I attended a funeral a couple of days back in Colombo that is the commercial city of Sri Lanka. So, after many year, I got a chance to go and have a look at one of the oldest cemeteries established by British rulers about 100 years back. This cemetery is something like a museum because there are many things available with it to make a kind of research about people who lived and died on this soil. Some of the tombs belong to white people who came to Sri Lanka when Sri Lanka was under the crown of the UK. All these toms are systematically rested on the land, the environment within the cemetery was so calm and quiet, so while attending the funeral procession, I managed my time to go and see some of the tombs closely; what came to my mind after moving here and there within the cemetery that a cemetery of this level was a nice place to begin a kind of deep research about our species by analyzing it from the anthropological point of view.
The cemetery land has been divided into lots in terms of religious base of our people, for example, Buddhists are given an area separately whereas Christians have a different land piece and so forth. Then, a query came to my mind suddenly, when we live in the world, we always try our best to divide human world into different segments based on nationality, religion and so forth although we all have the same root in evolution. Even in the cemetery, we try our best to follow the same rule after someone is died, someone would think that this type of arrangement within the cemetery is a necessity for its overall management and maintenance. However, I’m in a different thinking pool as a flexible person, the cemetery must be a place where burial should be done at random rather than going for something different. Please don’t get angry with me because this is my personal view. Many issues in this world are really puzzles! But people try to solve puzzles with puzzles and finally remain a puzzle and die.
Bimal
Comments
Dear brother Nematullah,
I’m sorry to say that it is impossible to find a linear answer to your query. Yes, in the existing reality, people don’t agree with me because of the way they think, but my point is that we have to think beyond the current box/grid because our existing reality creates clashes/disputes among us because of its instability/insecurity. Even in the graveyard or cemetery, we apply the same rule after someone is passed away because we are unwilling to analyze our issues in a different approach based on the rule of nature. We belong to nature though we attempt at manipulating her mechanism on our arbitrary decisions. If we talk with our conscience, we can easily understand that we belong to nature, in this context, why should we divide the cemetery into segments? I personally believe it is against the rule of nature. Our real world is something artificial and has no link to nature, but after death, the dead body should be released to nature without restrictions.
Good Luck!
my bro, you are right, but do you think, the people who have different mind set, grow in different community and religion will agree to bury their deads in one place... and do you think it's good...badness is necessary for the definition of goodness.
Dear Samu(Rush),
Thanks a lot!
Yes, we don’t have to get separated from one another because we are all from the same ancestor; when we are united based on humanity, this world is so colorful, so dynamic, so vibrant, and so attractive. I’m a human, you are a human; that’s all!
Good Luck!
Dear Ohnie,
Thanks a lot!
I’m not an anthropologist, but I’m interested in anthropology, sociology, human biology, evolution, quantum physics, astronomy and so forth. I studied zoology, botany, chemistry and physics for my university entrance exam and later entered the field of agriculture because I’m from an agricultural community. My main subjects are genetics, plant breeding, horticulture, plant nursery management and so forth. I totally agree with you that it is not easy to manage a funeral nowadays because of cost factor. Austerity is a big issue in modern societies despite the place we live currently. From developing nations to developed nations, the majority faces to the same practical issues in living.
I’m a person who try to look at the world in a different angle; I have a message for this world “we are all humans, we are siblings of a single mother”; hence, with my limited knowledge in English, I try my best to convey this message to our world with my articles/publications.
Good Luck!
That's interesting, Bimal. I have been to Colombo and heard a little bit about SL's history. By the way, are you perhaps an anthropologist? Just curious since you mentioned about anthropology. Anyways, nowadays, dead people get buried at a cemetery that their families' can afford because as you know, even dying can be really costly.