The press release Ian Paulsen shared with us about sky burials and condors
may indeed be bogus, but my husband found the following article about
actual "burial" practices in Tibet.

Rachel Lawson
RachelLawson at softhome.net
Seattle

>Witness to a Tibetan Sky-Burial
>
>A Field Report for the China Exploration and Research Society
>
>by Pamela Logan
>
>Drigung, Tibet; September 26, 1997
>
>On the steps in front of Drigung Monastery, a dozen monks chant. Before them
>on the courtyard flagstones lies a body, wrapped in white cloth, which was
>carried in on a stretcher an hour ago. The monks are praying for a spirit
>that was once present here, but now is emancipated from its former home. It
>is the third such visitor today, for Drigung Gonpa has a profitable but
>gruesome specialty: disposal of the dead.
>
>My team and I arrived here last night, after a long day's drive from Lhasa
>to Meldor Gungkar County in Central Tibet. Drigung monastery is on a steep
>hill, overlooking our camp. Above the religious complex is a site for "sky
>burial," a term meaning disposal of a corpse by allowing it to be devoured
>by birds. The birds, which are summoned by incense and revered by Tibetans,
>cast their droppings on the high peaks. Sky-burial is practiced all over the
>plateau, but Drigung is one of the three most famous and auspicious sites.
>
>After the chanting is over, we walk up a well-trodden path to a high ridge,
>keeping a respectful distance behind the funeral party, which has come all
>the way from Lhasa to discharge this final duty to their departed friend.
>The charnel ground, or durtro, consists of a large fenced meadow with a
>couple of temples and a large stone circle of stones at one end where the
>ceremony takes place. Prayer flags hang from numerous chortens, and scent of
>smoldering juniper purifies the air. Vultures circle overhead, and many more
>are clustered on the grass, a few meters from the funeral bier.
>
>Tibetans practice several forms of disposal of the dead, but sky burial is
>the most common method and indeed a very practical one in a land where fuel
>is scarce and the earth is often too hard to dig. For me, this is an
>extraordinary opportunity, for these days not one visitor in five hundred is
>privileged to witness the ceremony I'm about to see. But I am apprehensive,
>too, wondering how I will stomach the sight of death.
>
>Men in long white aprons come out, and unwrap the corpse, which is naked,
>stiff, and swollen. The men hold huge cleavers, which are in a few strokes
>whetted to razor sharpness on nearby rocks. The bright sun and clear blue
>sky diffuse somewhat my ominous feeling. The coroners themselves, are not
>heavy or ceremonial, but completely businesslike as they chat amongst
>themselves, and prepare to start.
>
>Tibetans believe that, more important than the body, is the spirit of the
>deceased. Following death, the body should not be touched for three days,
>except possibly at the crown of the head, through which the consciousness,
>or namshe, exits. Lamas guide the spirit in a series of prayers that last
>for seven weeks, as the person makes their way through the
>bardo--intermediate states that precede rebirth.
>
>As the first cut is made, the vultures crowd closer; but three men with long
>sticks wave them away. Within a few minutes the dead man's organs are
>removed and set aside for later, separate disposal. The vultures try to move
>in and are prevented by waving sticks and shouts. Then, the cutters give a
>signal and the men all simultaneously fall back. The flock rushes in,
>covering the body completely, their heads disappearing as they bend down to
>tear away bits of flesh. They are enormous birds, with wings spanning more
>than 2 meters, top-feathers of dirty white, and huge gray-brown backs. Their
>heads are virtually featherless, so as not to impede the bird when reaching
>into a body to feed.
>
>For thirteen minutes the vultures are in a feeding frenzy. The only sound is
>tearing flesh and chittering as they compete for the best bits. The birds
>are gradually sated, and some take to the air, their huge wings sounding
>like steam locomotives as they flap overhead. Now the men pull out what
>remains of the corpse--only a bloody skeleton--and shoo away the remaining
>birds. They take out huge mallets, and set to work pounding the bones. The
>men talk while they work, even laughing sometimes, for according to Tibetan
>belief the mortal remains are merely an empty vessel. The dead man's spirit
>is gone, its fate to be decided by karma accumulated through all past lives.
>
>The bones are soon reduced to splinters, mixed with barley flour and then
>thrown to crows and hawks, who have been waiting their turn. Remaining
>vultures grab slabs of softened gristle and greedily devour them. Half an
>hour later, the body has completely disappeared. The men leave also, their
>day's work finished. Soon, the hilltop is restored to serenity. I think of
>the man whose flesh is now soaring over the mountains, and decide that, if I
>happen to die on the high plateau, I wouldn't mind following him.
>
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Rachel Lawson [mailto:RachelLawson at softhome.net]
>Sent: Monday, September 29, 2003 4:28 PM
>To: Joseph.Brown at LifeSpanBioSciences.com
>Subject: Fwd: [TEXBIRDS] Is this for real?
>
>
> >
> >
> >Someone forwarded this to me and I wasn't able to find www.skyburials.com
> >online, but an interesting idea...
> >
> >Rob Fergus
> >Austin, TX
> >
> >
> >Donating your Body to...Condors?
> >
> >PHOENIX, Sept. 29--Wildlife lovers and birdwatchers may soon have an
> >alternative to costly funeral and burial services. If approved by state
>and
> >federal authorities, they may be able to donate their body to science...as
> >food for endangered condors.
> >
> >According to Barry Simmons, founder of Skyburials.com, "We wanted to find a
> >way for people to support endangered species protection even after they are
> >gone." Simmons plans to construct giant burial platforms in California,
> >Arizona, and Texas. Skyburials customers can then have their bodies placed
> >upon these platforms after they die.
> >
> >"Condors eat carrion," says Simmons, "and this is a great way for us to
>help
> >the condor recovery efforts." California Condors, once found across the
> >western United States, almost went extinct in the 1980s before a massive
> >recovery effort led to the capture of all wild birds and later release of
> >captive-bred young birds. In recent years, condors have been released in
> >California and the Grand Canyon of Arizona.
> >
> >Simmons thinks that people will flock to have their bodies placed on his
>150
> >foot high burial platforms. "Imagine the opportunity to have the Grand
> >Canyon as your final resting place. The view from the burial platforms
>will
> >be spectacular."
> >
> >Simmons is seeking approval for the construction of three platforms on the
> >north rim of the Grand Canyon, six platforms in canyons on National Forest
> >land in southern California, and two platforms in the Chisos Mountains of
> >Big Bend National Park in Texas. Though there aren't any condors in Texas,
> >Skyburial officials hope to convince the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to
> >release condors there to feed on their platforms in the future. In the
> >meantime, there are plenty of vultures in the park, and Skyburial.com hopes
> >to provide a service to Texans, many of whom would never consent to be
> >buried outside their home state.
> >
> >"Funeral costs are going through the roof," said Simmons. "This will be an
> >affordable way to take care of burial needs in our society."
> >
> >Though many scoff at Simmon's proposal, Skyburial.com is merely
>capitalizing
> >on an ancient Native American custom. According to James Crowdin,
>associate
> >professor of history at Northern Arizona State University, "Sky burials are
> >traditional among many Plains Indian tribes."
> >
> >Federal and state officials refused to comment on permits applications
>filed
> >this week by Skyburial.com, but at least one state biologist thought the
> >idea had merit. "Aesthetically and biologically, [sky burials] make a lot
> >more sense than filling your body full of toxic chemicals and sticking it
>in
> >the ground after you die," he said. "If this can help lower funeral prices
> >and save an endangered species, all the better."
> >
> >Simmons may face an uphill battle with his plans for human sky burials, but
> >Skyburial.com already offers pet sky burials at platforms in Phoenix,
> >Albuquerque, San Diego, and Los Angeles, with plans for an additional
> >platform and educational vulture viewing area in south Texas, where
> >thousands of vultures pass through during migration.
> >
> >_________________________________________________________________
> >Instant message with integrated webcam using MSN Messenger 6.0. Try it now
> >FREE! http://msnmessenger-download.com
> >
> >For answers to questions about this list, as well as current Texas
> >Birding Links, visit the Texbirds Reference Page at http://www.texbirds.org
> >
> >-- END OF FORWARDED MESSAGE --
> >
> >
> >--
> >Ian Paulsen
> >Bainbridge Island, WA USA
> >A.K.A.:Birdbooker
> >Rallidae all the way!