 Rotem Eldar - R Eldar | All Comments |
Comments | |
| 20th March 2007 Terry Chou | Nice article - From: Still trying to get to Tibet, China you're so funny,especially the last paragraph |
| 16th March 2007 lottae | ahhhhh - From: Tibetan sky burial in China wowo coollll |
| 12th March 2007 andreas | beijing at night.... - From: Farewell Mongolia, Welcome back to China what do you think? Beijing awakens at 6 am, not earlier. Taking a Taxi at 3 am costs you a fortune, or you have to walk on your own.... |
| 21st February 2007 Silk | Great Resource - From: Tibetan sky burial in China I'm a Sociology student at a small American university, and I've been researching burial practices for a few years now. This page and your photographs are a treasure trove of primary research, you really should write up your experiences and publish what you saw for the benefit of the academic community. I've had a very difficult time in the past finding legitimate research materials on Sky Burial specifically, and excarnation in general. Sources like your experience are invaluable to social research. Thanks for sharing. |
| 16th February 2007 matthew merrington | great blog - From: Everest Base Camp and beyond, Tibet i really feel like i can do this now. EBC IV here i come |
| 7th February 2007 Nathan Gray | First Pass Under Heaven - From: Where the wall hits the ocean, China For a great travel book on China read First Pass Under Heaven published by Penguin and available on Amazon in ten countries. It's the leading authority at the moment on the Great Wall and is a best seller. Click onto: www.greatwalldvd.com if interested. |
| 2nd February 2007 Greg | Not really so wierd - From: Tibetan sky burial in China If you put this into a cultural and religious context this custom is really not so strange after all. Buddhists believe that all life is connected, and death is just another step on the circular wheel of life. I see this as a beautiful and symbolic practice. It seems much more in tune with nature and "reality" than some of our Western funeral customs. |
| 31st January 2007 anonymous | - From: Tibetan sky burial in China Can you show us some photograps of your dead mother, please? |
| 28th January 2007 farah | great photos! - From: A backpacker's paradise in China (Cont.) just wanted to say these are some great photos you took. i'm studying public health in china and the photos of the wet market, dentist's office and tobacco sale are very interesting. good stuff! |
| 21st January 2007 Kunal | Thx - From: The kora of Mt. Kailash, Tibet Though dude I live in India and am closer to Tibet than you are ur Blog provided a lot of important information for a school presentation I had to submit thx a lot |
| 20th January 2007 anonymous | Thank you - From: Tibetan sky burial in China I feel that you told the story respectfully, and that the photos were not "over the top" in any way. If people hear about some type of tradition or ceremony, and it is shrouded in secrecy and spoken of in whispers, and shielded from view....that is what creates misunderstandings and stigma...you've helped us to understand this ritual.... we will probably never have the opportunity to travel and see these things; it's great that there are people willing to share... especially since you were invited to join the family and were allowed to take photos.... may this person rest in peace. I was moved by this story....thank you. |
| 12th January 2007 Paul | nothing wrong here - From: Tibetan sky burial in China Photos are fine. If you guys don't like them, close your browser. Geez. |
| 8th January 2007 polo liu | about your frustrating things - From: Xi'an, China ok. in china there are many frustrating things,but you know i am chinese and i was born in xi'an and live in xi'an now. every frustrating things is from population of china.chinese people do work that they don't really like to do,but if we don't .we will not have money to buy food for ourselves.so the harder we do ,the more we will be given tasks,the less we get salary,boss would regard one person as 8 persons(i mean boss will give us most tasks which will reach your limit).so you could n't know this backgroud . |
| 1st January 2007 Judy Whitehead | I've been there, too - From: A taste of Tibet in Xiahe, China Your pictures are wonderful and esxactly as I remembered them in Xiahe two years ago. The place mesmerized me. I was traveling with 10 friends from Atlanta, Ga - following the old Silk Road from Xian to Kashgar, with a detour to Xiahe. I remember the bus ride as being very bumpy and long, but with amazing scenery. I would love to return - thanks for the memories. |
| 30th November 2006 Norman K. | Every culture's ritual should be respected - From: Tibetan sky burial in China Every culture has a different and unique way of taking care of their diseased. I do not think this is brutal or barbaric. If you come to think about it, people from Tibet are living in some of the harshiest environment in our planet. From a religious standpoint, they believe the soul will leave the body after 3 days, and therefore sky burial is actually one of the most environmentally friendly way of disposing the dead body once the 3-day ritual is observed by the family. (With no chopping down of trees to make coffin, no wasteful occupation of land to bury the carcase, remember, farmable land is extremely precious on the roof of the world). Indeed, from their cultural perspective, this is done with the utmost respect by offering it back to mother nature. One other side note, the immediate family members are not supposed to observe the ritual, only close relatives of the family. For all those people who are igornant about many aspects of the Tibetan culture, let's stop labelling their deeds as burtal or uncivilized ! |
| 24th November 2006 Shines | Thanks - From: Tibetan sky burial in China I have mixed emotions concerning the photos. From perspective of a Native Rights activist, my first reaction was to be repulsed by the idea of having someone's body and funeral being published online. All too often I have to write a letter or sign a petition asking for someone's bones or belongings back from a private collector or a museum. It is a matter of honoring the deceased- our ancestors, and their wishes. I know I don't want my ass dug up and displayed, especially without my family’s consent. However, from an Anthropology student's view, the family did allow the photos to be taken. Whether or not they knew they'd be displayed for all to see, is another matter. But I must thank the photographer, I was able to use this page in a term paper for my anthropology class concerning death and burials. I must urge everyone, however, to use their best judgment when sharing people's ways and beliefs. Sometimes it isn't yours to share. I'm not in the position to say this instance is wrong or right, but I will ask everyone to keep it in mind. Peace, Shines through the Clouds |
| 21st November 2006 R Eldar | I would love to hear your thoughts - From: Tibetan sky burial in China The sites that are monitored for cameras are "touristic" sites. It is monitores mainly by the Chinese government, and not by the Tibetans themselves. If you read my text you could see that the people agreed to photos. I think that hiding this amazing thing IS the source of the fog and the stigma. If you know more about this ritual I would appreciate if you post it here, rather than just saying that we don't know enough about it. Thanks, R. |
| 9th November 2006 anonymous | - From: Tibetan sky burial in China you shouldn't have taken pictures of this. i am an anthropologist who studies sky burials, and your disrespect for the privacy and sanctity of this amazing ritual is infuriating. most sky burial sites explicitly check to make sure that tourists are not taking photos. you must have either been doing this secretly or simply took advantage of a site that was not monitoring your use of a camera. for you to sensationalize this practice on the worldwideweb only contributes to the fog of stigma and misunderstanding regarding the practice of sky burials that many westerners have. i'm really unhappy to have come upon this site. and hope that you ultimately take down these pictures and have a little respect for the culture that you invaded. |
| 31st October 2006 tinlay | Sky burrial - From: Tibetan sky burial in China Good job by all 4 creating awareness and knowledge but all must move on from the dead body to more facts about lives and future about Tibet. Lithang is a tibetan name and by including into a chinese province doesn't become chinese. If u agree with me, go to youtube and search for Tibet, u get complete story of Tibet and in videoes.llly watch the series of THE CRY OF SNOW LION. reply tinlay@rediffmail.com |
| 16th October 2006 qiong | give it all back - From: Tibetan sky burial in China also, when you've taken so much during your life, it's righteous to give your most valued possesion back to the nature, right? |
| 11th October 2006 Hoankiem - Vietnam | Perfect! - From: The kora of Mt. Kailash, Tibet Thanks for a great trip! |
| 11th October 2006 James Bard | Why not? - From: Tibetan sky burial in China These people let him take photographs after inviting him to watch. No money changed hands, and he treated them with respect (and admittedly some shock and curiosity). The ceremony sounds strange and profound to me, a welcome change from the far more disrespectul pageantry of western funerals. Maybe I'll do a sky-burial when I go...and if my family lets someone take pictures I'll roll my eyes at some sod bitching about it afterwards. |
| 25th September 2006 Jeff Sulwer | Been to Xian May 2005 - From: Xi'an, China I got a chance to stay at the home of my wifes parents for a week in Xian and have to say it was an adventure. Loud speakers wake you up in the morning playing the National Song, some local information was brodcast and peope gathering to exercise together in the open parks. men played cards on the corner of their tenamants late into the night. Enjoyed seeing your pictures brought back memories. |
| 8th September 2006 Nell | To paint - From: Khovsgul Lake, Mongolia Iam so gonna paint some of these pictures, thanks for shareing. |
| 4th September 2006 Catherine | giving back to nature - From: Tibetan sky burial in China I am not sure if you understand the reason for what they did but if you believe in reincarnation then it should be easy for your mind to understand the why behind what they did We come into this life and borrow from nature the cells we need to live in this body and we must give them back at the end of this experience so that they are there to use the next time around Burrying and decomposition is the same thing the difference is it takes longer and the bugs and parasites do what the vultures did only it takes much longer This way the cells needed to come back are put back into nature faster so you can return faster Not complicated or gross just a fact |
| 23rd August 2006 Paul Downie | Inspired - From: Tidrum Nunnery, Tibet Am heading up there with my girlfriend in the next couple of weeks and am overjoyed to read and see what you have done. I believe that we can stay at the Nunnery so we'll see. You've motivated me to forward some further notes post experiances Thank you |
| 4th August 2006 Li | LoL dude that was a sleece.. - From: The real face of China i'm chinese so i know what happened: they are just too poor and corrupt, both economically and spiritually, so they sleeced your money. That was uh not racist, but they know you are white and their empiricist experiences told them that white people are rich, and it was all about the money. well i'm not saying you don't have money, but know a bunch of white people love to explore the genuine culture, i guess, the obsolete one, the ancient yet original one. But well hold your horses, this is an educational experience i have to say, it is not the real face, everything is just multitudinal, congratulations on discovering the other side of china :) hit on some big cities, it is different but amazing as well |
| 24th July 2006 Olver West | Why? - From: Tibetan sky burial in China Why must people do what they are asked not to do/ If photos are not to be taken then why do people take them? Written accounts should serve to provide a record. |
| 13th July 2006 Dorje | Sky Burial - From: Tibetan sky burial in China I am a tibetan living in toronto, Canada. I have also read & heard about the sky burial. But I have never seen one. We, tibetans believe that everything is Impermanence and even during ones death; if one could be of some help to any other living being, it would add good karma. Lord Buddha once saw a hungry tigeress with few of her cubs and he cut his own flesh & offered it to them. There is a place in Nepal where it happened. It's a pilgrimage site. I have been there few times. Hope this explains a bit on our culture and tradition. Best regards...Dorje |
| 5th July 2006 My Name | to Kimball O'Hara - From: Tibetan sky burial in China This man is not an anthropologist he was simply an observer. He wanted to document something strange and wonderful. This was done with full knowledge and approval by the family and the priests. The story is also written in a manner that respects these people and their ritual. So you Kimball O'Hara are the one who can piss off. 3 words: Freedom Of Expression |
| 3rd July 2006 yaron and hagit | local patriot - From: Going to see Mt. Everest, Tibet just realized your patriotism at Cho Oyu :) |
| 24th June 2006 André | Sky Burial Location - From: Tibetan sky burial in China Hi, I have read your article, and found it quite interesting and informative. In late 2004 I visited the sky burial site outside of Langsmusi, right on the border between Gansu and Sichuan, and it was certainly a very special and fascinating place. Personally, I did not find it morbid at all, although I didn't actually witness the event of a sky burial - instead I saw the remains of many people who had been 'buried' there. I will be going to Litang at the begining of August 2006 for the horse racing festival, and I would very much like to visit the sky burial site that you have written about. If you have any more information about how to get there, I would be most grateful. You can write to me at the following address: andre.holdrinet@gmail.com Cheers, André |
| 13th June 2006 yaron | way to go! - From: Longji Titian rice terraces, China nice thing makeing it again to the front page with these photos! good for you! |
| 12th June 2006 shantanu gogate | cool stuff ! - From: Everest Base Camp and beyond, Tibet hey. i just came back from doing the same thing (trek to EBC from Tingri and then beyond BC up to CIII. the aim was to hit ABC and then come back to CIII same day, but had to turn around before ABC because of lack of time. these are great pictures you have. that minefield of seracs on the climb up is mindblowing, isnt it ? i stumbled upon your posts when i googled for ice serac :) |
| 8th June 2006 Lita | Tibet and the Chinese - From: The kora of Mt. Kailash, Tibet Yes I agree that the Chinese are determined to destroy the Tibetan people and their culture and maybe, as all lovers of this wonderful land and its wonderful people, we should all try to do our best to make our Governments see this and to do something about it. The problem is that the British and US governments are turning a blind eye because business with the Chinese is good and in their books, MONEY IS ALL THAT MATTERS - FORGET THE PEOPLE AND THEIR CULTURES!!! God forbid the day the Chinese decide to rise up against them, not impossible!! |
| 8th June 2006 Lita | The Kora - Look at number of Wheels - From: Heading West, Tibet Hi I was in Tibet and I also did the kora just about a week or two after you. Which kora does this picture reprsent, is this the one in Shigatse? I did the exact kora, staying in the exact places as yourself but I didn't actually see this at Kailash, I did see something similar in Shigatse. I also see you managed to go down to Gauri Kund, wonderful!! Unfortunately, by the time I got over the pass, it was getting quite late, so we didn't dare risk going down and coming up again, not with the impending walk to the monastery!! I am hoping to go back in 2012, year of the horse which means I can do just one normal kora an then the inner one. I must do th einnner kora!! Isn't Tibet one of the world's true wonders? Sadly though, this is prpobably on e of the very few, if not the only place on earth where people are so contented, happy and sincere, but they Chinese are determined to ruin this awsone place and these wonderful people!! |
| 6th June 2006 R Eldar | Thanks! - From: The Silk Road, China Now everybody can know where to go near Turpan... And don't worry - the rest of my trip will be published very soon... R. |
| 5th June 2006 yaron and hagit | you promised - From: The Silk Road, China you promised no tourists in Toyuq (the village whos name you forgot) but the reality is that there are no WESTERN tourists. as allways there are a few Chinese ones :) other then that your blog is a perfect guidbook. too bad you did not record your travels in SEA as well |
| 18th May 2006 Ann Marie | great work - From: Tibetan sky burial in China I loved your photos. When Westerners say something is gross or shocking imagine what Tibetans think when they find out that we pay 6 grand for a casket and shoot embalming fluid into the body. They practice the circle of life and it is beautiful. As far as others who have commented to the photographer about invading their privacy well that is just cultural arrogance as well. To study and know another culture and to witness it opens the mind for peoples all over the world. Thank you for sharing so that I have a better understanding of and a greater appreciation for burial practices of those other than my Catholic upbringing. After all, it is from dust to dust that we all come and go. |
| 11th May 2006 zw | Can i use your article in my site ? - From: Beijing, China (Take II) http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/blog-17505.html www.beijingcover.com beijingcover@gmail.com |
| 24th April 2006 anonymous | Wow ! - From: Longji Titian rice terraces, China I never thought that there are also rice terraces in China. I thought they only existed in the Philippines. Great photography by the way ! |
| 24th April 2006 josworld | "Seven Years in Tibet" - From: Tibetan sky burial in China The first time I've seen Sky Burial was when I watched "Seven Years in Tibet". A very good film ! I was shocked too but then I understand the spiritual meaning behind the practice. I think it's far more spiritual & meaningful than a dead body being cut up in the name of science. |
| 19th April 2006 Redds | Xi'an - From: Xi'an, China I just got back from a trip to china and my new wife and I went to Xi'an it was a place I will revisit in the near future again..So many things to see and experiance there. I just watched the vendors on a few mornings and loved the place. The wife and I are planing to buy a home there for our trips. Wonderful place to visit. |
| 16th April 2006 anonymous | - From: Tibetan sky burial in China I had the honor of witnessing a full sky burial which included several bodies. I was a student at the time and was with a group of other students. We were all invited to witness this incredible ceremony. I was one of the only people who stayed for the whole experience. It has changed my life. It was very difficult coming home and trying to explain what I had seen to my family. I just had to give up because they could not understand that the whole ceremony was there to insure that the person returned to life in human form in there next life and what an honor it really was to be buried this way. It is good to hear that others have witnessed this experience as well at have taken it to heart instead of disgust. fellow learning traveler LF |
| 13th April 2006 Franco | - From: Farewell to The Silk Road, China Enjoyed your pictures and journals of China. |
| 10th April 2006 Eric Blair | Tibet - From: Tibetan sky burial in China I feel compelled to add that Tibet is no less part of China as Puerto Rico is for the US, Northern Ireland is for Great Britain, Basque is for Spain. Where are all the non-Westerners wearing Free Basque T-shirts, Free Northern Ireland T-shirts, Free Puerto Rico T-shirts? There are none, I dare say, maybe because non-Westerners are less presumptuous. One wonders if the animus towards China over its territorial rights over Tibet is just another remnant of Cold War political propaganda, and old fashioned Western Cultural snobbery disguised as liberal angst. By the way, I find the Sky-Burial photos tastefully done. |
| 5th April 2006 R Eldar | This is not in Tibet - From: Tibetan sky burial in China I am not going to argue about weather Tibet is a part of China or not. Either way, this event took place in Sichuan province of China, and not in Tibet itself. You can look at other entries I published later from Tibet itself, and I described the Chinese/Tibetan problem. I always referred to Tibet as Tibet and never as China, but I can tell you that every conflict has two sides, and both of them should be listened to, and it is really hard to judge without knowing the entire history of the area, which is always hard because each side tells it from its own point of view. Usually we tend to favor the weak which were occupied by the strong, and I can't tell you that I don't feel the same most of the time. But I am not going to judge either side because I just don't know enough about the conflict there. |
| 4th April 2006 B | By the way - From: Tibetan sky burial in China Thank you for sharing the sky burial. I think it is a great way of returning to the earth. IN the west, we are so afraid of returning to the earth that now in the US it is law to fill corpses with formaldehyde before burying them. By the way, Tibet is NOT China. |
| 2nd April 2006 John Shanahan | Well written and photographed visit to Mt. Kailash - From: The kora of Mt. Kailash, Tibet I forwarded your URL to friends so that they could get to know something about Mt Kailash and the Tibetan people. Your text is very well written and the pictures capture Mount Kailash, the Tibetan People and the beauty of the Tibetan Plateau all the way down to the mountains in India. My friends enjoyed your travel documentary and were amazed that there is a place like this, so different from American way of life. We must never forget that the Chinese government is doing everything possible to minimize and destroy the Tibetan culture, language and people. It is a reminder of governments who try to dominate other people all over the world. I walked across the Himalayas and then the kora around Mt Kailash in 1999 with two Swiss friends. It will remain a special memory over my lifetime. Thanks for a great travel diary. John Shanahan Denver, Colorado e-mail: acorncreekco1@yahoo.com website: www.independencepeaks.com |
| 31st March 2006 Rob, US | breathtaking, magnificent, and frightening - From: Tibetan sky burial in China When I first saw the pictures and read your comments I was taken back a little by the thought at first but after a few moments I saw beauty in the ritual. I wish you had been able to inform us more of how this burial fits into the culture of Tibet. I understand their is a language barrier and such, but I can see how some took this negatively. I think they were wrong to criticize you for not understanding the religious rites of the ceremony. This was a case of ignorance more than of distaste. This way of disposing of a human corpse is not, as some people think, a ritual to honour the birds of prey. The majority of Tibetans are Buddhists. Buddhism teaches rebirth. It teaches that the soul and spirit of each person just borrows the body, and they have no problem with birds of prey eating a corpse, as the soul does not really reside in it beyond death. Therefore the function of the sky burial is simply the disposal of the corpse. They do not bury the dead because the harsh Tibetan terrain makes the ground too hard to dig into, and with fuel and timber scarce, the sky burial is more practical. I understand this is a ritual that was adopted from ancient Iranians who migrated during the times of the Huns. I had heard of the ritual before, but did not know if was still practised and you should feel honored the family allowed you to partake. As for posting the pictures, I thank you for doing so. I will not judge you without any understanding of your intentions to do so. I see the eductional merits in publishing these pictures and to be honest I see nothing distasteful in the pictures. I think people are afraid of what they do not understand. The peoples of Tibet believe in a sort of circle of life. There are no traditional western burials in Tibet. There are three common burials - cremation, sky, and water. Creamations are reserved for those with stature because wood is scarce and the poor can not afford the wood. Water burials are similar to sky burials in that the bodys are cut up, but are fed to fish in a river or lake. There is nothing distasteful in these rituals, just a little frightening. Thank you for presenting this article and for teaching us all a little more about what we do not comprehend. We must all be more willing to accept what we don't understand. |
