Alex Wilding

The Buddhist view is rather different and suggests that the way we think about death, the way we react to it, our motivation and intention continue to operate and influence where we go next. Of course, the thoughts that we've habitually cultivated in this life will have a very strong effect, forming our mental states after we've left our bodies.

And there are many teachings and practices designed to help during that drastic phase. But as I like to emphasise, I'm not here to be your Buddhist teacher, but rather just to be a fellow traveller with a little bit of experience. So I shan't be looking at those things very much. When somebody close to us dies, it is, of course, a time of considerable sadness and grief.

And there are many teachings and practices designed to help during that drastic phase. But as I like to emphasise, I'm not here to be your Buddhist teacher, but rather just to be a fellow traveller with a little bit of experience. So I shan't be looking at those things very much. When somebody close to us dies, it is, of course, a time of considerable sadness and grief.

It's not my intention in this episode to touch on any of the themes that you might call grief-cancelling. I just want to look at some practical things that might make your dealings with this in the Tibetan Buddhist context go a bit more smoothly. You may, for example, hear of a practice known as Powa, meaning transference.

It's not my intention in this episode to touch on any of the themes that you might call grief-cancelling. I just want to look at some practical things that might make your dealings with this in the Tibetan Buddhist context go a bit more smoothly. You may, for example, hear of a practice known as Powa, meaning transference.

The term actually refers to all sorts of ways involving gentle and subtle meditations as much as forceful techniques for ejecting our consciousness out of the top of our head. Talking about any of these things would be above my pay grade.

The term actually refers to all sorts of ways involving gentle and subtle meditations as much as forceful techniques for ejecting our consciousness out of the top of our head. Talking about any of these things would be above my pay grade.

I had planned to do an episode related to death sometime in the future, but a near neighbour of mine died two days ago, and I went to the funeral yesterday, which brought the subject of death to mind. This neighbour was quite old, and had been experiencing heavy dementia for quite some time, but as the grandmother of the family, it was, of course, a sombre day.

I had planned to do an episode related to death sometime in the future, but a near neighbour of mine died two days ago, and I went to the funeral yesterday, which brought the subject of death to mind. This neighbour was quite old, and had been experiencing heavy dementia for quite some time, but as the grandmother of the family, it was, of course, a sombre day.

Not being a Christian myself, I didn't want to intrude by trying to get into the tiny church, but I did simply stand around amongst the quiet, small crowd outside. As we waited for the service to unfold, another neighbour, I'll call him Eddie, not related to me or to the Paride family, asked me what I, seeing as how I am a Buddhist, wanted done when it's my turn.

Not being a Christian myself, I didn't want to intrude by trying to get into the tiny church, but I did simply stand around amongst the quiet, small crowd outside. As we waited for the service to unfold, another neighbour, I'll call him Eddie, not related to me or to the Paride family, asked me what I, seeing as how I am a Buddhist, wanted done when it's my turn.

I laughed and told him that I didn't really care very much. Nobody's going to build a large white stupa up a nearby mountain and put my preserved remains in there, that's for sure. Eddie wondered whether I might want to be cremated. He had realised that cremation is quite common in India, but also that there are some religions that disapprove of it or actually forbid it.

I laughed and told him that I didn't really care very much. Nobody's going to build a large white stupa up a nearby mountain and put my preserved remains in there, that's for sure. Eddie wondered whether I might want to be cremated. He had realised that cremation is quite common in India, but also that there are some religions that disapprove of it or actually forbid it.

After all, it was a practice that only began to be carried out in the UK towards the end of the 19th century. The thing is that while some religions do indeed approve or disapprove of various ways of disposing of dead bodies, Buddhism is in fact not very interested in that question. Local customs and practices will often enough be the deciding factor. Cremation is popular.

After all, it was a practice that only began to be carried out in the UK towards the end of the 19th century. The thing is that while some religions do indeed approve or disapprove of various ways of disposing of dead bodies, Buddhism is in fact not very interested in that question. Local customs and practices will often enough be the deciding factor. Cremation is popular.

as the historical Buddha was cremated, and that set naturally something of an example, but it's not a requirement. As it happens, my own personal number one teacher, Ngadpa Kamalundup, quite frequently oversees funerals in Dharamsala where he lives. His father before him had been what I think is known as a funeral master.

as the historical Buddha was cremated, and that set naturally something of an example, but it's not a requirement. As it happens, my own personal number one teacher, Ngadpa Kamalundup, quite frequently oversees funerals in Dharamsala where he lives. His father before him had been what I think is known as a funeral master.

These cremations are accompanied by a variety of rites, particularly the recitation of sacred texts, and need someone skilled in those things to carry the ceremony out properly. Many of you are probably quite aware that a lot of things that make us feel uncomfortable are not hidden in the East in the way that they are in the modern world.

These cremations are accompanied by a variety of rites, particularly the recitation of sacred texts, and need someone skilled in those things to carry the ceremony out properly. Many of you are probably quite aware that a lot of things that make us feel uncomfortable are not hidden in the East in the way that they are in the modern world.

Sickness and death are quite simply out there on the street for all to see. Typically at such a cremation the body would indeed be wrapped up in a funeral shroud of some sort, but the observer can very easily see what it is and watch the process of it being consumed by the flames. Burning ghats, that's G-H-A-T-S, are to be found on the banks of important rivers in the Indian subcontinent.