Tribasia Blog

Being out on the streets of a European city at predawn can feel spooky or at best weird. In northern Thai cities, as in many other parts of South-East Asia, it is, on the contrary, a soothing experience.
Monks in saffron robes wander the streets barefoot, in search of alms, only breaking the morning silence with grateful chanting to their charitable donors. Markets are already bustling with traders. Older people deprived of sleep enjoy the fresher air for a walkabout.
When the sun finally rose on the city in which we had just arrived on an overnight bus from Chiang Mai, we felt re-energized.

We have since been enjoying the beautiful landscapes of northeastern Thailand and trying to grasp its complex ethnic blend, with its many former or actual refugees from Myanmar and, to a lesser extent, Southern China. The Karen minority was at the centre of a human rights uproar many years ago as there again, many Karens were parked in 'villages' for tours to come and visit them, along the Thai buffer zone with Myanmar.

We discussed with a young White Karen woman who has been living in the Thai buffer zone - a refugee area sheltering at least 20,000 Burmese. She mentioned that she had applied for asylum in the U.S. but as in many others in her situation, she has had to wait and hope that her case would be heard. In the meantime, she was earning some money by selling refreshments and handicrafts.

We felt very free on that occasion. Sometimes we tend to forget how much freedom is precious. :))

Labels: Chiang mai, Karen, monks, Norheastern Thailand

The Lama and a fellow monk sat on a mat laid on the grass in the mountains. A small wooden pole had been planted in the ground a few metres ahead of them. There was also a transparent bag containing a white cloth wrapped around a mysterious load. Dozens of vultures were standing behind, keen spectators of a show in which they would act a tragic part.
We were witnessing the Sky Burial of a 15-year-old Tibetan boy who had succumbed to a heart disease.
The ceremony consisted in three parts.
The Lama and the monk chanted prayers for a while. Then, the Lama reassured the spirit of the deceased that his family and beloved were fine and that he could go. Through chanting, he showed him the way to the other world. With an exclamatory 'Oo', the Lama finally released the spirit from the body. Once the spirit had been liberated from its human incarnation, the Lama and monk stopped the chanting and left the scene.

The Tomden-a monk- who until then was standing on the side, came closer to the plastic bag with a large sharpened knife. It ripped it open to reveal the body of the dead boy. What follows is not for the faint-hearted.
The body was then laid face down on the ground. A rope was tied on one side around the neck of the deceased and on the other around the wooden pole. The knife sliced through the flesh to expose the inner parts of the body. The vultures, now numbering over 30, got closer to the body. They were only kept at bay by three men who helped with the proceedings (the close family of the deceased does not take part in the Sky Burial). The flesh from the whole body, including that from the head and feet, was soon sliced open.

The monk then paced a few yards away from the body. The vultures were now free to act their role. They pounced on the dead flesh. They fought for parts. A few minutes later, the monk came back to pound the reminder of the flesh and bones with a mixture of barley flour, and rosemary and fed it to the vultures. The body was now a skeleton with rare bits of flesh.

From a practical point of view, the Sky Burial is a way for Tibetans to rid of a body, which once the spirit has left it is considered useless, by using nature, i.e. without having to resort to wood fire (which is rare and destroys nature) or digging holes (in the winter, the land is deeply frozen).

We left the scene, slightly shocked but also humbled by this experience. Although this was a gruesome display, it was also a show of Nature's force, a reminder that in spite of our airs of grandeur and superior minds, we, humans, are just bones and flesh.

Labels: lama, monks, Sichuan, sky burial, Tibetan, vultures