Saturday, October 29, 2011

Gone in seconds

My religion doesn’t allow me to watch a funeral and I am glad that it doesn’t. A month back I had to attend a funeral. I was allowed because it was a Buddhist’s funeral (women are allowed to watch a funeral in Buddhism). The ‘Samshanghat’ was divided into two sections. One, where the pre-funeral rituals are performed and the second- the furnace room. The pre-funeral room was gaudy pink in color. It was a room with high ceiling and stairs at the extreme end which opened in the furnace room. Unlike the Hindu tradition there was no pooja, no pandit, no rituals, only lectures related to the body and soul were delivered by a Buddhist lady. After a prayer – ‘Buddham Sharanam Gachami’ which was enchanted by everyone present in the hall, the body was taken to the furnace room. This was something I was experiencing for the first and hopefully the last time. I can still feel the gloominess of that room. Walls were blackened due to the smoke from the chimney, the floor was cemented unevenly, the room comprised of two furnaces, a furnace operating switch board, a rusted rack with many tin boxes for collecting ash and most terrifying was the fetid air (I actually smelled rotten flesh and I still don’t understand from where it came when finally everything was burnt down to ash). The body was kept on the roller which was driven by a belt. Once the belt was driven the body slowly approached the furnace opening and in a few seconds it was completely inside the furnace. Shouts and screams filled the room. The opening window slowly started to shut down; when it was almost half open (such that everyone could see the body) the furnace was started and a gush of fire came from all sides enveloping the body. And then the furnace window shut completely taking along with it the person forever. In seconds, the body was turned down to ash. How cruel of the authorities to show the body catching fire by keeping the window half open when the fire comes in!!! Is what I thought. But the authorities started this practice only after a few people complained that they never started the furnace and later sold off the body parts. Quite inhuman!! But much better than the conventional method of burning on wood. Sometimes some things are so difficult to see, hear and feel. This was one such experience which showed me that this is what is going to happen to me and everyone on ‘the final day’. Everyone will be gone in seconds. Reality slaps quite hard!!! I would still call it an experience neither good nor bad… just an experience… because life is worth living for all the beautiful seconds it gives even when you know that you are going to be vanished in seconds.