Celestial burial is worshipped in Tibet as the highest pursuit of life. Of three elements indispensable for celestial burial, celestial rock (also known as altar), cinereous vultures, and masters of celestial burial, celestial burial masters are the most mysteriously important.
Rituals
Upon invitation from relatives of the dead, the celestial burial master goes to investigate how the dead died. According to Tibetan customs, those who are cut to death, shot to death or die of poison or contagious diseases are not allowed to be celestially buried.
The celestial burial master cleans the body of the dead and ties it into the form of an embryo (with hands meeting in front of the chest and sitting on folded legs) to be placed on the celestial rock.
On the burial day, the master arrives at four in the morning, and draws two white flour lines outside the house of the dead, lines which are one meter apart. He carries the body on his back and walks in-between the lines. This means this would not disturb those alive.
The sun does not appear on the eastern horizon when the body is carried to the celestial burial ground. The master lights aromatic plants for smoke, smoke used as a signal to cinereous vultures, and cut the body into pieces. The master does not have the final say as to which celestial ground is used. It is entirely the choice of relatives of the dead. According to Tibetan customs, people of the same family should not use the same celestial burial ground when dead in 12 years.
If the celestial burial ground is in faraway place, the master has to carry the body to the site at one o'clock at night. The celestial burial ground is generally located on a mountain slope, and the master has to carry the body there without rest halfway. If the master has disciples, he can have one of them to carry body in his place.
As one dies of varied diseases, some celestial burial master would wear white uniform but very few of them wear gloves.
"The soul of the dead has just left its carrier and it watches while I work," celestial burial masters often say, adding that it is their duty to do a good job of their carriers so that their souls could leave in peace.
Professional and Amateur Masters
There are two kinds of people who work as professional celestial burial masters-monks and monks who, however, have resumed secular life.
Zhigung Celestial Burial Ground has masters who are monks with Zhigungti Monastery of the Garyu Sect. When one celestial burial master becomes old, the monastery will arrange two young men to learn skills indispensable for celestial burial rituals. Once one is designated to be a professional celestial burial master, he needs only to recite one sutra to redeem the sins of the dead, and will not be required to learn to recite other sutras and calendaring other monks have to learn. Most of the professional celestial burial masters are found mainly in Lhasa, Xigaze and Shannan.
In addition to Zhigungti Celestial Burial Ground with celestial burial masters designated by Zhigungti Monastery, other masters do the job for three reasons. The first is for a master to pass the job to his son.... The second is for the master to do the work to eke out a living. Gangzhub (87) from Meizhogkungka was born into a serf¡¯s family. His parents died when he was young. At 14 he became a celestial burial worker and had since been working in the field for 62 years. He retired when he was 76 years old. The third are monks who, however, have resumed secular life. Cewang (71) was tonsured to a monastery when he was 12 years old. He was sent to work in a hospital four years later. Unable to stand ill-treatment there, he fled but was soon brought back to the monastery that forced him to resume secular life. With wolf at the door, he became a celestial burial master.
Life of Masters
Raodain, a celestial burial master in Nyangrain Township of Lhasa, joined the PLA in the early 1960s. When he was demobilized later, he found his family was starving. His parents had died and his sisters and brothers needed to be fed. He had no way out but to work as a celestial burial master. Now he has two daughters who have all got married.
When he was 50 years old, he adopted a little girl who is three years now.
Raodain is a kind man ready to help the poor. When one woman died, Raodain helped her poverty-stricken husband with the burial work.
Raodain is not the only one of his kind. Many other celestial burial masters charge nothing from the poor. When beggars die, they often pay for their burial.
"We believe we would go to the paradise so long as we could do a good job," Gangzhub, a senior celestial burial master, said.
When compared with others, the celestial burial masters make more money. The family of the dead often has to give 300-3,000 Yuan to the master they invite to handle the celestial burial matters. A noted celestial burial master would make up to 30,000 Yuan a month.
However, many do not lead a happy life, largely because of low social status. In the eyes of many Tibetans, the celestial burial masters emerge from the dead and are filled with viruses and ghosts. Many try not to get close to them. As a result, many celestial burial masters have no friends.
Most of the celestial burial masters are alcoholic. Very often they are found to be on all fours. When they have quarrels with others, very few try to get reasons from them. This, however, does not mean respect for them!
Celestial burial masters often have to marry daughters of their counterparts or daughters of blacksmiths, butchers and jewelry makers who were also deemed mean people.
Others will not easily allow their sons to marry daughters of celestial burial masters.
In the Tibetan-inhabited areas, the customs are not for the celestial burial masters and their relatives to enjoy celestial burial. Legend has it that water burial prevails in a village in Nyimo. When asked why, the villagers often fly into a rage stating that if celestial burial is followed, vultures would not come.
"When one celestial burial master in the village died some 20 years ago, celestial burial ritual was followed for his body," they said.
"There were many vultures then. However, they never come right after that as the celestial burial ritual held by the daughter of that master offended vultures." As a matter of fact, when one dies, there should be people who help handle the dead. Celestial burial masters constitute an important part of the work. However, they feel sorry for the public view.
"We are also human beings," said Cewang, a celestial burial master.
"We need understanding and social respect ".
"In order to make friends, some of us have to 'buy' friend by offering them meat and wine. They have no savings and have to live on relief when old.
"We hope our children would not do the work when they grow up." According to old celestial burial masters, their fate in the pre-peaceful-liberation days was the worst.
"We had to bypass others when walking in the street," they said.
Following the peaceful liberation of Tibet, celestial burial work began to be put unified management by the local ethnic religious administration. In Lhasa, there are 12 licensed celestial burial masters who went to the Lhasa Ethnic Religious Administration for meeting on a regular basis. The Administration is charged of explaining State policies for freedom of religious belief to them and assisting them in solving difficulties in life.
 |
