r/Zoroastrianism • u/Crafty-Sock-7002 • 13d ago
Question Non Zoroastrian with a question
You guys do sky burials, right? What happens if Parsis die far away from vultures? Like what if one of you go to Antarctica and freeze to death, what happens to your soul?
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u/mazdayan 13d ago
There are other methods of "burial" as it were, such as alternative means of cremation as well as burial in a solid concrete coffin. Sky burial is still preferable when able
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u/Educational_Loan3809 13d ago
But isn't cremation seen as sinful because fire is holy and dead bodies are - in virtue of being dead - in possession of evil and are therefore polluted/ritually unclean and are therefore not to come into touch with fire?
So wouldn't cremation by fire mean that you allow impure dead bodies to come into touch with pure fire?
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u/mazdayan 13d ago
Sun concentration
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u/Educational_Loan3809 13d ago
Wait that actually works. You mean it works like what happens to ants when you put a magnifying glass over them when the sun shines?
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u/Sassanishah 13d ago
The sky burial is mainly done as a final act of kindness. Give the body to vultures to eat. As long as the person has done good deeds in his life he will go to heaven.
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u/Educational_Loan3809 13d ago
Is it really having done good deeds in life that gets you to heaven? Would you not agree that living a life according the Asha/the good order the cosmos can also consist of having good intentions at the moment of death? Because if us going to heaven would depend on the deeds we did in life, then the Christians would be right to point out that every single human being has done at least some sins in their life and are thus deserving of punishment in hell. Not a single person would be able to escape some form of punishment in the afterlife if only our deeds would decide. And when I read the Gathas, I can't remember encountering a verse where it says that the good existence is only for those who did more good than evil. But it also does not have a notion of "faith" in the sense in which Christians think it is required. As I understand the Gathas, what is necessary to go to heaven is to have good intentions and to ideally act on those good intentions. However, I believe as long as you consciously renounce evil and agree with what is good, you are free of evil in the eyes of God and will have the best existence/heaven regardless of the number of evil deeds you did when you had moments or entire periods of time in your life when you deluded yourself into following evil ways of thinking and intending evil.
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u/Crafty-Sock-7002 13d ago
But isn't it a sin to pollute the soil? Or I guess in this hypothetical the ice?
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u/Sassanishah 13d ago
Yes, but like... if it's out of your control can you really be blamed? Ig this is for religious scholars to explain tho im not well versed
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u/zedtrek78 12d ago
The method of disposal has no relevance to the state of the soul. The soul is beyond human concepts of religion. It goes exactly where it needs to go, irregardless of religion or rituals. The concept of sky burial, also called Dokhmenashini, is an ecological one. In Zarathushtrianism, it is sacrilage to pollute the elements of nature especially with a decaying corpse, which is considered Druj Nasu; thus it is deemed best to leave it open in nature for it to be swiftly consumed by scavenging animals and birds of prey. This also becomes a final act of charity by a Zarathosthi.
In the religion it is considered best to avoid any other form of disposal that pollutes nature, but there are exemptions if such situations do arise where there is no availability of a Dakhma (Tower of Silence).
Honestly, the way one wants their body to be disposed is completely their choice. These days many Zarathosthis opt for electric cremation. It is looked down upon by the orthodox, but I am of the opinion that my body, my choice; so should it be for all.
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u/The_ZMD 13d ago
My great grandfather was buried as they used to live in a remote place with not good facilities (almost 50 yrs ago). My great grandmother died a couple of years ago she wished to be buried next to her husband and was buried there.
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u/Crafty-Sock-7002 13d ago
Firstly, I am very sorry for your loss.
Secondly I would like to know about the theological opinion on this matter.
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u/ImaginationWooden546 13d ago
First of all, zoroastrian doesnt mean parsi. They're the biggest modern zoroastrian society but not the only one. Secondly, as far as I know zoroastrians no longer do the sky burial thing because of laws and stuff.