Isn’t burning the dead body through cremation highly disrespectful as compared to the dignified burial of the body?

The body is adequately respected during the cremation ceremony when it is properly anointed and sanctified according to the Vedic tradition before being placed on the funeral pyre. Respect is shown in different ways according to different traditions, with varying degrees of importance placed on specific rituals and objects.

To our vision, lowering a body into a grave may seem more dignified than burning it. However, after the body is lowered, the grave is covered with dirt, which could be seen as throwing dirt on the body or its casket. If we were to apply the standards of respect that we have for the living to the dead, then no tradition’s rituals could be deemed fully respectful.

In the Vedic tradition, death itself is understood to be the ultimate disrespecter of our material conceptions of respect. While disrespect among the living usually means withholding or taking away honor, death takes away everything we hold dear. Hence, it is fallacious to apply the standards of respect meant for the living to the dead.

Respect in the Vedic tradition

In the Vedic worldview, the body is considered a valuable, though temporary, gift given to us by divine arrangement through material nature. The body, received from the mother’s womb (representing mother nature), is returned to nature through the sacred fire. Cremation is not a mere burning of the body as might be done with trash, but a sacred act involving a sanctified fire.

Traditionally, the rituals associated with cremation include the invocation of a sacred fire with appropriate mantras and the performance of specific rites. In the Vedic tradition, fire is viewed as a deity that serves as a link between humanity and the divine. Just as sacred offerings are given to the fire during sacrifices, the body is similarly offered to the sanctified flames as a final offering.

Respecting the soul

The primary focus of respect in the Vedic tradition is not the perishable body, which is peripheral to the person’s true essence—the soul.

From a philosophical perspective, traditions that view the body as having an integral relationship with the soul—such as the belief that it will be resurrected in a future life or in the afterlife—are often more concerned with being especially respectful to the body. However, even the most respectful burial cannot preserve the body, which will soon decompose and be destroyed, even if kept in the costliest and safest of grave caskets.

In the Vedic tradition, it is understood that the body has no intrinsic or enduring relationship with the soul. This is illustrated through the metaphor of the body being like clothes worn by the soul, the person within (Bhagavad Gita 2.22). Given that the body is superficial to the soul and is only circumstantially acquired and temporarily occupied, respecting the soul is considered far more important than respecting the body.

The soul is given a dignified send-off through prayers and mantra chanting, which assist it in continuing its journey of spiritual evolution. This process also provides emotional closure for the soul, helping it move on without lingering attachments to its previous body. The ritual emphasizes the soul’s importance over the body, aligning with the Vedic understanding of life and death.

Summary:

  • Respect is shown differently across traditions, with diverse priorities for what is deemed worthy of respect.
  • While burial may seem more dignified, the Vedic tradition views cremation, with proper rituals and sanctification, as deeply respectful.
  • The focus of respect in the Vedic tradition is on the eternal soul, not the temporary body, ensuring a sanctified send-off for its spiritual journey.

Think it over:

  • Have you observed how different traditions offer respect through significantly different rituals?
  • How does death itself serve as the ultimate disrespecter in human life?
  • How does the Vedic cremation ceremony prioritize respect for the soul over the body?

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02.22 As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.