Chapter 17 Section 9 Examples of Coexistence of Multiple Burial Styles

The Moinba people have various burial methods such as burial, cremation, celestial burial, and water burial, and there are differences in different regions.In the Medog area, burial is the main method. After death, the corpse should be bundled into a fetal shape, and placed indoors for two or three days, and a spiritual seat is set up for sacrifices. The sacrifices include human and animal models made of flour, as well as clothes, utensils, and food. Chanting scriptures and choosing the right time for the funeral.At that time, the human and animal models will be thrown outside, and small stones will be thrown at the three-way intersection during the funeral. These are all to drive away wild ghosts and open the way for the dead.During the burial, a circular deep pit was dug, and the corpse was squatted in the pit.The clothes used by the deceased and his favorite objects, such as men's bows and arrows, smoking utensils, and women's textile utensils, were buried together.After the burial, the roof is covered with soil, and there is no grave on the tomb.Those who died of infectious diseases were buried in water.

The Moinba people in the Menyu area mainly practice cremation, sky burial and water burial.Cremation and celestial burials are mainly carried out by lamas and wealthy households, while ordinary people perform water burials.The burial of the dead suffering from infectious diseases is very different from that in the Medog area.Babies die early, and there are special burial methods. Some use wooden barrels to put dry sand, and the corpses are embalmed with salt water and placed in barrels. Some are placed under the rocky cliffs of high mountains; others are placed in extra-large gourds and buried under houses. After burial, the soil is compacted without leaving marks.

The Mongolians also have various burial customs such as sky burial, cremation, and burial, but the specific conditions are different. The Mongolian sky burial, or should be called wild burial, is an ancient burial custom in pastoral areas. "Mencius Teng Wengong 1" said: "In the last life, there were some people who did not bury their relatives. If their relatives died, they would be entrusted to the ravine. In the future, they will be eaten by foxes, and gnats [ruirui] will eat them." 〔zuo〕zhi. Its 颡〔sang声〕has 泚〔ci〕, just ignore it." In fact, this kind of burial custom was common in early humans.Only in the Mongolian people in the Daxing'anling area, this custom has been inherited to the present, and it has given the meaning of Lamaism's sky burial. The body of the deceased, and then according to the divination of the Lama, put the body in a specific position and chant sutras for salvation.After a day, there are two ways to deal with the body.One is to move the corpse in the wilderness, put a small pillow under the head, hold the Lama scriptures in hand, cover the corpse with a white cloth, press stones on the four corners, and let the wolves chew.A few days later, the family members went to see it. If the body was intact, it was regarded as auspicious, and the lama was asked to pray. After the body was eaten up by birds and beasts, the family members considered that they had fulfilled their obligations to the deceased, thinking that the deceased had entered the "land of ultimate bliss".

Another type of burial is to put the body on the back of an ox cart or a camel or horse, and let it run in the uneven wilderness. The place where the body falls is the burial ground, and the body is not buried. circle it.Going to see it every few days, as long as it is eaten up by birds and beasts, it will be auspicious, and most of them invite relatives and friends to celebrate.If the corpse is still there, in addition to asking the lama to recite scriptures to repent for the deceased, he also smears the corpse with butter, hoping to be devoured by wild animals as soon as possible.The meaning of celestial burial, according to legend, is to eat meat during life and return the meat to animals after death.

Cremation is mainly the burial custom of rich and powerful people such as princes, nobles, and great lamas.For poor herdsmen, cremation is a special burial for those who suffer from tuberculosis or die after childbirth. After the death of the rich and honored, they are wrapped in white silk and asked lamas to chant scriptures.Usually five days later, relatives and friends gather together, and together with their children and grandchildren, they put the corpse on the car and send it to the wilderness for people to take care of it.About half a month later, the deceased's favorite things, together with the buttered body, were thrown into a fire with dry wood and burned, and then the family members picked up the ashes.There are many ways to place the ashes: one is to put them in earthen pots, and then bury them on their own cemetery; some wrap the ashes with red cloth, put them in the incense burner of the temple, and ask lamas to recite scriptures, praying that the dead will go to heaven soon. .Some, with the permission of the great lama, knead the ashes and wheat flour into a human shape to show that the deceased has become a Buddha. They can be stored in the pagoda of the lamasery, or even sent to the spiritual realm of Mount Wutai for burial.In doing so, the family members have to give the lama a lot of donations as rewards.

As for the cremation of poor herdsmen who died of tuberculosis or dystocia, it was much simpler.As soon as a person dies, he immediately moves out of the yurt, and then pours bowls of milk in all directions, and burns cow and sheep dung to smoke the yurt, which means to send the "God of Plague".If the body is burned in a barren mountain or deep valley, it is considered lucky if the ashes are scattered in the wind. Burial is mostly the burial custom of the wealthy in rural areas.After a person dies, he changes his clothes, moves the corpse to a wooden board, and covers his face with a khata. During the coffin, relatives and friends gather together, each paying a little money, and put them in the coffin. Food and milk were also placed in the coffin.Encoffining is at dusk, and the number of days of chanting depends on the financial situation of the bereaved family.During the funeral, the eldest son of the deceased carries the big head of the coffin, while the other descendants carry the small head, and the coffin is moved and placed in the coffin cover of the hearse to the cemetery.The order of the funeral procession is: the eldest grandson carries a long branch called "Spirit-inducing Tree" in front, with paper banners with scriptures written on it, followed by drummers, with the hearse in the middle, and the funeral cars of relatives and friends at the back.Once at the cemetery, carefully place the coffin into the grave.Family members and friends walked around the tomb three times while crying, and scattered soil in the tomb.After burying it with soil, a tower-shaped tomb was built with bricks and stones, several feet high to Zhang Xu, and a soul-inducing tree was inserted on the tomb to commemorate it.