Rest in Peace: What does it mean ?

[Vaagmi]

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Q3) I heard from someone that saints of Hinduism l(like Kanchi saint) are not cremated but only buried? Why? why focus on the body?

Why Hindu Holy Men and Saints Are Buried and Not Cremated?




The traditional practice in Hinduism is to cremate the body of a dead person. But the dead body of holy men, saints and children below the age of three are buried. In many Hindu communities, the body of a holy person is buried in the Padmasana Posture (Lotus Position).Arnab Mitra writes about this aspect in Hindu Religion in Hindustan Times


Hindus generally cremate their dead. But there are exceptions: the dead bodies of saints, holy men and children are buried. These practices are based on two related and fundamental tenets of Hinduism — the belief in the transmigration of the soul and reincarnation. The Gita says: “Just as old clothes are cast off and new one worn, the soul leaves the body after death and enters a new one.”


Hindus believe that burning the body, and, hence, destroying it, helps the departed soul get over any residual attachment it may have developed for the deceased person.


Holy men and saints, however, are buried in the lotus position (padmasan) as they are believed to have attained — through piety, penance, rigorous spiritual training, or through good deeds done in previous lives — a level of detachment that makes cremation redundant.



Children, on the other hand, are buried as the soul has not stayed in the body long enough to develop any attachment.

Holy men in hinduism are given a burial after their soul (atma) escapes through the Brahmarantram an orifice on their skull. Holy men usually would have attained samadhi several times before their death. In samadhi state the atma/conscious self reaches a level just below the final level of leaving the body. The body in which the holy soul stayed becomes a temple for the sishyas and so they bury the body and build some sort of a mausolium over that.

 

[krishna moorthi sharma]

Namasthe

I am believer of advaida philosophy which do neither propagate vaikunda vasam or kailasha vasam as ulitimate moksha. But speaking generally according to shaiva and vaishnava philosophy kailsa prapthi or vaikunda prapthi is considered as the ultimate moksha.... Unlike other religions which assures suga bhogam in their moksha our vishistadwaida and dwaida philosophy says that when jeevathma reaches vaikunda or kailasha and it will be involved in doing service/seva or kainkaryam for bagavan eternally, where there is no place for personal interests and benefits(neither the atma that reaches there do expect it)..... but in the case semantic religions even after death the importance is given for individual benefits and luxury(eg: big palace made of gold and diamonds, many wives, etc in the heavens...

 

[krishna moorthi sharma]

Thank you for this clarification, sorry I just now noticed your reply, so the delay in my response.

BTW: Why only 13 points for you? I'm giving you 200...

namasthe,

sarvam krishnarpanamastu!!!!