Sky Burial: Why Some Tibetan Buddhists Offer the Body to the Birds

To many outsiders, sky burial sounds shocking. To the Tibetans who practice it, it is a sacred and compassionate act. This article explains what it is, why it exists, and how it is changing, in a way that respects the people who hold it dear.

What is a sky burial?

It is a funeral practice in which a body is placed on a mountaintop to be eaten by scavenging birds, especially vultures. The word “sky burial” is a Western term, according to a reference summary, and Tibetans do not use it. They call it jhator, which means “giving alms to the birds,” or “to carry to the mountain.” In Vajrayana Buddhist traditions, the places where bodies are prepared and offered are understood as charnel grounds.

Where is it practiced?

Mostly in Tibetan regions and the areas around them. The reference summary lists the Chinese regions of Tibet, Qinghai, Sichuan, and Inner Mongolia, as well as Mongolia, Bhutan, and parts of India such as Sikkim and Zanskar. A Chinese state-media report says sky burials have been practiced in the Tibet Autonomous Region for more than 1,000 years.

Why do Tibetan Buddhists do it?

For both spiritual and practical reasons. Most Tibetans and many Mongols follow Vajrayana Buddhism, which teaches the transmigration of spirits. A funeral-industry podcast explains that jhator symbolizes impermanence and generosity, since offering the body to living creatures is a final gift. The reference summary describes the aim as disposing of the remains “in as generous a way as possible.”

The practical reasons were just as real. In much of Tibet and Qinghai, the ground is too hard and rocky to dig a grave. Fuel and timber are scarce, so cremation was hard too. Atlas Obscura notes that most of Tibet lies above the tree line, so wood is difficult to find. For these reasons, sky burial was typically more practical than the traditional Buddhist practice of cremation.

Who performs it?

Specially trained people, often called burial masters. The Global Times report says that they carry the body to the mountaintop and prepare it for the birds. A 2018 figure from Tibet’s civil affairs department counted 1,093 burial masters in the region. At well-known sites such as Drigung Thil Monastery, the work is a full-time job usually done by monks. The ceremony is private and solemn. The same report says that regional regulations introduced in 2005 forbid photographing a sky burial.

Is there one standard Tibetan funeral?

No. A scholarly book on Tibetan funeral rites, drawing on travel accounts, anthropology, and Tibetan texts, finds that there is no standard form of funeral in Tibetan Buddhism, though certain elements are common. Practices differ by region and by family. Many Tibetans also choose cremation.

Is it changing?

Yes. The reference summary says cremation was once limited to high lamas and some other dignitaries, but modern technology and difficulties with sky burial have led to more commoners choosing cremation. Sky burial remains active in many Tibetan areas, and the Chinese government says it protects the practice.

Are there similar practices elsewhere?

Yes, though the reasons differ. Zoroastrians in parts of Iran and India traditionally placed the dead on stone structures called dakhmas, where scavenging birds ate the remains. Atlas Obscura explains that the Zoroastrians’ reasons were different: burying a body risks polluting water, and burning it risks polluting the air. For the wider Buddhist picture, see Buddhist Funeral Traditions and Buddhist Beliefs About the Days After Death. For options in the United States, where state law governs what can be done with remains, see Green and Natural Burial.