| "body"> | | | | He learned the techniques from his uncle and was |
| Cremation of Ones Remains is Not an Appealing | | | | engaged in the profession for about 10 years. He |
| Topic, But it's an Important One, Both Financially And | | | | usually dealt with one to 20 bodies a day. "I could only |
| From a Family Standpoint. A Little Knowledge Will go a | | | | rest for one day every month, the 19th day each |
| Long Way to Help You And Your Family Members to | | | | month in the Tibetan calendar. And I usually spent the |
| Understand What Everyone's Preferences Are. | | | | day reading sutras and praying for the dead." |
| Today, about a quarter of all deaths in the United | | | | According to a Tibetan Buddhist sutra, the divine in |
| States are followed by cremation. A new national | | | | heaven get together on the 19th day every month and |
| survey indicates forty six percent of Americans plan | | | | the mundane are not allowed to kill or let the divine |
| to choose cremation, up fifteen percent from 1990. In | | | | smell blood. |
| some states, the choice of cremation is rising very | | | | The unique rituals are accepted by the central and |
| rapidly. | | | | regional governments. The regional government bans |
| About thirty percent of those choosing cremation state | | | | uninvited outsiders from participating in the rituals and |
| that they do it to save money; fourteen percent | | | | photography is forbidden. These measures are for |
| because it is simpler, less emotional, and more | | | | showing traditional respect to the rituals and the dead. |
| convenient; about the same percentage state that | | | | "Tibetans may choose cremation, but sky burial is still |
| they want to save land. One benefit is that one's | | | | widespread in Tibet", said Cedain Lhunzhub, head of |
| remains may be scattered in a place or places that | | | | the Xishan Crematory in Tibet. A young Tibetan in his |
| have special meaning, the ocean, mountains, or a | | | | 20s, stated: "In fact, burials are not that important after |
| memorial garden, among others. | | | | human beings' death, and we Tibetans prefer sky |
| A little over half of the respondents choosing | | | | burial because it contains Tibetans' compassion and |
| cremation in the survey stated that they would most | | | | belief. I would certainly choose sky burial after my |
| likely purchase a cremation urn. | | | | death, though I am not a Buddhist believer," |
| · About forty percent would chose scattering | | | | Although cremation is slowly making inroads, the |
| of the remains. | | | | Tibetans still carry on ancient rituals like sky burials, |
| · About twenty five percent would place the | | | | displaying a timeless adherence to the old ways of life |
| remains in a cemetery (sixteen percent to bury), (eight | | | | and death, unaffected by the changes that are rapidly |
| percent to a columbarium), (and one percent to a | | | | affecting the rest of China. It is unknown how the |
| church columbarium). | | | | Chinese view cremation among the Tibetans. |
| · Ten percent stated that they would take the | | | | We may not be ready in Western culture to do some |
| inurned remains home. | | | | of the environmentally friendly things mentioned above |
| · Fourteen percent were undecided. | | | | as an alternative to burial and cremation, but some |
| With cremation, an expensive casket is not necessary. | | | | people in Sweden have come up with a high-tech |
| A simple wood or even cardboard will serve quite well | | | | alternative. |
| it will be quickly reduced to ashes anyway. Some | | | | An Environmentally Friendly Alternative to Cremation-A |
| states allow for no cremation casket at all. | | | | New Swedish Cryogenic Technique |
| Almost ninety percent of all who choose cremation | | | | Promessa Organic AB, a Swedish company, located in |
| say they would like some kind of a ceremony. A | | | | Jonkoping, a town of 120,000, lies in a religious area of |
| casket can often be rented if a funeral service is | | | | protestant Sweden. |
| desired prior to cremation, and the remains stored in a | | | | Promessa has developed a technique they call |
| Cremation Urn (our business here at Signature | | | | "Promession". Promessa expects their ecological |
| Cremation Urns), or a service may be held with the | | | | process will be used to largely replace cremation in |
| Cremation Urn containing the remains. | | | | Sweden and many parts of Europe. |
| A 2004 poll for the National Funeral Directors | | | | The technique was conceived by a Swedish biologist, |
| Association found 62 percent of U.S. adults want | | | | Susanne Wiigh-Masak. |
| personalization at their funerals. The most popular | | | | "Nature's original plan was that we fall down |
| forms cited in the survey included friends relating | | | | somewhere in a field and become soil." |
| stories (50 percent), playing favorite music (47 percent) | | | | "Since then we have made it really complicated." |
| and displaying photos and personal items (42 percent). | | | | Susanne Wiigh-Maesak |
| Common misperceptions: one cannot have a funeral | | | | Simply, Promession is a cryogenic technique where the |
| and then be cremated; their religion does not allow | | | | deceased is not embalmed but is flash frozen to minus |
| cremation (for example the Catholic Church has | | | | 64 Fahrenheit by conventional refrigeration, and then |
| allowed cremation since 1965). Some Fundamentalist | | | | super cooled to minus 385 Fahrenheit by dipping in |
| Christian, Orthodox, and Islamic faiths do not allow | | | | liquid nitrogen. This is very similar to "freeze drying", |
| cremation. | | | | used in many commercial applications. |
| In other parts of the world, space and ecological | | | | The frozen, brittle remains are then lightly vibrated at a |
| considerations have made changes to our normally | | | | closely controlled frequency and amplitude, |
| accepted practices for burial and cremation of | | | | transforming them into an odorless, hygienic organic |
| remains. | | | | powder, which is then introduced into a vacuum |
| A cemetery in Victoria state in Australia has begun an | | | | chamber where the water; of which seventy percent |
| innovative way to bury the dead in an environmental | | | | of the human body is composed, is evaporated away. |
| friendly and inexpensive way; an alternative to | | | | The dry powder is then processed to remove any |
| cremation. This is "standing room only" for those who | | | | metal parts or residue (including mercury, more below), |
| choose to be buried in this unique cemetery. | | | | and it can be sterilized and disinfected. |
| The deceased are placed in biodegradable body bags | | | | The Promessa plan reduces human remains to about |
| instead of the normal caskets, and buried vertically on | | | | 40-70 pounds of an organic powder. It should be noted |
| land that is used for animal grazing. According to the | | | | that conventional cremation reduces the remains to a |
| cemetery company the concept is to return to the | | | | fine ash, weighting much less. |
| earth with a minimum of fess and with nothing that | | | | Promessa's plan includes placing the powder in a |
| would affect the environment. Once the land has | | | | starch coffin, which is buried in a very shallow grave. |
| stabilized, animals, both domestic and wild would be | | | | The starch coffin degrades in six to twelve months |
| allowed to graze on it. | | | | allowing the powdered remains to be absorbed by the |
| In Singapore land is so scarce burial space is recycled | | | | soil. A tree, plant or shrub may be planted on the |
| so the remains of the dead may be cremated and | | | | grave, their roots absorbing the nutrients from the |
| moved to create more room for the living. The | | | | remains. |
| remains of some 18,000 people at the only cemetery | | | | Promessa claims their environmental process does not |
| open for burial are being exhumed. | | | | cause any impact on the environment, and should |
| The remains are cremated, placed in cremation urns, | | | | eliminate restrictions. |
| and placed in niches in a vault or columbarium. In 2006 | | | | This should make it possible to locate gravesites freely |
| another 18,000 remains will be exhumed and cremated. | | | | in places where it is not currently legal or practicable to |
| The law in Singapore limits the burial period for the | | | | do so; on ones property, or family property, or other |
| deceased to fifteen years; the result of an | | | | places with emotional ties to the deceased and family. |
| environmental program that authorities say will keep | | | | It will also make it possible for family and friends to visit |
| the cemetery open for at least sixty more years. | | | | gravesites at their convenience. |
| In Korea Cremation as an alternative to direct burial | | | | Churches in Sweden have backed the plan, describing |
| has increased to almost fifty percent. According to the | | | | the issues as ethically similar to those addressed when |
| JoongAng Daily an old law in Korea regarding funerals | | | | approving cremation about 100 years. |
| was changed in 2001, establishing a 60 year limit for | | | | The ashes remaining from conventional cremation are |
| burial, after which the remains are to be exhumed and | | | | often scattered by families per the deceased's wishes. |
| cremated. Many remains are now being scattered, and | | | | Scattering of cremation ashes from human remains |
| usage of cremation urns is increasing. | | | | are often bound by state and local regulations. |
| Since that time, due to the scarcity of land, and the | | | | Many European countries consider mercury as a highly |
| high costs of burial in Korea, cremation has increased | | | | toxic heavy metal that has been linked to damage to |
| to 47 percent in 2004. Burials average 7000 USD in | | | | the brain and nervous system, and are actively |
| Korea, while cremation is about a third of that. | | | | legislating to eliminate mercury and other heavy metal |
| With 60 percent of the deaths in Seoul being | | | | emissions into the atmosphere. |
| cremated, there is a scarcity of crematoriums to | | | | The previously mentioned city in southern Sweden, |
| perform cremations. This has literally resulted in | | | | Jonkiping, will convert its crematorium into a |
| crematoriums turning people away, and it is not unusual | | | | "promatorium" next year. The city's decision to do this |
| to see lines of family members waiting before daylight | | | | was driven by new strict environmental laws, |
| for the crematorium to open. | | | | restricting or eliminating mercury and other toxic |
| When a location for a new crematorium is found in | | | | emissions resulting from the cremation of dental |
| Seoul, the local residents protest, saying pollution and a | | | | amalgam fillings. |
| drop in property values will result-the "NIMBY" | | | | The alternative was to add an expensive gas |
| statement. There are cases now being taken to the | | | | scrubbing system and furnace at its fifty year old |
| Korean Supreme Court by angered residents. | | | | cremation facility. |
| Cremation In Tibet "Sky Burial", the traditional burial in | | | | In England, the Department for Environment, Food and |
| Tibet, has been done for several thousand years. | | | | Rural Affairs (Defra) has advised all cremation |
| According to the Tibetan Academy of Social | | | | authorities and companies in the UK they have until the |
| Sciences, 80 per cent of Tibetans have traditionally | | | | end of 2005 to consider their options for a fifty |
| chosen this method of burial but cremation is slowly | | | | percent reduction in the emissions of mercury by 2012. |
| becoming more accepted. | | | | It is estimated that crematoriums release up to sixteen |
| Sky burial is one of the three principal ways through | | | | percent of the UK's total mercury emissions. As |
| which the Tibetans traditionally return their dead to the | | | | cremations account for about 70 per cent of the |
| earth. The two others are cremation and water burial. | | | | 650,000 funerals in Britain every year, the negative |
| Though the central government built a modern | | | | environmental effect of mercury emissions from |
| crematory in Tibet on Oct 17, 2000, very few Tibetans | | | | cremations has become a cause for concern. |
| choose cremation. The first Tibetan cremation was | | | | Officials in some of the local community's (councils) |
| carried out on Jan 2, 2001. | | | | environmental health departments have stated: "More |
| Cremation is not currently popular among Tibetans due | | | | and more people are dying with their own teeth, and |
| to thousands of years of tradition. Wood is so scarce | | | | mercury emissions released in cremations are set to |
| in the mountainous areas of Tibet that in the past | | | | increase by sixty five per cent by 2020 unless action |
| burning a corpse was reserved for people of stature. | | | | is taken." |
| Sky Burial involves an ancient ritual done by special | | | | Several Councils are looking to install special equipment |
| Tibetans, called sky burial operators. There are about | | | | in their local crematoriums to absorb the mercury |
| 1100 sky burial sites and about 100 of the special sky | | | | emissions resulting from the cremating of mercury |
| burial operators. Traditionally, the deceased are | | | | amalgam dental fillings. |
| specially dissected and left at the sky burial site for | | | | One council has established a task group to investigate |
| vultures, which are worshiped by the locals as sacred. | | | | the long-term benefits of Promession with a view to |
| Sky burial is closely related with Buddhism worshipped | | | | phasing out cremations as early as 2007. |
| in the Himalayan region. Buddhists believe life recycles | | | | Other countries, including New Zealand are carefully |
| and advocate kindness and charity. The spirit of the | | | | studying the Promessa's process as an alternative to |
| dead is believed to leave the body the moment he | | | | cremation. |
| dies and the dead should be fed to hungry vultures as | | | | NASA Is Considering Promessa's suggested cryogenic |
| a last token of charity. | | | | method to be able to return the remains of deceased |
| The largest sky burial site at Drigung Til Monastery | | | | astronauts on board their interstellar spacecraft. Danish |
| receives about 10 bodies on an average every day. | | | | engineers commissioned by NASA for project "Body |
| The rituals carried out at the 900-year-old monastery | | | | Back" have studied various methods for handling |
| are regarded auspicious. The 65-year-old Celha | | | | deceased astronauts in space. In their report to NASA |
| Qoisang formally chief sky burial operator at Drigung | | | | they suggest Promession as the best method |
| Til Monastery stated:" I used to get totally exhausted | | | | available to return Astronauts remains from extended |
| every day, but I am willing to live like this because sky | | | | space travel. |
| burial is an important part in Tibetan life". | | | | |