Chapter 13 Sky burial: death is a happy thing

A new tourist came to the hotel, carrying a huge bag of professional photography equipment.When we saw him, we were eating noodles.He excitedly talked about the sky burial: "Langmusi is the only place where tourists are allowed to watch the sky burial. I don't know what a grand scene it is! Girls, are you interested in going to see it together?" Guan Yuan and I put down the bowls and chopsticks at the same time. It is estimated that the scene of vultures pecking at the corpse also appeared in her mind. The man in front of him looked really unflattering, his face was extremely vicissitudes, and his actual age could not be seen at all.At this time, someone greeted him at the door: "Ali, do you want to go out for a stroll?"

The man named Ali still looks like a human being, wearing jeans and a jacket, with handsome features, but not young.He didn't look back, instead he sat down on the seat opposite to us, and then said: "Come and rest for a while!" Ali's companion is Jin Yi, and the two are traveling together, Ali is in charge of photography, and Jin Yi is the driver. Both were in their thirties, but they were quite energetic. Because of Jin Yi's politeness, Guan Yuan and I finally talked to them and agreed to go to the sky burial together the next morning. As early as in the "Book of Changes", there have been records about celestial burials, but in different historical periods and in different regions, the forms are different.In Tibetan sky burials, vultures and eagles devour the body of the deceased.Because in Tibetan Buddhism, it is believed that there are eight sufferings in life, and death is not the end, but rebirth, that is, the good and bad results of this life will be transferred to the next life.Sky burial is the destruction of the body of the deceased so that the soul can ascend to heaven.

Sky burial has become one of the highlights of Langmusi.Birth, old age, sickness and death are normal phenomena in life, but the ancient folk legends cast a mysterious color on it, attracting more and more tourists. The locals had to build a barbed wire fence around the funeral platform to control the distance of tourists. According to the locals, sky burial is just a method of disposing of corpses, besides, there are burials in the ground and water.If someone in the family dies, they will ask the most famous person in the area to perform divination on the deceased to see which way can lead the deceased to heaven.Only when the great lama thinks that the deceased is suitable for sky burial will he escort the body to the burial altar in the early morning of the auspicious day.

Before dawn the next day, Ali and Jinyi were shouting outside the door.We washed hastily and followed them towards the northwest. The corpse was carried to the burial altar by the corpse-bearer. The corpse was curled up in a sitting position and wrapped in a white quilt. When we climbed the hillside, a small group of people had already formed a team and marched in the direction of the celestial burial platform.Ali chattered non-stop, and the people behind him were also whispering, many of them were more courageous.This feeling is very strange.I suddenly retreated a little bit, not knowing what my trip was for.

When you reach the place blocked by the barbed wire, you can no longer move forward.From afar, you can see prayer flags of various colors hanging all over the funeral altar, as well as pure white hada dancing in the wind, with a strong mysterious atmosphere. The funeral masters were a few villagers in ordinary Tibetan attire.It is said that the deceased will choose the executor himself, which is completely different from what I imagined.I thought they would ring the bell and chant mantras like a Taoist summons his soul.The so-called burial platform is also very simple, it is built with a few big stones.

The funeral master first burns incense to worship the gods, and then lights the mulberry smoke.Tibetan Buddhism believes that lighting the mulberry smoke is a respectful invitation to the dakini to the funeral altar, and the corpse is used as an offering to the gods.The vultures and eagles were attracted, and then the lama chanted sutras. After the chanting was over, the funeral master skillfully scratched the corpse with a sharp knife, and the surroundings suddenly became quiet.While they were working, they talked and laughed, cutting off something and throwing it out, and the hawks and vultures looted it.

According to Tibetan custom, it is the most auspicious that the dead body is completely pecked clean, which means that the dead have no sins and their souls can ascend to heaven safely.If there is no clean food, the remaining part must be incinerated, and the sutras should be chanted at the same time. Apparently, the funeral directors and the vultures are like friends, they are very close, but they are not afraid that the vultures will hurt themselves.Occasionally they raised their whips to drive away the hawks and vultures that were parked nearby.Their steps are relaxed, and their faces have devout smiles.

Everything that happened in front of my eyes was very quiet, unlike the funerals of the Han nationality, where people cried and cried more than anyone else.Here, it is more like a kind of prayer. Amidst the fluttering prayer flags and the sound of chanting sutras, we wish the dead to ascend to heaven and start a beautiful new life. Guan Yuan and I didn't finish watching, so we left first. Along the way, Vulture's indifferent eyes seemed to be still in front of him.I don't know, is there really such a thing as an afterlife?It's just that, with such beliefs, they obviously live much happier lives than us.

This is the last night we stayed in Langmusi, and we will move on when we get up again. In the evening, Ali invited us to drink.This person is really annoying, just force Jin Yi to drink, and try his best to persuade my Guan Yuan.Jin can't drink it, and neither can I. Guan Yuan couldn't stand it anymore, and picked up the bottle to fight him. When the wine was getting deep, Ali shouted "how many times in life can you get drunk", raised his glass to the ceiling, and poured down another bottle.Jin also started grabbing his wine bottle, his tone became severe.Then, like in an idol drama, tears seemed to glisten in the corners of Ali's eyes, obviously he was overwhelmed with alcohol, and Guan Yuan still didn't respond at this time.

When Ali collapsed completely, Jin Yi told us a story about life and death. It doesn't sound real, but looking at Ali's decadent appearance, he doesn't think it's fake. During his journey, he fell in love with a Tibetan girl.However, Ali's family background does not allow him to make a private life. No matter how he resists, he has not won the approval of his family.He promised the girl named Gesang that he would pick her up within a year, but the year passed quickly. Ali's father finally promised that as long as he started to take over the management of the family business and achieved results within half a year, he would You can go see that Tibetan girl.Ali then studied management seriously and started to manage his father's property, but it was several years later when he could go to see Gesang. When he stepped into the familiar room, there was only a black and white photo smiling at him.

Gesang's parents were still very grateful that Ali finally came.They said that they believed that their daughter Quanxia would die in peace if she knew about it.However, how could Ali bear the pain of losing his true love?He started a long and boundless journey, walking in Tibetan areas to shoot all the pictures about the funeral.He strikes up conversations with all the women he meets, pretending to be a dandy, thinking it will ease his grief. Guan Yuan and I opened our mouths in surprise, looked at Ali who had fallen asleep next to him, and couldn't believe that this annoying guy was actually an infatuated species.He seemed to be muttering something, Guan Yuan and I looked at each other for a while, then we clinked glasses tacitly. Farewell to yesterday, in order to muster the courage to face tomorrow!Just like this sky burial ceremony, as long as there is hope, death should also be a happy thing.