performed out of religious custom and that they are not practiced due to the environmental barriers present in the Tibetan plateau, as some scholars believe. This paper explains how Tibetan Buddhists perceive death, the various elements of the sky burial ritual and how it is performed, and lastly the varied interpretations of justifications for the ritual.
Subject
Religions; Religions -- Philosophy; Religions -- History
Journal
Relics, Remnants, and Religion: an Undergraduate Journal in Religious Studies
Publication Date
5-17-2019
Language
English
Publication Place
Tacoma, Washington
Publisher
The University of Puget Sound
Type
article
Recommended Citation
Shank, Catherine H.
(2019)
"Sky Burials: Ecological Necessity or Religious Custom?,"
Relics, Remnants, and Religion: An Undergraduate Journal in Religious Studies: Vol. 4:
Iss.
1, Article 7.
Available at:
https://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/relics/vol4/iss1/7